Not to mention the other people trying to rip them apart.
He pulled off the main road onto a country lane that he knew would eventually bring him out near the hospital. The housing estates and shops gave way to woodland and private cottages. These properties seemed undisturbed compared to the chaos of Nick’s own neighbourhood. The middle-class families that lived here were likely still sleeping soundly, while everywhere else had spun into madness.
The lane became clear up ahead and Nick stamped on the accelerator to pick up speed. He kept the car close to the verge, not wanting to collide with anybody coming the other way. Overhanging branches whipped against his wing mirrors.
Nick took the opportunity to check on Lara. He glanced back. “I’m heading for the hospital, okay? I need to get help for my wife. Your husband will need help, too. Not to mention you could probably use a doctor yourself.”
Lara did not answer him. She just moaned something that could have been an affirmative response. Blood leaked from all over her body and she slumped on the back seat.
A van pulled out of a nearby brickyard and Nick had to slow down to avoid crashing into it. Unbelievably, the driver nodded a polite ‘thank you’ as he passed by. The man would get the shock of his life when he entered the main roads and saw all the chaos and bloodshed. Part of Nick thought about warning the man but, by that time, the van had already driven too far in the opposite direction.
Up ahead, the country road widened into a crossroad intersection. Nick slowed down again as he spotted a pair of crunched-up saloons. The two vehicles appeared to have smashed into each other head-on at speed, reducing them to shattered wrecks of jagged metal and torn rubber, rather than the luxury automobiles they were designed to be. The two cars were blocking the centre of the road, but there was still room to get around them if care was taken.
Nick pulled the engine down into second gear and kept his speed below twenty. The last thing he needed was to add his own vehicle to the wreckage and having to walk to the hospital.
A shuffling behind him made him look around at the backseat. Lara was lying face down now and having some kind of seizure. Her blood coated everything and the smell of it filled the car. He was pretty sure she was dying.
He brought the car to a crawl and swivelled around. “Hey,” he shouted back to her. “Hey, Lara, are you okay? I’m going to get you some help, but you need to stay with me until I get there. You need to stay awake a little while longer.”
Lara managed to lift her head slowly and glance at him. Her seizures stopped.
Satisfied that his passenger was still conscious for the time being, Nick turned back to face the road. He got the car moving faster again, picking up speed cautiously as he approached the wreckage ahead. The two smashed-up saloons were close enough now to see that both were unoccupied. Seemingly the drivers involved had managed to walk away from the accident in better shape than their vehicles – luckily for them.
A groan made Nick turn around again. “Everything is going to be alright,” he told Lara. “Just hold-”
Lara lunged forward, diving through the gap between the front passenger seat and the driver’s seat. Nick was taken by surprise and both of his feet slipped from the pedals as he found himself shoved forward against the steering wheel. Lara climbed onto his back. She clawed at his coat and yanked at the wool of his collar with her teeth.