Outback Exodus

by Dawn Millen

  As we approach the creek I hear the now familiar rumble as Mother Nature turns again and Krystal and I feel the ground lurch beneath our feet. The heaving is short lived however and we continue on the path, wash our tired bodies and stand with our sore aching feet soaking in the cool water of the fast flowing creek. The relief of the cool water on our feet and overheated bodies brings forth sighs of relief from both of us. We dry quickly and dress again; laughing at the tattered shirts we are both wearing and vowing to find something else for tomorrow. I have some clothing, but not much of the clothing that fits me will fit Krystal’s ample curves, what I do have, however, I am willing to share with my friend.

  We head back to the campsite for dinner just as darkness falls and the sleepy sounds of the bush start to penetrate the gathering darkness. Parrots roosting in the trees letting out gentle squawks and the night creatures are stirring from their daytime hiding places. These familiar night time sounds bring a sense of peace and a smile to my face.

  The quiet of the night is shattered by the sound of rushing animals through the bush and laughing children as we draw nearer to the camp site. Along the narrow path to the creek come Rhys and the children accompanied by four dogs. Caron is perched on her father’s shoulders, held tightly by his right hand, Tammy is clutching tightly to his left hand and Robin is racing ahead with puppy gambolling around his feet. Raymond is bringing up the rear with Stephen by his side. They have decided to give the dogs a run after their dinner and to take a walk to see where Krystal and I were. Reminders that dinner is almost ready and the meeting tonight are exchanged along with hugs and very sloppy kisses from Tammy. Robin is very distracted playing with puppy and the other three dogs, dodging in and out of the gum trees and giggling merrily as the dogs bowl him to the ground and puppy jumps on his chest and licks his face.

  I hoist Tammy to my hip and calling the dogs close we head off up the path towards the tents. Robin and puppy racing in and out of view among the trees, we keep track of him with the giggles and puppies excited barking. Puppy will not stray far from me and the other dogs will round Robin up if we lose track of him.

  Back at the tents Sandra has again made a wonderful stew from lamb shanks and a mixture of vegetables from the gardens and the smell makes my mouth water. I smile my thanks as she hands me a steaming bowl. We eat our stew in silence, but not the silence of the last few days, this is brooding and quiet. We are all lost in our thoughts and working through the tasks we still have to complete in the next two days. The only sounds are the quiet conversations of the children as the older children entertain the younger ones and assist them to eat their dinners. The bones from the lamb shanks are shared among the dogs, dishes washed in a bowl beside the fire and tidied away. Time to head off across the hill to the sports oval for the meeting soon comes around.

  Chapter 19

  The mood of the gathering is subdued tonight and as we approach the sports oval you can feel the quiet expectation in the air. Those of us on the committee are expected to help them deal with this flight across the country. We are expected to solve the problems of getting more than 200 people safely to the coast. I look around and wonder if we are going to be capable of guiding them, cajoling when things go wrong, praising when encouragement is needed and solving the problems as they occur. I resign myself to the role that is expected of me. I will do my best to support the other members of the committee and the community.

  Most of the committee are assembled and standing on the seating area of the grandstand. Only John Evans and Gavin are not present. Rhys turns to Andrew and asks if he knows where they both are.

  “Not sure Rhys, have not seen Gavin for a couple of hours and the last I saw of John he was drinking some grog he found in one of the houses, he was with a crowd of his mates too.” Andrew replied.

  “I sure don’t like the sound of that!” Rhys states. “I think I had better go and check on what is happening, Paul and Andrew are you able to come with me?” He quickly asks Raymond to stay and hands Caren to me he heads off into the darkness to find out what is going on.

  Sandra, Krystal, Helen and I stand before the crowd and look out at the sea of expectant faces. I clear my throat and start to tell them of the plans so far. I explain that the vehicles have been checked over and that the semi-trailers are being loaded quickly with the things we will require to build a new life. I then hand over to Helen to enable her to give a briefing about the medical issues currently on hand.

  Helen’s dark curls bob as she draws herself up to her full height. “Hello everyone, we are doing quite well with getting many of the less seriously injured back into the community.” She smiles as she says this and is answered by smiles from the crowd. “I am sorry to report though that there are still some patients who are going to be recovering for quite some time. Those patients will be travelling by ambulance and accompanied by a nurse in each vehicle.” Helen continued. “We have had no cases of typhoid or cholera yet and that is a good sign that everyone is observing strict hygiene measures. Thank you for doing that very important thing; if we can avoid those diseases then we stand a chance of getting everyone safely away from here.” Helen smiles again as she looks outwards to the crowd shrouded in a half darkness.

  There are torches scattered through the crowd, made from bamboo with an oil container and wick, these burn citronella oil to keep the mosquitos away and also serve as dim lighting too.

  Sandra takes over after Helen finishes and tells the assembly that she has gathered together some books on preserving vegetables and would like some of the older people to come and help her get some of the fruit and vegetables preserved for travel. “I would also like some of the younger children and older teenagers to do one very big job for me.” She says, smiling as small hands shoot up into the air keenly. “I need these young people to go into the gardens of the town and pick the fruit and vegetables for us to preserve.” Sandra continued. Enthusiastic yells from the younger children greet this request and teams are now forming up amongst them and challenges are being issued by the various groups as to which team will gather the most produce.

  As the children settle down again there is a bustling at the rear of the group. Andrew comes quickly through the crowd. His elderly bearded face is read and he is panting for breath. “Helen can you come quickly?” he asks between heavy pants, his chest heaving. “Gavin has been hurt in a fight with John Evans and his friends.”

  I close the meeting quickly and Krystal and I hurry off with Andrew and Helen to assist her with Gavin’s injuries.

  We race down into the centre of Smithtown and just on the corners of King Street and Royal Road find Rhys, Paul and Gavin. There is blood on Gavin’s face and his is pale. He sways back and forward as he stands, but shakes off the hands of both Rhys and Paul.

  “What happened?” Helen asks as she quickly runs her fingers over Gavin’s face and head.

  “Got king hit when I went to check on why there was a noise coming out of that empty house.” Gavin says cocking his thumb over his shoulder and wincing as his arm reaches towards his head. “Bloody John Evans and his mates had broken in and raided the grog that was there, quite a stash too. They are all drunk and violent. They gave me a kicking too.” Gavin speaks in short bursts between shallow breaths. “I think I have a couple of broken ribs Helen, but nothing too bad. Just don’t make me laugh for a while.” He smiles wryly as he says the last words.

  Helen’s nimble fingers probe around Gavin’s ribcage and she feels the broken bones moving in a couple of places. “You are right about the ribs Gavin. Just take it easy and no heavy lifting for a while for you.” Helen tells Gavin.

  “Okay, that is good news.” Rhys says. “Gavin, what do you want us to do about John and those other two mates of his?” He asks Gavin.

  “Nothing for the moment,” Gavin says, “They will have bloody huge hang overs in the morning and we can set up a plan and deal with them then. They will be a lot less anxious to get into a fight when they are just waking
up and feeling sick.” Gavin’s smile widens as he contemplates waking them in the morning. “One thing I would like to happen tonight though is to go through every place that might have grog and gather it all together at the old pub. We then only have to guard one place.” He says.

  “How about we turn around and have a party with some of it tomorrow night and lock those three up somewhere while it is happening?” I say to the group in general. “There are plenty of things still left in the shops that we can use for party food and it might bring the tension down a little.” I continue. “What are everyone’s thoughts?”

  “Great idea Jenn, we all need to relax.” Helen was first with her reply and was quickly followed by agreement from the rest of the group. “A farewell party!” Helen states firmly.

  “Gavin, I would like you to come up and stay in the hospital tents overnight so that we can keep an eye on you. I don’t think that you are going to have a problem, but would prefer to be able to monitor you just in case.” Helen states turning to Gavin.

  “Okay Helen, I am too sore to argue with you anyway. Let’s get up there and then I can get some rest.” Gavin grins.

  “Jenn, you and Krystal both need to get some rest before your shift. I will see you at 2am.” Helen states.

  We all troop off back up the hill with Andrew breaking away first to go to his tent and then Helen and Gavin head for the hospital tent. Krystal, Rhys, Paul and I carry on towards our campsite on the outer perimeter. Once we arrive hugs are exchanged and we head off to our sleeping bags to settle for what little sleep we will get.

  Chapter 20

  The few hours’ sleep between the meeting and hospital shift fly and soon it is time to roll out of the sleeping bag and stumble off to the hospital. Krystal and I walk across the grassy hill top towards the tents that have become our hospital. The black velvet of the night sky is sprinkled with the diamond pinpoints of stars and the full moon sails between them. Gum trees throw ghostly arms towards the moon and the sleepy sound of birds in their roosts disturbs the quiet of the night.

  Krystal stubs her foot against a protruding rock and curses aloud as she hops from foot to foot.

  “Are you okay?” I ask quickly and can’t help grinning as normally it is me that is the clumsy one.

  “Nothing broken mate, but hell it bloody hurts.” Was the fast reply from Krystal. “How come you missed it?” she asked with a grin.

  “Dunno mate, my luck must be changing.” I shoot back with a giggle.

  “Seriously Jenn, are we going to be ready to leave in two days?” Krystal asks “There is so much more to do and so few of us are able to do it too.” Her worried tones come out of the dark.

  “We have to be ready mate, we can’t stay here and I am going to be going for it tomorrow even if it means little or no sleep. Just can’t afford to not be ready.” I reply. “We are leaving, ready or not, so we had better be ready.” I say to her.

  We get to the hospital and have hand over with Helen and the two nurses on duty. Gavin is fine and although he will need checking during the shift will be okay. James is still refusing pain killers and wanting us to use them for others. Helen applauds such a generous spirit and tells us to give him the stronger ones and tell him that we have found more morphine. He needs to get some rest to be strong enough for the trip. We promise to do what we can to help keep James comfortable. Only one other patient is problematic and with infection raging through her body Helen doesn’t expect her to live for much longer. We then farewell the other two nurses and send them off to rest, their shifts will be long tomorrow. Helen heads for a cot in the main hospital tent and Krystal and I start our rounds.

  James is in the first tent and is laying there awake, his blue eyes twinkle as we approach and his lovely smile lights his face. “G’day girls.” His voice is still strong and the smile is very genuine.

  “Hello James, how are you feeling mate?” I ask as I walk towards the bed that has been set up for him. “Are you in much pain?”

  “I am good at the moment Jenn; the pain is about a 6, so is more than bearable.” He says with a twinkling smile.

  “I think you should have some morphine James.” I tell him. “We have found a decent supply in the chemist shop that is still okay and there is plenty to go around now.” I tell him and Krystal nods her head to encourage him to take the offered pain relief.

  “I don’t know if I want it just yet.” James states. “I don’t like feeling so leaden and tired from it, but will have some if and when the pain gets to the stage where I find it too hard to deal with. Is that okay girls?” He says with a sweet and gentle smile.

  “Yes James it is okay, but you have to promise that you will take it when you feel the need to do so.” I tell him as we adjust his pillows and help him move around in the bed. “I want a promise from you now.”

  “I promise Jenn that I will ask for it when I am ready, Scouts honour.” He says giving me the Scouting salute and a wide smile.

  I smile back and wish him goodnight as Krystal and I head for the next tent. Everyone is asleep and quiet in here. We go from bed to bed checking on everyone and leave quietly without disturbing their slumber.

  The next tent is Gavin’s and shared with three others. It’s quiet in here too, but as I draw close to Gavin’s bed his eyes open and he smiles. “Hello Jenn, how are you doing?” He asks

  “I am great. More to the point is how are you feeling and how is the head?” I question back with a grin.

  “Good mate, it’s down to a dull roar now and the ribs are bloody sore as hell, before you ask.” Gavin rumbles quietly.

  “Do you need pain killers; you are due some if you want them.” I tell him.

  “I’m right mate, save them for later; I might need them more in the morning when I get out of here.” Gavin says quietly. “It’s bound to feel much worse then and the bruises will set in by then too.” He adds. “I’ve been through this a time or two before and it’s always worse the next morning.”

  I grin at him as I reply, “I know it always feels worse the next day, I’ve had a few busted ribs and bruises too, mostly from falling off horses.” I grin at him as he smiles back at me. My reputation for busting myself up is well known in the area.

  Krystal has gone into the big tent and I tell Gavin to get some rest and move off after her. All is quiet here and only a few sleepy murmurs disturb the night and the twenty five patients who are still here. Most are on stretchers or mattresses on the ground, but are comfortable for the moment.

  Our last tent to visit is the tent where the patients with infections are placed. Here we find that the young lady who Helen is concerned about is tossing restlessly and moaning. She is sweating and pale as the infection from the huge wounds in her body rages through her system. Things look as if they are getting worse and very quickly. There is so little that we can do to help Gayle now. Her body is getting tired from fighting the infection. All we are able to do is to bathe her to cool her down and administer morphine to help settle her and keep the pain at bay. I have a feeling that Gayle won’t be leaving Smithtown with the rest of us and it brings tears to my eyes as I work. So many lives have been taken so suddenly, it is always hard to envisage the enormity of disasters on this scale.

  Once we settle Gayle, Krystal and I return to the nurses’ station tent and sit chatting quietly for a while. We put the kettle on the primus and make coffee and share our worries about the patients under our care and the fact that we are able to do so little for them now because of the lack of medications. Disease is going to become an issue over time and medications to treat them not being available. The mortality rate for survivors of the initial disaster could be high unless we can find more supplies or find others who have not been effected by the earthquake.

  It worries us both that we have heard nothing on the radio’s since Robin called out to Rhys and I, there have been no plane’s overhead either. We have had no contact with the outside world and no help has come for us. We feel very much alone an
d wonder how many other small groups of survivors are out there. I also ponder the likelihood of rescue and decide that maybe the best thing we are doing is rescuing ourselves right now.

  The night shift runs to a routine now and every thirty minutes we check the patients. The tents are quiet now as everyone is sleeping, even James has dozed off at last. Gayle though is tossing restlessly in her bed and we sponge her again and try to make her more comfortable. The night hours pass quickly and as dawn breaks we look out over the ruined township and watch the sun rise. I smile at Krystal and we both turn back to our duties. We still have four hours left of our shift and then full days working through the last minute preparations to move everyone out of the town.

  Chapter 21

  Shift change rolls around and after hand over we head back to our own tents. Preparation for tonight’s party is well underway and there are people gathering round the cooking fires making food to share. Drinks are being laid out on tables set up on the sports oval and watched over by a group of elderly men to ensure that nothing is touched before tonight.

  Preparation for the move to the coast is also being undertaken and I can hear the crew of men grunting as they load the semi-trailers by hand. Charles Brown, his short stature and protruding belly are bobbing around the fuel tanker he is to drive as he checks the load of fuel in both tanks. He is taking diesel in one tank for the trucks and petrol in the other for the smaller 4 x 4’s, chainsaws and other power equipment. There are people bustling about everywhere this morning.

  I head to the fire and the ever present billy of hot water and make coffee for myself and Krystal. Yawning we stand nursing our steaming mugs and watch the activity all around us.