COME TUMBLING DOWN
Disclaimer: All the usual applies, don’t own them just using them.
NOTES My stories come from life, and this story about Alex happened to me, and everything that happens to him, which would make you think ‘No way he would survive it,’ But I did, so he will too Now given that its 1920s, how he is treated versus how I was treated will vary, but... Anyway as usual here you guys read it and review it and enjoy.
Chapter 1: Children and trees.
It was a cool fall day in London, and a dry day, so Nanna had sent Megan, and Alex, who was under her care for the day, outside to enjoy the dry weather. For a while, the two children played a game of hide and seek, however that soon became boring. Now they sat in a swing, which Megan’s father had built, trying to come up with things to do.
“We could go ride horses,” Megan said to her best friend in the world.
“We did that already,” Alex said. He was 6, and wished they could go to the park, but Nanna was busy making pies for a dinner party Megan’s father was having, so that left them to stay outside.
“We could climb trees,” Megan stated. She was 7, and into adventure as much as Alex. His eyes lit up at that suggestion. They raced to the edge of the property, where the woods began, and found the perfect tree. It was huge, with large branches. Megan went first climbing higher and higher, with Alex right behind her. She climbed up as high as she could go, almost 2 stories, and settled on a branch. Alex settled on a branch a little below her, and they looked out.
“Lets pretend this is a ladder which leads to a castle of an Ogre,” Megan said. Alex nodded.
“We have to fight him off.” Alex broke a branch a little above him, and pretended to fight, making Megan laugh. He stood not holding on to anything fighting the invisible ogre.
“Alex your gonna fall out if your not careful,” she warned.
“No I won’t, and If I do, I’ll think happy thoughts, and fly just like Peter Pan does,” he stated, and poked at the air with his stick. His movements on the branch, which was thick, but also rotted where it was attached to the tree, was causing it to break away, but gradually so that he didn’t know that he was in trouble. Then he heard something snap and felt the branch bending.
“Megan help,” he said. She was looking up at some birds, and when she looked down, she noticed he was in trouble and told him to hold her feet. He did, still semi supported by his branch, and Megan held onto the tree itself. When the branch did break she felt herself start to slide.
“Alex you got to let go or I’ll fall,” she cried. He was holding on for dear life, and didn’t want to fall.
“Think your happy thoughts like Peter Pan,” She told him. He had forgotten that part, and closed his eyes, and thought about the time they went to the beach, and his dad had tought him to make sand castles. With that thought he let go. Then his legs hit a branch and he screamed. His body turned and his head hit several branches on the way down to the ground.
“Alex are you okay?” Megan asked. She had watched him as his head hit and broke branches, as it almost bounced from different branches. She was quick to climb down, finding Alex on his stomach. He wasn’t moving.
“Alex., “ she wined, and as she got closer she noticed his ear bleeding, then he julted, and started to cry. Megan was terrified and screamed for Nanna, for anyone who would hear her.
Inside the cozy home, Nanna had made snacks for the children, and after she put on a coat, she stepped outside and heard Megan’s screams. Wondering what on earth was wrong, Nanna ran toward the woods, and as she came up the hill she saw Megan then Alex, and ran faster.
“Nanna he fell out of the tree and he is bad hurt,” Megan told her. She could see that he was, and hugged Megan first.
“Will you call Alex’s mum at the Museam?” Megan nodded, and ran to do that, while Nanna took off her coat and put it over Alex who was still crying.
“SHh, I know it hurts sweet boy, but help will be here soon.” She had helped out in a hospital before she became Megan’s Nanna, and knew that you didn’t move a person who had a head injury, which Alex did.
In her house Megan dialed the Museum and after three rings a guy picked up the phone.
“Daniel its Megan, is Mrs. O’Connell there?”
“In a meeting,” he said annoyed. He hated kids, and wished the museum wouldn’t allow them around.
“Go get her now,” Megan yelled. She didn’t care for him either, and he laughed.
“No way...” she cut him off
“Alex fell out of a tree. His ears are bleeding and he is badly hurt go get her.” Daniel dropped the phone and ran down the steps, to where Evelyn was meeting with the Bembridge Scholars who had come to see the work she had done on the Museum.
“Mrs. O’Connell, you have an important call,” Daniel said. She knew he wouldn’t come get her if it wasn’t important, so she excused herself
“Daniel take these men to the Egyptian section, and show them the new treasures.” He nodded, and Evelyn went into her office, frowning as she found the receiver dangling from the desk, instead of on it. She picked it up and put it to her ear and heard a child crying.
“Megan?” she asked.
“Oh Mrs. O’Connell me and Alex were way way up in a tree, and he fell out, and I told him to think happy thoughts like Peter Pan, but he didn’t fly and he got hurt.” She continued to cry, and Evie sat down. She wanted to ask how bad, but right now she needed to get Megan to call the Doctor.
“Megan shhh. Be brave honey.” On her end Megan took a deep breath and another.
“Now I need you to call Doctor Brown, Can you do that for me and tell him to come to your house and have a look at Alex. I’ll be there as soon as I can.
“Okay.” They hung up and Evelyn jumped up. After getting her purse, and finding the Bembridge Scholars, explaining that her son had been in a terrible accident, she left for her car, then was off to Megan’s. She maintained safe speeds through the city, and once she hit the road just outside of London, which would take her to the country she sped up, not caring if she got a ticket, right now Alex needed her. The drive was a 30 minute drive, and she prayed that Megan was over exaggerating how bad Alex was hurt.
“Oh I should have called Rick” she said to herself. She drove to the house first, where he and Jonathan were outside fixing some loose shutters on the top floor. Not bothering to turn off the car, she got out, and he came down the ladder. He was dirty and sweaty, but handsome, and any other time she would suggest they go and make love, but right now Alex needed them.
“Megan said Alex fell out of a tree, we should go over there and see how hurt he is.” The tone of Evie’s voice was panicy, and Rick got in the drivers side of their car. When she was in, he pushed the petal and they were off.
It was windy, and Nanna had managed to get Alex quieted, and to lay still.
“Tired,” he told her again.
“Shh, I know honey, but you must stay awake, it’s very important. Megan came with more blankets and had her favorite baby doll as well.
“Alex you may hold Lilly,” she said. Nanna set the doll near him but he didn’t move to pick it up. She placed the blankets over him.
“Put the pillow under Nanna.” Megan told her not understanding that they couldn’t move him.
“I would, but we might hurt Alex more if we move him,”
“I want to sleep,” he told them.
“No sweet boy, tell me about the beach, can you do that?” He was slow to respond.
“I learned how to make sand castles, dad taught me,” came his soft response. Megan heard a car pull up and ran up and over the small hill and down the bigger one. Doctor Brown had arrived, and brought a nurse with him. As he got out of the car, the O’Connells arrived, and Megan ran to them. She grabbed Rick’s hand first, then Evies.
“Hurry up Nanna says he has a hurt head. He hit lots of branches on his way down to the ground. They ran with her, and the sight they found was enough to put fear in their hearts. Evelyn ran to her baby.
“Alex Mum is here baby.” He was quiet.
“Mum sleep,” he said barily audible. Rick came beside his wife, and Nanna moved.
“Hey buddy,” Rick noticed the blood dried onto his ear, and that he was laying in vomit, and he wanted to move him, but he knew from the days in the Legion that you didn’t move a person with a head injury. Doctor Brown came to the group, and Nanna coaxed Megan into the house, not wanting her to witness what they would have to do with Alex.
“Is he awake?” Both parents nodded.
“Alex, its Doctor Brown, I’m going to look in your ear all right?” He mumbled something, and the doctor took out some Gauze and cleaning solution, and poured it on there, then wiped the blood away. Alex flinched and started to cry.
“Nooo hurts.” Evelyn settled near his head.
“Baby, shh, he has to help you get better, be brave okay.” The doctor looked in his ear without to much fuss from Alex, and noticed that the eardrum had burst. The good news though was that the hairs that surrounded his ear drum were there, which meant that he could still hear.
“Okay Alex, I’m going to take your blankets away and feel your back.” He did this, and Alex didn’t cry out.. He felt around his head and neck and Alex did cry then. Upon feeling the back of his head, close to where it attached to the neck he felt a soft spot, that should not be soft. Alex was crying in ernest now.
“I’ll need to get him onto a stretcher and Immobilize him so that we can get him to the hospital,” He told his nurse. She got that ready, and while she did, Doc took something that looked like a cast and put it over Alex’s Neck and when it was secure he eased Alex onto his side. The cast contraption kept Alex’s head still, though he screamed when they moved him. With Rick’s help, the nurse put the stretcher beside Alex and the Doc rolled him onto it. Alex started to retch again, and Doc rolled him to his side He took a tube, a long one, and stuck it in Alex’s right nostril, which got more screams from the boy. He pushed it in slow, and Alex started to gag.
“Swallow Alex I know its uncomfortable but in a moment I’ll have it in, and you will be fine,” doc reassured. Alex was too upset to listen, and Doc managed to get it down his throat, and in a moment the tube was filled with the retch. The Doctor had put it in to keep Alex from choking to death. Evelyn stroked his head the entire time they were securing him, and once he was ready they all left for the hospital.
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