Page 90 of Rescued Dreams

“What—”

“Basket!” Zack lowered it through the door and Ridge reached up, but Bryce caught it.

The lieutenant said, “Get Izan out of the way so we can load Warren in there. He doesn’t look good.”

“He still has a pulse.” Ridge rolled Izan so he was tucked against the seat. The guy stirred, coming around. Ridge braced Izan out of the way with the back of his shoulder, which left his hands free. “Easy, Collins.”

Bryce angled his legs into the small gap, lifted Warren by his armpits, and hoisted him onto the basket. A few seconds later, he had the straps secured. “Go!”

Zack and Eddie lifted the basket up out of the truck, and Ridge spotted a flash of Zoe’s dark hair. The fact it was them made Ridge feel better, if only a little.Thank You, Lord.

Izan came awake yelling, flailing his arms.

“Whoa, buddy.” Bryce caught him, and Ridge found a space to switch places with the lieutenant.

He scrambled to the back of the front seats and hoisted his body over enough to see around the seat, his head swimming with the disorientation of everything being sideways. “Amelia—” She wasn’t here.

Della blinked up at him, crumpled against the passenger door.

Bryce said, “I asked where she was. I thought she went with you guys.”

“She did.” Ridge reached over the seat to Della. “Let’s get out of here.”

She grabbed his wrists, and he pulled her up. Ridge gritted his teeth against the pain in his chest. Della let go of his hands and got herself up. “You’re hurt.”

Bryce looked over his shoulder at Ridge. “I’ll get Izan. Della, you’re with Ridge.”

“Copy that, Lieutenant.”

Ridge didn’t like that they felt they had to take charge to get him out, managing his injury when Della had been in the same crash. But if it was going to be anyone, he was glad it was them. “What happened to Amelia? She should be in here with us.”

Della said, “Feels like someone stepped on me.” She waited for Bryce to haul Izan up out of the open door, where he was pulled out by Eddie and Zoe, which meant Zack had gone with Warren to make sure the guy got to the ambulance.

Ridge needed Amelia. “Where is she?”

Della and Bryce held on to him, steadying Ridge so he didn’t fall over. He reached one arm up, and Eddie caught it. When his friend started to pull him out, pain flashed through Ridge’s middle. He cried out. Eddie let go, and Ridge slumped back down.

Bryce wriggled Ridge’s T-shirt up out of his belt and looked at his chest while Ridge just stood there and breathed through the pain.

Della let out a hiss through clenched teeth at what they saw.

Ridge said, “I don’t need the basket.”

“You’ve probably got broken ribs. No one is pulling you out.”

Della said, “We’ll give you a boost. Send you up.”

Ridge had to nod, because the other alternative was being helpless. “Get me out of here. Someone has to have seen what happened to Amelia.”

Bryce made a cradle with his hands, and Ridge stepped into it. “Meg was on the sidewalk. She saw the whole thing, since it happened right in front of the Bridgewater Café.”

Eddie caught Ridge under the shoulders. Zoe pulled him onto the side of the truck until they were sitting over the insignia on the driver’s door. Della climbed out, followed by Bryce. The crowd of a few people who’d gathered on the sidewalk started to applaud.

Except Meg.

Ridge got down, thanks to a little help, and led the way to where the café owner stood on the edge of the curb. Traffic had stopped. An ambulance pulled around the corner at the end of the street. Probably a second rig, deployed to the call because the first had taken Warren to the hospital already. Rescue’s intact truck was parked behind Truck 14. He might need a second to get his bearings on solid ground, but there was no time.

Zack wandered to his left side, Della on the right.