Siren's Signal Pain

David couldn't help but lean protectively around Max as he shielded the boy from both the burning wreck and the uniformed people moving around them.

More police vehicles arrived as the firemen tackled the blaze with high pressure hoses. The distant sirens of an ambulance could be heard beyond the trees, the sound echoing slowly louder as it filtered through the pines.

Officer Williams had backed off, retreating to the squad car, and was searching for something in the trunk.

David looked up startled as she slammed the trunk closed making Max flinch against his side. She walked back towards them carrying a silver square which glinted in the changing lights of the fire and the vehicles.

"Here," she handed David the space blanket leaving him to pull the crackling plastic wrap around his shoulders.

David shifted Max a little so the boy was sitting in his lap rather than being held. Freeing up his reddening hands he pulled the blanket tight around them. He steadily ignored the painful stretching feeling in his fingers in favour of attending to Max.

Safely cocooned in the silver blanket Max leaned heavy and warm against David's belly. His wild black curls pressed against the tall man's green shirt as Max turned his face away from the world and soaked up the warmth radiating from David. Warmth amplified by the blanket.

Black smoke from the wreck wafted over them, harsh and acidic before thinning and becoming paler as the firefighters doused the flames leaving white steam in their place. Crackling flames gave way to hissing steam and sharp pings of rapidly cooling metal as the heavy spray of water bombarded the wreck.

Max flinched at the sharp sounds and David wrapped an arm around him. Glancing up at Officer Williams he grimaced as voices and sirens assaulted them and Max shook.

Officer Williams looked at them both and decided that she didn't care if David was from Camp Campbell or the fucking moon. The guy was the only thing holding the kid together and she was not going to question that right now.

Moore was still with the firemen taking some details and beginning to tape off the smouldering wreck so that they could begin working on securing the car and eventually begin the grim task of removing the now blackened bodies inside.

Williams would have prefered dealing with that scene than the distant crying child and his soot covered guardian. She was considering leaving them to do just that when the ambulance sirens reached their peak.

The boxy white van with a blue and red stripe pulled in beside her squad car neatly. It's sirens cut off as the engine died, leaving a strange uncertain absence after their anxious building wail.

The first paramedic climbed out of the cabin, glanced over the three of them and immediately went to the rear of the vehicle. He emerged from the wide double doors a moment later carrying a large red medical bag and made his way towards them.

The second paramedic climbed from the driver's seat and began moving their way more slowly, taking in the crash scene as he did.

The first paramedic reached them with a cheery white smile and kind brown eyes.

Officer Williams motioned to the fluffy black curls peeking from the silvery burrito wrapped around David. "You're after the kid."

Once she saw that the two paramedics had taken over the situation here she quickly left and headed to regroup with Moore.

Kneeling down infront of David he smiled and began softly talking to the boy hidden inside the blanket. "Hey in there. Feel like coming out so I can have a look at you?"

Max squirmed against David pulling the blanket tighter around them as he moved.

David looked to the paramedic apologetically. "He was in the crash, and he's just lost his parents. I don't think he wants to talk."

The paramedic nodded with a sad smile. "I'm really sorry to hear that. How's he doing? Any obvious injuries?"

"He's got a nasty cut on his cheek and his wrist is swollen. I think he might have hit his head as well. The car was rolled right over up against a tree," David said listing off Max's injuries as he glanced towards the car now surrounded by yellow tape and people in bright fireproof jumpsuits.

The paramedic looked at the wreck as his driver approached. He gave a low whistle. "You did well to get out of there. What's your name buddy? I'm Jose. My friend Mark and I are going to help get you to hospital so we can fix up that wrist…." he looked to David prompting for a name.

"Max."

"Max! That's a brave name. Let's get you out of there so we can give you a check up okay Max," Jose said with a cheerfully calm voice.

At his name Max turned towards them. Lifting himself partially out of the blanket he glared at Jose.

Red flashing light reflected up from the foil blanket into his shining aqua eyes. Eyes filled with tears, and the repressed emotions behind those tears burned bright and fierce.

Jose's smile dropped for a beat but he wrestled it back into place and did a quick assessment of the angry child. A long deep cut on his left cheek, clean but still beading red. Red bruising mottled his sun kissed face, centred on his cheeks and left eye, unusual for a crash victim. There was also blood dried down his neck and darkening the tattered hoodie he wore.

"That's a nasty cut you've got there Max. Your friend said you hurt your wrist too? Can we have a look at that for you?" Jose offered a hand to Max hoping the offer would be accepted.

Max dropped his glare to Jose's hand then briefly up at David.

"He's not my friend. He's a fucking idiot," Max said while using the sleeve of his good arm to dry his eyes.

David flinched a little at that, it hurt but it also felt more like the Max he knew which was comforting. "Language," he corrected automatically.

"He seems like he's being a pretty good friend right now," Jose defended letting his hand drop away from Max.

"You the kid's guardian?" Mark asked speaking up with a gruff voice as he pulled an antiseptic wipe from the medical bag.

"Yes."

There was no hesitation.

No second thought.

No one else was there to take care of Max and technically he was still on Camp Campbell property. So Max was still his camper. According to Campbell's paperwork that meant he was legally their charge if his parents were not contactable and being dead was about as uncontactable as it got.

"We got permission to provide first aid then?" Mark asked, satisfied with David's answer and just wanting to get on with his job.

"Yes. Of course! Sorry!" David looked down to Max. "It's time to come out buddy. They're going to get you to hospital and get that wrist fixed up. It has got to be hurting, let's get you better okay Max?"

Max shrugged off David's eyes and held his swollen wrist out to Jose. "Of course it's hurting it's fucking broken dipshit."

There wasn't any bite to his insult and David pulled the space blanket down from around them giving the paramedics better access to Max.

Jose reached out for Max taking his arm gently at the elbow and moving him slightly away from David. Once the boy was out in the open a little more he began slowly and softly feeling around the swollen wrist joint.

Max tensed and swore under his breath as he reflexively tried to jerk away from the soft contact and was stopped by Jose's hand tight around his elbow.

The movement sent fresh waves of pain shooting from his wrist up his arm. Grinding his teeth he threw his head back and stared at David.

The tall man stared back green eyes wide and comforting.

Suckling in a deep breath Max stared at the infuriatingly calm counsellor then blinked and dropped his head back down to watch Jose work.

Jose had finished prodding and was now looking straight at Max. "Hey Max I'm going to ask you some questions and I need you to answer them the best you can so we get you the right help. And I need you to tell me the answer, do not shake or nod your head. Okay Max?"

"Yeah whatever just fix me up," Max grumbled looking away from Jose's kind brown eyes.

Why were all these adults asking him stuff like he had a choice or knew what was going on?

"Okay. Do you have any pain in your head or neck?"

"No."

"Any numbness or tingling in your hands and feet?"

"Yeah the fucking swollen one."

"Alright." Jose looked over to Mark who was making notes on a clipboard, flicking through the pages of a patient assessment sheet. "Can you move your fingers and toes?"

Max gave his toes an experimental wriggle inside his shoes then used his good hand to flip off Jose and Mark.

Mark raised an eyebrow at this but said nothing as David gently put his big hand around Max's and lowered it.

"Clear enough. What about this hand?" he indicated to the broken wrist.

Max frowned and gave the fingers an experimental twitch and immediately regretted it as pain lanced through his arm. "Fuck that!"

Jose frowned at that looking to Mark he commented softly, "Minimal movement in the left digits. Could be quite a complicated break. Felt like there were several breaks and possibly some floating bone."

Mark looked over at Max sizing up the boy. "Take a slow deep breath kid."

Max glared but complied. His eyes scrunched closed in a pained winced as his lungs filled to their fullest. Holding for just a beat he subconsciously curled slightly to his left, favouring the side. A loud hiss slipped through his gritted teeth as he breathed out a little too quickly losing control and suffering for it.

David craned his head over Max peering down on the boy worried. His heart had clenched in fear at that rush of air. "What's wrong?"

Jose turned to David. "Max has definitely broken his wrist and from the sound of that a rib or two as well."

"I don't think any head trauma he suffered has caused spinal damage but we will monitor him on the way in," Mark said then handing David a pair of forms he added, "I'm going to need you to sign these."

David looked over the papers. The first asked for permission to provide first aid on him, he signed it a little confused. He didn't think he really have any major injuries worth going to hospital for. Sure his hands hurt a little and his legs were definitely sore from gravel rash but he could deal with all of that back at camp. He was just there for Max.

Then he began on the second form. It stated that he had assumed guardianship of Max and had given permission to perform emergency first aid. There was a section asking for his insurance in order to follow up later payment which he ignored. With his parents dead Max was technically a ward of the state, no matter how much David hated that thought knowing the kind of system Max was going to be forced into, and so the state would pay his expenses.

Curling his hand around an offered pen with a near silent whimper David signed off on the form and handed it back to Mark.

Jose was still working on Max as David signed the forms. He had cleaned up the swollen and slightly disfigured wrist checking for any blood or abrasions. While it was already bruising a deep angry purple no bone had broken the skin so Jose was able to get straight to work immobilising the area with a plastic splint kit.

As Jose strapped the splint onto Max's wrist and then tied up a sling to hold his arm to his chest Mark looked at David and quietly pulled out a foil wrapped packet of nonstick padding and burn aid. "Have I got your permission to deal with the burns on your hands?" Mark asked with determination.

David nodded and uncurled his fingers offering his hands palms up to Mark. The tender skin was red and angry, large welts glistening with clear serum and bright red blood. David looked down on them in surprise, he hadn't realised the burns were so bad.

Mark liberally smeared on burn aid, the salve both stinging and cooling David's hands.

The first cold touch shocked him into giving a sharp high yelp before the cooling sensation washed blissfully over his hands.

Pressing the slick white squares of non stick padding over the salve gently Mark quickly secured them with thin soft cotton bandaged tied over the backs of his hands around the wrist. Looking over his work Mark just said, "Try and keep your hands still and whatever you do don't pick anything up."

David's subconscious look down to Max was met with a sharp reply from Mark.

"That includes carrying the kid. One of us can do it or we can stick him on a gurney."

"There's nothing wrong with my legs I can fucking walk," Max growled turning around to them and only wincing a little as the movement pulled at his side. The cut was on his face had been covered with a large white pad, the clear tape securing it pulled at his eye and nose and he itched them distractedly

"Good," Mark replied curtly as he stared down at Max, "Then David'll have nothing to worry about."

Turning back to David he pulled the rest of the discarded space blanket aside and went to work covering David's gangly legs with antiseptic and burn aid.

Having finished up with Max Jose stood up and waved for one of the police officers.

Moore looked over at them then called to Williams who visibly slumped at the request before turning and slowly heading their direction.

"We're just finishing up here then we'll head into the hospital so if you need either of them for follow-up you can contact them there," Jose said as she reached them.

"Which hospital?" They way she asked was tired and resigned.

"Campbell Community Hospital."

"Yeah I thought it might be," Williams said head hanging. "There wasn't any other option?"

"Mama it is the closest hospital!" Jose defended.

"Of course it is." She paused seemingly searching for words or some way out before continuing, "Either Officer Moore or myself will be in to do follow-up within the next 24 hours. We'll also send someone from child services as soon as possible."

Mark pushed off the ground with a grunt and began packing up the gear into the kit bag while Jose bid goodbye to Officer Williams. Once she had walked away Jose helped David up by the elbow until he was unsteadily standing.

When Jose tried to help Max up the boy's hand shot out and grabbed one of David's knees, ignoring the man's whimpers of pain, until he was standing. On his feet he shifted his grip holding onto the end of David's shorts, this green material grasped tightly enough that try to remove him and he'd pull David over too.

David reached down and very softly ruffled the top of Max's dark curls, tussling then into some sort of decency.

Max flinched a little against the touch and made a half hearted bat at David's bandaged hands, but he didn't let go.

David very slowly and very carefully walked towards the ambulance.

Max shuffled along attached.

Jose hovered beside them watching to make sure neither of them fell.

They climbed into the back of the ambulance as Mark climbed into the driver's seat. Jose climbed in with them before he closed the rear door ls behind him.

As the ambulance drove away from Camp Campbell David and Max sat side by side, silent and still. With the exception of their winces and muttered curses each time the tyres found themselves in yet another rut in the gravel road.