The Sunburnt Country

by Palmer, Fiona

  ‘Hey, I was wondering where you’d got to.’

  The sound of Ryan’s voice brought tears to her eyes. Trust him to pick up on her mood and find her. She turned her glassy eyes to him and attempted a smile.

  ‘Whoah. What’s wrong?’ he said, scooping her up in his arms.

  She had to swallow the lump in her throat again before she could speak.

  ‘I just wish it didn’t have to be this way. It sucks that you have to leave.’ She rested her chin on his shoulder, and he smelt like home. They had been together her whole life, inseparable. ‘I’m gonna miss you.’

  ‘Awe, Jonny, I haven’t left yet,’ he said, stroking her head. ‘And besides, I’ll be home every so often. It’s not like I’m leaving for good, you know.’

  ‘Yeah, I know. I just need a moment to get used to the idea.’

  Ryan kissed the top of her head and tucked her under his arm. Side by side, they stared at the stars splattered across the clear sky.

  ‘I know you don’t like change, but this really has to happen, Jonny. You know, maybe you should come with me, to the mines?’

  ‘Ha, and leave these Bundara skies? Not a chance.’

  He laughed. ‘I knew the answer before I even asked the question.’ Ryan squeezed her gently and she saw that he had something serious to say. ‘Are you going to be okay here without me?’

  ‘Guess I’ll have to, won’t I?’

  ‘Come on, Jonny. I know you’re having trouble at the shop. You have to do something.’

  Jonny swallowed hard. ‘I have. I’ve sold the Torana. It should be enough to keep Dan off my back for a while.’

  ‘Oh, really? I’m so sorry, Jonny. I mean, it’s weird how much you care for that car, I’m not sure I ever truly understood it, but I know how much selling it has gotta hurt you.’

  Feeling his arms tighten around her, she had to try hard to battle back the tears. God, she thought, I’m in fine emotional form tonight. All she could do was nod.

  ‘Will that be enough to keep the bank happy?’

  ‘For the moment, yes, but it won’t fix the problem unless it rains for the next two days straight.’

  ‘Fat chance of that.’

  ‘I hated handing over that cheque to Dan, the last link to my Torrie. He’s such a pain.’

  ‘Yeah, but you like him, don’t you?’ Ryan asked.

  Jonny let out a big sigh. ‘I hate how well you know me,’ she said, delaying her real response. ‘I don’t want to like him, Coop. Anyone but him.’

  ‘Don’t go there, mate. I agree, anyone but him. He’s a nice bloke and all, really helped me out, but he’s another Alana. If you get involved with him, Jonny, he’ll break your heart and I don’t want you to go through what I went through —’ Ryan’s voice cracked with emotion. ‘He’s not for you. He’s one of those city types. Yeah, maybe he might try to make it work but for how long? Please, please promise me you’ll steer clear of him?’

  ‘I will. I already am.’ Okay, a small lie. She thought she’d better not mention the kiss right now. Not with Ryan so worried. She knew part of him was speaking from his own experience but everything he’d said had mirrored her concerns. If anything, it had made her more determined to keep Dan at arms-length. No more lapses in concentration.

  ‘You’re my best mate, Jonny. I care about you.’

  ‘I love you too, Coop. Come on. Let’s go back inside before we miss your mum’s apple pie.’

  ‘I bags the biggest chunk,’ he said with a grin and darted to the door, leaving her a step behind.

  The look on Deb’s face as the two of them came racing into the kitchen like a pair of naughty kids, pulled them up short. But then she smiled at them, just like she had when they were kids playing in the mud. ‘Who’s for pie?’

  Chapter 26

  JONELLE and Dan left Ryan’s just before ten o’clock. to head back in to town, but as they left Cooper Road her phone buzzed with an incoming text. At the T-junction she stopped to read the message.

  ‘Oh, Jesus Christ.’ Jonelle spun the wheels and headed the ute in the opposite direction. ‘I’m sorry, Dan. We have to make a detour. There’s a crash I have to get to, and apparently it’s just up the road. And it’s major.’

  ‘How do you know?’

  ‘Rescue sends a text and we all meet at the shed before heading out, but in this case we’re already right near the accident.’

  ‘How bad is it?’ Dan felt his belly turn. He’d never been up close to a serious crash before, only a few fender benders in the city.

  ‘Not good. They got a triple zero call from the passenger. Probably some tourist tangling with the local wildlife. It might be better if you stayed in the ute. We could be the first ones there.’

  The ute lights picked up a flash of white on the side of the road, thick black skid marks tracing its path off the road. Jonelle slowed and pulled off behind the bent metal ute that was wrapped around a large gum tree.

  ‘Oh shit, no!’ Jonelle yelled, throwing her door open.

  Dan followed her as she rushed towards the ute. The faint echo of sirens could be heard in the distance. It was just another ute, except this one had ‘MERRIT7’ numberplates. He’d seen them before. Only one person he knew with those plates. ‘Oh, no . . . Rick!’

  Dan sprinted behind Jonelle, who was at the driver’s-side door, or what was left of it. The ute’s front right side had compacted against the tree, crushing the metal back on itself. The front tyre looked like it was sitting where the driver’s feet should be.

  Jonelle was yanking the door with all her might but it wouldn’t open. ‘I can’t get to him,’ she cried. ‘Rick, I’m here.’ Jonny slammed her hand against the window. And that’s when they both spotted the passenger.

  ‘Gemma!’

  Dan raced to the other side. He tripped on the crushed bushes and broken branches, falling hard on his knees. A stick jabbed into his hand but he ignored it, pushing off the ground in his mission to get to Gemma. His heart was beating so hard he thought he’d pass out. Clutching the door handle he pulled, nearly yanking his arm off in the process. The door only opened a few inches before locking tight.

  ‘Gemma, it’s Dan. Can you hear me?’ He tried to get his hand through the gap to touch her shoulder, even just to reassure her, or maybe himself, he wasn’t sure.

  He looked up at the sound of cracking glass. Jonelle had some gloves on and was removing the rest of the dislodged windscreen, her face set with determination. She managed to tug the rest out like a woman possessed. As she stood on the bent bonnet, steam rose up around her like spectres in the night.

  Dan could smell oil, he could smell petrol, he could smell the eucalyptus from the tree and he could smell the metallic scent of blood. The last scent shot fear through his body, causing a wave of sickness. Steadying himself against the ute Dan tried to assess Gemma’s injuries. There was a cut on her forehead, bleeding from her ear where the seatbelt had ripped out a few earrings, and her arm looked out of shape, too. Behind him the ambulance came over the hill and he felt a wave of relief. ‘It’s okay, Gemma. Help is here. You’ll be okay,’ he said as her eyes fluttered in response. He saw her phone held limp in her hand. How long would they have been out here if she hadn’t called? It was in the middle of nowhere, hardly anyone on the roads. Gemma had probably saved their lives.

  Jonelle was now on her stomach, half her body through the windscreen as she reached in to Rick. She held her fingers against his neck and then his wrist. ‘Come on, Rick. Give me something, anything.’

  Dan glanced across, saw the way the metal pressed in tight against Rick’s body, skewering him in so many places, blood leaking out over the seat like gravy. He brought his eyes up, not wanting to witness any more horror as once again the strong metallic tang reached his nose. He focused on Rick’s face, such a young face. His eyes were closed as if he were just taking a nap. Jonelle caressed his cheek and glanced back at Dan with tears in her eyes.

  ‘Rick!’ It was screamed so thunde
rously, but neither of them had shouted it. Dan turned back to the ambulance and there was Ken. The agony he saw on that man’s face would haunt his dreams for months to come. Any other person may have fallen to their knees, too afraid to get any closer, but Ken was an ambulance officer. He ran towards his son’s twisted ute in giant strides. His fellow medico, Judy, as it said on her uniform, sped along beside him.

  Jonelle came back from her ute with a tyre lever. She jammed it in Gemma’s door and began to prise it open. ‘Bloody hope the fellas turn up soon.’

  Sure enough, her prayers were answered as a truck and a light tanker ute with a trailer pulled up. Three guys poured out of the red truck, two from the big ute, their lights aimed at the car wreck. Moments ago they had probably been in bed, some had tousled hair, but now they were alert and focused.

  ‘Oh, shit! Is that Rick and Gemma?’ asked Carlos, running a hand through his hair.

  ‘Fuck me,’ said another who was reaching for a large light stand. Time was critical.

  Straight away, they came over and Jonelle barked out orders. ‘Carlos, Jas, Guy,’ she said, making sure she had their attention, ‘Rick’s door is jammed tight but Gemma’s should come if we use the spreaders on it here and then the cutters here.’ Jonelle pointed to the ute as she spoke. ‘Gemma is our priority.’ Dan watched as the news passed through the rescue crew. They blinked long and hard, understanding her meaning and taking a moment. Jonelle glanced at Judy, who’d climbed onto what was left of the bonnet to assess Rick and then Gemma. She shook her head with tears pooling in her eyes, which glistened in the car lights. Rick was gone.

  Ken was trying to climb onto the bonnet too, his terror making him clumsy.

  Judy put her hand on Ken’s shoulder as he slid through to touch his son. ‘I’m so sorry, Ken.’

  ‘No!’ Ken roared deep and guttural like a lion as he grabbed for his son. ‘Help him, Judy. We gotta help him. Jonny, cut him out. Get him out now.’ He was clutching at Rick’s limp arm, willing his son to move. Tears streamed down his face.

  ‘Ken, look at his chest. He’s gone. Right now you need to help me save Gemma or stay out of my way,’ Judy begged.

  The rescue boys had already assembled the lights, had their tools ready and the power pack in position. Hydraulic hoses lay around them like snakes. Diff, truckie by day and saviour by night, was just about to cut into Gemma’s door.

  ‘Dan, just stand back, mate,’ boomed Carlos as he stepped in to hold the door while Diff jammed in the metal spreaders. Jonelle watched over them, another power tool with metal nippers on the end ready in her hands.

  Judy moved off the bonnet and raced to get supplies from the ambulance.

  Dan felt like he was on a movie set. People worked at a frantic pace around him. He stepped towards Ken, who was beside the bonnet, and put his hand on his shoulder. The big man was shaking from his sobs and Dan didn’t know what else to do for him.

  Before he knew it, they had Gemma’s door off and had transferred her carefully to a stretcher, just as another ambulance pulled up. Dan watched Jonny hold on to Gemma’s hand. ‘You’re okay now, Gemma. You’ll be okay.’

  Gemma groaned in reply. They loaded her into the ambulance and within seconds it was down the road with sirens blaring.

  Two police officers started taking photos. Dan couldn’t remember when they had turned up. So many bright flashing lights in the dark of night. They photographed the skid marks, the dead kangaroo, the tree, the car and then Rick’s body. When they gave the go-ahead Jonelle and the rest of the crew worked on getting Rick out. Their movements were slower, the urgency replaced with defeat.

  Jonelle was under the ute and then on top, figuring out where to cut to get to Rick. As she stood up, blood covered her hand; she wiped it off on her shirt and kept moving. Because Rick was meshed with the metal, they needed to cut several sections away. Carefully they cut the roof off the ute, flipping it back. They treated Rick like he was still alive, that every movement would hurt him. Dan waited with Ken, who was sitting by the side of the road, head down and hands scrunched hard into his eyes. Dan couldn’t think of any words that could possibly help Ken right now, he just kept his arm around his shoulders, giving him some strength.

  One of the medicos from the second ambulance got in the passenger side and started cleaning up Rick. A young police officer came over, his face twisted in dread. ‘Ken, we need you to formally identify your son. Can you do that?’ His voice was gentle. After a minute the officer stepped back. ‘We can do it later —’ But Ken stood up, nodding weakly. Dan walked with him towards the ute, just trying to be a familiar presence. But seeing Ken having to identify his youngest boy like that had his stomach heaving again. He ran off behind a tree as he felt the burn rise up his throat.

  ‘You right, mate?’

  Dan looked up and realised the other police officer was standing beside him. It was Tony, the officer who had gone out to Ryan’s and asked him questions. He hadn’t recognised him in all the commotion. Reaching out a large hand, Tony helped him up.

  ‘This is going to rock the town. Everyone knew Rick. He was a good lad.’ Tony bit his lip hard, trying to control himself. He’d seen his fair share of death but even Dan could see Tony was struggling with this.

  ‘Be careful with my boy,’ whispered Ken into the moonlit night. He dropped his head and cried standing beside the crushed ute while another chunk of twisted metal was pulled away. Carlos stepped towards Ken. ‘Come on, Ken. Come sit back down here with me.’ Carlos’s voice was tender and his touch gentle as he helped ease Ken down near the ambulance.

  Dan watched in awe as Jonelle worked with her team of rescuers to gently cut Rick out of the mess. They changed the fittings on one of the big tools, putting on chains that they tied to the tree and the steering wheel. Then they closed the jaws on the metal tool and pulled the dash of the ute away from Rick. Time felt slow but it must have passed quickly as Dan noticed a white van pull up. A lady of medium build got out with a solemn look on her face. She unloaded a metal trolley from the back of her van. Laid out on the trolley was a big black bag. Dan swallowed hard. He’d seen enough TV shows to know what that was for.

  The rescue team continued working strategically, and when the last chunk of bloody metal was pulled clear Rick was finally freed. Jonelle, Diff and Jas helped the funeral contractor to shift his body into the bag on the trolley. Dan’s nose prickled and his eyes swam with tears as Jonelle touched Rick’s cheek in a final farewell. It wasn’t fair.

  Dan almost felt like an extra in a crime show, but this was far too real. The smells in the air kept his guts churning and the sight of Rick’s torn, lifeless body flashed across his mind on replay.

  After Rick was loaded into the van, Ken flung himself against the back doors, sobbing like an inconsolable child.

  ‘Ken?’ Tony grabbed his shoulders gently. ‘Ken, she has to leave. Come over here to the ambulance and we’ll find you something.’ Ken eventually stepped back. The lady nodded her thanks and drove away, taking Rick’s shell with her.

  The rescue crew were packing away tools, setting out tape and talking to the police. Daniel couldn’t fathom how they had kept working when the person passed away in the car had been their friend, their mate and Ken’s son. He looked at his watch, realising he’d been out here for nearly three hours. He was glad he could keep Ken company, at least he felt like he was doing something to help. But it wasn’t as amazing as the ambos and the rescue team, they were just brilliant.

  The air had chilled by the time the last ambulance left, along with Rick’s grieving father. The rescue team didn’t hang around, each one eager to get home to their family.

  Dan walked over to where Jonelle was talking to Tony.

  ‘Bloody kangaroo was huge. It’s a shame he hit the only tree around.’

  Jonelle nodded. ‘Yeah. It’s always the way, isn’t it?’ she said. She acknowledged Dan. ‘Well, I think we’d better be getting back. Are you hanging around?’

&nbs
p; Tony sighed. He looked ten years older at that moment. ‘Yeah, got to wait for Pitta to come out with the trailer. He’s going to bring the ute back to our yard. We don’t want to leave it here any longer than we have to. No one needs to see this.’

  ‘You need any more help?’

  Tony shook his head and squeezed Jonelle’s shoulder. ‘No, Jonny. We’ll be good. You go home. You look beat.’

  ‘Okay. Talk to you later, Tony.’

  There was nothing in their voices. They were talking because they had to, not because they wanted to. Dan reached for Jonelle and gently touched her back as they walked towards the ute.

  ‘Who’s Pitta?’ he asked.

  ‘Ah, he’s the local panelbeater and tow truck driver. They don’t need our help,’ she said, before grabbing his wrist firmly. ‘Can you please drive?’ Her plea was whispered, but the frantic grasp of her fingers on his arm conveyed her desperation.

  ‘Sure.’ Dan didn’t know if he was up to it, but after what Jonelle had just done, he figured he owed her that.

  As they started back to town, Dan couldn’t believe her strength. He glanced across to where she sat hunched over in the ute. ‘You were amazing, Jonelle. I can’t fathom how hard that must have been and I really don’t know how you did it. Does nothing scare you?’