Harry St Clair: Rogue or Doctor?

by Fiona McArthur

  She flicked her mind away from the pull of the past and soaked in the new territory that would be hers to watch over.

  Bonnie picked up her speed a little as she drove past a famous five-star resort with huge white sunshades soaring above the grand marble entry. The sort of place the Harrys of this world would stay.

  Then she passed bungalows and an open-plan shopping centre and finally reached the neat and tidy medical centre nestled in its own block beside a small ambulance and police station, all the buildings lined up like a child’s play village.

  A lot of thought had gone into the planning of the township, the centre at the centre, she thought musingly as she pulled into the parking area out front.

  Bonnie turned the car off and rolled her shoulders back into her seat. It had been a slow drive on the back way from Alice Springs, but she’d enjoyed the scenery. Taken her time, admired the meteor crater at Gosses Bluff, seen Kings Canyon and gazed in amazement at flat-topped Mount Conner in the distance.

  She’d had a close shave with a couple of big kangaroos as the long day had shifted into late afternoon, and it was good to get her battered Jeep here safely.

  When she pushed open the door to the office the blast of cold airconditioning washed over her face like a cool sponge and she couldn’t help a further lift in her spirits.

  New jobs were always a challenge but today it was a stimulation she was keen to relish. Especially today. Three months out here at the centre of Australia promised to be an intriguing addition to her portfolio and the perfect antidote to holiday disillusionment.

  ‘Can I help you?’ The small, impeccably made-up woman at the desk looked a little incongruous compared to the patients ranged around the room, mostly ebonyskinned Aboriginal men and women with a scattering of red-faced tourists.

  The receptionist had a lacy blouse that showcased her trim arms and light tan, shirts like Bonnie had seen everywhere in Bali two days ago, like she herself had been wearing when she’d said goodbye to Harry on the way to her plane.

  Bonnie shook off the thought. Okay already. She’d moved on. ‘I’m Bonnie McKenzie, the new nurse practitioner. I start tomorrow.’

  ‘Welcome. I’m Vicki.’ She gestured to her badge. ‘Receptionist.’ Then she indicated a small doorway into a passage. ‘My husband, Steve, is the practice manager here.’

  She stood up. ‘We’re pleased to have you. Thanks for coming a couple of days early. Steve’s still trying for a temporary doctor for the month we can’t fill, and I’m starting to wonder if we’ll ever get a permanent one.’

  Vicki shrugged and then rolled her eyes. ‘And the nurse you work with had to leave early because of an illness in her family. She’ll be back next week, maybe.’

  Vicki shrugged ruefully. ‘Come through and I’ll find Steve.’

  Bonnie kept her face serene but her heart dipped a little. It didn’t look like she’d be getting much of an orientation if the medical staff were all away. Still, at least the ambos were next door and the practice manager would have first-aid training. Think challenge, she told herself, and fixed her enthusiastic smile in place with a new determination.

  ‘Steve. The new sister is here.’ Vicki gestured to an athletic-looking man, probably a couple of years older than Harry, who had the kindest eyes Bonnie had seen for a long time. Suddenly she felt better.

  Bonnie nodded, and she suddenly remembered that people in the Outback preferred to nod, unlike their city counterparts, who were used to brushing up against people in crowded streets. ‘Pleased to meet you, Steve.’

  ‘And you too, Bonnie.’ He looked fondly at his wife. ‘Has Vicki told you we’re it at the moment?’

  ‘So she said. As long as I can find everything, I’m sure I can help. There’s always the option of shipping people out.’

  ‘Spoken like a trouper.’ He gestured for her to precede him further along the narrow hallway. ‘I’ll show you around.’

  The building was small but efficient, two consultation rooms, a long nurse’s desk in front of four beds with curtains, and a sterilising and stock room. The computers were state-of-the-art and the practice guidelines were on prominent display. It was starting to feel familiar already.

  Bonnie had done postings at Kununurra and Broome in Western Australia, as well as two small Aboriginal community postings, and her last four months in Darwin had been mostly maternity.

  ‘So how many ambulance officers next door?’

  Steve and Vicki exchanged smiles. ‘That would be zero. There’s just you driving until the nurse comes back. And maybe our doc if we get one. If you need to be in the back for transport, then Steve and I can both drive out to meet you.’

  Oh, goody, Bonnie thought ruefully. She could just see herself haring off into the night in an ambulance to a car accident with the sirens blaring—out into the desert by herself. Now she wanted to ring her friends to come and play with her here.

  ‘But hopefully you’ll have backup, though we try only to work our doctors during office hours. It’s so hard to get them here, we have to nurture them.’

  Poor baby doctors. Bonnie fought to keep her eyebrows from scraping her hairline. She wasn’t sure she succeeded. So nurses were more expendable. Mmm.

  ‘So who are the people in the waiting room seeing?’

  Vicki answered. ‘Us. They’re here for blood tests—people on heparin, insulin, stuff like that. Steve and I both take blood and we can do quick tests and send samples to be flown out on the afternoon plane for more complex results.’

  ‘So these are all routine tests for regulars who have regimes printed out for them?’

  ‘That’s right. And the results are sent to the flying doctor, who changes any medications they need.’

  That sounded efficient, and not something they needed her for. Maybe she would get to find her bed and settle in before she started tomorrow. ‘So, where do I stay?’

  ‘The staff from the hotels, the clinics and even the tourist companies like pilots and guides all stay in the staff village. If you keep on the road you came in on, the village is down the third road on the left. You’re in the Desert Pea Villas, room two, and the doctor is next door. The other nurse, Cleo, is upstairs, and Steve and I are along the corridor a little in five.’

  It all sounded pretty simple. And a little too close for someone who liked their privacy and space, but she’d cope.

  It rained torrentially in the night. Not a common occurrence at Uluru, and the hollows in the rock filled with water from myriad waterfalls off the enormous face. The waterfalls made small puddles and not so tiny pools in undulations where the hollows occurred.

  Bonnie woke before dawn and the first thing she saw, the gecko on the ceiling above her head, reminded her of Bali.

  Great! She threw back the covers and sat up, forced herself to feel her feet on the cool floor and grounded herself in the present—away from the memories of dinner on the beach at Jimbaran and rides through the rice paddies with a smiling Harry.

  A plan had formed last night when she hadn’t been able to sleep to walk one of the base sections of Uluru before sunrise. Her phone would keep her in contact, and that would clear her head for the day. The plan sounded even better now. She pulled on her clothes.

  The drive to Uluru parking area beside the rock was accompanied by a gradual lightening of the sky to grey and finally to a faint glow of orange that promised a spectacular sunrise on the other side. Not that she’d see that with this great hulking monolith between her and the sunrise when she parked her vehicle, but this morning she wanted to get closer and actually touch the face. She’d dreamt of it through the night and the thought promised an inner calm she looked forward to.

  As she crossed the car park she gazed in awe at the steepness of the actual climb to the top of the rock, steel posts and chains anchored to the almost vertical places on the accent face reached up to the pinkening sky above. Bonnie shook her head. No wonder some climbers had come to grief. It looked daunting and lonely, just her a
nd none of the tourists still on the other side, awaiting the sun.

  But it was awe-inspiringly beautiful. Wow. Her feet crunched in the sandy gravel as she crossed the deserted forecourt and followed the path to the base. It was cool beneath this giant shadow.

  She kept left and finally the path snaked beside sheer cliffs and she could touch it. Lay her hand over the rough granules of time beneath her fingers and rest it there against the Rock’s cool heartbeat. She had a sudden thought of Harry and whether he’d seen this. Felt this. What it would be like to share this with him.

  The eerie sensation made her wonder whether the sight and feel and vibration of past eons would heal him too as she could feel the last of the walls inside her crumble and break into small particles of debris within her. Then she made him disappear like sand through her fingers because he threatened her new-found peace. She wandered alongside the sleeping beast for the next fifteen minutes before she turned back towards her car.

  Shooting in and out amongst the scooped-out rock waterholes were pretty finches with scarlet upper feathers that were most noticeable when they were in flight. Firetails. She only recognised them because there was a shiny nature print above her bed with a close-up of the very same birds.

  She wished she had someone—like Harry, maybe, a dissident voice inside suggested—to share her new knowledge with. No—of course not. But it would be fun to recognise more than one of the species of bird around here and she promised herself she’d buy a book on local fauna. Who needed company for that?

  Suddenly she wanted the distraction of work and hastened her footsteps towards her car.

  By the time she’d driven back, showered and had breakfast it would be nearly time for work. It had been an eventful morning already and no doubt the day held more interest yet.

  It turned out well. Her morning left her with barely time to think let alone be distracted by memories. Patients with heat stroke, and knee scrapes that needed washing and cleaning, a fractured wrist and an eye full of sand, and Bonnie’s last patient for the morning, a pale lady, Iris Wilson, who’d apparently already fainted in the waiting room.

  Iris wasn’t happy with the conditions of the Outback.

  ‘I’m not used to this heat. And I’m especially not used to the flies.’ She shuddered delicately and looked ready to faint again. ‘I’m terribly afraid I’ve swallowed one.’

  Bonnie helped her to sit but before she could enquire, Iris rushed on. ‘One of the dirty insects flew straight into my mouth and before I knew it, it was gone. All the way down. I feel so sick and weak. I can just imagine the disease that’s starting in my poor stomach right now.’

  ‘The flies are annoying,’ Bonnie agreed, ‘but I’m sure they have their place.’

  ‘Not in my stomach,’ Iris said crossly.

  ‘No, of course not.’ Bonnie battened down the urge to laugh with steely determination. ‘Flies clean up refuse and even provide food for many other animals. And your stomach acid will make short work of any germs that went down with your fly if you did swallow it.’

  She brought over the blood-pressure machine. ‘But you look pale and I’d like to check your blood pressure. Are you sure you didn’t hit your head when you fainted?’

  ‘Hmph.’ Still decidedly unimpressed, Iris shook her head. ‘I don’t want to see a nurse. I want to see a doctor.’

  ‘That’s harder. But certainly you can.’ Bonnie smiled gently. ‘But you’ll have to go to Alice Springs for that. They have a very modern hospital there.’

  ‘I think I will.’ The little lady straightened her shoulders. ‘How would I get there?’

  Bonnie glanced at her watch. ‘It’s five hours by car but I’ve heard they’ve a scheduled bus that leaves from the mall.’

  Iris swivelled her head and glared at Bonnie. ‘What about an ambulance?’

  Bonnie clamped down on her lips again. ‘I’m afraid I’m the one who drives the ambulance and I have to be available here.’

  The little lady visibly deflated and Bonnie wanted to pat her shoulder. Instead she soothed her. ‘I swallowed a fly once and, apart from the thought, it didn’t hurt me at all. I’m sure you’ll be fine. But I’ll check your blood pressure and get someone to help you back to your room so you can lie down until you feel better.’

  Poor, unfortunate Iris nodded and sniffed and allowed Bonnie to fit the cuff and inflate it, but she wasn’t happy.

  When she’d finished, Bonnie patted Iris’s arm. ‘Your blood pressure’s a bit low, so make sure you drink lots of fluids. It will go lower if you get dehydrated. Are you on any medications?’

  ‘Won’t take them.’ Iris sighed. All of a sudden Iris seemed to shrink into the chair in front of her eyes and Bonnie felt her heart contract.

  ‘I’m sorry.’ Iris sniffed. ‘I’ve been rude and ungrateful. I think I panicked a little.’ She brushed her silver hair out of her eyes and sat up a little straighter. ‘I used to be fearless you know, but after I lost my family, it seemed my nerves went at the same time.’

  She sighed again. ‘I always wanted to see the Rock but it’s not as much fun as I thought, on my own.’ She rolled her shoulders and gathered her bag, then gingerly stood up.

  Bonnie came around to stand next to her. She didn’t know why she did it but she held open her arms and to her relief the little lady crept in for a brief hug. ‘Iris, I believe you used to be fearless, you’re still quite frightening when you want to be.’ They smiled at each other. ‘But I think you’ll feel better soon.’

  When she pulled back Iris smiled tremulously, and Bonnie could feel a little lump in her own throat. Iris needed companionship. Everyone did.

  ‘I did hear the Sounds Of Silence Dinner is a wonderful place to meet fellow travellers,’ Bonnie said. ‘Please think about it for tonight. I promise you’ll enjoy it. Even on your own.’

  Bonnie followed Iris out into the waiting room and she was glad to see that, during the morning, between the efforts of Steve, Vicki and herself, all the chairs had finally become empty. ‘Can you get someone to help Iris to her room for a lie-down, please, Vicki?’

  ‘Of course.’ She helped Iris to a waiting-room chair. ‘And I’ll make you a cup of tea while we wait.’ She turned back to Bonnie. ‘Can you see Steve, please, Sister? He has some news.’

  When Bonnie entered the office Steve sat relaxed at the computer and sent a big grin Bonnie’s way when she entered. ‘We have a doc. He arrives this afternoon, the one I’d hoped for. Initially he cancelled but he’s changed his mind.’

  ‘That’s great news.’ Someone else to help with the ambulance, she thought thankfully. ‘You know him?’

  ‘He’s a good friend, we grew up together, been out of circulation for a while. Lost his wife and child in a disastrous birth on his watch and he threw in the towel.’

  Bonnie’s palpitations hit her out of nowhere and her hand came up to her chest. She tried to keep her face from freezing and almost achieved it. She licked her lips to ask the question but Steve went on.

  ‘Harry was always great at getting to the root of a problem, mandatory around here when there’s only us and disaster. Especially with our Aboriginal patients. Except with himself, I guess. He’s been keeping to himself for a while now. But I think we’re all like that when things go wrong.’

  This could not be happening. ‘That would be Harry St Clair?’ Well, she’d told him to break out. She just hadn’t planned on it being so soon and close. ‘I thought he was in Bali.’

  Steve glanced up. ‘That’s right. Inherited a house there. We’d been corresponding for weeks since the last guy dropped out. A friend met up with him for me a couple of days ago in a last-ditch attempt. Thought I’d lost. But he rang last night.’ Steve grinned at her. ‘So you know him too. That’s great.’

  ‘Great,’ Bonnie echoed, and she wondered if her face was as white as it felt.

  Now it wasn’t just an event to try to forget. There’d be the constant reminder of how stupid she’d been. It was a full-
blown disaster and she could kill him for doing this to her.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  HARRY could feel the tension mount as the arid red landscape burned into his brain.

  Memories of another flight, no premonition, the faces of those who waited for him, a tragedy that might never have happened if he’d ensured his wife had gone to the larger town when he’d said she should.

  If he hadn’t let himself be swayed by her wish to stay home a little longer.

  Bonnie was right. He needed to face life and stop hiding from the past, though the pictures that clawed at him still scratched at his soul, though, just maybe, they seemed a little softer to him than before.

  When they landed at Uluru Airport, the dry heat hit him like a hot newspaper in the face as he stepped off the plane, baked and arid—and he savoured the lack of humidity, so different from Bali.

  It wasn’t so bad being back—so far.

  Steve waved from the gate and Harry lifted his hand in reply. Well, he’d have to perform now he was here. He’d hit the books since he’d booked his flight, hoping study would boost his confidence, maybe banish his ghosts, and he just had to trust it would all came back to him when that first obstetric crisis happened.

  He really had no issues with emergency medicine—it was the babies and their mothers he didn’t trust. No doubt Bonnie would be a whiz but he’d come to the conclusion she actually attracted maternal disasters, like a shiny lure on a fishing line.

  He’d have none of that, thanks very much.

  ‘So you made it.’ Steve rubbed his hands together and Harry had to smile at his friend’s enthusiasm.

  ‘You don’t have to baby me, Steve. I’ll stay the month.’

  Steve grabbed Harry’s overnight case. ‘Still got the old pack, I see. Vicki said hi. She’s holding the fort with Bonnie.’

  Harry kept his face impassive, he hoped, and it must have worked, because Steve went on, ‘Our nurse. She said she’s met you?’