In Strange Worlds

by Brenda Cheers

  Desolation rose in her. He'd run off! He didn't want to be with her! Did she work him too hard? Were her meals not nice enough?

  She realised that blaming her own actions in this case wasn't going to get her anywhere. It didn't make sense that a boy his age would leave a safe place with food and run away. No, it had to be something else.

  The map. He had been looking at the road north to Cairns.

  Not stopping to get changed she ran out to the four-wheel-drive and started it quickly. There was only one main route leading north, so she took it and sped along the roads. She figured he had a head-start of several hours, but the dirt bike wasn't designed for long stretches of high-speed riding. She'd catch him.

  It didn't take long. Rounding a corner she had to brake suddenly to avoid the bike that was lying across the road. A few kilometres further she saw the boy walking determinedly, but with a limp. As she pulled up beside him she realised her heart was beating faster than usual. She also knew she had to handle this situation carefully if she wanted a good result.

  "Hey ... I guess you're trying to head to Cairns. Is that right?"

  He kept his eyes forward, striding purposefully.

  "Did you know it's about the same distance as going from Melbourne to Maleny? On foot it will take you weeks. If you get there."

  His walk slowed.

  "Is it really important? That you get to Cairns?"

  He nodded vigorously.

  "Okay, I'll help you. Hop in and I'll look on the GPS and tell you how long it would take in this car."

  It was about eighteen hundred kilometres. "That's a couple of days driving. We'll go back and sort something out for the animals and do other stuff. How about we leave the day after tomorrow?"

  He frowned and shook his head.

  "Okay, tomorrow at first light. We'll have to drive hard because we can't leave the animals for too long."

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Google Maps was still working and it told Meg that she could get to Trinity Beach, the suburb north of Cairns that the boy indicated on the map, in eighteen and a half hours non-stop. Clearly she wouldn't be able to drive all that distance without resting, but she'd do her best to get there as quickly as possible.

  As she sat looking at the map on the tablet, she thought about fuel. She had been plain lucky so far, but couldn't count on a regular supply on this trip. What methods could I use? Syphoning from other cars?

  She'd seen her father do it on farm machinery, but that was the total of her knowledge. The handyman's guide was an old book, but it had some information on the subject. Apparently the idea was to have a hose you could see through to save getting a mouthful of petrol. Ugh.

  A conversation she'd overheard in the lunch room at work came to mind. One of her co-workers wanted to transfer some fuel from his wife's car to his for some reason. He found it was impossible because of some sort of mesh grid that had been added to the filler of modern cars to prevent petrol theft. Meg wondered which year this was introduced.

  She rocked back in her chair and bit her lip. This was going to be a big problem, not only on this trip but ongoing. She decided to come up with a workable solution there and then to save problems in the future.

  She thought about pumps she'd seen her father use on 44-gallon drums on the farm. Could one of these be used to pump fuel from underground tanks of service stations? Perhaps adapt one? She knew there were outlets that sold pumping equipment.

  She hadn't used the Yellow Pages in years — no need with the internet. Now, however, she had to search through cupboards and felt lucky to find one of the thick books. The closest pump shop was Nambour. They'd call into there at the start of the trip in the morning.

  Wet roads are frustrating when high-speed driving is imperative. She took a few risks, but the four-wheel-drive was in good condition and she trusted it. She had already checked the tyre tread and pressure, and the fact that the vehicle was equipped with anti-skid brakes was of huge benefit to them.

  As she sipped from the first of two thermoses of strong coffee, her mind whirled. She was totally baffled about the reason for the trip and had no idea what was going to happen when they arrived at their destination. Was the boy planning on staying in this place? How would she handle that? Would she try to stay with him?

  They saw signs to major towns flip past them: Noosa, Maryborough, Hervey Bay, Bundaberg and Rockhampton. At Mackay they were faced with the choice of finding fuel or using some from the jerry cans. It made sense to put the new pump to the test.

  They stopped at a service station and walked around with their heads bowed, scanning the concrete driveway until they discovered a metal plate that gave them access to the tanks. It was difficult to remove, but a crowbar Meg was carrying in the back of the vehicle helped.

  "Damn it!" There was a second level of access to the tanks, and this was secured by a lock that seemed impenetrable. Meg flung the back door of the vehicle open and took out the door-bashing tools. The boy helped her gain access to the attendant's console and eventually he found the key in a drawer. Meg closed her eyes in relief.

  The new pumping system worked well. They were able to completely replenish their fuel supplies, the only problem occurring as they drove back onto the main road. The pump filled the car with fumes. They pulled it out again and drained the hoses thoroughly. They wiped it with rags. There was a small improvement. In the end they just opened the sunroof and all the windows and put up with it.

  By the time they left Mackay it was mid-afternoon and they had covered around nine-hundred kilometres. After another hour of driving, they pulled up at a rest stop and they shared some snacks and water. Meg wondered if she should have a nap but decided to push on. She drank more coffee, turned the music up loud, smiled at the boy and hit the road again.

  As she crossed the river on the outskirts of Townsville she felt a weariness come over her. She had been driving for nearly fourteen hours, and had covered more than twelve hundred kilometres. There was a pain in her lower back, and her legs felt cramped.

  They pulled into a parking lot at the foreshore and gazed at the sea that resembled a sheet of tin. The Great Barrier Reef and Magnetic Island acted as coastal protection — no surf.

  The sun was sinking into the horizon behind them, giving the atmosphere an unreal quality which was made more pronounced by the stillness and silence.

  Meg opened the refrigerator in the back of the four-wheel-drive and pulled out a package of food. She and the boy stared into the orange-lined clouds and ate thoughtfully. When the last bite was taken, she aimed the wrapping at a bin which was only three or so metres from the car and threw it. The result made her laugh and clap. "A hole in one!"

  She turned to the boy. "We'd better have another look at the map." He pulled it from his backpack and passed it to her. She found Trinity Beach and looked at it closely.

  "Okay, well because I'm such a brilliant driver, we're now only five or so hours from Cairns. I need to know exactly where we're going. Trinity Beach looks like some sort of housing estate — like those blocks of land that have marinas attached. Where should we go when we get there?"

  He frowned and shrugged. Then he put his hands together and leaned his head on them — the universal sign for sleep.

  "Yeah, I know you're tired. I'm exhausted — but where are we headed?"

  He made the same sign again. She looked at him with her eyebrows raised.

  He pointed his finger in the air and mimed the sleep action again. Then he pretended to wake up and then pointed to the map and nodded.

  "You'll have a sleep and then you'll know? That's crazy."

  He nodded excitedly.

  "Well, okay. It's your ballgame, as strange as it is, so we'll play it your way."

  The boy pushed his seat back.

  "You can hop in the back, might be more comfortable. I'll just lay my seat down like this. Don't wake me — I'll just nap until I wake naturally." It wasn't long until they were both sleeping soundly.

/>   The first rays of the sun hit Meg straight in the eyes. She winced and reached for the sunglasses, a movement which caused her knotted muscles and tight joints to rebel. They hadn't liked the car seat.

  The boy's face in repose was relaxed. He was breathing deeply. She attempted to open the door quietly, but it still made a loud noise. The boy was oblivious.

  She walked down to the sand and began stretching, ending with the yoga sequence Salute to the Sun, which seemed fitting at that time of the morning. She jogged a short way up the beach, loving the freshness of the morning. She felt energised again.

  There were some mandarins in the back of the car. Meg had witnessed the fruit ripening on a tree in the orchard and picked some for the road trip. Now she peeled the loose skin and bit into a segment. Not the best she'd ever had, but it held the magic of coming from her own tree. She also ate a peanut butter sandwich and sculled a black coffee.

  She spied a tap dripping listlessly into a puddle on the grass. With toothbrush in hand, she turned the handle and gasped when the water gushed suddenly into the puddle and exploded onto her bare legs. She adjusted the flow before washing and tooth-brushing. Suddenly she felt ready for the day, whatever it might bring.

  Back in the car she saw her journal poking reproachfully from the top of her bag. She hadn't made an entry since before her illness. She pushed the temptation to begin driving aside and opened the book to a fresh page.

  "What will the day bring? I must admit to some nervousness, not knowing what this trip is all about. Why can't he just write things down for me — give me answers in writing? I believe his lack of speech is psychological because he also refuses to communicate in any manner unless he needs me to do something for him.

  I suppose I should be patient. Heavens knows what he's been through. I'm scared that if I push him too hard he'll run away. I nearly lost him two days ago. I don't want that to happen again.

  If we get to this place at Trinity Beach and he wants to stay then so be it. I will go back to Maleny. Unless he asks me to stay and I'll have to think about that.

  The weird thing is that I don't think he's been to this place before — so why is he so driven to get there?

  He's waking now. I'll give him a few minutes to refresh himself then we'll drive the five or so hours and I'll know what the future holds for both of us."

  Meg watched the boy wake fully. He jerked upright and immediately grabbed for the map. His finger traced places around Trinity Beach but after a minute or two he pushed the map onto the seat in frustration.

  "Good morning. What's up?"

  He climbed over the centre console and dropped into the passenger seat. He held the map under her nose, but then changed his mind and began fiddling with the GPS. Within a few seconds it was showing a new destination: 10 Brindabella Quay, Trinity Beach.

  "Ah, good. We know where we're going then. Get cleaned up and grab breakfast and we'll be on our way."

  Superman couldn't have got through his morning toilette as quickly as the boy did. It was like watching a movie in fast-forward. It seemed like only seconds before he was back sitting beside her and looking ahead expectantly.

  "Well, okay then. I guess we're ready to go." She turned the key.

  CHAPTER NINE

  They hadn't struck any major traffic problems on the whole trip — until they arrived in Cairns. Two prime movers with large loads had come together and the result was catastrophic. One looked to be carrying something inflammable, while the other had a load of chickens, now dead.

  These wrecks were blocking the road in both directions and Meg had to backtrack a long way to get around them. The detour lost them nearly an hour, and she could sense the boy's frustration.

  It was around midday when they finally approached Trinity Beach. It seemed like a brand-new estate, tailor-made for boat owners. The houses were large and well-built. Brindabella Quay was on a small, man-made piece of land, jutting into the water.

  Many blocks were still vacant, and others were either under construction or newly completed.

  Number ten fell into the second category. Some new landscaping was evident — small bushes had been planted along the driveway, but had died through lack of care.

  Meg had barely come to a stop before the boy jumped from the car and sprinted to the house. He knocked first but when there was no reply, quickly turned the door knob and ran inside. Before Meg had a chance to stretch her legs, he was out again, carrying something that looked like a bundle of clothing. As he approached, Meg saw tears running down his cheeks and moved to him quickly, realising that the object in his arms was a girl or young woman.

  The boy laid her on the back seat, and Meg checked her vital signs. The heartbeat was rapid and thin, the respiration shallow. She looked half-starved and her eyes were sunken and dark-rimmed.

  Dehydration? Starvation? Her mind went to all the medical shows she used to be so fond of.

  "Okay, I'm going to a hospital to see what we can get for her. Try to give her sips of water, but not so quickly that she chokes. If she can't swallow, we'll try something else."

  Cairns Base Hospital sprawled along a section of land which lay opposite a beach. The car park was nearly empty, and Meg was able to select a parking space under a tree. She also kept the car running and the air-conditioning flowing into the back seat.

  She ran up to the main entrance to the Emergency department, but found the automatic doors wouldn't open. Cursing, she looked both left and right for alternatives before finding a manual door fifty metres away.

  It must have been a quiet night in Emergency when everyone died. There were several bodies scattered about, but they mostly appeared to be medical staff. Meg did her best to ignore the smell, and began checking cupboards and shelves. She found a plastic basket and began filling it; saline drips, tourniquet, thermometer, blood pressure gauge, IV line and antiseptic wipes.

  She searched her memory for information on what to give an unconscious person who needed nutrition urgently — something that could be delivered via IV drip. She couldn't think of anything, so left the hospital.

  "I don't know how to insert an IV line and I reckon it would be a silly question to ask if you do?"

  His eyes widened and he shook his head.

  "Well, I reckon that if we don't get this drip into her soon, she'll die. I'll just have to do the best I can."

  Meg tied the saline bag to the handle above the passenger side door and then had a look over it for clues on how to use it. She slid the I.V. line into the base of the bag where it looked like it might belong, but then noticed that nothing had begun to drip into the clear chamber. This chamber was soft, so she squeezed it and it filled to halfway. Then the drip began.

  Next she looked for any air bubbles. There were a few so she ran them down to the end of the tube. The boy was peering over her shoulder which was distracting, so she suggested he cradle the girl's head in his lap and talk to her.

  She figured the next logical step was to insert the line into a vein. She tied the tourniquet around the girl's wrist and waited for a vein on top of the hand to swell. Nothing happened so she assumed it might be because of dehydration. She closed her eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath. Then she gently slid the needle of the line into what she hoped was a suitable vein.

  She could see the blood flowing back into the plastic tube. She pulled the needle back a fraction and laid the tube flat. Meg’s hands were shaking as she fiddled with a wheel halfway up the line that appeared to adjust flow. She taped the needle into place and straightened.

  "I dunno. I've tried my best. What we should do now is drive her back to Maleny as quickly as possible. We can take better care of her there. Is that what you want?"

  He stared down at the girl and stroked her hair. When he looked up again there were tears in his eyes. He nodded.

  "Okay then. You stay here in the back and keep supporting her head. Keep an eye on the saline solution and let me know when it's nearly empty so we can replace it. Dam
n, I need petrol. Okay, let's go."

  When Meg had driven at the exhaustive pace to reach Cairns quickly, it was before she knew she would have to make the return trip even faster. She just drove and drove and drove, becoming almost hypnotised by the road.

  "When I look back on that drive from Cairns to Maleny it seems unreal, like a fantasy. I don't recall hardly any of it. Twice I almost ran off the road after nodding-off to sleep, and on both of those occasions I stopped and had a short power-nap. Then I drove some more."

  In Mackay they stopped at the same service station they used on the northbound trip. Refuelling proved to be quick and easy and when they were finished, they parked under the awning covering the pumps and ate some of the food they'd packed. It was never intended for a return journey and was beginning to taste stale, but they ate it quickly anyway.

  Around an hour south of Mackay, the GPS flashed a message that the satellites could not be reached. Meg fiddled with some settings before re-booting the system. Nothing worked. She turned, got the boy's attention and tapped the screen where the message was displayed. "I guess it had to happen eventually. We'll have to use maps from now on. At least I know the way home."

  Occasionally Meg would turn around or look in the rear-vision mirror to see how the two in the back were travelling. The boy held the girl's head gently and would occasionally move a greasy strand of hair from her face. One time Meg saw him peel a mandarin and place it to her lips and she stirred just enough to swallow some of the juice. It was the only food or drink the girl seemed interested in.

  Meg changed the saline drip bags often and hoped this was enough to keep her alive until they arrived home. She had no idea how she'd treat the girl once they arrived there and wished they had some comprehensive medical books.

  It had been around four o'clock in the afternoon when they left Cairns. They finally pulled into the driveway at Maleny at four-thirty the following afternoon. As they approached the house, Meg calculated that it was day thirty-seven of the new world order.