7 Are you pregnant, Kathleen?

"Jezz!" Exclaimed Ben. "There's been a plane crash." He couldn't help but wonder what the fate of the passengers on the plane was.

Quickly, he took out his phone to call Dr Samrall, their medical director.

"Hello Doc," he spoke immediately the phone connected. "This is Benneth King sir, There's been a plane crash."

"What?"

"When?"

"Where? Where exactly are you?" questioned the director in quick successions.

"A plane crash sir, on the island not far from the village. Can you please come over immediately? I think the situation is terrible," Ben replied.

"Who else is there with you Ben?"

"Samantha Wallace is here with me sir, she's already helping out with other survivors."

"Hope you're both safe?" asked the director.

"We are, Doc," replied Ben.

"That's good to hear," the director said in relief.

"I'll get more hands and we'll be there right away. Please try and do your best in helping those still alive."

"All right sir."

After ending the call, he quickly went into action. By then Samantha was already pulling out a seriously injured man who couldn't lift himself.

"Easy, take it easy, you'll be alright," she kept saying.

Suddenly they heard shoutings from the other end of the wreckage.

"Help! Help! Please, anyone there?" the person screamed at the top of her lungs.

Ben immediately took off at lightning speed.

Just when Elizabeth was about to give up, she saw a young man running and darting his head in all directions, apparently trying to locate where the shout was coming from.

"Over here," she shouted at the top of her voice while waving her hands frantically as a signal to their location.

He finally saw her.

"What's the situation like?" Ben asked breathlessly as soon as he got to where they were.

"She is bleeding and needs help as soon as possible," Elizabeth answered, her voice anguished.

"My name is Benneth King, and I'm a medical student. We came for an outreach at a village not far from this island."

As he explained, he stooped down and started feeling Kathleen's pulse. He then reached into his bag, took out his stethoscope for an auscultation.

After listening to her heart, he did the same to her stomach, straightened up with a slight frown and said, "We'll need to take her to a health facility as soon as possible if we must save her and the baby. Her condition is not good."

"The baby?"

"The baby?"

Elizabeth and Kathleen both asked simultaneously although with different reactions; while Elizabeth was merely surprised, Kathleen was shocked beyond words and couldn't understand the conflicting emotions she felt.

"Are you pregnant Kathleen?"

Kathleen: "...."

Kathleen didn't know what to say. 'This is unbelievably ridiculous. Just when I'm in the process of a divorce I got pregnant, and coincidentally I'm about to lose the child, she thought.

'Why in heaven's name is everything happening to me at this time of my life? I'm quite certain the heavens must be playing a prank on me.'

She laughed and cried at the same time.

Another wave of pain struck her again but more severely this time. She gritted her teeth in pain, gripping tightly to Elizabeth's hand.

"Please hold on dear, nothing will happen to you and the baby."

She whirled round to face Ben and asked a little more desperately, "But how can we get out of this place? It appears we are in the middle of nowhere?"

"Take it easy Ma'am. You are also injured and need not exact so much energy. I've already informed my medical director about the situation here and I'm certain they'll be here soon. But in the meantime, we need to keep her awake,'' Ben told Elizabeth who was already very nervous.

He took out his phone to call his director again.

"Doc, there is also a pregnant woman among the survivors who is bleeding and needs urgent help as soon as possible."

"We've already set out and will soon be with you, please pay close attention to her and try your best not to let her sleep," Dr Samrall instructed.

"Ok sir."

About ten minutes later, heavy footsteps sounded not far away and as the footsteps got closer, faint voices were heard. "That must be the medical director and his team," Elizabeth said hopefully.

Soon after, a burly looking man emerge from the corner, leading four other people.

From Ben's address, they found out he was Dr Samrall whom he had been talking with on the phone. With him was one other doctor and some young guys who were fellow medical students like Ben.

After assessing the situation and the feedback from Ben, Kathleen was moved to the speedboat waiting at the waterfront.

Other survivors from the crash were also brought along.

All the while Elizabeth never left Kathleen's side although she was also in pain. She kept encouraging Kathleen to hang in there and that everything will be alright.

Kathleen felt warm inside and was not as lonely as she's been feeling the past few days, she smiled weakly to reassure Elizabeth but the pains she was going through made the smile look hideous.

When they got to the water front, a medical helicopter was just landing.

It appeared someone had previously called an Aeromedical transport company who had sent an emergency medical helicopter team to the crash site.

Kathleen and those that were in critical conditions were transferred into the medical helicopter on which was written 'Air Ambulance' while the rest were moved to the speedboat.

According to Dr Samrall, time was of essence and they needed to beat the 'Golden hour' of the accident during which prompt medical and surgical treatment will prevent death

Already waiting for the patients in the helicopter were some paramedics. Kathleen was one of first persons they quickly attended to, working efficiently and effectively as they administered the first aid treatments with accuracy and precision.

Everything was getting hazy as the time went by and Kathleen gradually slipped into oblivion.

By the time they arrived at the hospital, she had already lost consciousness.