Emergency Response (7 page)

A few minutes after they arrived at the airstrip, a small plane landed smoothly and safely. A calm doctor and flight nurse descended the steps. A short time later, they stowed their patient on board and the plane took off again, bound for the Royal Perth Hospital. His parents were in Melbourne and faced their own long and anxious flight west.

Doc clambered back into the truck. “Just a typical day for a nurse in the middle of the bush.”

Mackenzie raised her eyebrows and looked sideways at him. This was a
typical
day? If every day was like this, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to cope.

“And it’s not over yet,” he continued, staring at her. “We still have to assess the other passengers.”

Mackenzie suppressed a groan. She was exhausted now the post-adrenaline rush had hit. She’d been awake since four thirty, had flown across the full breadth of the country and had just witnessed her first Royal Flying Doctors patient retrieval. Her brain was on overload.

“You did a good job today, Mackenzie.”

Warmth flooded her and she relaxed. His words of encouragement were the boost of confidence she needed to hear – until then, she’d felt overwhelmed and ridiculously ill-equipped for the new role she was about to fulfill. Judging by the way Doc had handled everything that night, it was she who should have been congratulating him. How was she going to do his job? He was right. He really
was
irreplaceable.

“Thanks Doc,” she whispered. Now she could see how well he lived up to the name.

They returned to the hospital in silence, and set about finishing off the assessments of the other passengers. The other nurses had worked non-stop and miraculously none of the other patients required anything more than some simple cleaning up. One needed suturing to a deep laceration in his leg which Doc stitched up when he got back, and another was found to have a broken arm. Amy had already plastered it and the man was sitting on the bed, arm in a sling, eating sandwiches when they arrived. Each of the young men would be very stiff and sore for the next few days. The hope was that they had learned a very valuable lesson about not drinking, driving and speeding, and about not cramming six large men into a car only supposed to seat five.

When they finally got everyone sorted for the night, Doc insisted Mackenzie go home. She had tried to argue with him, saying she was willing to stay over and care for the patients, but he refused her offer of help. He told her to get some sleep and come back the next morning to take over from him. They would have one full day to go over things together before he flew back to Perth and then onto the UK the next day.

Stepping outside the front of the hospital, Mackenzie took a deep breath, trying to fill her lungs with fresh air. She wanted to get rid of the smell of blood from her nostrils. The air had a chilly freshness about it, different from the stifling heat she’d felt when she’d arrived that afternoon and the sun had still been high in the sky. The streets were empty. She was surprised how noisy it actually was, expecting it to be quiet in the middle of the Outback. There were so many different sounds here – nocturnal creatures shuffling through the bushes, insects buzzing, frogs croaking. In the distance, she even heard the lonely bellowing of a cow.

The car park was full of vehicles with their antennas and reflective strips – matching cars to the one she’d traveled in from the airport. Had it only been at five o’clock that same afternoon? In the dark beneath the trees she heard the muted mutterings of the young men who had gathered outside to hear how their mates were doing after the accident. She heard the occasional cough, saw the glow of cigarettes and smelled tobacco smoke.

Mackenzie looked around, wondering what to do when she spotted a group of men standing around in a group. She stared at them and did a double take. Every man was dressed in matching navy pants and bright orange and yellow shirts. There were beards and tattoos on everyone and the men were huge. She tensed in sudden fear.

One man stepped forward out of the shadows. “G’day. I’m Tom. We met earlier.”

Mackenzie exhaled in relief and relaxed. Tom had arrived in the middle of the trauma and been sent away again by Debbie. Tom was her son, not her husband. The driver of the car was a bloke he knew well. He’d told his mum he’d come back and pick Mackenzie up later. Mackenzie had assumed he’d be easy to spot again with his high-vis clothing, steel-capped boots and tattoos, but seeing the crowd of men all dressed alike, she hadn’t recognized him at first in the dark.

“Oh yes, hello.”

“How are they doin’?” he asked, tilting his head toward the hospital.

“It’s going to be a long night, but Doc says they’ll all pull through,” she said. “They’ve been lucky. This time.”

“You ready to go home?” Tom asked.

“Of course not!” Mackenzie snapped, straightening her shoulders and lifting her chin. “It’s going to take more than a car accident to send me running.”

“I didn’t mean that,” Tom said, looking at the ground and shuffling from one foot to the other. “I meant are you ready for me to take you to your new place here? In town.”

Mackenzie rubbed her hands across her face. Her shoulders drooped. “I’m sorry, Tom. I misunderstood. It’s been a long day and I’m exhausted. Yes, I’m ready to go home.”

“Car’s thisaway,” Tom said, pointing at the line-up of identical vehicles. “I took your cases over to the house earlier.”

“Thank you.”

Men called out their good-byes to Tom as Mackenzie climbed into the surprisingly clean cab. Less than a minute later, they pulled up in front of a cream brick house she was to share with Charlotte. It was so close Mackenzie could have walked but she sensed Debbie wouldn’t have allowed it. In the dark it didn’t look as bad as she’d expected and she was further surprised to open the door to a bright and roomy living area and a recently remodeled kitchen. She spun around, taking it all in. This was her new home for the next three months.

At least the locals appeared to be friendly.

Mackenzie stepped out of her front door and drew in a deep breath. The sun wasn’t yet up and it was still blissfully cool. There was a fine layer of dew on the ground but the smell in the air and the squawking of the yellow-crested galahs promised it was going to be another stinking hot day. She was starting to get used to the weather in the Pilbara. On more than one occasion she had needed to use the electric blanket on her bed, as the nights were so cold. However, the days were hot, with today’s forecast an expected top temperature of thirty-nine degrees Celsius. She had never been so grateful for air-conditioning in her entire life.

Early mornings were Mackenzie’s favorite part of the day, when the air had a freshness about it and everything was quiet. Later in the day, once the sun was directly overhead, the dust seemed to be thicker. On the days when she wasn’t working, Mackenzie still rose early and walked the quiet streets alone before the sun peeked over the horizon and bathed the town in a golden glow. Not only was it good exercise, but it was a good way to clear her mind. The years of stress were washing away with every step she took.

After nearly two weeks, Mackenzie had quickly found her feet at work. Doc had literally flown off into the sunset bound for his home in the UK the day after she’d arrived. She’d been nervous, but Charlotte, Amy and Debbie had welcomed her with open hearts and arms and Mackenzie found herself fast becoming more than just work colleagues with the other women. After Mackenzie’s initial baptism of fire on the night she’d arrived, some of the shifts were monotonous in comparison, but she wasn’t complaining. It had allowed her time to work out what they expected of her in the job, to find her way around town and to meet some of the locals down at the pool.

After another busy day at work Mackenzie headed to the tiny IGA supermarket to do some grocery shopping. She and Charlotte were running low on food and Mackenzie didn’t think they could hold out until Wednesday when they’d planned a trip into the nearby town of Tom Price to go to the larger Coles supermarket. She was only ducking in to grab a few essentials, knowing the prices would be outrageously high.

As she walked from the hospital to the shops, the only sound in the near-empty streets was of birds calling out and answering one another. Her hair was stuck to the back of her neck by the time she made it to the supermarket. It was a good thing her scrubs were dark navy because they hid the sweat patches. The air-conditioned comfort of the shop was a welcome relief and she took her time choosing items and placing them in her shopping trolley. She was in no rush to head back outside into the heat.

Goose bumps erupted on her skin as she rounded the corner of the final aisle and saw Nathan Kennedy bending down to reach something from a bottom shelf, giving her the perfect view of his backside, clad in dark denim jeans, cinched in with a brown leather belt.

He must have sensed someone staring at him because he turned around slowly to face her. His eyes flicked over her body from head to toe before his gaze finally connected with hers. She watched as recognition dawned.

She gave a tentative wave. They hadn’t spoken to each other since his sister’s wedding and she had no idea whether he’d be happy to see her. “Hi Nathan.”

A grin split his face. “Mackenzie!”

He strode down the aisle toward her. The look of pleasure on his face caused an unexpected frisson of awareness to travel down Mackenzie’s spine and she shivered. Mackenzie quickly warned herself not to read anything into it.

Suddenly he was in front of her and she craned her neck back to look up into his face. She’d forgotten how tall he was. He took another step toward her, moving her shopping trolley to the side before pulling her into a tight hug. Mackenzie bit back a grin as he crushed her to his chest. If his welcome was any indication, maybe he
was
happy to see her. She returned the hug, wrapping her arms around him, feeling his well-toned muscles beneath the thin shirt. She inhaled deeply. He smelled amazing too.

“It’s so good to see you,” he said, finally pulling away.

“It’s good to see you too.”

She wasn’t lying. Her recollection of how good-looking he was had faded and it was good to have her memory refreshed. He was one hot guy!

Rich brown eyes flecked with gold stared into hers. “What are you doing here? And why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” He looked around, as though expecting to see someone else with her. “When did you arrive?”

“Just over two weeks ago. I can’t believe I haven’t bumped into you until now.”

In a place the size of Iron Ridge, it wasn’t hard to bump into the same people each day. It was more difficult to avoid them.

“I only got back from Sydney yesterday.” He shook his head. “I can’t believe you’re actually here. Why didn’t Kate tell me?”

“I didn’t want it to look like I was stalking you.” She shuffled from one foot to the other.

Nathan briefly touched her on the arm, causing tingles to race up and down her spine. “Don’t be silly, Mackenzie. I was the one that told you to come. Have you taken Doc’s job? If I’d known you were planning on coming out here, I would have helped you get settled. Where are you living? I’m in Anzac Drive. Have you been to the pub yet? How long are you here for?”

Mackenzie threw back her head and laughed, remembering how easy it was to chat to him. “Which question do you want me to answer first?”

He joined in her laughter before his face suddenly fell. Mackenzie held her breath. What was he about to say?

“Mackenzie, I never apologized properly for my behavior at Joel and Kate’s wedding. Liam had me wound up and I behaved like an idiot.”

Mackenzie shrugged. “It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not okay. I should have apologized the next day at the barbecue when we got chatting.”

“Forgiven and forgotten. Drunk guys are always idiots,” Mackenzie said with a smile.

He sighed. “I don’t generally drink much. I guess with the hot weather that day I had one or two too many.”

“And the rest,” Mackenzie laughed.

He hung his head. “Yeah, well I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me when I saw him kiss you.”

Mackenzie blushed at the memory. It had certainly been highly embarrassing.

“Anyway, I’d like to make it up to you.” He touched her arm again, eyes full of anticipation. This time her skin almost burned at his touch. “How about dinner? Why don’t you come over to my place one night and I’ll cook? I make a good homemade pizza. Or we could throw some meat on the barbie if you like.”

She nodded and replied before he changed his mind. “A barbecue sounds perfect. I’d love that.”

They exchanged phone numbers, said good-bye, and Mackenzie left the shop as giddy as a teenager who’d just been asked out by the cutest boy in class.

*

A week later, they sat together on Nathan’s back deck. It hadn’t been easy to coordinate their rosters, but they finally found an evening when they were both free.

The fragrant smell of meat cooking on the barbecue wafted across to where Mackenzie sat, feet propped up on a chair. The night air was chilly after another hot day. When she started shivering, Nathan handed her a polar fleece blanket. She looked up again into the star-filled night sky and breathed deeply. She would never grow tired of the sight and it only served to remind her again that she’d made the right decision to leave her life in Sydney behind.

“Can I help with anything?” she asked.

Nathan shook his head as he continued throwing together ingredients for a salad. “Nope. You just relax. Let me handle it.”

Mackenzie did just that, closing her eyes and drawing in deep, slow breaths. Music floated from somewhere inside the house.

“Who are we listening to?”

“Ed Sheeran.”

“It’s nice. I like his voice,” Mackenzie said, humming along with the melody and not caring if she was out of tune.

A few seconds later Nathan swore loudly and Mackenzie’s eyes flicked open in surprise. Nathan was clutching his left hand with his right one.

“What’s wrong?”

“I just cut my finger instead of the onion.”

“Show me.”

He held both hands out toward her, keeping his gaze averted. “Just so you know, I don’t do so well with blood and guts.”

She laughed at him. “Sit down then.” The last thing she needed was for him to faint on her.

He obediently sat, still holding his hand protectively to his chest. She tried not to laugh at the look on his face.

Mackenzie gently prized his right hand away and blood immediately spilled onto the deck. He quickly clamped his hand back around his finger. “Oh god,” he said, sitting back in his chair, his face ghostly pale.

“Don’t look at it,” she said firmly. “It’s probably not that bad. Do you have a first aid kit in the house?”

“In the glove box of my ute.”

“Where are your keys?”

“It’s not locked.”

She raised her eyes to meet his.

“It’s not Sydney. We even leave our keys in the ignition in case someone needs to borrow the car in an emergency.”

“Just sit still then and I’ll be back.”

“Should we call the ambulance?”

Mackenzie laughed. “I’m pretty certain you’ll just need some steri strips or maybe a stitch or two.”

“But what if I’ve cut the end of it off?”

“If you’d cut off the end of your finger we’d probably see it mixed with the onions.”

Nathan looked like he was about to be sick. Mackenzie stifled another chuckle. He wasn’t wrong. He really did not cope with blood.

Mackenzie dashed out to the car and found the small first aid kit exactly where he said it would be. Returning to him, she unzipped it and pulled out some disposable gloves. Nathan was breathing too quickly. If he didn’t stop, he’d hyperventilate.

“Relax, Nathan. You’re going to be fine.” She spoke sternly to him and was pleased when he listened and slowed his breathing down.

She pulled his hand away and pressed some gauze to the wound. He sucked in a quick breath.

“Sorry. Does that hurt?”

Their eyes locked. “It’s fine,” he replied through clenched teeth.

Mackenzie removed the gauze and inspected the cut. “It doesn’t look too bad. Can you wriggle your finger?”

He tentatively wriggled the digit, his eyes not leaving her face.

“It’s going to be sore for a few days but I’m one hundred percent sure you’re going to live and make a full recovery.” She began cleaning the wound, with skilful hands applied three steri strips, and then covered it carefully with a waterproof dressing. She sensed Nathan following her every move with his eyes. “You’ll need to keep it dry for at least three days and then get the dressing changed.”

“Do you do house calls?”

She chuckled. “I think you’ll be able to replace a simple dressing on your own.”

“I’m pretty sure I won’t.”

She tipped her head back and laughed loudly. “Seeing the way you just reacted to a bit of blood, maybe I’ll make an exception to my no-house-calls rule.”

A hint of a smile lifted the corner of his mouth and Mackenzie relaxed. Thank goodness some color had returned to his face.

“Oh crap!”

“What now?”

“The meat.”

Mackenzie glanced at the charred remains of the steaks on the barbecue and giggled. “At least we’ve still got salad.”

Nathan’s face fell. “I’m sorry, Mackenzie. I wanted tonight to be special.”

Her eyes flicked to his again. Under his slow scrutiny, her face began to heat.

With purposeful movements, she gathered up the rubbish and zipped the first aid kit together. “I’d be just as happy with a toasted sandwich. I’m not fussy.”

“I’ve got Cup-a-Soup if you’re interested.”

“Sounds perfect.”

Over dinner they chatted easily, neither of them stuck for things to say. In many ways Nathan reminded Mackenzie of Kate – she could talk to him so easily. And, judging by the way he spoke of his sister, they were as close as Mackenzie had suspected. Once again, she found herself wishing she had that type of sibling relationship with her own sisters.

After eating and cleaning up Mackenzie curled up on the couch, still wrapped in the blanket, and Nathan flopped in an armchair opposite her.

“So, how are you going with homesickness?”

Mackenzie smiled. “I guess to be homesick you need to have some place you call home.”

Nathan sat forward in his seat, resting elbows on his knees. “And don’t you?”

“Not really.”

“What about Sydney? How long did you live there?”

“Sixteen years,” Mackenzie said, “but I always felt like a visitor or tourist. It was never home for me. Just somewhere I worked and lived. And with Sydney prices, there was no way I’d ever have been able to afford a place of my own.”

“So where
is
home? Where did you grow up?”

At his question a faded image of an old church, a primary school, a bluestone pub on the corner and a row of shops either side of a wide tree-lined street flooded her mind. More memories of her little sisters always tagging along behind her filled her head.

“Oh, it’s a long story and not very interesting.” Mackenzie did not want to delve into
that
closet of skeletons and ruin a perfectly good evening. “What about you?” she asked. “When you finish your contract here will you go back to Sydney?”

“No. I don’t think so. Like you, I never felt like I fit in the city. Although I love it here, I can’t see myself living here for the rest of my life. It’s too remote. Not the type of place I want to raise a family. I want my kids to grow up with their grandparents and aunts and uncles living nearby. Family is everything to me.”

At his words, a dull pain squeezed Mackenzie’s heart. Family was everything to her too. At least it had been once.

“Do you plan to settle down then? Get married? Have kids?” She fired the personal questions at him, sensing he wouldn’t mind her asking.

“Absolutely.” The reply came fast and his answer didn’t surprise her. She’d guessed as much even after meeting him the first time. She still couldn’t believe he was single.

“Why haven’t you then?” she asked.

“My sister reckons I’m just too selective.”