"Why are you into the stars so much anyway?" Alex asked Joseph as they were walking along the bridge. They were in town as Joseph wanted to buy a telescope. "They're amazing Alex. We hardly know anything about what's above us. We are tiny in the universe and there is so much to discover." "So do you want to be an astronaut? Go into space?" "Yeah. I'd love to! Imagine if I am the first man on Mars. Joseph Stubbs, one small step for man, one great achievement for..." Joseph said before he suddenly went quiet. "Joseph?" Alex asked as everything went quiet and he turned around. "Joseph? Where are you?" Alex asked as he looked for him. Joseph had vanished into thin air. "Argh... Alex!" Joseph called and Alex looked down. "Joseph!" Alex shouted. Joseph had fallen down a gap in the bridge and he was pinned against one of the bridge's stone supports. "Hold on, I'm coming!" Alex shouted, and he quickly ran underneath the bridge. "Argh... argh!" Joseph called. His leg was trapped between the stonework, and the stone support was a good two metres into the river. The water's surface level was up at Joseph's chest height, and it was starting to rise. "What happened?" Alex asked as he reached the shore. "I fell. My leg... it's trapped," Joseph said before he grimaced. "Are you hurt?" "My leg hurts... I think I might have hit my head." "Alright, I'm going to get you out," Alex said and Joseph nodded. The water started to lap at Joseph's shoulders and Alex frowned. He looked at his watch, then he looked at Joseph. "The dam, they're about to release the water." "No... Alex, I'm going to drown!" "No you're not," Alex said and he looked at the water. It was rising, and soon Joseph would be trapped underneath it. Alex had only learnt to swim very recently, and the teacher had told him about how powerful and dangerous water could be.
Alex swallowed, but fear was quickly overwhelming them both. "Help me Alex. You have to get me out!" Joseph shouted. "I will. I will," Alex said and he took his jumper off. Water was rising up Joseph's neck and he was needing to stretch now to be able to breathe. "Stay there," Alex said and he went up the shoreline. "Alex!"
~
Controlling the panic, but with adrenaline quickly filling him, Alex got into the river and he started to swim. Despite swimming fast and hard, Alex was quickly being pulled downstream. Alex reached Joseph and he grabbed hold of the support. Thankfully, the bridge had a chain hanging from the base of the support and Alex wrapped the chain around his arm. "Which leg is trapped?" Alex asked Joseph as he struggled to tread water. "My right... leg..." Joseph said, the water now lapping at his mouth. "Ok. Try to get it free," Alex said, and he dived below the water. Using the chain to stop him from being pulled downstream, Alex found Joseph's leg and he tried to pull it free. It was trapped between two large concrete slabs, and it was well and truly wedged. Alex knew that everytime he pulled on Joseph's leg, he caused him pain.
Alex looked up at Joseph, but horror filled him as he saw that Joseph was now fully underwater and his eyes had closed. Scared and starting to panic, Alex surfaced and gasped for air. The chain was starting to dig into his arm and draw blood, but he had to free Joseph. "Come on," Alex said and he went underwater once more. Taking a firm hold of Joseph's leg, he told himself that it was pain for death for Joseph. With a few forceful pulls on Joseph's leg, Alex managed to free it. They were immediately pulled away from the bridge by the current, and Alex released the chain from his arm.
~
Panting on the shoreline, quite a way from the bridge, Alex looked up. He had managed to swim with Joseph to the shore and get them both onto dry land. He looked at Joseph beside him, who was lying on his back, and a shot of fear went through him. Joseph was still unconscious. "Joseph? Joseph? Can you hear me?" Alex asked as he went over to him. "Joseph?" He asked, and he leant down and listened for Joseph's breathing. He was breathing. "Joseph," Alex said as he shook him and Joseph started to cough up some water. Alex turned him onto his side and stayed with him. "Are you alright?" Alex asked Joseph as his coughing eased. "Yeah. I think so..." Joseph said before he grimaced. Alex looked down and saw that Joseph's left trouser leg was torn and his leg was badly bruised. "Your leg..." "It's ok. It doesn't feel broken." "Have you broken many things before?" "No... I don't think so..." "Ok." Alex said and Joseph looked at him. "You saved my life." "I wouldn't say that..." "I would have drowned if it wasn't for you. Thank you," Joseph said, and he started to cough once more. "Breathe. Just take some breaths," Alex said as he rested his hands on Joseph's side, and Joseph tried to. As his breathing got better, Alex looked at his bleeding arm. "We both need to be seen by a doctor," Alex said, and Joseph looked up. He looked at Alex's bleeding arm and his eyes became wide. "That's bad." "Is it?" "It's bleeding a lot," Joseph said as Alex looked again at his arm. A large spiral wound, caused by the chain, ran down Alex's arm. It wasn't too deep, but it was bleeding significantly. "I need to get us both to a doctor," Alex repeated and Joseph started to sit up. "Here," Alex said and he helped Joseph to sit and stand up. "I've got you." "Thanks Alex." "Come on. The hospital's just up the hill. We'll take it slowly alright?" "I can't do any other speed," Joseph said, and they walked together to A&E.
At the hospital, Alex's arm was cleaned and bandaged, and he was given a tetanus shot. Alex stayed with Joseph as a radiographer x-rayed his leg. No bones had been broken, much to Alex's relief, but the doctor gave Joseph a crutch to help with his walking. Joseph had hit his head, but there was no big bump forming. He had a small headache and Alex called for a taxi to take them home.
~
"Hey," May-Li said as they came in, then she became very worried. "What's happened?" "Alex saved my life," Joseph told her. "What?" "Joseph got trapped under a bridge, and his leg got caught." "Is anything broken?" "No. We've just been to the hospital," Alex explained. "Wow. What on earth happened to you two?" "Why have you got a crutch Joseph?" "Are you ok?" "Alex, what happened to your arm?" Tyler asked as everyone appeared. "I wrapped a chain around my arm to stop the river current pulling me downstream." "Why were you in the river?" "He was saving my life." "I was trapped, and Alex saved my life. Without him, I would have drowned." "But you can barely swim Alex." "I know, but I didn't have a choice." "So you risked your own life to save Joseph?" "That's not how I would put it, but basically yes." "Wow." "You're a hero." "Are you both Joseph?" May-Li asked and he nodded. "Alex?" She asked and Alex nodded as well. "I think we're both tired and in a little bit of pain, but we're alright." "Ok. Both of you go into the office and sit down. Jody, can you get some water and painkillers please?" "Sure." "The rest of you, give us some space yeah?" "Ok," Tyler said, and they went into the lounge.
In the office with May-Li, Alex and Joseph recounted everything that had happened. Jody brought them some painkillers and food, and she left them to it.
May-Li had a look at part of Alex's wound, but he reassured her that the hospital had given him a tetanus injection and it will heal alright on its own. Satisfied, May-Li helped Joseph upstairs and into his bed. Then she went down and found Alex asleep on the sofa in the office. She was about to wake him when Mike walked in. "Hi. ... What?" Mike asked as he saw Alex. "I'll explain," May-Li said, and she closed the door. Explaining all the events of the afternoon, May-Li reassured Mike that both of the boys were ok. They decided to leave Alex asleep in the office, and Mike called the hospital to get a full report of Alex and Joseph's injuries while May-Li added the incident to both of their records.
Hours later, and despite many efforts, it took Floss screaming in Alex's face to wake him up. After having a minor laugh, May-Li took Alex up to his bed. The next day Mike took the older kids, and Joseph, out to the cinema to see 'Solo: A Star Wars Story' as a treat. Alex and Joseph became friends and everyone was really thankful that Alex was part of their family.
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