‘We’ll go to the airport too,’ said Ratchet, emphatically. ‘We’ll see you there.’
‘Thanks.’ Josh smiled. He felt strangely assured by her presence and was happy that she was also coming to see him off.
And then everyone was moving – Josh and the orderly to the ambulance; Pete and Sally with Ratchet to her ute.
Josh was pleased to be met at the ambulance by Matt. Even though he didn’t really know him, it was good to see a familiar face.
His mind drifted back to Mum. But this time, the images that played were calmer and more pleasant. He realised that he’d be seeing her soon – for real – and that made him feel better. He had missed her so much that even the snakebite now seemed like an acceptable price to pay for getting to see her.
‘Can I have that?’ asked Matt, indicating the sick bag.
Josh realised that he was still clutching it to his chest. He nodded and let Matt take it. His nausea had eased off, and his leg wasn’t hurting as bad.
He closed his eyes as he was loaded onto the ambulance.
It seemed to Josh that a blink was all it took to get to the airport, although Matt told him the drive had taken ten minutes.
Ratchet, Sally and Pete were already there, waiting as he was taken out of the ambulance. He barely had time to say anything to them as Matt wheeled him towards the tarmac.
‘Good luck, mate,’ said Pete.
‘Take care.’ Sally leaned forward and gave him a little hug.
‘Don’t you worry,’ said Ratchet, patting his shoulder. ‘These RFDS people are the best there is. They’ll look after ya.’
Josh nodded. He was too scared to say anything in case his voice betrayed how emotional he was feeling. He had a choked-up sensation in his throat and a prickling at the corners of his eyes.
As he was wheeled out onto the runway, he caught his first glimpse of the plane. Josh held his breath. It was the same plane that had come to the station that night for the birth of his brother. Well, the same type of plane, anyway. Now he was able to get a good look at it.
The sight of the plane, combined with the medication pumping through the IV, was numbing his worry as well as his pain.
It was a small aircraft, with only one propeller. The body was white, with a red undercarriage and a curved blue stripe above that, which extended all the way to the blue tail. The wing tips were angled up – Josh thought it made the plane seem sporty.
Matt wheeled him to the open rear hatch, where a guy in a light blue shirt and pants was waiting.
‘Hey,’ said the guy, with a little salute and a big smile. ‘I’m your flight nurse for today. My name’s Josh. And they tell me that’s your name as well. How’s that for a coincidence! In all my time as a flying nurse, I’ve never had a patient with my name. I reckon that’s pretty cool.’ He pushed his black-rimmed glasses further along his nose, then ran a hand through his spiky, bleached hair. ‘Now, let’s get you loaded on board.’
Nurse Josh attached the stretcher to a mechanical arm extending from the rear hatch. The gizmo whirred into action, lifting Patient Josh up. It’s like being on a carnival ride, he thought, and giggled at the silliness of it. He waved down at Matt.
As the mechanism pulled him into the cabin, Nurse Josh climbed the stairs through the front door. He disengaged the stretcher from the arm and secured it to the wall of the plane.
Nurse Josh checked out Patient Josh – his temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, the works. Then came more questions about headaches, nausea, vision, levels of pain. The nausea was under control, but the pain in his leg was on the rise again, as was his headache. Nurse Josh asked him to rate the pain from one to ten, where one was a pinprick and ten was the worst pain he could imagine. Josh gave his head a three and his leg a five.
‘Get set for takeoff,’ the pilot’s voice sounded over the speaker.
‘Once we’re up and off,’ said Nurse Josh, ‘I’ll adjust your pain meds to make you more comfortable.’ He sat himself down in the seat opposite the stretcher and did up his belt.
The engine roared and rattled to life. The noise bounced around the cabin and everything shook. Josh watched the liquid trembling in the plastic IV bag.
The plane lurched into motion down the runway, the sound and shaking rising a few notches. The IV bag was now swinging back and forth on its hook. Nurse Josh’s glasses slipped down his nose and he pushed them back up.
And then, moments later, with a stomach-churning whoosh, the plane leaped into the air. Josh gazed through the window as the buildings and treetops dropped away and the clouds drew nearer.
It wasn’t long before the aircraft had reached its cruising altitude and the pilot announced that seatbelts could be undone.
‘Well, I can unbuckle mine,’ quipped Nurse Josh. ‘But you’re stuck where you are.’ He started adjusting the IV. ‘It’s going to be about a two-hour flight, so it’s important that we keep you comfortable. Please let me know if the pain increases, or if you start to feel anything different. Particular things to watch out for are any sort of muscle stiffness, numbness or pins and needles. Okay?’
Josh nodded.
‘Right,’ continued the nurse. ‘When you get to Adelaide, they’re going to administer antivenom. There is a slight risk of allergic reaction to the treatment. Do you have any allergies that you’re aware of?’
‘No,’ answered Josh, his fore head crinkling in thought. ‘But my aunt is allergic to coconut?’
Nurse Josh smiled. ‘No need to worry. The chances of an allergic reaction are less than one per cent. But it’s always best to play it safe. So, I’m going to give you some antihistamine and hydrocortisone in the IV. These medicines will help reduce the allergic reaction on the off-chance that you have one.’
Josh nodded and closed his eyes. As if getting bitten by a snake wasn’t bad enough, he also had to be bitten by one his local hospital didn’t have the antivenom for! And there was the risk of allergic reaction: Rash? Lumps? Pain? Inability to breathe? Instantaneous death? He was working himself up into a panic again.
He wished that Mum or Dad was here with him. Or one of his friends. He didn’t like facing this alone. He would be a lot braver if he had someone with him … even Ratchet. He’d grown quite fond of her.
His thoughts turned to home – the cattle station in the centre of nothing. Alone. Isolated. Like him.
And then he thought of Mum. He’d be seeing her soon. And that calmed him down.
He looked through the windows on the opposite wall of the cabin. There were five of them. He watched clouds going past, following them with his eyes from one window to the next. But he was soon bored with that.
He felt a warmth spreading through his body and a fuzziness through his brain. He wondered if it was the medication in the IV.
Or maybe it’s the snake venom, he suddenly thought, spreading through my body, slowly killing me?
‘How are you feeling?’ Nurse Josh’s voice broke into his thoughts.
‘Ah … scared,’ he said.
‘Understandable,’ said Nurse Josh. ‘You’ve been through a lot. But really, you’ve got nothing to worry about. You’re in good hands. You’ll be at the hospital in less than two hours now, which is within the safety margins for treatment of a King Brown bite.’
‘Okay.’ Josh’s response was half-hearted.
‘The trick is to keep your mind occupied,’ said Nurse Josh. ‘How about a game of I Spy?’
‘No, thanks,’ he answered. That’s a little kid’s game, he thought. Out loud he said, ‘I’m a bit too sleepy.’
‘Not surprising with all the pain meds we’re pumping into you,’ said the nurse. ‘They should be taking effect by now. Why don’t you try to have a nap? It’ll make the flight go faster.’
Josh nodded and closed his eyes. He couldn’t imagine falling asleep at a time like this. He was too worried – too scared. Too much was happening.
Josh woke with a start as the plane jolted.
‘What ha
ppened?’ he asked blearily.
‘We’ve just landed,’ said the nurse.
Josh was vaguely aware of a throbbing in his head, a queasiness in his stomach and pain in his leg. And he was still tired.
He yawned and tried to cover his mouth. His right arm felt funny. He couldn’t move it properly. He shifted on the stretcher. His whole right side felt odd. And he couldn’t move his injured leg at all.
What’s happening to me? The question thundered through his mind. Am I dying?
Josh’s mouth went dry, his heart pounded uncontrollably and his stomach tightened.
He leaned to the side and threw up all over the floor.
Josh was rushed from the RFDS plane into the waiting ambulance, which raced straight to the Royal Adelaide Hospital.
He had a hard time keeping track of what was occurring. There were movements and lights, things happening around him. Faces peered at him and voices droned. He threw up again and again, his stomach twisting into a knot, his throat burning with bile. He slipped in and out of consciousness. When he was awake, his world was filled with confusion, fear and pain. When he was asleep, his dreams were filled with confusion, fear and giant monster snakes. He hardly knew when he was conscious.
And then he was aware of something.
What is that sound? he wondered. A baby?
Josh opened his eyes. Through the blurriness he saw movement. He blinked and his vision started to clear. Someone shifting about. He blinked again. Someone was walking back and forth, rocking a baby in her arms. She had long dark hair tied back and a round, kind face.
It’s Mum, he thought.
He tried to say hi, but his mouth wouldn’t work properly. It came out as a grunt.
‘Oh dear,’ said Mum, stopping and looking at Josh. ‘I’m so sorry, love. I didn’t mean to wake you. I’ve been trying to keep Nate quiet but, you know, babies don’t always cooperate. He’s asleep now.’
Josh’s heart wrenched. Tears welled up in his eyes.
‘Oh, honey, are you all right?’ Mum moved closer, concern crinkling her face. ‘I’ll call a nurse.’
‘Fine,’ Josh managed to say. He tried to swallow the dryness from his mouth. ‘Just missed you … so much.’
The tears rolled down his cheeks.
Mum’s eyes welled up as well. ‘I’ve missed you, too.’ Holding Nate in one arm, she sat on the bed beside her first son and gave him an awkward, one-armed hug.
Josh sniffed back the tears as he turned to the baby. It was kind of squishy-looking, with its eyes shut tight and had a drooling mouth. No, not it, Josh corrected himself. Him. Nathan. Nate. My brother.
Josh smiled at his new sibling. ‘He’s out of the … plastic box?’ He couldn’t remember the word.
His mum smiled. ‘Yes. He’s out. His lungs have developed well. He’s breathing without a ventilator. And he’s strong enough to come home. And soon you will be too.’
‘I see we’re awake,’ said a nurse, striding into the room and snatching the chart from the end of his bed. She made some notes and then hung it back. She checked the IV drip. ‘How are you feeling?’ she asked.
‘Okay,’ said Josh, automatically. Then he realised that it was true. He was feeling okay. ‘Better. A lot better.’
‘Good,’ said the nurse. ‘The antivenom treatment is almost done. It’s in the IV. No allergic reactions. But we’ll keep an eye on you for a while. Assuming all goes well, and I’m sure it will, you’ll get to go home tomorrow.’
‘So I won’t miss The Flying Doctors,’ said Josh excitedly.
‘Flying doctors?’ The nurse looked confused. ‘They brought you to Adelaide, but they’re gone.’
Josh laughed. ‘No. Not the real ones. The TV ones.’
The nurse frowned. ‘I’m not sure I follow you.’
‘Doesn’t matter,’ said Josh.
‘Ooo–kay. I’ll just leave you to rest, shall I?’ She turned and left the room, a bemused expression on her face.
‘Now, don’t get your hopes up,’ said Mum. ‘We’ll see how you’re feeling after you get home before we make a decision about you going to the drive-in.’
‘I have to go to the fundraiser,’ insisted Josh. ‘More than ever now that the RFDS saved me!’
‘Wellll … we’ll talk about it with your father when he gets here.’
‘Dad?’ Josh tried to push himself up into a sitting position. ‘Dad’s coming?’
‘Of course he is, love,’ said Mum. ‘He booked a flight a soon as he found out what happened to you.’
‘He did?’ Josh felt his throat tighten and his eyes prickle – but his face brightened. ‘He didn’t say anything about coming.’
‘Oh dear, you know he often doesn’t say things when he should. And he’s been so overworked lately. And worried about Nate and me.’
‘He didn’t come here for Nate,’ said Josh in a tiny voice. ‘But he’s coming here for me.’
‘He wanted to go with me and Nate,’ said Mum. ‘But he knew I’d be okay. He said he didn’t want to leave you alone.’
Tears were now streaming down Josh’s face. ‘I can’t wait to see him.’
Josh looked out the window.
Marceline waved from the Trash and Treasure Market, which had been set up on trestle tables at the back of the drive-in. It was packed with people going through all the stuff that had been donated.
As the car slowly cruised by, Josh saw Jason, Lee and Ramone behind the food stalls, which were also set up on trestle tables by the building. There were lots of people lining up for cakes, pizza and sweets.
The car came to a stop as Ratchet, Sally and Pete approached. Josh opened the window.
‘Good to have ya join us,’ growled Ratchet, shoving a giant container of popcorn at him. ‘Decided to use the machine.’ Josh watched as the corners of her mouth twitched, then rose. She was smiling. It was kind of a scary smile, but a smile nonetheless. ‘Show starts in ten minutes. Your reserved spot is over there.’ She pointed to a place marked by four traffic cones.
‘Glad you’re okay, mate,’ said Pete.
Sally rushed forward, leaned in through the window and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
Josh blushed, at a loss for words.
‘Go on,’ grunted Ratchet. ‘Don’t want to miss the start. Get!’
As the car continued on, Josh heard Ratchet bellowing ‘Allons-y!’
The drive-in was packed. Locals as well as tourists had turned out to support the RFDS.
This is going to raise heaps of money, thought Josh.
The car ground to a halt and he looked over his shoulder into the back. Mum was sitting next to Nate, who was strapped into one of those fancy baby capsules, which did pretty much everything except change stinky nappies. Dad had borrowed the car from a neighbouring farm so they could all come tonight as a family. They couldn’t have strapped his brother into the back of the ute.
It only took a moment to tune the radio in to the drive-in’s frequency. The ads were already playing, trying to convince viewers to visit the local shops.
‘This is my first time at the drive-in,’ whispered Josh.
‘Long overdue,’ said Dad.
‘I’m glad we made it,’ said Josh.
‘I’m glad you made it,’ said Dad. ‘You had me worried there for a moment.’
An awkward silence stretched for a few minutes before Dad spoke again, eyes glued to the screen as if he was intently interested in the advertisement for the Coober Pedy Opal Exchange. ‘I’m proud of you, son. Real proud of you.’
The ad finished.
An RFDS aeroplane sped across a dirt strip, craggy mountains and desert landscape in the background, and launched into the air straight at the audience.
It’s different, Josh noticed, from the one I was in. Older-looking. Two propellers.
But the landscape was familiar. The Australian outback. Sure, a different part of the outback to that which they were in. But it was still their world. Desolate. Isolated. Striking. Be
autiful. Home!
Words filled the screen …
CRAWFORD PRODUCTIONS
presents
THE FLYING DOCTORS
Josh heard applause and cheers from the other cars.
He smiled and leaned back to enjoy the show.
The Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia (RFDS) began as the dream of the Reverend John Flynn, a minister with the Presbyterian Church. He witnessed the struggle of pioneers living in remote areas with no available medical care. Flynn’s vision was to provide a ‘mantle of safety’ for these people, and on 15 May 1928 his dream became a reality with the opening of the Australian Inland Mission Aerial Medical Service (later renamed the Royal Flying Doctor Service) in Cloncurry, Queensland.
Over the next few years, the Service began to expand across the country, and by the 1950s was acknowledged by former Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies as ‘perhaps the single greatest contribution to the effective settlement of the far distant country that we have witnessed in our time’.
Until the 1960s, the RFDS rarely owned its own aircraft. Progressively, the RFDS began to purchase its own aircraft and employ dedicated pilots and engineers.
Today, the Royal Flying Doctor Service is one of the largest and most comprehensive aeromedical organisations in the world. Using the latest in aviation, medical and communications technology, it delivers extensive health care and 24-hour emergency service to those who live, work and travel throughout Australia. The RFDS has a fleet of 66 aircraft operating from 23 bases located across the nation and provides medical assistance to over 290,000 people every year.
Did you know? John Flynn, the founder of the RFDS, is pictured on the Australian $20 note!
Whether you’re fundraising in your community or school, holding a fete or doing a fun run, there are some simple steps everyone should go through when deciding to raise money for their favourite charity.
1. Get Started
Having a clear idea is the best foundation for successful fundraising. You need to be able to clearly tell people what you’re going to do to help gain support and raise as much as you can for the Royal Flying Doctor Service or your chosen charity. This will also help you plan and, if necessary, pull together a band of merry helpers.
Medical Mission Page 6