Remote Rescue Page 6

  His stomach dropped with the sudden leap into the air. The rattling eased, but the thrum of the engine remained constant.

  He looked through the window to see Leigh Creek Aerodrome falling away. As the aeroplane climbed higher, he noticed two cars on the highway below. He wondered if that was his sisters along with Burt and Gwen.

  Sam looked out of the car window to see a plane in the sky. ‘Are we nearly there?’ she asked.

  ‘Yep,’ answered Burt. ‘We’re just passing the exit to the town of Leigh Creek, so the airport’s not far off.’

  ‘Then that’s probably Dad and Daws up above.’ She pointed through the window.

  ‘Where? Where?’ iPad suddenly discarded, Em looked eagerly out of her window. ‘I can’t see.’

  ‘On this side,’ said Sam.

  Em unbuckled her belt and threw herself to where Sam was sitting, straining. ‘Where are they? I want to see them!’

  ‘Oi, seatbelt back on or I stop the car,’ demanded Burt.

  Em reluctantly returned to her seat.

  A few minutes later they pulled into the airport car park, the Land Rover parking beside them.

  Gwen was out of the Land Rover and opening their door in seconds. ‘I’ve had a couple of calls on the satellite phone.’ She waved her hands about excitedly as she spoke. ‘But the reception was so bad I couldn’t make anything out before it cut off. It sounded like a female voice. Might have been your mum. We should get into the airport and make a landline call to her.’

  Dad groaned in pain.

  Maddy was bent over him checking his leg and adjusting the IV drip. Then she grabbed the headphone and mic off the hook on the wall and put them on. She looked worried. Dawson tried to listen in over the sound of the engine.

  ‘We’ve got a problem, Mark.’ Maddy’s voice was raised. ‘Looks like the patient might have acute compartment syndrome. It’s vital he goes into surgery ASAP. Can you radio ahead to make sure the ambulance is waiting and that the hospital is ready?’ She paused to hear the answer. ‘Thanks.’ Maddy adjusted the IV again and sank into her seat, keeping the headphones on.

  Dawson leaned forward. ‘What’s going on?’ He had to talk loudly to make himself heard over the engine noise.

  Maddy took a deep breath before pulling the headphones off one ear and answering. ‘Looks like there might be a complication with your dad. Sometimes with a broken bone, the sharp ends can cause additional damage. A build up of pressure in a fascial compartment.’

  Dawson looked blankly at the nurse.

  ‘Sorry.’ She leaned forward and raised her voice a little more. ‘Basically, it means that not enough blood is getting through to some of the muscles and nerves in his leg. This can cause permanent damage. So we need to get him into surgery as quickly as we can.’ She paused a moment. ‘Now, I’m not one hundred percent sure that’s what it is. I’m just saying it’s a possibility due to the fact that your dad seems to be suffering some increased pain and there is bruising around the area where the broken bone is pushing against the skin. It might be nothing. But I think it’s better if we get him looked at by a surgeon as quickly as possible … just to make sure.’

  Dawson could feel his hands starting to sweat and shake. Permanent damage? What exactly did that mean? He wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

  He looked at Dad, lying on the stretcher. He looked so helpless.

  Dawson leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

  ‘I switched on my mobile and there were all these messages. I tried calling your dad, but his phone’s switched off.’

  ‘His phone broke when he fell,’ said Sam.

  She was at Leigh Creek airport, talking to Mum on the phone in the manager’s office. It was so good to hear her voice.

  ‘Well, at least I’m speaking to you now. You don’t have to worry about anything. I’ve arranged it all.’

  Sam noticed how Mum’s voice was calm and controlled – too controlled. Her voice was normally quite relaxed, but she was obviously in her full-on Mum Damage-Control Mode. This is how she sounded whenever there were problems at work. It was like some sort of switch had been flipped and Mum was taking charge of everything and fixing it all herself.

  ‘I’ve spoken with the manager and arranged for a charter flight later this afternoon, so I’m afraid that you’re stuck in Leigh Creek until then,’ Mum continued. ‘I’m on my way to Adelaide Airport now to meet Dawson and Dad, and then we’ll head to the hospital. As soon as I get off the phone, I’ll call Aunt Marg and make sure she’s at the airport to meet the two of you when you arrive. So don’t worry about anything. Okay?’

  ‘Okay,’ said Sam.

  ‘Love you,’ said Mum.

  ‘Love you too.’

  Sam closed her eyes, still pressing the phone to her ear even though no one was there. She was relieved. Relieved that Mum was now taking charge. Relieved that Dad was on his way to the hospital. Relieved that she didn’t have to worry anymore.

  ‘I’m hungry!’

  Sam’s eyes opened to see Em leaning in the office door. She put the phone down.

  Food! It suddenly occurred to Sam that they hadn’t eaten since the stale and soggy cereal they’d had at breakfast. She’d completely lost track of time. Her stomach – now that she was listening to it – told her that it was past lunchtime, but she had no idea how far along.

  She walked over to Em and took her hand. ‘Come on, let’s go get something to eat.’

  Sam and Em went to the vending machines. As Em gazed through the glass at the chips and chocolates, Sam searched her pockets for some change.

  ‘I got you some sandwiches,’ said a voice from behind.

  Sam turned to see Gwen’s smiling face.

  ‘But I want chocolate,’ said Em, hands and face pressed up against the vending machine.

  ‘I’ll get you some after you eat your sandwich,’ said Gwen.

  Em grumbled, but after taking her first bite she gobbled up the rest.

  Sam plonked down into a seat and nibbled half-heartedly at hers.

  ‘You okay?’ asked Gwen.

  Sam shrugged.

  ‘I know this has all been rather difficult,’ said Gwen, sitting down beside her, ‘but you’ve done amazingly well.’

  ‘Done?’ Sam snorted. ‘I haven’t done anything. I couldn’t find help for Dad. Dawson did that. And Dawson looked after him too. I just sat around doing nothing.’

  ‘That’s not true,’ insisted Gwen. ‘You took care of your sister. Kept her calm.’

  Sam shrugged again.

  ‘Can you imagine how much more difficult things would have been with a hysterical child? I doubt your brother could have kept her calm for as long as you did.’

  ‘I guess,’ Sam muttered.

  ‘And you helped when we had the flat tyre.’ She smiled cheekily. ‘After all, there’s only so much an old guy can do on his own.’ She leaned in and lowered her voice. ‘We were a lot younger when that Pilbara thing happened.’ She put a finger to her lips. ‘But don’t tell Burt that.’

  Sam grinned, then took a mouthful of sandwich.

  Dawson opened his eyes as Maddy tapped him on the shoulder. She was holding up the pair of headphones. He glanced out the window as he put them on. The desert was gone, replaced by houses and streets.

  ‘Hello?’ he said into the mic.

  ‘Dawson, this is Mark here. We’ve just had word that your mum is waiting at Adelaide Airport. We’re almost there. They’ve put her through on the radio. Thought you might like to speak to her.’

  ‘Yes!’ Dawson shouted into the mic. ‘Dawson, love, it’s Mum here. Are you okay?’

  ‘No,’ he managed to say in a tremulous voice. ‘Not really.’

  And then the tears came, flowing as if from a burst dam. After hours of being responsible and calm, he could finally let go. Mum was there to take over – to make everything better.

  The rest of the flight was a bit of a blur. Dawson barely even noticed the landing.

  Dad was taken directly to an ambulance waiting on the tarmac and whisked away while Dawson was escorted by airport staff to Mum.

  He ran to her and wrapped his arms around her. He didn’t say a thing, just let her hold him then lead him out to her car. They drove to the hospital in silence.

  At reception they were told that Dad had gone straight into surgery. They were then guided to a waiting room.

  There, they waited.

  And waited.

  And waited.

  Dawson ate potato chips and chocolate bars from the vending machines. Mum, normally one for healthy eating and limited snacks, didn’t object. She let him have whatever he wanted. In the meantime, she drank one cup of instant coffee after another – without complaining. Again, unusual behaviour given that she was a self-confessed ‘coffee snob’ who only drank proper ones made with an espresso machine.

  Between sips of coffee, Mum looked up acute compartment syndrome on her iPad. Rather than calming either of them down, the information just made them more worried. The problem was treated surgically with a procedure called a ‘fasciotomy’, to relieve the build-up of pressure and allow normal blood flow to the muscles and nerves. If not performed in time it could lead to necrosis – which meant the death of tissue and cells – and could result in amputation.

  Dawson kept imagining Dad with only one leg.

  He ate more chocolate and Mum drank more coffee.

  Gwen handed Sam a piece of paper with contact details for her and her husband. ‘You give that to your mum,’ she said. ‘And tell her to get in touch when everything settles down. Let us know how your dad is.’

  ‘Sure,’ said Sam, pocketing the note.

  ‘And you be good for your sister.’ Crouching down, Gwen gave Em a hug.

  ‘Ahuh,’ said Em through a mouthful of muesli bar.

  ‘Thanks for all your help.’ Sam looked from Gwen to Burt. Her bottom lip trembled slightly, but she quickly got it under control. She cleared her throat noisily. ‘Phoning and driving and changing the tyre and …’ She paused, swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat. ‘Everything.’

  ‘Don’t mention it,’ said Burt. ‘Glad to have been able to.’ He stepped forward and awkwardly shook hands with the girls.

  Em looked up at him with wide eyes. ‘I like you,’ she said earnestly.

  ‘Well …’ he said, momentarily lost for words. ‘I … I like you too. Both of you.’

  ‘Time to go,’ said a voice from behind them.

  The two sisters turned and followed the pilot to the little twin engine Cessna.

  ‘Cool!’ said Em when she saw the plane.

  When Aunt Marg showed up with Sam and Em at the hospital, hugs and tears were exchanged. They were still in the midst of hugging when the surgeon came out to see them.

  Dad was going to be okay. The fasciotomy was a success. He wasn’t completely out of the woods yet – his bones would need time to heal, and there would be a follow-up operation – but his leg was saved.

  Even more hugs and tears were exchanged.

  Dad’s leg was wrapped in bandages and enclosed in a metal cage. And it was raised up with wires, kind of like a puppet.

  Dad looked tired. But he smiled from the hospital bed when they all came in.

  ‘My heroes,’ he said, grinning at Dawson, Sam and Em. ‘Thanks.’

  Em hugged his arm.

  ‘Glad you’re okay,’ said Sam, her eyes glistening. ‘Real glad.’

  Dawson stood awkwardly to the side, not saying anything as everyone fussed over Dad. Now that the worst had passed, he couldn’t overcome the feeling of how close disaster had been.

  ‘So, what’s happened to the car?’ asked Dad.

  ‘That old guy drove it to Leigh Creek,’ said Mum.

  ‘Burt,’ said Sam. ‘His name’s Burt. And he’s not that old.’ She fumbled around in her pocket and pulled out the note Gwen had given her. ‘Gwen said you should let them know how Dad is.’

  ‘The tyre exploded,’ announced Em.

  ‘What?’ Dad’s eyes widened.

  ‘It didn’t explode,’ said Sam. ‘It was just a flat. Burt changed it. And got us to the airport.’

  ‘The keys are with the manager of the Leigh Creek Aerodrome,’ said Mum. ‘I’ll arrange for someone to collect it and drive it back home.’

  Suddenly Aunt Marg bustled in with a huge bunch of flowers in one hand and a vase in the other. ‘Glad you’re okay, brother dear,’ she said, glancing at Dad. ‘Now, can I get some help with this?’

  Sam and Em assisted Aunt Marg as she arranged the flowers on the table in the corner of the room.

  Dad looked at Dawson, who still stood off to the side. ‘I’m okay, son,’ he said. ‘You did well, Dawson. Real well.’

  ‘I’m sorry, Dad,’ said Dawson, trying hard to hold back the tears. ‘We should have listened to you. We shouldn’t have been running around in the building. If we had –’

  ‘Stop it!’ Dad cut him off. ‘It was no one’s fault. Accidents happen, you know.’

  ‘But if we hadn’t been –’

  ‘And if I hadn’t gone into the building,’ interrupted Dad, ‘and if Mum had come along, and if I hadn’t taken us to Farina. And if … and if …’ He patted the bed and Dawson sat down on the edge of it.

  ‘If, if, if,’ continued Dad. ‘You can’t dwell on the ifs. What matters is that I’m okay – that we’re all okay. What matters is that you and Sam and Emmie handled yourselves extraordinarily well. And if you really do want some ifs to think about – If you hadn’t thought and acted quickly and responsibly, things may have been very different; If the RFDS wasn’t there to help, I may not have made it. Those are the ifs that matter.’

  Dawson hugged Dad.

  When he finally let go, Sam rushed forward, tears in her eyes, and joined in.

  ‘Thanks,’ she said in a hoarse whisper.

  ‘Thanks,’ said Dawson, nodding. ‘We should thank them, the flying doctors.’

  ‘And nurses,’ Em piped up.

  ‘And nurses,’ agreed Dawson.

  ‘Yeah,’ said Dad. ‘I think we should.’

  Mum walked around to the other side of the bed and kissed her husband. ‘Can’t leave you alone for a few days without something happening, can I?’

  Dad took her hand and gave it a squeeze. ‘We’ll make sure to take you with us next time.’

  ‘Ha!’ said Mum. ‘No more holidays for a while, I think.’

  ‘Oh, I don’t know.’ Dad was grinning. ‘I’m a quick healer.’

  ‘So this is where it happened.’ Mum was looking in through the window of the Transcontinental Hotel in Farina.

  ‘Yep,’ Dad answered.

  He hung back, not going all the way up to the building. A satellite phone dangled from the belt of his blue jeans. Sam and Em were across the road, staring into the bakery, no doubt imagining again that it was a jail.

  ‘You can see better from inside,’ said Dawson, leading Mum into the dilapidated building.

  Dawson took her through the whole story, showing where the accident had happened and how Dad had been rescued. After Mum walked back out, Dawson jumped down into the cellar.

  It felt strange being back. But Dad had insisted on doing the holiday over again. This time they had Mum with them and they were better prepared. He said that bad memories were like lingering ghosts and that they had to be put to rest and replaced with good memories.

  Dawson nodded to himself. The image of Dad lying in the cellar had haunted him for the past year. A feeling of fear would creep up on him when he least expected it. But now that he was here … the cellar didn’t seem so scary. No ghosts to be found … not anymore. He smiled at the thought of a ghost town without any ghosts.

  Taking a last look around, he noticed the steps had been cleared of rubble. He climbed up and out.

  The sun was inching to the horizon and the golden light reminded Dawson of their last visit. Maybe this time he’d get to look around properly. And maybe this time, no one would get injured.

  ‘You know, you’re very lucky,’ Mum said to Dad as they all headed for the campground.

  ‘Yep,’ answered Dad. He still walked with a bit of limp. ‘Lucky to have such resourceful kids. And lucky to live in a country that has the Royal Flying Doctor Service.’

  ‘Yeah,’ agreed Sam. ‘Resourceful kids. That’ll be us.’

  ‘What does “resourceful” mean?’ asked Em.

  ‘It means being quick and clever at solving problems,’ answered Dad, ruffling her hair.

  ‘I’m quick!’ Em smiled proudly. ‘That’s why I’m good at chasey.’ She looked up at Dad suddenly, eyes wide like a puppy dog. ‘Can we play now?’

  ‘As long as you stay out of the buildings,’ said Dad.

  Em grinned, slapped Sam on the leg and took off up the main street.

  Sam turned to Dawson, an enquiring look in her eyes. Dawson shrugged. Sam laughed, slapped him on the shoulder and went after Em.

  ‘High five,’ said Dad raising his hand.

  Dawson clapped his hand.

  ‘I may be a little limpy,’ said Dad, ‘but I’m still a furiously fast father. So you better get going.’

  Dawson grabbed his Mum’s hand and took off.

  ‘Ready or not,’ called Dad, ‘here I come!’

  The Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia (RFDS) began as the dream of the Reverend John Flynn, a minister with the Presbyterian Church. He witnessed the struggle of pioneers living in remote areas with no available medical care. Flynn’s vision was to provide a ‘mantle of safety’ for these people, and on 15 May 1928 his dream became a reality with the opening of the Australian Inland Mission Aerial Medical Service (later renamed the Royal Flying Doctor Service) in Cloncurry, Queensland.

  Over the next few years, the Service began to expand across the country, and by the 1950s was acknowledged by former Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies as ‘perhaps the single greatest contribution to the effective settlement of the far distant country that we have witnessed in our time’.