Anna of Strathallan (3 page)

He hadn't said one word in all this. Heaven send he hadn't passed out on her, because she had to know if there were other people involved, where his car was, what had happened. He might have been stumbling along some time. She snapped on the inside light and had to clap a hand over her mouth to stop her instinctive scream.

No wonder he hadn't seemed to see her car till almost on it... his eyes were injured, she thought. She made a grab over the back seat for a white cashmere headscarf she had tossed over there and, very gently, in case she did him further injury, wiped his face from the forehead down, and was immensely relieved to see him open both eyes. There was so much gore she had been prepared for anything. The gash that was causing it ran clear across his forehead.

She said, as matter-of-factly as she could manage, 'That's going to need stitching, but I can stop the bleeding a fair bit. But you must tell me, before you pass out on me, if you're hurt anywhere else - inwardly, say. Ribs broken, or—'

His speech was slurred, but she leaned close to his mouth. 'No... don' think so. I walked okay, but—'

'Was anyone in the car with you, and where is it?'

'It's - it's only a coupla chains along from here.' He gave a strange laugh. 'Can't work it out in the metric system at the moment. Sorry about that. Sure I am.'

'Shut up!' said Anna sharply. She'd just realized something. He reeked of beer. Fool! To mix drink and driving was no less than criminal.
'Was there anyone else in the car?'

'Sure there is. Barney - friend of mine. Poor ol' Barney. But he's all right, pickled to the ears as usual. You know Barney?'

'I don't! And I've no wish to know him. You're a bright pair. And how would you know if he's all right... in
your
condition?'

Again he gave that strange laugh. 'He's soaked like a sponge. Ninety-five per cent alcohol, that's Barney. You can't damage a sponge, lady. It's like punching foam rubber.'

Fear and panic had now given place to rage in Anna. She gave him a little shove away from her even while she went on mopping.

She felt in the pocket for her first-aid tin, brought out a pad of lint, clapped it on the gash with rather less than tenderness, wound on the widest roll of bandaging the kit contained, saw the blood still coming, and tied the by-now- indescribable scarf firmly on top of it.

He seemed to pull himself together. 'Sorry about this... road was slippery... besides, it was really your fault.'

Good heavens, he certainly
was
drunk! 'Now try to stay conscious long enough to point out where the car is so I can satisfy myself that this Barney creature
is
all right.'

She drove on, peering from side to side. The casualty seemed to pull himself together. 'There it is... beyond the culvert. Good job I didn't go broadside into it. It would have blocked the road. Pull well in. It's not a good night for other traffic to see your car.'

It was faintly discernible, tilted on one side with its nose in the ditch. The man managed to get out, to her surprise. She took his arm and guided him over the road. She shone her torch in. Yes, a huge man, comfortably slumped in a corner, seemingly all right and breathing stertorously.

Somehow they got him out. Anna was surprised at her own ferocity. She shook Barney unmercifully. 'You've just got to help yourself out. Do you hear? We can't leave you to get help to shift you. You'll freeze to death. And you're too heavy to lift. Get up! Get up, I say! Out! Up ... come on, you great big lump, up!'

The other victim was hauling madly at his friend, but had gone quiet except for grunts of effort and pain jerked out of him. How he did it, Anna couldn't guess, but he was prising Barney up a little. Suddenly Barney stopped being a dead weight and came to life, helping them. What a relief! His legs budded under him on the snowy road, though. They hauled him to his feet, got his arms round their shoulders, but intoxication made the man's limbs so flaccid, they lost their grip again and again.

Suddenly the sodden hulk said, 'Pity about your car, Calum. Nice car, that. I thought you were a better driver than that, pal. Very shorry, though.'

The other man said, 'Shut up! Try to get yourself over the road. This girl'll get us to Roxburgh hospital. C'mon, move!'

Somehow they got him over and pushed him into the back seat. Anna wasn't worrying about his comfort, she wanted to get rid of this unsavoury pair as fast as she could. Calum was swaying on his feet.

She got him into the car and buckled the safety belt round him. He protested, she thought. She said in a hard tone, 'I've got to make sure you're secure in case I skid off the road. I'm not used to snow. I've never even seen it falling in my whole life till now. Tell me, I'll have to grind along all the way in my lowest gear, won't I?'

'Good lord! Where were you brought up? On a desert island?'

'Exactly,' said Anna tartly, 'on a desert island. Well, a Pacific one.
Is
that what I do?'

'Yes, slow as you can. Shouldn't be too bad from here. 'S' only about three miles.' Then he lost all interest in the proceedings.

It seemed like twenty to Anna. A longing for a soft Fijian night with tropical stars above and a clear, clear sky shook her with an intensity that surprised her. This, for her, was an alien element, and frightening. Just imagine ... some men climbed mountains for sport!

Suddenly the road was clearer ... there were lights, and cars proceeding carefully but not as slowly as Anna ... she saw footpaths. Then a man walking along one came into view. She braked, sprang out, rushed up to him, said, 'Look, I'm a stranger to New Zealand, and don't know Roxburgh-I came upon an accident a few miles back. I've got a badly gashed man in the front seat and one hopelessly drunk in the back. Can you direct me to the hospital? The injured one seems to have passed out.'

He gave an exclamation. 'Well, you sure struck it unlucky for a tourist! Lady, I'll come with you. Any idea who they are?'

'Well, the one in the back is called Barney. He's not hurt, but he's had a skinful. The other man said you can't hurt a sponge. He's called Calum. But—'

'Yes, I know. But we're wasting time, you mean. It'd have to be Barney and Calum, of course.'

They must be well-known soaks, Anna thought.

The man opened the back door, 'Shove over, mate,' he said to Barney, and to Anna, 'Drive straight on down the main street... hospital is on the left, with trees in front and a stone wall. I'll tell you when to stop. They were pretty lucky they got someone like you - you've managed to bandage Calum up. You'll be okay here. The traffic's kept the road pretty clear.'

Anna felt a little better. Soon this would be just a memory. She'd hunt for a bed at some hotel. She'd ask this man to go with her, perhaps, because any receptionist would rear back when confronted by the sight she must present... covered with gore, her shoes plastered with slush, to say nothing of reeking of beer from Barney's close embrace when he'd staggered and nearly fallen.

'My name's Rod Staikes. We'll get Calum in first. They can get some orderlies to get Barney out. He won't know what's happening anyway.'

The man called Calum opened his eyes as she stopped, said, 'You made it! Remind me to put in for a medal for you, girl,' and lapsed again. Rod Staikes went inside, reappeared with a couple of men, and they got Calum out. The fresh air revived him and he straightened up, said, 'I can make it under my own steam, I think. You two get Barney in. He might be hurt, though I doubt it.'

It took the three men, eventually, to carry Barney in. He was enormous. Calum staggered. Anna said, 'Better lean on me. If you crash you'll start the bleeding again.'

He grinned, 'The luck's all mine, not Barney's. Sure I'll lean on you ... very nice too.'

Anna said vindictively,
'You
may enjoy it. I won't.' She thought to herself that an amorous drunk was twice as bad as just a drunk!

Calum said mournfully, 'I thought you were an angel of light. That's just not nice.'

They got inside and suddenly, thankfully, it was all cleanliness, warmth, efficiency. Her responsibility was almost over. Rod Staikes explained succinctly what had happened. They all seemed to know each other. The Sister was cool, brisk, quick without bustling.

They put Barney into a chair and left him to snore on happily. The doctor arrived presently. The Sister had started to mop up Calum's face and head once she'd got Anna's bandaging off. It was far from a nice sight and began to bleed again, but not profusely. Anna considered it was less serious than she'd thought.

A good thing about smaller hospitals was that you weren't banished. Anna felt she'd like to see this thing through. The doctor greeted Calum as a friend, and set to work. He said to Anna, 'Are you squeamish? I hardly think so, because Sister says it was quite expertly bandaged, but you can retire if you want to.'

She said, 'I've worked as a nurse-aide. When you're done perhaps you'd advise me on my choice of a hotel for the night. I'd meant to go on further, but first the snow, then this, held me up. I think I'll need some explaining. Any respectable hotel could have doubts.'

Calum looked across at her. He was focusing better now. 'I'll have to buy you a new outfit. You can put up at our place for the night.' He said to the doctor, 'Kitty'll want to thank her.'

The doctor said, 'Think you're going home, do you? I think we'd better keep you here overnight. We'll alert the police about your car, though this young lady told Rod it was well off the road.'

Calum said, 'Rolf, I must go home. The children can get a bit much for Kitty on her own.'

'Bunkum. I'd back Kitty to cope with anything. Though I daresay you could go ... this isn't as deep as I'd thought. We'll have to get transport for you, though. And it'll be a problem. Every taxi will be engaged for the Hydro Ball.'

Calum groaned. 'Kitty'll fear the worst if I'm kept here.' He looked across at his rescuer. 'Most of the pubs will be full tonight. And you need cleaning up.' He seemed to be sobering up fast. 'Kitty will want to meet you, to thank you for all you've done. You managed that difficult drive pretty well, yet you must have been all shook up. How about it? It'll get me home, and we can put you up. Much nicer than a pub, our place. Rolf, she deserves a medal. She made a damned good stop when I loomed up in front of her car. I was weaving, I'm afraid. And even if at first I cursed her for a hit-and-run driver, at least she had second thoughts and came back.'

Anna was struck dumb, but only for a moment. 'Hit-and- run? What on earth do you mean? How could I possibly have hit you? Turned
back}
I was on my way
to
Roxburgh when you appeared like a ghost in my headlights. Look, you're too drunk to have the faintest idea of what you're saying! I certainly
won't
spend the night at your place. I'm pretty fussy where I stay, it's a hotel for me!'

To her immense surprise he did not humble himself and apologize for his unjust accusation. Instead he glared at her as fiercely as she had glared at him.
'Drunk?
have you gone mad? I'm not the one who was drunk, it was Barney. You darned well know that! Let me tell you I've never been drunk in my life!'

The doctor put a restraining hand on his arm. 'Now, don't get excited, Calum. You're in no shape for losing your temper. It looks to me as if you're both addled. She's just as entitled to be as flaming mad as you are. More, in fact. She acted as your rescuer and you've blamed her for tipping you off the road. And though you mightn't realize it, you're positively reeking of beer. I can only suspect that Barney, as usual, had a kitful of bottles.'

'He did. This gash wasn't the windscreen - it was a bottle.' His face changed completely. He looked at Anna ruefully. 'I'm sorry - you'd better put it down to shock. Naturally you'd think I was tight. I saw old Barney collapse into the gutter as I came into Roxburgh and thought I'd better get him to his shack and into bed.'

'You would,' said the doctor. 'Too tender-hearted by far.

And look what a mess it's got you into. The police would have picked him up and a night in the cell would have sobered him up properly. I dare not risk that now - in case he's got some injury we can't get him to tell about, so
we'll
have to put up with him. The staff are going to love that!'

All of a sudden Sister Grey and Rod Staikes collapsed into laughter. Anna gazed at them almost exasperatedly for a moment, then succumbed too. The doctor said hastily, 'Now, Calum, don't join in - you're wrinkling up your forehead. Wait till I'm done.' He turned to Rod, 'I thought you told me yesterday you were taking Jenny to the Ball?'

'I am. I'd better ring her and explain what kept me. She asked me to run over to a friend's and lend her a silver evening bag for the same affair and said not to be too long.' He disappeared.

Anna felt she must do something to compensate for her too-swift judgment of this Calum. She said, 'The snow seems to have stopped falling. I
could
take him home if he really
must
go, and come back. That is, if it's not too far. I've already come over that road and it's not too bad, negotiated with care. I wouldn't attempt it if it was still snowing.'

'It's not that way,' said the doctor. 'It's the other side of Roxburgh, but not a great distance. But, Calum, I'd rather you stayed here. Kitty'll be all right.'

He shook his head. 'I'd like to offer this girl a bed for the night. Kitty'd never forgive me if I did less. Would you take me home?'

Anna nodded. 'You can guide me. It was more scaring before. I had you flaking out every now and then. That's why I thought you were intoxicated.'

By the time Sister had finished the bandaging, and sponged his face some more, the dark-avised Calum looked a different man. The orderlies had removed Barney to some bed for the night. Calum smiled, then winced. 'Gosh, this is a bit restricting. Did you really have to put on an enormous cap of bandaging like this, Sister darling? I feel like a Sultan.'

Sister grinned back. 'I did. And mind, no taking any of it off for sleeping in. I think you're quite mad. Kitty'd far rather think you were under our eye. It's ridiculous to think she can't manage three children for a short time. She's not on her own, as—'