Chapter 865: The Accident Scene

Chapter 865: Chapter 865: The Accident Scene

Henry had actually already determined through his super-hearing that three cars had been involved in a rear-end collision up ahead, blocking the entire road.

Unfortunately, they were stuck on the bridge in an awkward position. They couldn’t back out and take another route because a whole line of cars was jammed up behind them. Nor could they move forward and drive around the wrecked vehicles. All they could do was wait patiently for the police to clear the accident and restore traffic flow.

After hearing Henry’s explanation, Sky didn’t actually doubt him. It was just that some particular bloodline of hers had awakened, making her eager to see what was happening. She manually rolled down the window and craned her neck to get a better look. She even considered unbuckling her seat belt to go investigate.

"Sit still. We’re on a bridge, remember? If you get killed, even your insurance won’t pay out."

"Why do you only care about money? Money, money, money, everywhere I turn!" Sky complained indignantly.

"Because life is precious, and wasting it carelessly is shameful. Money, meanwhile, is the most straightforward measure of value. It allows people to quickly understand how much something is worth. If I don’t talk to you about money, should I start lecturing you about the meaning of life instead? Would you even listen?"

"You could easily talk like a normal person, but you insist on saying things that make me want to strangle you."

Muttering under her breath, Sky obediently settled back into her seat after hearing Henry’s brutally honest reply. However, she stretched her neck out even farther.

They could still make out parts of the accident through the gaps between the cars. One vehicle had overturned and was now stuck precariously at the edge of the bridge.

"Should we call the police?" Sky asked, taking out her phone.

"Someone probably already has, but you can call if you want. After that, call home and let Kate know what’s happening. Judging by the situation, we’re probably going to be stuck on this bridge for a while."

Sky immediately dialed 911 and reported the situation on the bridge. Then she called home. Maria, the old lady’s caregiver, answered, and the two of them chatted for a while about this and that.

It wasn’t long before the wailing siren of an ambulance sounded from behind them.

The cars trapped on the bridge did their best to pull over and squeeze closer together, trying to open up a lane so the ambulance could reach the accident scene directly. But no matter how tightly they compressed the available space, there simply wasn’t enough room.

Unable to proceed, the ambulance crew abandoned the vehicle. The two paramedics grabbed their emergency medical supplies and a folding stretcher, then sprinted toward the accident scene.

When she saw someone running past their car, Sky suddenly shouted, "Hey, isn’t that Cathy?"

At the same time, she noticed that some passengers trapped on the bridge had already gotten out of their vehicles to see what was happening. This time, Sky didn’t care what Henry might say. She got out of the car to join the crowd. Fortunately, she still had enough sense not to head directly toward the accident.

Seeing this, Henry got out as well. However, the scene gave him a strange sense of déjà vu.

After all, the United States had Good Samaritan laws. In an emergency, bystanders who voluntarily provided assistance could be protected from liability for certain harm caused in the course of their rescue efforts.

Since they had encountered such a situation and someone he knew was involved, Henry couldn’t very well remain in the car and pretend nothing was happening.

"Sky, stay near the car. Don’t go wandering off. I’m going to take a look up ahead."

"Okaaay."

She drew out her response, sounding rather reluctant. But Henry knew the little girl was just using the situation as an excuse to act up. Even if she were actually asked to help, this girl who had grown up navigating the sewers wouldn’t necessarily be eager to volunteer. In that kind of environment, knowing how to protect yourself was essential.

Cathy Webb and the other paramedic didn’t notice Henry approaching. Both were concentrating on the vehicle in the most critical condition.

For reasons unknown, the car had flipped completely upside down. It had also smashed through the bridge’s guardrail, leaving nearly half its body hanging over the edge. Someone inside was trapped and unable to escape without assistance, so the two paramedics were busy trying to rescue them.

With trained professionals already handling the rescue, the other well-meaning bystanders didn’t crowd around the overturned vehicle. Instead, they went to help the injured occupants of the other two cars.

Compared with the overturned vehicle, the other two cars looked badly damaged, but their occupants were not seriously hurt and could get out on their own. Some people brought out bottled water to help them wash their wounds, while others supported the injured as they moved to a safer place.

Henry busied himself with these relatively minor tasks.

Still, he couldn’t help wondering: This world had New York’s friendly neighborhood hero, didn’t it? Why hadn’t the little Spider shown up to make his usual appearance?

He was still wondering when Spider-Man might arrive when he heard a sudden scream. The half-suspended car then tipped outward and plunged into the river below.

One of the paramedics was still pinned beneath an injured person. He had just dragged the victim out of the car and hadn’t had time to react. The other paramedic, meanwhile, had disappeared from sight.

Had he really gone into the river along with the car?

Like the other civilians who had rushed to help, Henry exchanged bewildered looks with those around him, unsure what to do. But the thoughts running through his mind were rather different from theirs.

Considering the name Cathy Webb, this should be the pivotal incident that led to the emergence of Madame Web, shouldn’t it? Should he interfere and prevent her destined opportunity? Or should he continue to stand by and do nothing, since the eventual outcome probably wouldn’t be too bad?

That was what he told himself, anyway. In truth, Henry was still somewhat worried.

People often saw heroes escape danger by the skin of their teeth, but that was because they were judging events by their outcomes after the fact. It wasn’t as though they could reap the benefits without making any effort. At the moment an incident occurred, who could really be certain that everything would turn out all right?

As the saying went, "A successful hero is celebrated; an unsuccessful one is just a fool who got himself killed."

While Henry hesitated, he witnessed a truly reckless individual.

After helping move the injured person rescued from the overturned vehicle to a safe area, the paramedic who had been working alongside Cathy Webb jumped straight off the bridge!

Yes! He leaped from the bridge deck, right where the car had gone over, and plunged into the river!

This wasn’t one of the major bridges connecting Manhattan to the surrounding areas, but the distance from the bridge deck to the river was still roughly nine to fifteen meters, equivalent to the height of a three- to five-story building.

And yet this man had jumped straight in!

Henry and a group of bystanders rushed to the guardrail and leaned over to look down.

The car had already disappeared beneath the surface. There was no sign of anyone who might have been knocked unconscious floating in the water, nor was there any strange red liquid spreading across the surface.

Had the man successfully dived beneath the water to attempt a rescue?

According to Henry’s memories, the paramedic in the movie was Ben Parker, the very same Uncle Ben who belonged to the young Spider-Man.

But Spider-Man had already made his debut, and this paramedic looked far too young to be the Uncle Ben who had already been shot and killed. So who was he?

If the circumstances didn’t match those of the movie, could that mean Cathy’s situation was much worse than expected? Perhaps she wasn’t destined to become Madame Web after all. Maybe her future would end right here and now.

His hesitation had caused him to miss the best opportunity to act. Henry turned his attention to what was happening in the river.

Through his super-hearing, he could tell that the paramedic who had jumped into the water hadn’t managed to rescue Cathy Webb from the car.

The main problem was that the car doors had closed again as the vehicle plunged into the river. The difference in water pressure between the inside and outside prevented the doors from being opened, delaying the rescue.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For 40 advanced Chapters, visit my Patreon:

Patreon - Twilight_scribe1

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~