Emergency Response (26 page)

It was the second week of January and Mackenzie and Nathan were enjoying a lazy afternoon together at home. After working almost full-time over the hectic Christmas and New Year period, Mackenzie was glad for a few days’ break in her roster. Summer was always a busy time in the emergency department. The sun was shining and they were lounging outside in matching Adirondack chairs on the back veranda watching the dogs romp around the yard.

They had spent Boxing Day in Dubbo with Mackenzie’s sisters and their families celebrating Christmas and Nathan and Mackenzie’s engagement. A week later Mackenzie had driven to Willandara to speak to a real estate agent about putting their dad’s house on the market. To everyone’s surprise, two days later it had sold. Cameron suggested Mackenzie take any of the furniture she wanted for her new home and the others had all readily agreed. There wasn’t much Mackenzie liked, but it was good to have something to start with as neither she nor Nathan had much to their own names.

Both Mackenzie and Nathan had also been busy helping Kate and Joel pack up their belongings ready for the move to their new house out on the farm. As much as Mackenzie enjoyed sharing the little farmhouse with them, she couldn’t wait for when
Cooinda
became her own.

“When are you going to move your stuff in?” Mackenzie asked after they watched Joel walk past carrying another box out to his car. They’d set a June date for their wedding but neither had broached the subject of moving in together. “It doesn’t make sense you staying at your mum and dad’s once Kate and Joel move out.”

“Well, actually …” he started.

Mackenzie’s heart stopped suddenly before racing again. She stared at him, trying to ignore the uncertainty gnawing away in her belly.

“I need to talk to you about that.”

She held her breath.

He moved position in the chair and stared deep into her eyes. “I’m heading back to Iron Ridge for a bit.”

He must have seen the look on her face. Reaching out, he touched her arm. “It’s only until the end of February. I’m sorry, Kenz, but I have no choice. I left in such a hurry last year and I need to go back and tidy up a few loose ends.”

“What sort of loose ends?”

“Oh, you know, my house and stuff,” Nathan answered.

Something was niggling away at her but she didn’t know what it was. She trusted him didn’t she?

“I hope this isn’t your way of trying to get out of marrying me.” She was only partly joking. The familiar self-doubts had risen up from deep within her, threatening to take over.

“Kenz, don’t be silly.” He pulled her out of her chair and into a tight embrace. She felt the beating of his heart beneath his shirt. “When are you going to believe me when I keep telling you I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you?”

She released her breath and chuckled, summoning a smile. “Probably the moment the minister says ‘you may now kiss the bride.’”

“How about I kiss you now and see if that helps remind you?” His voice was husky, his breath warm in her ear.

“I wouldn’t complain.”

“Get a room, you two,” Joel called out as he walked past them again.

They broke apart and laughed.

“I’m sorry, Kenzie, I have to go. But as I said, I’ll be back at the end of February. After that I can move in here and we can start making wedding plans.”

Mackenzie smiled then. Everything was going to be okay. “Just make sure you’re back in time for Kate and Joel’s baby,” she warned.

Nathan chuckled. “As long as my sister isn’t early, I’ll be back with weeks to spare.”

A sudden thought occurred to her. “What about the jobs you’ve applied for? What if you get an interview?”

He shrugged. “I can do them via Skype if I need to.”

“So when are you going?”

“Tomorrow.”

Mackenzie raised her eyes. So soon?

He pulled her close again, kissing her passionately on the mouth. “I’ll miss you so much. But don’t worry, it will go quickly.” Nathan checked his watch. “I know it’s still early, but I might head back to Mum and Dad’s place now and pack some stuff. I’ve got a ten o’clock flight from Sydney so I’ll need to be up around four tomorrow to give me enough time to drive to the airport.” He pulled her into another tight embrace before kissing the top of her head. “I love you Mackenzie Grace Jones and I’ll be counting down the days until I see you again.”

“So will I.”

They walked together to his car and it was another few minutes before they eventually pulled apart and he was able to drive away.

*

The next month passed in a haze of busy days and nights. Mackenzie spoke to Nathan every day and was glad when he told her he was counting down the days until his return just as she was.

Kate and Joel had packed almost everything ready for the move out to
Eagle’s Ridge
the following week. The truck, which was delivering her father’s furniture from the house in Willandara, was expected in a week. Then it would be Mackenzie’s turn to set up home in the farmhouse. She could hardly contain her excitement.

At three o’clock one morning as time crawled slowly toward dawn, Mackenzie was finishing her third night duty in a row. She was shattered. The doctors had a feast of fruit and nuts and healthy food in their small staff room and they’d offered some to Mackenzie but she was craving chocolate – or something sweet and sugary to get her through to seven o’clock. She was debating whether to head out to the vending machine in the waiting room when a tired yet familiar voice greeted her.

“Morning.”

Liam and another paramedic wheeled in her next patient. Exhaustion clouded their eyes too. She hadn’t seen Liam since Christmas Day and hadn’t had a chance to tell him that Lily was begging Mackenzie for his number.

“Hi. What have you got for me?” she asked. “Hope it’s something sweet.”

“This is Qantas,” Liam replied tetchily.

“What?” That couldn’t be the man’s name.

“Nothing sweet about him,” the other paramedic muttered under his breath.

“We call him Qantas because he’s a frequent flyer,” Liam explained.

She stared at the overweight, unkempt man on the ambulance stretcher. It was hard to determine how old he was. He could be thirty, or closer to fifty. He held one arm close to his body in a makeshift sling and clutched a dirty white envelope to his chest with the other hand. His clothes were filthy and he stank – a combination of smoke, urine and some other foul smell Mackenzie couldn’t identify and didn’t want to.

They positioned the stretcher beside the narrow bed and indicated the man should wriggle across. Mackenzie noticed neither of the paramedics made any offer to assist him. Each move of any part of the man’s body, even his feet, produced a frown and a grunt, presumably from pain.

When he was finally settled, he turned to Mackenzie. “Hello.” His voice was high-pitched and whiney.

“This will be a good show for the slowest part of the night. Lucky you. You’ve got the best seats in the house. He’s always fun to watch,” Liam said. “We picked him up walking around town. He’d called us because he said he got locked out of his house. He needed to get his pain medications but couldn’t because they were inside. His usual sob story involves some sort of pain requiring morphine so he comes in here regularly. Hence the frequent flyer tag. The arm in the sling was what caught our attention this time.”

“Is it broken?”

The man handed Mackenzie the dirty envelope he was clutching to his chest and she extracted an x-ray, placing it above her head to see it better in the light. She was no radiologist, but it looked to her like a simple non-displaced fracture of his ulna bone.

“GP apparently put the cast on last week,” Liam said.

A simple touch to the man’s cast by Liam produced a yelping sound like a cat with a stepped-on tail. Liam rolled his eyes in Mackenzie’s direction and she bit her bottom lip to hide a smile.

“That
hurts
,” the man squealed, his reactions completely beyond what should have been normal for a six-foot-two, solidly-built man. “I need morphine. It’s the only thing that works. The pain is so bad.”

“He’s all yours,” Liam said, “and while I won’t tell you how to do your job, my suggestion is don’t rush to do anything for him or he’ll know you’re a soft touch and he’ll be back tomorrow.”

“Wow, I love the cynicism,” Mackenzie said.

“Trust me, when you’ve been doing this job as long as I have, it’s hard not to feel cynical.”

Mackenzie touched Liam’s sleeve. “Are you okay?” she asked, sensing something deeper was going on than Liam simply being cranky because it was three o’clock in the morning and he was dealing with a difficult patient at the end of a long shift.

He gave a thin smile. “I’m okay.”

“You sure about that?”

“Yeah, but thanks for asking. I’ve been burning the candle at both ends – working both here and in Sydney. I’m just tired, that’s all.”

“Why
are
you working here? I meant to ask you last time I saw you.”

“I’ve resigned from my job in the city but haven’t finished yet so I’m working the two jobs.”

“Why the change?” Mackenzie asked.

“It’s a long story but I needed a change of pace. Sydney was killing me.”

Mackenzie nodded. She knew what he meant. The best thing she’d ever done was exchange her city life for her new country one.

She turned back to her patient and found him fast asleep on the bed.

“Eh,” she said aloud. “So much for needing pain relief. Looks like you need sleep.”

Just like me.
She threw a blanket over him and flicked off the lights in the cubicle. When he woke she would assess him properly, but first she needed food.

Lily opened a packet of cheese Twisties and shoved them under Mackenzie’s nose. They were taking a short break in the staff tea room before their shift ended. Two hours to go. Mackenzie could already hear her pillow calling her name.

“I’d prefer something sweet, but these will do. Thanks.” Mackenzie grabbed a handful and shoved them in her mouth, crunching noisily.

Lily rifled through her bag. “I’ve got some chocolate here somewhere too.” Seconds later, she held the familiar purple block of chocolate triumphantly above her head. “Here we go. Just what the doctor ordered at five o’clock in the morning. Food of champions.”

“Maybe not for champions,” Mackenzie said with a laugh, “but perfect for night duty nurses.”

“How are your wedding plans coming along?” Lily asked. “Have you set a date?”

“Yeah, we have. June fifteenth.”

“Oh wow, so soon.”

“We don’t want anything big so it won’t take much to plan.”

“Have you got a dress?”

Mackenzie groaned. “That’s the one thing I’m dreading. Dress shopping.”

Lily’s eyes widened. “Why? I would have thought that would be the best thing about getting married. Choosing a dress that makes you feel like a princess.”

“I don’t have the body shape that looks good in most things.”

“Rubbish,” Lily replied. “I’m certain the perfect dress is out there for everyone. When you see it, you’ll just
know
.” Lily’s eyes took on a dreamy expression.

“I never thought you’d be the romantic type,” Mackenzie said with a giggle.

“Oh you have no idea. I think every man I go out with is going to be the one. I can’t
wait
to get married.”

Mackenzie chuckled. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-six.”

“Trust me, you’ve got plenty of time. Just don’t settle for anyone. Just like you think there’s a perfect dress out there for everyone, I happen to think there’s a perfect man for every woman.”

“So when is Nathan coming back?” Lily asked. “From what you keep telling me, he’s certainly
your
Mr. Perfect.”

At the mention of his name, a grin bubbled up from deep inside. Looking up from her phone she grinned. “Next week. Four more days.”

“You must miss him.”

“I do.”

“He’s cutting it pretty fine, isn’t he? When’s his sister’s baby due?”

Mackenzie laughed. “Kate is never early for anything. She’s not due until the middle of March. Over two weeks away.”

“Which means the baby will probably come early, you realize?”

Mackenzie laughed again. “Probably,” she agreed.

They sat quietly for a while. Their break was almost over.

“So, why did Nathan have to go back to Iron Ridge?” Lily asked, standing and putting her coffee cup in the sink.

Damn good question!

Mackenzie stared at her phone in shock.

“Mackenzie?” Lily’s voice cut through her subconscious. “What’s wrong? You’ve gone white. What’s happened?”

“I don’t know.” Mackenzie handed the phone to Lily. “You tell me. What does it look like Nathan’s doing over there?”

In her Facebook newsfeed, someone had tagged a picture of Nathan. Draped over him was a gorgeous leggy blonde, pool cue held high in triumphant victory. Nathan was smiling broadly as he gazed into her eyes. If Mackenzie was unsure of what she was seeing, the words beneath the picture explained it all. Eliza O’Connell, self-described as the “Pilbara Princess” visiting from the UK, had posted the picture of them along with a status update. According to her status, she was the new Iron Ridge pool champion, taking the crown from the very hot, and according to her,
still single
,
Nathan Kennedy.

Lily’s face mirrored her own. “Who the hell is that?”

“I have no idea. But he’s certainly got some explaining to do.” Single indeed! “Hasn’t this so-called Pilbara Princess read his Facebook relationship status? He’s in a relationship, for crying out loud!”

She punched in his number, and when he didn’t answer she left a terse voice message. Slamming the phone on the table, tears welled in her eyes. She turned her head, not wanting Lily to see her cry.

“I
knew
it was too good to be true! I knew I wasn’t good enough for him. Look at her! I can’t compete with that.”

“Mackenzie, this may not be what it seems,” Lily said gently. “And it’s not a competition. Nathan loves you. He asked you to marry him, not her.”

“Oh don’t be bloody ridiculous. Look at this.” Mackenzie thrust the phone at Lily again. “He chose her first. And no wonder. She’s gorgeous. He’s only been gone five weeks and he’s already forgotten about me.”

“That’s not true at all. When did you speak to him last?”

Mackenzie’s shoulders sagged. “Last night. He was on his way out to the pub. Told me he was having a catch up with friends – friends he’d met when he was living in the UK. I never even gave it another thought.”

“So maybe she’s just an old friend.” Lily pulled the phone toward her and began searching through the woman’s Facebook page. After a few seconds she stared back up at Mackenzie, her eyes large and sad. “Oh dear. Going by her photos I’d say once they were
very
good friends. Maybe more.”

Suspicion snaked its way around her heart before biting hard. Eliza.
This must be Ellie
. Mackenzie took the phone from Lily and her heart sank. Image after image of Eliza with Nathan in various locations around England. Definitely Ellie.

She tapped out a quick text even though he would be asleep.
Call me. We need to talk
.

Shoving her chair back underneath the table, she nearly knocked over her empty coffee cup.

“I guess that means I don’t have to worry about finding a dress
or
planning a wedding.”

*

She left work the minute her shift ended and drove straight home as the sun was climbing over the treetops. A pervading sense of doom surrounded her like a heavy cloud. Bone-deep weariness had settled in. She was grateful Kate and Joel had left the house earlier and she didn’t have to face them. She tried to eat breakfast, but the porridge tasted like she was chewing sawdust. All morning she wallowed in self-pity, scrolling through the photos of Nathan and Eliza repeatedly until she would have recognized the woman anywhere – even in a crowded room with a paper bag on her head. By then she was completely out of tears.

When her phone rang and she saw Nathan’s name on the screen she felt sick.

“Kenz! Is everything okay? My phone’s been on silent and I’ve just seen your missed call and message. Has something happened to Kate? What’s wrong?” Nathan tripped and stumbled over his words.

Was he feeling guilty? Or was he genuinely worried something was wrong?

“You tell me,” she answered coldly. Her imagination had been in overdrive ever since she’d seen the images.

There was silence on the other end and she pulled the phone from her ear. Had the call been disconnected?

When he finally answered, his voice was quiet. “Mackenzie? What’s wrong? What’s happened?”

“Does the name Eliza O’Connell mean anything to you?”

Just saying the name filled her with a sick sensation.
Ellie.
She tried to control her breathing but her ribs felt tight against her lungs. There was more silence from Nathan. Yep, no doubt about it, he was guilty. Probably racking his brain for an answer or an excuse and wondering how she’d found out about them.

“Eliza is a friend of mine. I lived with her family when I was in the UK. She’s out here visiting her brother. We caught up last night for drinks at the pub. Like I said.” His words sounded cautious and measured.

“Just drinks?”

“Yes, Mackenzie. Why the third degree?”

“So you just had a few drinks?” she repeated.

“Yes. With friends. Eliza was with our group. I’m not hiding anything, Mackenzie, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“Have you checked Facebook today?”

“You know I’m never on Facebook. It’s a waste of time.”

“Well perhaps you should, and then call me back with an explanation as to why Ellie has decided now’s the time to leave her family and come to Australia.”

She hit the end button on her phone and burst into tears. The phone rang again immediately.

“Mackenzie! What is going on? Why did you just hang up on me?”

“Because I don’t want to have anything to do with you if you’re lying to me.”

“What am I supposed to be lying about?” She pictured him running his hands through his hair.

“Your relationship with your little
Pilbara Princess
,” she said, sarcasm lacing her tone. “What did you think, Nathan? One last fling before you got married? Or is she a little bit on the side?” She let out a puff of frustration. “This is why I don’t believe in long-distance relationships, Nathan!”

“Mackenzie, stop! I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

She felt a chill in her bones but continued anyway. “I’ll tell you and then I’ll give you twenty-four hours to tell me the truth. There are hundreds of photos of you and this Eliza O’Connell together on Facebook, including one taken last night with her half naked body – her
gorgeous, skinny,
half naked body – draped across yours. They say a picture tells a thousand words and I would say that’s true. I’m going to bed. The wedding’s off.”

The moment she hung up the phone she switched it onto silent. Let him stew on
that
and come up with a plausible story. He’d have to if he wanted her to forgive him. Even if he came up with an incredible excuse, she wasn’t sure she could marry him now. She didn’t trust him. He said he loved her but judging by the photos it was obvious the kind of woman he preferred was the leggy blonde type. Not a short boring brunette like her.

The sharp ache in her body was nothing compared to the crushing sensation in her soul. She wept, stinging hot tears rolling down her cheeks and onto her pillow.

It was over.

*

After a predictably poor night’s sleep, Mackenzie woke with a screaming headache and a fresh round of anger just after four o’clock in the afternoon. Woozy with fatigue, she forced herself to get up and walk to the bathroom. She splashed water on her face and looked at herself in the mirror. Pale lips and shadowed eyes stared back at her.

Ignoring common sense she downed two Panadol and two Nurofen on an empty stomach before checking her phone. As she guessed there would be, there were dozens of missed calls, including one from a number she didn’t recognize. She frowned. Who, other than Nathan, would have called her? She was about to listen to the messages when her phone vibrated. No caller ID. Probably Nathan calling from a different number. She swiped her finger across the screen anyway, her heart racing. A staccato drum beat pounded in her ears. Time for round two.

“Hello,” she snapped.

“Is that Mackenzie Jones?”

She didn’t recognize the male voice on the other end but detected a slight accent. British, maybe.

“Who is this?” she said more cautiously.

“Hi Mackenzie. This is Doc. Remember me?”

Doc. Daniel O’Connell. The nurse she’d replaced in Iron Ridge. Her heartbeat slowed and her shoulders relaxed. He was probably calling about something work-related. Maybe even offering her his job again. Yeah, right, fat chance of her doing that.

“I’m calling about Eliza and Nathan.”

She sat bolt upright, tasting acid in the back of her throat. “So it’s true. They
are
together.”

“No, it’s
not
true. That’s why I’m ringing,” Doc said. “Eliza is my
sister
. Not Nathan’s ex, Ellie. Didn’t Nathan tell you Ellie got married three years ago? She and her hubby have twin boys now. Eliza’s my sister, out here from England visiting me. And trust me, she’s definitely not having an affair with Nathan. They’re just good friends.”

“But I saw the photo.” Mackenzie was confused. Ellie wasn’t Eliza? She felt the first prickling of alarm. “They certainly looked far more than just friends.”

“Oh bollocks, Mackenzie. Shut up and listen.”

She inhaled and rubbed her arms, suddenly cold. “Go on.”

“I met Nathan at the pub years ago when he first arrived in the UK. It was because of him I decided to move out here to Australia. He lived with our family for about four years. Mum and Dad always pick up strays and orphans and we had a spare room. Mum was lonely because Eliza was away at boarding school so they asked Nathan to move in. My sister was merely a stupid teenage kid when he arrived and right from the start she was infatuated with him. She would be all over him during the school holidays. Problem is, she’s a bit of a flirt and has never been able to take no for an answer, especially where Nathan is concerned. But trust me, Mackenzie, we’ve talked about it heaps over the years and you have to believe me. He doesn’t see Lize as anything other than an annoying kid sister. There’s never been anything between them and there never will be. She’s not his type.”

“Really?”

“
Really.
Nathan’s like a brother to me, Mackenzie. And you’re good for him. Perfect for him in fact. I wish I’d been the one to set you both up.”

She shook her head. She still didn’t believe him. “But she was draped all over him last night and she described him as single on Facebook.”

Doc sighed so hard Mackenzie heard the whoosh of breath across the line. “That’s because she’s stupid and young and didn’t think. She’d had too much to drink and she’d finally beaten him at pool. She was celebrating. Dad taught us all how to play and Nathan and Eliza would play most nights down at the pub. That’s how he got so good. The only time Nathan would give Eliza the attention she craved was when they played against each other. Last night was the first time she’s beaten him and she was celebrating the only way she knows how. Eliza thought she was being funny, saying he’s still single. He’s been a confirmed bachelor for so long she was having a dig at him about getting hitched. But she knows all about you and feels terrible. Nathan came over after you called. Eliza is gutted and wants to talk to you and explain. I told her to pull her head in and shut up because she’s caused enough trouble already.”