Christmas at Coorah Creek (Choc Lit) (15 page)

‘Is he conscious?’ she asked.

‘Yes. He’s in a lot of pain. And he’s bleeding from multiple cuts.’

Katie started to move, but Max grabbed her arm.

‘Be careful. The car is resting against the tree. It’s not safe. We need to get him out of there before you can treat him.’

‘I understand. But I need to see him before you try to move him.’

Max hesitated and then nodded.

Swiftly but carefully, Katie approached the car. All she could see was the underside of the vehicle. One wheel was missing and parts of the exhaust were hanging off.

A man screamed in agony.

In a trice, Katie was crouched beside the vehicle, broken glass crunching beneath her feet as she spoke to the injured driver who was still strapped in his seat, his body trapped and twisted inside the mangled metal.

‘It’s going to be all right. My name is Katie and I’m here to help.’

A bloodstained face slowly turned towards her, and Katie was shocked to see how very young the man was.
      

‘What’s your name?’

‘Tom,’ the voice was harsh with agony, but he seemed to have his wits about him.

‘Hi Tom.’ Katie quickly scanned the young man’s body. There was a lot of blood, but the wounds seemed mostly superficial. It was his shoulder that worried her. ‘Can you move your hands?’

He grunted with effort. Or with pain.

‘The … one hand yes. The other one … left arm…’ His voice trailed off.

‘Don’t worry, Tom. We’ll have you out of there in a minute.’

Katie stood and backed away from the injured man. Max and Jack were waiting. They were holding what looked like welding gear.

‘We can cut him out now, if it’s safe to move him,’ Max said.

‘I’ll put a neck brace on him before you start. I think his back is okay, but you’ve got to be gentle.’

‘Are you going to give him something?’

The young man groaned again, and Katie’s heart sank. ‘He needs pain medication, but I’m not qualified … not allowed to give him morphine … or anything that will do much good.’

‘But we’re going to have to lift him out …’ Max said.

‘I know,’ she almost yelled. ‘But I can’t. Only a doctor can prescribe
—
’

She was interrupted by a sound from behind her. The radio on the police car crackled and she heard indistinct voices.

‘You have radio contact?’ she asked Max.

‘Yes. With regional base.’

‘Could they get in touch with a Doctor. Maybe call Adam in the plane. He can authorise …’ Max turned before she finished speaking. While he returned to his car, Katie pulled a neck brace from the emergency bag. She tried to avoid causing Tom any more pain as she fitted it, telling him all the while that it would help protect him and that the men would have him out very soon. Her heart shrank every time he cried out in pain.

Just as she finished, Max called her back to the police car and placed his radio in her hand.

‘It’s Adam. He’s on the plane on his way back.’

Relief surged through her. ‘How far out are you?’ she said into the handset.

‘Forty minutes until we land. Then we’d have to get to you.’ Adam’s voice was distorted by the radio. ‘How is he?’

‘Not good. He’s in a lot of pain and looks like a dislocated shoulder. I’ve got a neck brace on him, but he’s going to need pain meds if they are going to drag him out of there.’

‘You’re right. In the bag. Everything you need is there.’

Max quickly fetched the bag. Following Adam’s instructions, she found the small vials of morphine. And the syringe. She checked the dose with him twice while Max listened.

‘All right. Do it. Then get him out of the car. You can call me back then if you need to. Good Luck.’

She didn’t allow herself to hesitate. She administered the morphine and with a final reassuring word to the injured youth, she stepped back and let Jack and Max do what they had to. Sparks flew as they cut away the car door and the front pillar. The car seemed even more fragile now, and more dangerous.

‘Watch his shoulder’ she said. The two men followed her instructions carefully and pulled her patient from the car. The morphine had taken affect, but still he screamed.

Katie was beside him in an instant. His eyes were unfocused with a combination of drugs and the pain. She carefully touched the hand that hung uselessly from his dislocated shoulder. It was cold. That wasn’t good.

She drew Jack and Max aside.

‘I’m worried about that shoulder. It’s pinching the main blood vessel. If we don’t fix it, he could lose the hand.’

‘What do you need us to do?’ Jack asked.

‘Brace him. I have to put that shoulder back in. I need to you to hold him down and still. I have to apply a lot of pressure to do it.’

Both men nodded and dropped to their knees beside Tom. Katie didn’t stop to think. She’d been taught about this. Seen it done a dozen times before, but never done it herself. This young man needed her to get it right the first time.

She made sure Jack and Max had a firm hold on her patient, then she lifted his arm. Despite the drugs, he whimpered in pain as she slowly began to pull and twist the arm. It seemed an eternity. Just as she began to think she was doing something wrong, the shoulder slipped back into place.

After that, things moved quickly.

Katie strapped Tom’s arm and shoulder to prevent too much movement as they loaded him into the police Land Rover to take him back to Coorah Creek. She rode with him, dressing his cuts and talking to him as they went. In the front of the car, Max was attempting to contact Adam.

Just as they approached the road leading to the airstrip outside town, Adam’s car emerged. It turned towards them and accelerated for a few seconds before the driver recognised the police car. As they flashed past, Katie saw Adam’s face. He flung the car into a high-speed U-turn and followed them back to the hospital.

‘Let’s get him inside,’ he ordered the moment the cars pulled up in front of the building. ‘I’ll get him stabilised while Jess refuels the plane, and then we’ll get him to the Isa for a CAT scan.’

As Jack half carried their patient up the steps to the hospital, Adam paused next to Katie for just a second.

‘Well done,’ he said.

Chapter Twenty-Three

‘I was scared, you know. Really scared!’

‘Climbing inside that damaged car should have scared you. You could have been hurt.’

‘No. Not scared for me. Scared for him. That I wouldn’t be able to help him. But I did.’

The smile on Katie’s face grew even bigger; if that was possible. She was almost bursting with pleasure as she sat opposite Scott in the pub, waiting for their dinner to be served. This was what had been missing from her life. This feeling of achievement. That she had helped someone using her own skill and wits.

‘Oh Scott,’ she grabbed his hand. ‘This is why I became a nurse. I was able to help someone. Adam said I saved his arm. Me!’

Scott’s face told her everything she needed to know. He was both impressed and proud. Come to think of it, she felt exactly the same way.

‘Here you go,’ Ed appeared, three glasses clutched in his hand. He placed the drinks on the table and sat down with them.

‘Here’s to you,’ Scott raised his glass. ‘Well done.’

‘Yes, well done indeed.’ Ed smiled and for a moment Katie put aside her excitement at her own achievement. Here was another reason to celebrate. Scott and his father were beginning to act like they were not just a family, but friends too. She was so happy for him. For all of them. Right now, life was good. Her joy clouded for a moment as she thought of the parting that was ahead of them, in just a few days when Scott headed for his new job. But she shook it off. Nothing was going to spoil this moment for her.

‘Hey, Katie!’ Max appeared, still wearing his police uniform. ‘I’ve just heard from Adam. The patient is doing fine. He and Jess will be flying back tomorrow after they check in one last time at the hospital. They should be back shortly after lunch. They asked you to hold the fort at the hospital for them.’

‘That’s good news. As for holding the fort, I’ll do my best. But please,’ Katie grinned, ‘no more adventures like today.’

‘And if there were, I’m sure you’d do fine,’ Trish appeared carrying plates loaded down with food. She placed them on the table, grinning at the three of them as if she were in some way responsible for the aura of happiness that surrounded them. ‘If you keep this up girl, we’ll be calling you Doctor Katie.’

They all laughed, but as Trish moved away, Scott suddenly fell silent.

‘What’s wrong?’ Katie asked.

He didn’t answer. His mouth curved into a knowing smile and he raised his eyebrows.

‘What!’

Still he didn’t answer. Realisation dawned suddenly.

‘No,’ she said. ‘It’s a nice idea, but it will never happen.’

‘Why not?’ Scott asked.

‘Just because.’

‘Do you want to let me in on this conversation?’ Ed asked.

‘Katie’s going to become a doctor,’ Scott said.

Katie shook her head. ‘Don’t be silly. I’m a nurse, not a doctor.’

Scott leaned forward, his eyes shining with excitement. ‘But you could be a doctor. You told me that’s what you wanted to be. You said nursing wasn’t as fulfilling as you wanted. That’s because you should be a doctor. You were born for it!’

‘It’s a nice thought, Scott,’ Katie said. ‘And a compliment. Thank you. But it’s not going to happen. So come on. Eat that burger before it gets cold.’

She followed her own advice, and began eating. During the rest of the evening, Scott’s words hovered in the back of her mind. Quite a few townsfolk dropped by to hear the story of the rescue, which by now had grown to epic proportions. Any minute, Katie was expecting someone to ask her about single-handedly pulling the victim from a burning wreck. Obviously the Trish Warren gossip grapevine was flourishing.

It was quite late when they finally made their escape. The three of them walked across the road to Ed’s house. After just a couple of days, it was already showing the results of Ed and Scott’s work. The garden had been cut back and there was fresh paint appearing on the outside of the house.

‘I’ll say goodnight,’ Ed said. Almost shyly he leaned forward to kiss Katie’s cheek softly. ‘You did a good thing today Katie. We are all very proud of you.’

‘Thanks,’ she said, deeply moved.

‘Goodnight son. And take good care of this girl. She’s special.’ Ed placed a hand on his son’s shoulder for a few seconds and then turned away.

‘I think he’s a nice man,’ Katie said as she took Scott’s hand and turned their steps towards the hospital. ‘He just hasn’t had much of a chance to show it.’

‘I know.’

They walked in silence for a while. Katie looked up at the stars shining so brilliantly above her. She never saw stars like that in London.

‘Do you really think I could do it?’ she said.

Scott squeezed her hand. ‘Of course you could.’

‘But … a doctor?’

‘Why not?’

‘For a start, there’s the question of money,’ Katie said. ‘It’ll be expensive to go back to college.’

‘Are there grants or scholarships or something you can apply for?’ Scott asked.

‘I guess so. But
—
’

‘No buts,’ he said firmly. ‘We’ll make it work. I can help you.’

‘I’m just
—
’

Scott stopped and turned her to face him. His handsome face looked very intense in the bright starlight. ‘You are not “just” anything Katie Brooks. You are a smart and determined woman. You can be or do whatever you want.’

‘I don’t know.’

‘But I do.’ Then he kissed her.

It was several minutes before they resumed their walk. Katie’s mind was racing.

‘You know, a couple of the nurses I trained with went on to study medicine,’ she said. ‘It’s not totally impossible.’

‘There you go.’

‘Of course,’ she felt a smile spreading across her face as the doubt began to fade, ‘I would have to go back to the UK to do this.’

‘I thought that might be the case. You’ll have to resign from this job.’

‘I’m sure Adam can find someone else. And Jess will be pleased that I’m not being ill in her aeroplane any more.’

‘She’s not the only one who’ll be pleased to see you heading back to England.’

‘But Scott, it won’t be easy to BE us. I’ll be in London. You’ll be at the Museum. And I’ll be working ridiculous hours. Studying. I won’t have time …’

‘It doesn’t matter,’ Scott said. ‘Don’t look for the barriers. That’s what I have done for the past few years with Dad, and it was wrong. Whatever you need to do, you do it. I’ll be there when I can and I will give you space when you need it. I’ll support you every step of the way and no-one will be happier than me to see you in a black robe on your graduation day.’

They had reached the steps to the hospital. An outside light was on and Katie could see the sincerity in Scott’s face as he spoke.

‘You’re a nice man too,’ she said and kissed him.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Katie’s old car had polished up pretty well. Ed flicked a cleaning rag at a bit of imaginary dust, proud of his handiwork. The grey Prius was parked nearby. Scott squeezed the last box into the boot and shut the lid. He leaned over to rub at the thin scratch on his rear bumper, smiling as he remembered the day that happened.

‘Thanks for offering to sell Katie’s car,’ he said as he joined Ed. ‘It would have been a pain to have to take two cars back east.’

‘No problems. I’ve got a buyer in mind. And you can trust me to get the best price I can.’

‘I know. She’s going to need the money. Medical school will be expensive.’

‘On that note,’ Ed hesitated. His son was a proud man and he didn’t want to offend him. ‘I’ve been living here, alone for a long time. I don’t make a lot of money, but I don’t spend much either. I have some savings. If you or Katie need money …’

Scott shook his head. ‘Thanks for the offer Dad. But no. We can do this. Why don’t you spend that money on coming over to England for a visit. I’d love to show you the cars.’