by Gover, Janet
Chapter Ten
Something was banging. Hard. Loud. Katie tentatively opened her eyes. It was still dark. She closed her eyes again and groaned. The banging didn’t go away. She had barely had anything to drink last night. And she’d come to bed early as the jet lag cut in. So this wasn’t a hangover.
Why then was there banging?
She opened her eyes again, and this time acknowledged that a very faint light might just be visible at the edge of the bedroom curtains. Slowly she got out of bed and rubbing her eyes, walked through to the lounge room of her new living quarters.
The banging was even louder here.
‘All right. I’m coming!’
She opened the door, blinking against the light that poured in from the well-lit hallway. By the third blink, she registered Adam standing on front of her. She pushed her hair out of her eyes as, at the same moment, she registered that she was in her pyjamas. Oh dear.
‘We’ve got to get to the airport,’ Adam said briskly, taking no notice of her attire. ‘There’s been an accident. We have to fly to Galbarra Station right away.’
‘Ah … Okay.’ The urgency in Adam’s voice helped Katie to gather her scattered wits.
‘Jess is already on her way to the airstrip. I’m just going to collect some supplies. Get ready as fast as you can and we’ll take my car.’
‘All right.’
It didn’t take long. Katie threw some water over her face and cleaned her teeth. She hesitated for a moment at the half unpacked suitcase sitting on the bedroom floor. Back in England, the hospital had a uniform code she’d had to abide by. Plain cotton scrubs that were a practical as they were hideous. If there was such a uniform code in Coorah Creek, she had yet to learn it. She hesitated for no more than a moment, remembering the urgency in Adam’s voice. Then she threw on a clean denim skirt and a blue top. She didn’t bother grabbing a jacket. In this scorching part of the world, she didn’t need one. A few moments later she was walking smartly through to the hospital, where Adam was waiting.
Katie had done her fair share of flying. Even before her global journey, there had been trips to Ibiza and Greece. The cut price holiday flights had taken her to some pretty basic airports. But nothing like the one at Coorah Creek. It wasn’t an airport. It was a tin shed. The plane that was waiting for them was so small it looked almost like a toy in the dim light of the dawn. It was sitting on what looked more like a short bit of road than any sort of runway. The nearest of the tall gum trees looked far too close for comfort. And she expected a kangaroo to hop past at any moment. Definitely not Katie’s idea of an airport.
Adam parked his car next to the shed. As Katie got out, Jess appeared from the depths of the shed, carrying a rucksack.
‘I made us coffee,’ she said as she led the way to the plane.
The inside of the tiny aircraft was a revelation. There were stretchers bolted to the walls, with belts no doubt to hold the patients in. Well-designed lockers everywhere would no doubt hold a wealth of medical equipment. It reminded Katie of an ambulance which, she guessed, was exactly what it was. An ambulance with wings.
‘Why don’t you sit up front this time?’ Adam asked as he pulled up the narrow stairs and fastened the door.
‘Up front?’
‘The co-pilot’s seat. I usually sit there. You get a great view.’
‘I don’t want to take …’
‘It’s fine,’ Jess was already buckling herself into the pilot’s seat. ‘It’ll be nice to have someone new to keep me company. Adam usually falls asleep as soon as we’re in the air.’
With a derisive snort, the doctor lowered himself into one of the very comfortable looking seats. Katie hesitantly moved towards the front of the plane. She heard a low whine followed by a coughing splutter as the propellers began to slowly move. Then the engine roared into life. She slid into her seat, fumbling with the unfamiliar seatbelt.
‘Let me help.’ Jess leaned over and efficiently snapped the seatbelt into place.
The whole plane was vibrating as Jess increased the power and turned the pointy nose towards the runway. With one hand she reached for a microphone. With a shock Katie realised Jess was alerting any nearby aircraft to her imminent take-off. Didn’t they have air traffic control out here?
Katie’s thoughts were interrupted by the roar of the twin engines as Jess sent the small plane hurtling down the tarmac stip. Katie grabbed the arms of her seat, her fingernails digging in to the surface as the plane shook and bounced. The trees along the fence line were approaching at terrifying speed, and still they had not left the ground. The end of the runway flashed beneath them, as at the last possible moment, the plane lifted into the air and began to climb into the early morning sky. A few seconds later, when the ground still seemed scarily close, Jess banked the plane heavily. The engine roar was incredibly loud as they continued to climb. Katie glanced down and saw the red earth dropping away. The town was growing rapidly smaller, the buildings shrinking until they seemed like toys.
Katie felt her stomach roil. No. No. She wasn’t going to throw up. She shut her eyes, but that only made it worse. Taking a deep breath, she tried to focus her eyes on something inside the aircraft, rather than dropping away below her. She watched Jess’s hands on the controls. She seemed to know what she was doing. That should be a comfort.
Suddenly, the world dropped away. Katie felt herself falling for several seconds before the seat rose to kick her in the behind. Terrified, she glanced at Jess, but the pilot seemed unconcerned. Jess played with the array of instruments and dials in front of her, as once more the tiny aircraft lurched.
‘Sorry about that,’ Jess said turning her way at last. ‘It’s often a bit bumpy first thing in the morning. We’ve reached our cruising height now. It’s only a short trip. Less than an hour. But that should give you time to enjoy the scenery.’
Enjoy the scenery? She had to be joking.
Katie’s fingers remained tightly clenched on the arms of the seat as she took long slow breaths to calm herself. When the frantic beating of her heart had slowed to something approaching normal, she risked a glance out of the window. The world spun and she closed her eyes again against the image of a wide flat brown plain, with not a single sign of human habitation. Where on earth were they? An overwhelming sense of strangeness and of isolation swept through her. Beside her, Jess was chatting away, seeming not to notice that Katie was frozen with fear.
The plane’s nose suddenly dipped, and Katie had to bite back a cry of terror.
‘There it is,’ Jess indicated with a nod as she reached for the radio handset.
There what was? Katie risked another quick glance out of the window. She could see nothing except the never-ending plain. Jess was talking to someone on the radio as the aircraft began a steep and swift descent that had Katie’s stomach churning violently. Still clutching the armrest as if her life might depend upon it, Katie stared straight ahead into the wide blue sky. But as the plane banked again, she caught a glimpse of a small cluster of buildings in front and below them. But there was nothing to suggest an airport?
Lower and lower the plane dropped. Katie was trying desperately not to throw up as her stomach rebelled again even more strongly. Then she saw what they were heading for. No! It was just a line in the red earth. No tarmac. No buildings. No … nothing. Just bare dirt. Surely Jess wasn’t planning to land there?
She was and she did.
The tiny aircraft touched down then rolled and bounced across the uneven dirt. It seemed to take forever to stop. Katie opened the eyes she had kept tightly shut during the landing and glanced over her shoulder. Adam was shaking his head as if he’d just been woken by the bumps. Beside her, Jess was doing her pilot thing. But all Katie cared about was getting solid earth under her feet again.
By the time Katie was out of her seat, Adam had the door open. He was passing a couple of medical bags to someone outside. That brought home to Katie just what they were doing there. She was a nurse and som
eone was hurt. Her knees were shaking as she carefully descended the narrow aircraft steps. There were two vehicles waiting, both old and battered and driven by men who looked pretty well-used themselves. Adam gestured to her to take the cab of the small pick-up truck, and then he leaped into the back.
The driver gunned his engine at the vehicle lurched forward. Katie looked about for a seatbelt then gave up. She tried to calm her mind. She had a job to do. She would forget all about the flight and concentrate on her patient. The vehicle hit a pot hole and Katie grabbed the dashboard as she was thrown about in her seat.
‘Sorry,’ the driver said. ‘This track needs grading.’
Katie said nothing, her whole being focused on the job she had to do at the end of her journey – if she survived.
Chapter Eleven
‘I need a word with you, Ed.’
Ed jumped slightly, and banged his knuckles on the engine block. Rubbing his hand, he withdrew from under the car’s bonnet and straightened. Trish Warren was standing in the doorway of the workshop.
‘What can I do for you Trish?’
She came into the workshop. She looked around for somewhere to sit, but obviously rejected all the options. Ed had to admit the place was messy but it was a workshop.
‘I came to say it’s high time you joined in the Waifs and Orphans this year. We could use your help setting up. There’s always so much work to do. With the party getting bigger every year, the workload just gets bigger too. And of course you are very welcome at the party.’
Ed sighed. The annual town Christmas party was Trish’s special project. Every year she tried to get him involved and every year she failed. Not that she ever stopped trying. Trish was nothing if not determined.
‘Now Trish,’ he said. ‘We’ve had this conversation before. You know that I don’t care for Christmas.’
‘Rubbish. Everybody loves Christmas. I remember years ago, your house used to be covered with lights. And you hosted a Christmas barbecue too. So don’t tell me you don’t care for Christmas.’
‘Things changed.’ Ed felt the first rumbling of annoyance. Trish knew as well as anyone what had destroyed his Christmas. Perhaps better than anyone, because he was sure her gossiping had only made matters so much worse.
‘They did.’ Trish’s voice softened. ‘But they are changing again Ed. Surely you see that. You don’t want to miss this chance.’
She was right, of course. He didn’t. But he wasn’t entirely sure what to do. A chance was a fragile thing. Easily broken and lost.
He absently picked up a rag to wipe his greasy hands.
‘The party is going to be great this year,’ Trish told him. ‘It’ll serve as a welcome for that new nurse, Katie. And I think Scott is going to stay for it. He’s just extended the booking on his room at the hotel.’
Ed looked up sharply.
‘How long is he staying?’
‘At least a couple more weeks.’
‘He’s probably staying because of that nurse. She’s very pretty and I think they may have something going on.’ His voice betrayed his uncertainty.
‘Oh, they definitely have something going on.’ Trish was obviously pleased to impart that news. ‘But does it really matter why he stays?’
She was right. He studied her face and saw the kindness in her eyes. She was a terrible gossip, but she was smarter than she looked. And she had a heart of gold. Trish and her pub were very much the heart of this community.
‘All right.’ Ed gave way as gracefully as he could. ‘What do you need me to do?’
‘There’ll be working party over at the hall in a few days. They’ll need all the help they can get. And you had better show up at the party too or I’ll come and drag you down there myself.’
‘All right.’
Trish nodded, obviously pleased with herself. She started to walk back to the pub, but stopped in the doorway. ‘By the way, you might want to stroll over when you close up. The beef stew is particularly good tonight.’
Ed watched her retreating back and wondered what that was all about. It was almost closing time so he walked outside to lock the petrol bowsers. As he did, he looked across at the pub. Through the open windows he could see a lone figure sat at the bar. Ah. Now he understood. Trish was meddling again.
He went back inside, locking the workshop behind him. Candy met him as he crossed the yard towards the house. She looked at him and whined softly. He patted her.
Maybe Trish had a point. He turned around but changed his mind. It wouldn’t hurt to clean up just a little before he went to the pub.
When should we expect to see you?
The words on Scott’s laptop screen glowed in an almost accusing manner. The e-mail had arrived yesterday, but he still hadn’t answered it.
We will take delivery of the two cars – the Lancia and the Mercedes in mid-January, and would be keen for you to begin work on them immediately to have at least one of them ready for exhibition in the summer.
They meant the English summer of course. To restore either of those cars would take a good six or seven months of hard work.
He looked at the signature and the distinctive logo. As a teenage rev-head with a passion for classic cars, he’d dreamed about working for a place like that. He could still hardly believe that one of the world’s great motor museums wanted him to restore and care for their beautiful machines. When he started his own small restoration workshop in Brisbane five years ago, he’d worked twenty hours a day to build his business. A chance meeting with the owner of that signature had resulted in this dream of a job offer.
He was going, of course. He’d be a fool to pass it up. He’d already sold his workshop. That money would help him establish himself in England and start the new life he’d always wanted. A life far, far away from Coorah Creek. After all, there was nothing to hold him here. No-one to hold him here. Not even many memories. At least, not good memories.
Still his fingers hesitated over the laptop keys.
This trip wasn’t going quite the way he had planned.
A few weeks ago, while selling his business and preparing to move to the other side of the world, he had begun thinking about what to take to his new life. And what he was going to leave behind. His few mates had already invited themselves to visit him in England. He’d never really had a serious girlfriend. He was leaving nothing behind – because he had nothing to leave.
His mother was long gone. He didn’t know where she was or even, to be brutally honest, if she was still alive. Sitting there in his workshop, packing up his tools, another thought had struck with the force of a cyclone. At that moment, he also hadn’t known if his father was dead or alive. For the first time in almost a decade, he was overcome with a desire to go back to Coorah Creek. He had to see his father one more time before he shook the Aussie dust from his feet and headed for greener pastures.
He hadn’t expected a rapprochement. There was too much bad blood to be healed. He has just … What?
Now that he was here, he was even less sure.
He hadn’t expected to feel … anything.
Maybe finding Candy still alive had stirred up too many emotions. Made him vulnerable. Or maybe it was the realisation that his father was now a lonely old man. Whatever it was, he found he didn’t hate his father as much as he’d thought. He wasn’t ready to forgive him. But maybe he could let go of his anger.
He had some time. Christmas was a couple of weeks away and he’d already talked to Trish about keeping the hotel room until then. He didn’t need to be in the UK until the second week in January. He could easily move his flight back to the New Year.
He stared out the window, and caught a flash of sunlight. The air ambulance was coming in for a landing. He wondered if Katie was on board. Probably. He wondered how she had managed on this first flight. Perhaps he could drop by her place this evening. After all, he felt a little responsible for her. He’d rescued her twice already. Maybe she’d need rescuing again. Or maybe she’d just wan
t some company. That wouldn’t be a bad thing. Nothing would ever come of it, of course. He didn’t do relationships. Not really. Not only that, Katie had come to Coorah Creek to live. He had come to say goodbye. But until then, they could be friends, couldn’t they.
There was absolutely no reason to think she had anything to do with his reluctance to send the e-mail that he knew he had to send.
Taking a deep breath, he began to type …
I expect to arrive in the UK shortly after New Year. I’ll be in touch as soon as I arrive. I am very much looking forward to starting work on the cars.
He signed off and hit send.
It was probably too soon to go looking for Katie. While he waited, it wouldn’t hurt to do a bit more research on that Lancia. He’d never restored one of those before. He wanted to get it right.
Within minutes he was lost in his favourite place – a world of rare and beautiful classic cars. He was so engrossed in what he was doing, he didn’t hear the heavy footsteps crossing the bar’s polished wooden floor.
‘Now that’s a nice car.’
Ed pulled up a stool next to Scott.
‘It sure is.’
‘Ever since you were a kid, you wanted one of those. You had an old owner’s manual. The ’75 model. Always had your nose in it.’
Neither of them mentioned that the Lancia owner’s manual was one of the things Scott had taken with him the day he turned his back on his father and the town of Coorah Creek. It was now sitting in a box in the boot of his car.
‘I’m surprised you remember.’ Scott had trouble keeping the bitterness out of his voice.
‘I remember a lot more than you think.’
There seemed to be nothing he could say to that.
Scott closed that internet window, leaving another displayed. It was the home page for the National Museum of Motoring. The place he would soon be working.
‘Now, there’s a place I always wanted to visit,’ Ed said slowly. ‘All those wonderful European cars. I’ve never even seen a Rolls Royce out here – far less something like an old Aston Martin or a Lotus. I’d love to look under the bonnet of something like that. Just once in my life.’