Return to Riversleigh

by Anne Ashby

  “What did they say?” she asked Thomas as she sank down beside him in the waiting room.

  Thomas shrugged.

  Jake’s lip quivered. “They just wheeled her away.”

  Shannon dragged him from his seat onto her knee. “I’m sure she’s going to be fine,” she lied. Catching her son’s eye, she recognized Thomas was no surer than she was.

  “She looked awful yucky to me.”

  “She got very cold in the creek, Jake. But your Uncle Luke got her warmed up again very quickly.”

  Her chest suddenly constricted. Oh my God! Thomas! She struggled to swallow. Guilt swung her head around quicker than a whirling Dervisher. “Are you okay, Thomas?” She reached for him. “Are you warm enough? You should have brought your heavy jacket. Do you need a blanket or something?”

  Thomas squirmed away from her, in his seat, his gaze swinging around others in the waiting room. He glared across Jake’s head. “Stop fussing, Mum,” he hissed.

  He jumped to his feet. “I’m going to find Luke.” He stalked out of the room before she could say a word but returned seconds later to grab the clothes lying on the chair beside her. “Maybe he’s cold.”

  The reproach in his voice drove her back in the seat. She bit her lip. He’s right, I have no reason to fuss about him. Luke’s half naked somewhere and Amy’s experiencing who knows what sort of pain. A groan escaped.

  She was thankful of Jake’s body curled up against her. His warmth blotted out what had been embarrassingly selfish thinking on her part.

  When Thomas returned to the room later he slouched into a seat across the aisle from her, refusing to look her way. The rolled up wad of wet clothing told her he must have found Luke.

  Shannon itched to retrace his steps and find out what was happening with Amy, but she swallowed that need and focused on Jake. Luke would come and tell them as soon as he knew anything solid. Until then, he trusted her to look after his nephew and that’s what she’d have to concentrate on.

  She picked up a children’s storybook from a table and, settling Jake more comfortably beside her, she began to read.

  ****

  Luke’s heart thumped as the doctor examined his niece. More concerned with hypothermia than the injury to her legs, the doctor ordered her hooked up to monitors which blipped shots through Luke.

  An IV ran warm fluids into her. Luke’s legs shook as Amy struggled weakly against the oxygen mask a nurse placed over her face. To his eyes it showed some little recovery. He glanced at the doctor whose nod sanctioned his move closer. He grasped a flailing hand and held it.

  “Shh, baby.” He drew the beanie down more firmly as the mask’s strap was positioned under her head. He could hardly articulate. “The doctor’s going to warm you up again, Amy, take away those shivers.” The words stuck in his throat as he prayed the terrible cold would soon dissipate enough to allow her to shiver.

  “Encourage her to drink this.” A second nurse handed him a paper cup before tucking Amy’s arms under the hypothermal blanket covering her body. Warmth from the liquid escaped into his cold fingers as he held the straw to Amy’s mouth. His jaw protested at the pressure his teeth exerted at the weak attempt Amy made to suck. The effort appeared to exhaust her.

  “The more she’ll drink, the better,” the nurse spoke from behind him.

  He leaned toward Amy again, his heart thumping as her gaze clung. “Try to drink some more, Amy. Atta girl, that’s great,” he encouraged her weak, but more determined, effort.

  The doctor slid her chart into the box at the end of the bed. Luke straightened his back as the doctor drew the curtain aside.

  “What’s happening now?” Luke demanded before the man could escape.

  At the same time he spied Thomas hovering outside the curtain, a bundle of clothes in his arms. Only then did Luke realize he was still topless.

  “I need to talk to the doctor, Amy, but Thomas is here. He’ll stay with you.” He signaled Thomas to take his place at Amy’s side, squeezing the boy’s shoulder as he took the bundle.

  “So what do we do now?” he asked as he stepped into the hallway. He tugged on a polo shirt as he spoke.

  The doctor ran through the required treatment and expected outcomes. “We’ll monitor her here until her temperature rises to an acceptable level. Then we’ll take her to x-ray. I’d guess her left tibia, at least, is broken. Her right leg appears okay but I can’t be certain until I see the x-rays.”

  He gave Luke an encouraging smile. “Your daughter’s a lucky little girl, Mr. Prescott. You did the right things to keep her as stable as possible. I’m confident her temp will rise within the next few hours, but we will be admitting her for further observation.”

  Luke flopped against the wall as the doctor hurried away to his next patient. His legs didn’t want to hold him upright. He grunted as his hands grasped the wet denim. The cold in his legs probably had little to do with his emotional state.

  A glance back into the cubicle jammed the breath in his throat. Thomas leaned over Amy, his face a study of concern, as he stroked the girl’s head. Luke saw his lips moving but the words were too quiet for him to distinguish. Amy though, was hanging onto every one of them.

  Luke watched. Until last week, his impression of this boy had been all negative. He’d appeared to lack manners, respect, and interest in anything worthwhile. Thomas’s attitude toward his mother had Luke baffled and he’d had to resist the temptation to intervene on numerous occasions.

  How fast attitudes can change. Now, not only had he been a day-long companion to Luke and the children, he had been instrumental in saving Amy’s life. Luke didn’t doubt this. He also recognized there had been a link growing between the children.

  The curtained cubicle gave him some privacy so he kicked off soaked shoes, slipped off his wet jeans and dived into the dry pair. As he slid his cold feet into warm, woolen socks, he applauded Shannon’s quick thinking to grab clothing for him. With some of the coldness leaving him, he slumped down into a chair opposite Thomas and eyeballed the pair.

  “She’s gonna be okay, right?”

  Luke nodded, hoping his prayers would be answered. His hand strayed over to touch Amy’s shoulder through the blankets.

  “Thanks to you.” His voice was gruffer than he wanted. He’d never before had to offer gratitude for the life of a loved one.

  If Luke expected any outpouring of emotion from the boy, he’d have been disappointed. Thomas merely shrugged, returning his gaze to Amy. “See? I told you,” he whispered. “You’ll be home again soon and you can show me those tadpoles in the creek.”

  Luke marveled at the careful way the boy continued to stroke Amy’s head through the beanie.

  “I heard most of what the doctor told you. She has to stay here?” Accusing eyes shot up to stare at Luke. “She’s frightened.”

  Luke smiled at Thomas’s aggressive expression. Talk about protective. “I’ll be staying with her.”

  Luke smiled as Amy’s gaze swiveled his way.

  “I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart. I’ll be right here beside you until we go home again.”

  Luke didn’t suggest Thomas leave. He was doing such a great job comforting Amy. After a few more moments Thomas stood, picked up the bundle of wet clothing, yanked open the curtain, and disappeared.

  Luke stood to follow him, to tell Shannon what was happening, but then he settled back onto the hard chair. Thomas would tell her how Amy was for now. When they were sure Amy was out of danger, that would be soon enough to share the news with the others.

  He turned back to the little girl. The last couple of hours had shown him how deeply involved one could become with another human being. He loved this little squirt.

  His limbs shook as he imagined a different outcome to today’s accident. His stomach rolled and he clenched his teeth to demand the sourness in his mouth remain exactly where it was, in his mouth. If anything goes wrong, if her temperature doesn’t rise… He couldn’t bear thinking of the co
nsequences.

  The doctor did say children are less likely to suffer any long-term effects of hypothermia, didn’t he? Luke rubbed a hand across his face. I can’t remember. He dropped his clenched fist below the side of the bed. Oh God! I don’t remember the doctor’s exact words.

  An older nurse arrived to check on Amy. He didn’t care how pathetic he might appear as his anguished gaze followed her every movement. Her words and warm smile should have reassured him. “Her temperature is a little higher, Mr. Prescott. I’ll fetch her another drink, if you can encourage her to take some more of it.”

  Luke doubted his ability to hold a cup—his hands were shaking so violently. He took some deep breaths so when the drink appeared he’d be more in control.

  Luke felt helpless. While his impulsive personality demanded he do something—anything—to fix Amy, inside he floundered like a netted guppy. There wasn’t any way he could make this better. Instead he had to rely on others.

  He had to sit beside Amy’s bed powerless to change anything. He had to curb his impatience, wait, and pray. Waiting or praying had never been his strongest suits.

  The next time a nurse popped her head inside the cubicle, Luke requested a moment.

  Shannon and the boys were waiting, too. “I’ll only be away a moment, Amy. I need to tell Shannon to take the boys home.” Although her gaze followed him as he ducked behind the curtain, she made no protest.

  “Luke?” Shannon jumped up as he entered the waiting room. She grabbed his arm as he stopped. “How is she?”

  Before answering, Luke bent down and hoisted Jake into his arms. The boy’s arms tightened around Luke’s neck and again he counted his blessings.

  He tried to smile at the three anxious faces. “She’s doing okay. Her temperature is slowly rising.” He sucked in a deep breath. “They’re waiting until it’s a bit closer to normal before they’ll x-ray her legs. The doctor thinks she’s broken just one of them, but until the x-ray…” He shrugged. Letting Jake down, he kept him cuddled tight against his leg. “They’re going to keep her in, maybe for a couple of days the doctor says.”

  Luke gulped, shying away from what he had to do. Child-minding was not part of Shannon’s job description and while happy the kids were normally around, she had distanced herself from anything to do with their care.

  Before he found the words to request her help, Shannon took the initiative. “We should head home then. Don’t worry about Jake. He can have a sleepover with Thomas.”

  She smiled down at Jake. “You’d enjoy that, wouldn’t you?”

  While there was no hesitation in his nod, Luke could sense how torn his nephew felt.

  Luke cleared the rock stuck somewhere in his windpipe. “Thank you. I’m sorry for—”

  “Don’t be silly. This is an emergency. I’m just glad I’m here to help in some way.”

  Luke lifted his hand and ran a finger down Shannon’s cheek. “Thank you,” he mouthed. “I’ll just take Jake in to see Amy for a moment.”

  “We’ll wait in the hallway so you don’t have to leave Amy again.”

  Luke nodded.

  Thomas had been standing behind his mother. Once he heard Luke’s report on Amy’s condition he began scuffing his toe against an empty seat, not looking at anyone.

  “Thomas.” Luke smiled. The boy had apparently reverted to his contrary self and ignored Luke completely. “Hey, Thomas?” He landed a hand on the boy’s scrawny shoulder. “I’m not going to forget today, or what you did.” Color flooded up the boy’s neck and into his averted face. “We are in your debt.”

  Rather than embarrass Thomas—or himself—any further, Luke grabbed Jake’s hand and headed back to the emergency room cubicles. Once Jake was reassured Amy did indeed look better than when they arrived, Luke gave him a hug and watched him run down the hallway to where Shannon and Thomas waited.

  Shannon and Jake gave him a wave. Unexpectedly, Thomas waited until the others were heading out the automatic doors before he, too, gave Luke a farewell wave.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Shannon’s mind was abuzz as she drove away from Kew hospital. The boys were understandably subdued and barely spoke. Her extreme worry about Amy’s condition had faded by the time they’d left Invercargill behind. She was in the best possible hands and, according to Luke, her prognosis looked positive.

  Instead a picture of Luke without his shirt bounced back into her mind and she couldn’t shake it. Her hand traced where his touch had burned her cheek. She smothered a groan and tightened both hands on the steering wheel. I’m becoming much too aware of Luke Prescott. If she wasn’t careful the easy friendship they’d established could slip into something else—something unwanted and very, very perilous.

  Bare-chested men usually did nothing for her. Their images covered billboards and filled magazines. They appeared on television and in movies constantly. A day at the beach presented enough eye candy for any mature woman. Her fingers tightened and she grimaced. So why is the picture of half-naked Luke engraved inside my head?

  Passing through Riversleigh Shannon grabbed at something to distract her. She stopped and turned to the boys in the back seat. “How about fish and chips for tea?”

  Not expecting any positive response from Thomas her mouth dropped a little when he agreed. “Jake prefers hotdogs on a stick. Don’t you, Jake?”

  Jake nodded shyly.

  Shannon grabbed her purse. “I know your favorites, Thomas. I’ll order us a giant pack because I’m sure you guys must be real hungry by now.”

  “With plenty of chips, Mum,” Thomas called after her.

  While she waited for her order, the boys had joined some other children farther along the road. She watched; interested to see how Thomas related within the group.

  The little he’d allowed her to glean from his socializing at school suggested he was friendless, picked on, and lonely. However the interaction between the half dozen boys suggested the opposite. She turned aside and forced her trembling chin out, blinking repeatedly as she studied a poster of New Zealand fish varieties on the shop wall.

  One day Thomas will understand and forgive me. I just have to stay strong until then. She struggled to swallow. She didn’t feel very strong right now.

  ****

  “Thomas, are you asleep?”

  It had only been a whisper but it penetrated Thomas’s thoughts. No, he wasn’t asleep. He’d been thinking about Luke and Amy. Remembering how sick Luke had looked at Amy’s bedside. How he’d looked lost and frightened and didn’t seem to care if others recognized his fear. My dad wasn’t like that, he wasn’t afraid of anything. Then his thoughts had raced on to how warm Luke’s hand had felt on his shoulder. How his eyes had kind of shone when he’d spoken to Thomas.

  “No, I’m not asleep.”

  Bedding rustled as Jake moved. “Is Amy really going to be all right?”

  Something expanded inside Thomas’s chest. His mum had phoned Luke and let Jake talk to his uncle before they’d headed to bed, but still his little friend was looking for reassurance.

  “I reckon Luke wouldn’t lie, Jake. Seeing he said Amy had got her leg plastered and was asleep now, I reckon she’s going to be fine.”

  Jake’s voice wobbled. “I was scared this morning.”

  “So was I.”

  Bedding rustled some more and Thomas guessed Jake might have sat up. He couldn’t be sure in the darkness.

  “Really?”

  “Really,” Thomas confirmed. “Now go to sleep.”

  More rustling suggested Jake had settled down again. Thomas turned over and stared out the window. He could see a few stars now and then as clouds sailed across the night sky.

  He clutched the bedding around him as his mind returned to the morning’s accident. He shuddered and bit his lip hard to stop any sound escaping.

  It was his fault Amy was hurt. He should have known how dangerous the tree trunk might be. He should have kept the kids away from it. He should have told Amy not to think
of walking on it.

  His heart thumped painfully. He’d seen it rolling. He’d seen Amy tottering back and forth before she’d fallen. But he’d been too far away to stop her.

  Luke didn’t blame him though. Even if Thomas should have been keeping the kids safe, Luke hadn’t blamed him for Amy getting hurt. Instead Luke called him a hero. Thomas struggled to keep his quivering breaths silent. Luke had made him feel real good.

  “Do you still miss your dad?”

  Thomas was slammed back into the here and now. Of course I still miss Dad. What a stupid question.

  “Sometimes I think I forgot what Mum and Dad looked like.” Jake sounded scared. “I don’t want to forget them.”

  Jake paused, but when Thomas didn’t respond he continued. “I remember my dad teaching me stuff around the farm. He said there was always stuff to learn, no matter how old you get. He said to always keep my eyes open and my wits about me. What’s wits, Thomas?”

  Thomas thought for a moment. “Being smart.”

  “Ohh. Okay.” There was silence for a moment before Jake started chattering again, remembering things about his parents.

  Thomas didn’t have the heart to stop him although he wished Jake would shut up and go to sleep.

  “Sometimes Dad smelt of sheep.”

  Thomas recognized wonder in Jake’s voice and guessed he’d just remembered something special.

  “What did your dad smell like, Thomas? Do you remember? Do you remember what he looked like, how he sounded when he laughed when he played with you?”

  Thomas’s gut tightened and the breath caught in his throat. “Go to sleep.” He managed to voice the words and fling himself over so his back was toward Jake. He willed his friend to take heed.

  Sleep was even further off for Thomas now. Luke had helped him feel less guilty about Amy’s accident, but no-one could help him feel better about his dad. He dragged his knees up to his chest and clung to them trying to dredge up a memory—any good memory—of his father.

  Damn Jake. He’s made me think of things I don’t want to remember. He drew in a deep breath, trying to find a memory of how his father had smelt. Nothing.