Australia Outback Fantasies

by Margaret Way

  ‘It would certainly be a start,’ Liz acknowledged thoughtfully.

  ‘And we could use the facilities at the school tuck shop,’ Jennifer chimed in enthusiastically. ‘They’re more than adequate and it would mean we could keep an eye on things.’

  ‘Even though my family have all left school, I’d be happy to take a turn at supervising,’ Alison said.

  ‘I’m hoping all the CWA members will rally round in some capacity.’ Liz took up her pen and began making notes. ‘We should probably approach the school authorities first, though,’ she added on a cautionary note.

  ‘No need to worry about that, Liz.’ Jennifer flapped a hand in dismissal. ‘I’m on the P&C committee. I’ll square it. Just let’s get Maxi’s plan up and running and get the kids fed. I’d be happy to act as facilitator, order the food and so on.’

  ‘Do you have the time?’ Maxi frowned a bit. ‘It would be quite a big undertaking.’

  ‘I’d make the time,’ Jennifer said. ‘I’ve four kids at the school and I’m already spending lots of my time there helping with the reading and stuff. And if it gets too much, I’ll delegate.’

  ‘Sounds like you’ve acquired the job, then,’ Maxi said. ‘As long as the rest of the committee is in favour, of course,’ she said diplomatically.

  Murmurs of agreement echoed around the table. ‘What kinds of things should we serve the children?’ Dawn asked practically. ‘Kids can be a bit fussy.’

  ‘Not when they’re hungry,’ Jennifer declared. ‘But let’s keep it simple. Cereal, fruit and toast with a nourishing spread.’

  ‘And milk,’ Alison came in helpfully.

  ‘And if it takes off, we could even run to grilled tomatoes or scrambled eggs.’ Jennifer’s voice bubbled with enthusiasm.

  ‘We’d have a small amount of funds to kick it off but they’re not unlimited,’ Liz reminded them. ‘And that’s where we’d like you to come in, Maxi.’

  Maxi blinked and realised everyone was looking speculatively at her. Oh, heavens, did they expect a monetary contribution? She had the tiniest bit put by but lawks! Her hand went to the fine gold chain at her throat. ‘Uh … in what way, Liz?’

  ‘Hey, don’t look like that!’ Laughingly, Jennifer reached across and gave Maxi a comforting pat on the forearm. ‘We’re not about to bleed you dry. We’d just need you in your capacity of medical officer here, to add your weight to our petition for government funding for the project.’

  ‘Oh.’ Maxi gave an embarrassed look around the table. ‘Of course I can do that. And if you need any facilities at the surgery, just ask. I know Ayleen wouldn’t mind sending off the odd fax or email for you.’

  There were smiles of satisfaction and little nods of approval from all the women. ‘I can see our new doctor is going to be a great asset to the district,’ Jennifer declared with an infectious grin. ‘Liz, at the next meeting of the CWA, I’d like to nominate Maxi for membership.’

  Liz positively beamed. ‘And I’ll be honoured to second it myself.’

  A few minutes later Maxi was on her way back to the surgery. She’d just acquired some new friends and there was a spring in her step and a very warm glow in her heart.

  But all that dissipated when she stepped through the front doors at the surgery. There was an air of urgency about the place and Jake was hovering. ‘Oh, good,’ he said shortly. ‘You’re back.’

  Obviously. Maxi felt her hackles rise. ‘I’m not late, am I?’

  His expression sharpened. Hell, she was still on the warpath apparently. ‘I don’t have a stopwatch on you, Maxi,’ he responded heavily. ‘But we do have an emergency out at the skydivers’ club at Rossvale. One of the jumpers has been caught up in a freak wind. Took a pretty bad tumble, from all accounts. We’ll need to get out there.’

  Immediately, Maxi felt put on her mettle. Her mind raced ahead. ‘What do we do about this afternoon’s surgery?’

  ‘I’ve had a look through the list. They’re all regulars. At first glance I’d say they could be seen either tomorrow morning or Monday. Ayleen is doing a ring-around now. Whatever’s needed, she’ll sort it.’

  ‘As she does.’ Maxi offered a tentative smile.

  ‘Mmm.’ Jake met her eyes, returning a wry, fence-mending kind of smile. Later, it seemed to imply.

  Maxi took a thin breath. Well, she could live with that.

  ‘We’ll need to collect a trauma kit from the hospital.’ Jake reined in his thoughts abruptly. ‘Do you have a jacket of some kind with you?’

  ‘Yes. I brought one in and left it here.’

  ‘Good. We could be out late and even though it’s summer, it can get freezing further west.’

  Maxi felt a swirl of nervous tension in her stomach. Attending the scene of an accident never got any easier, wherever they happened. ‘I’ll just grab my coat and catch up with you, then.’

  His eyes narrowed and he nodded. ‘Meet you outside.’

  ‘How far is this Rossville?’ Maxi asked. She’d been astounded how quickly things had been co-ordinated and now they were out on the highway and travelling at speed.

  ‘Rossvale,’ Jake corrected. ‘And it’s about forty k’s. It won’t take us long to get there. There’s very little traffic, as you see.’

  He was right there, Maxi thought, her gaze going to the dun colour of the grass of the paddocks on either side of the road. It was so silent and there was still something oddly untouched about Australia’s wide open spaces. Something fearless—if she wasn’t being too fanciful. She sent Jake a quick, enquiring look. ‘So, do we have any more details of the injuries?’

  ‘Fractures for sure and possible head injury. The ambulance should be right behind us.’

  ‘So the patient will have to be airlifted to Sydney?’

  ‘The CareFlight chopper’s been alerted.’ Jake’s response was clipped. ‘They’ll land at the hospital strip and we’ll meet them there with the ambulance and, hopefully, with a stabilised patient onboard.’

  Maxi heard the thread of disquiet in his voice. She didn’t blame him. They were so isolated out here and in medical terms flying by the seats of their pants for the most part. The responsibility was almost crippling …

  ‘Someone has to do it, Max,’ Jake said quietly.

  Her head spun towards him, her eyes widening in disbelief. It was almost spooky the way he’d somehow been able to tap into her thoughts. ‘You must feel like you’re always being tested.’

  He lifted a shoulder. ‘We can only do what we can do, given the circumstances we’re faced with.’

  ‘And if all doctors were so philosophical, there’d be no burnout in the profession, would there?’ Maxi’s voice was laced with faint cynicism. ‘Tell me more about this freak wind you mentioned,’ she said in an effort to take her mind off what lay ahead.

  ‘It’s like a huge whirlwind,’ Jake explained. ‘Certain weather conditions can trigger them. In today’s incident, the jumper was only about nine metres from the ground when the wind caught him up, shook him to blazes and then literally dropped him like a stone.’

  Maxi suppressed a shudder. ‘It would be something like being dumped by a huge wave, then?’

  He grunted. ‘It’s the parachuting equivalent of being struck by lightning.’

  Oh, lord. Maxi inhaled deeply, recognising the flutter of uncertainty in her stomach. This idea of delivering medicine on the trot was surely the stuff of nightmares.

  Aaron McEvoy, the chief instructor from the Rossvale Ramblers was waiting for them. ‘Thanks for coming, Jake,’ he said, his expression a bit grim.

  ‘This is my practice partner, Dr Maxi Somers.’ Jake made the introductions briskly. ‘Do we have a name for the injured man?’

  ‘Brett Hosking, nineteen. Only his fifth jump. Poor blighter didn’t know what hit him.’

  ‘Conscious?’ Jake snapped.

  ‘Just.’ Aaron began leading them across to where a temporary tent-like shelter had been erected over the injured jumper.

  ‘Ri
ght. Thanks, Aaron.’ Jake pulled back the tent flap and waited for Maxi to precede him. They made straight for the huddled form of their patient and dropped down beside him.

  ‘Hi, Brett.’ Jake slid the emergency kit off his shoulders. ‘I’m Jake and this is Maxi. We’re doctors. Can you tell us where you are?’ he asked, beginning a simple test of their patient’s competency. Brett’s answers were strained but he got them out. ‘Torch, please, Maxi.’

  Jake’s face was set in concentration as he flicked the light into the young man’s eyes. ‘Equal and reacting,’ he relayed.

  Thank goodness. Maxi gnawed at her bottom lip. They could administer a painkiller without the risk of destablising him. ‘His leg seems at an odd angle, Jacob.’ In fact, Brett’s right leg appeared several inches shorter than the other and now sat painfully out of joint. ‘Fractured NOF?’

  ‘Looks like it. We’ll need a doughnut dressing over that protruding bone. Take it easy, mate.’ Jake’s hands were gentle as he lifted Brett’s head and applied an oxygen mask. ‘Breathe away, now. We’ll give you something for the pain. Chopper’s on its way. You’ll be heading off to hospital pretty soon.’

  ‘I’ll check his breath sounds.’ Maxi flicked a stethoscope over the young man’s chest. ‘Bit raspy,’ she murmured, putting the stethoscope aside. Carefully, she began palpating Brett’s stomach. ‘Tummy’s soft,’ she reported.

  So no spleen damage, Jake interpreted, and gave Maxi a quick acknowledgment. ‘I’ll get a line in.’ It took only a few seconds to whip a tourniquet around Brett’s arm. ‘Blood’s a bit slow …’ He began tapping gently to prompt a vein to the surface. ‘Finally!’ Letting his breath go in relief, he slid the cannula into the young man’s arm.

  Maxi kept a watchful eye on their patient. ‘Are we going with morphine for pain relief? If so, I’d prefer to under-pre-scribe. He’s a fairly slight build.’

  ‘Let’s play it safe, then. Draw up morphine five milligrams.’

  ‘And something to settle his tummy. Do we have an anti-emetic with us?’

  ‘Maxolon,’ Jake confirmed. ‘Give ten. And we’ll follow with fifty of pethidine. That should get him through transportation to the hospital.’

  Maxi began preparing the drugs. ‘Are you allergic to anything you know of, Brett?’

  Eyes dulled with pain, the young man shook his head.

  ‘Hang in there, mate.’ Jake’s voice was gentle. ‘You’re doing great.’ He glanced at Maxi. ‘Ready?’

  She nodded, swabbing the cannula and shooting the first two drugs home, praying the injection would work, and soon. This young man was in a lot of pain.

  ‘Splints now, Max.’ Jake’s instruction was clipped. ‘The sooner we can get him aboard that ambulance, the better.’

  Maxi felt the tightness in her temple ease marginally. Please, heaven, they were almost out of the woods and soon Brett would be on his way to specialist care in Sydney.

  Jake’s hands were quick and sure as he placed the supportive splints between the young man’s legs and expertly bandaged Brett’s injured leg to his good one. ‘Right, he’s ready to move now. I’ll just duck outside and ask the ambos to bring the stretcher. Time for that peth dose now, please, Max.’

  With the reassuring presence of Jake gone, Maxi felt the suffocating silence of the small tent close in on her. She swallowed, impatiently brushing a strand of hair away from her cheek with the back of her hand. This was no time to start wondering what the heck she was doing here, miles away from the back-up support of an emergency department. Suddenly some sixth sense made her pause over the drug pack. Her hand froze. Her gut clenched. Dear God …

  One look at Brett told her that they had trouble of the worst kind.

  ‘Jac-ob!’ Maxi’s piercing cry was anguished.

  Brett was gulping, his eyes rolling back in his head, his colour a ghastly grey. Please, no. Maxi gave a little whimper of distress in her throat. But if she didn’t act quickly, they’d have a death on their hands. In one swift movement she ripped Brett’s shirt open and began chest compressions.

  Jake’s shadow fell beside her. ‘Bloody hell … He’s throwing a PE!’ A pulmonary embolism. The worst possible complication. He grabbed for the lifesaving equipment. He would have to intubate. Damn it to hell.

  Why hadn’t he seen this coming? All the components for a PE had been staring him in the face. A serious fracture. Fat escaping from the break, gumming up the arteries. Hell’s teeth! Why did he do this job?

  He deliberately steadied his breathing. Don’t lose it, you idiot, he cautioned himself darkly, skilfully passing the tube down Brett’s trachea, attaching it to the oxygen. ‘Breathe now!’ he grated. ‘Come on!’

  Maxi lifted her gaze, watching with mounting dread as Jake checked and rechecked the carotid pulse in Brett’s neck. He shook his head.

  ‘For God’s sake, Jacob.’ Maxi’s voice shook. ‘Zap him!’

  Jake got into position. ‘Be ready to take over the bag when I defibrillate,’ he snapped.

  ‘Just do it!’ Maxi found added strength from somewhere. Brett’s life could depend on their teamwork now. Almost in slow motion she reached out and took over the Air Viva bag.

  ‘And clear!’

  Maxi dropped the bag and spun back, praying the volts of electricity would do what they were supposed to do and kick-start the heart’s rhythm.

  ‘Damn all …’ Jake spat the words from between clenched teeth. ‘I’m going to two hundred. Clear!’

  Maxi felt panic claw at her insides and the slow slide of sweat between her breasts. The trace was still flat.

  ‘Start compressions again, Maxi.’ Jake looked haunted. ‘I’m giving him adrenalin.’ His mouth clenched into a thin line and his fingers curled around the mini-jet already prepared with the lifesaving drug. ‘Work for me, please!’ he implored, sending the long needle neatly between Brett’s ribs and into his heart.

  ‘Clear!’ He activated the charge and their combined gazes clung to the monitor. The trace bleeped, faded and then staggered into a rhythm. ‘Yes …’ Jake’s relief was controlled. ‘We’ve got him, Max. Well done.’

  ‘Oh …’ Maxi felt the tight lens of tears across her eyes. Hastily, she blinked them away, gathering her composure.

  ‘Hey …’ Jake’s voice was hushed and his arm came round her shoulders. ‘It’s OK, Max … It’s OK.’

  ‘I … thought we’d lose him.’ She hiccuped a sob and turned her face into Jake’s shoulder.

  ‘No way …’ Jake cleared the lump from his throat, pressing a kiss to her temple and hugging her to his side.

  They were still entwined when Tony Jones, the senior ambulance officer, poked his head in, towing the collapsible stretcher. ‘Nice work, guys,’ he said quietly.

  Maxi felt as though she’d been to hell and back. Swallowing hard on the tightness in her throat, she eased herself away from the protective warmth of Jake’s arm and pulled herself upright. ‘I’ll just give Brett a shot of midazolam to ease him over the shock, Tony. And then he should be ready to move. He’s back in sinus rhythm but he’ll need careful monitoring.’

  ‘Understood, Doc.’ Tony was no novice to the job. He knew well how easily the dice could have fallen the other way and they could have been facing a whole different outcome. ‘Right.’ He cleared his throat awkwardly. ‘Let’s get this youngster on his way, then. If you’re ready, Jake, on my count.’

  ‘Here’s where our responsibility ends,’ Jake said with feeling, as they stood, tracking the blinking lights of the rescue aircraft across the pale sky.

  Maxi roused herself. Brett was at last on his way to hospital and now she just wanted to go home.

  Once they were in Jake’s vehicle and on their way, Maxi, to her disgust, felt herself folding like a wet tissue. ‘I hate this part of being a doctor.’

  ‘It was a bit hairy today,’ Jake admitted, throwing her a discerning glance out of the corner of his eye. ‘But you coped, Max. That’s what matters.’

  ‘And if I
hadn’t been there?’

  ‘Tony would have filled in where he could, but I can’t tell you enough how good it felt to have another doctor on my team.’

  Maxi stifled a bitter laugh. So he only needed her for her medical skills—was that what he was saying? But right now she was too weary to find out.

  Maxi blinked against the light as they came through the front door and into the hallway. It seemed an age since she’d left for work that morning. ‘I’m off for a shower.’

  Jake eyed her critically. She looked shattered and he had a fair idea it wasn’t all down to the harrowing few hours they’d just spent. ‘Do that,’ he said quietly. ‘I’ll grab a shower as well and then I’ll rustle up some food.’

  ‘I’m not hungry.’ Her mouth drooped. At the moment food seemed inconsequential compared to the rest of her problems.

  ‘You have to eat,’ he insisted. ‘We both do. I’ll knock an omelette together. Off you go.’

  Feeling dismissed, Maxi turned into her bedroom and closed the door. She went through to her en suite, peeling off her soiled clothes and shoving them into the hamper. Stepping into the shower, she let the hot stream of water ease her aching muscles, then realised she’d stayed well beyond the mandatory three minutes.

  One slip-up didn’t constitute a major crime, for heaven’s sake, she allayed her conscience, closing off the taps. Drying herself quickly, she returned to the bedroom, eyeing the plumpness of her pillows wistfully. Right at this moment she craved nothing more than to crawl into bed and blot out her relationship with Jake and everything about the whole day.

  But, of course, she couldn’t do that. She had a fair idea Jake would come looking for her if she tried that ruse. Half-heartedly, she dug out some three-quarter-length trousers and a T-shirt and pulled them on.