Intensive Care: Escape to the Country

by Nicki Edwards

  “A lifetime supply of free coffee maybe?” Kate teased.

  He half smiled but she could see he hadn’t relaxed.

  “I called your parents. They’re on their way.”

  “They’re what?” Kate tried to sit up again. “It’s a five-hour drive for them. Is it still snowing? It’s not safe.” Now it was her turn to worry.

  “They’re actually flying in. The plane left about twenty minutes ago. It’s only a short flight so they’ll be here soon. I’m going out to pick them up shortly,” Joel explained.

  “Can the plane land in snow?” she asked, clearly worried.

  “They clear the runway if it’s covered in snow but it’s usually fine. I’ll head out there in a minute and wait for them. I just wanted to check on you first,” Joel answered.

  “Okay.” Kate was beginning to feel sleepy again. One of the nurses came to check her vital signs.

  “Hello Kate. I’m Lou. I’m the nurse that’s been looking after you.”

  Kate opened her eyes to look at the nurse standing at her bedside. She was young and slim, her scrubs hugging a perfect figure. A small silver cross hung around her neck. Kate held her arm out obligingly as Lou wrapped the black blood pressure cuff around her upper arm.

  “You’re doing great,” Lou assured her.

  “What’s my BP?”

  “Still low. Ninety over fifty-five and temp is only thirty-five-four, but everything’s coming back into normal ranges.” She smiled at Kate.

  “When am I allowed to go home?”

  “I’ll take you up to the ward soon. As far as I know it’s just for overnight. You’ll have a private room though so you should get a good night’s sleep.”

  It was clear there was no point arguing – she was going to have to stay overnight.

  Lou turned to speak to Joel and flashed her brilliant smile at him. “She’ll be in room twenty-six when you get back.”

  “Thanks Lou. You’ve taken such great care of Kate.” Joel put his hand on Lou’s forearm as he answered her, his dimples deepening as he smiled at her. Kate felt a wave of suspicion as she watched the look they exchanged. Is there something between them? She brushed the irrational thought from her mind. They’d probably grown up together. Lou was being nothing other than polite and friendly and Kate was surprised again by the flicker of jealousy and where it had come from.

  Turning back to Kate he asked, “Mind if I grab your house keys from your bag? I’ll make sure the heaters are on for your parents and while I’m there I’ll get you some PJs and your toiletries. Your mum can bring them in with her.”

  Kate was touched by his thoughtfulness. “Thanks Joel.”

  Twenty minutes later Lou wheeled Kate to the ward and helped her get into the bed. Still half dressed in a hospital gown, Kate drifted off to sleep and her dreams were filled with images of scarecrows and snowmen. And Joel.

  *

  “Hello darling.”

  Kate smiled when she opened her eyes again and saw her mum’s face. She reached out her arms to hug her.

  “Hi Mum.” Kate saw Michael standing behind her mum. “Hey Dad. How long have you been here?”

  She reached for the bed controls and adjusted the bed into a sitting position. Her mum fluffed her pillows and sat beside her on the bed, depositing Kate’s overnight bag on the floor. Michael stood awkwardly in the corner of the room, unfamiliar and uncomfortable in the hospital environment. Kate filled them in on the events of the day and their faces expressed the concern they must have felt when Joel had called them from the hospital.

  “Oh darling, you do look so tired. How frightening all of this must have been for you. But Joel says you’re going to make a full recovery. Thank goodness for his quick thinking getting you to hospital,” Elizabeth said.

  “Where is Joel?” Kate asked.

  “He’s gone home now,” her father replied. “What a top bloke, Kate. He’s a real keeper. Much better than that Marcus.”

  “Dad!”

  “Oh yes, Katie, he’s a lovely young man. I can’t wait to see you together. I’m sure you make a lovely couple,” Elizabeth gushed.

  “Mum! Dad! Joel is just a friend. There’s absolutely nothing between us.” Kate emphasized the words.

  “Well, the way he looks when he speaks about you, I can assure you there’s a lot more than just friendship on his mind!” Elizabeth grinned at her daughter and Kate felt herself blushing right up to the roots of her hair.

  “I hope he’s a union boy.”

  “What?” Kate frowned at her father, not following his line of thought.

  “Union. Football.” Michael looked at his daughter like she was stupid. “I hope Joel prefers Union to League.” Michael then paused and raised his eyebrows in a questioning look. “He’s not into AFL like that Marcus was, I hope.” He looked momentarily worried.

  Kate lay back against the pillow, knowing that denying her relationship with Joel and arguing with her parents wasn’t going to alter their opinions. Changing the subject, she asked, “What are your plans then? Are you going to stay for a few days? I’m only in hospital overnight.”

  “We’ll stay as long as you need us here, darling. But I’m sure you’ll be back on your feet in a couple of days. We don’t want to outstay our welcome,” Elizabeth said, stroking Kate’s hair. “Of course I’m dying to see this little farmhouse of yours. I’m just sorry it’s taken me so long to get up here and I’ve had to come under such difficult circumstances.”

  “You’re staying at the farmhouse tonight though.” Kate’s question was more a statement. “The spare room is all set up. You’ll just have to take the heater from my room. It gets pretty chilly and I haven’t had a chance to buy another one for the spare room.”

  “It’s all sorted, Kate. Joel’s taken us to the house already and he’s stoked the fire and turned on the lights and even bought you another heater. Your mum and I will head back there shortly. Hope you don’t mind, but we picked up your car while we were there. Saved Joel having to drive us back to the hospital,” Michael explained.

  “Sounds like it’s all organized.” She closed her eyes. It was ten o’clock and she desperately needed to sleep.

  Seeing her fatigue, her mum stood up. “Darling, get some rest. We’ll be back in the morning to pick you up. Don’t worry about a thing. Joel has taken good care of us.”

  He’s taken good care of me too.

  *

  It was almost nine the next morning before Kate’s parents arrived to pick her up and take her home. She had been showered and dressed and waiting for them since six-thirty, unable to sleep any longer. When they walked through the door, they were each carrying takeout coffee cups and Kate was pleased to see her father was holding an extra one, clearly for her.

  “This is from Joel,” Michael said as he triumphantly handed Kate the cup like a trophy at an Oscars presentation. “He said he made it just the way you like it.”

  “Thank you so much.” Kate took the paper cup in both hands, brought it to her lips and took a sip. The frothy warm coffee slid down her throat and she sighed. It was exactly what she needed.

  “How was your night, Katie?” Elizabeth asked.

  “I slept well but I’m looking forward to being home. I don’t really like hospitals.”

  “That’s kind of ironic, coming from a nurse,” came a voice from outside the door.

  “Joel!” Kate’s heart raced as she saw his curly hair and freshly shaven face. His blue eyes twinkled. He entered the room carrying a bunch of pale pink tulips, their small delicate petals just visible above the plain brown paper packaging. The bouquet was tied with a thick strand of coarse twine.

  “I know you’re not keen on long-stemmed red roses.” Joel grinned as he gingerly handed the flowers to Kate.

  “You didn’t have to bring me flowers,” Kate said as she accepted his gift. “You should know that you had me at, ‘Hello my name is Joel and I make the best coffee in town!’”

  Joel and Kate both lau
ghed, remembering, but then Joel awkwardly shuffled his feet as he looked at her. “I’m just glad you’re okay, Kate. You had me really scared.”

  Kate’s heart almost exploded in delight as she heard the depth of his concern. She didn’t need to read between the lines. He cared for her.

  Maybe there could be more than just friendship on the horizon for them after all.

  Chapter 22

  Kate spent the next few days taking it easy, catching up on reading and watching mindless daytime television. The snow had melted as quickly as Joel had said it would and the days had been slightly warmer, although mostly overcast, as promised by the weather forecaster. On Thursday morning Kate waved good-bye to her parents as they drove home in a hire car after a relaxing few days together. She had a few more days off work, but was already looking forward to getting back to the unit. She wasn’t used to sitting around doing nothing for so long.

  Kate had only seen Joel once since her discharge from hospital. On Tuesday night he had arrived, a hot lasagne in hand, but had declined Elizabeth’s invitation to stay and join them for a meal. If Kate’s parents were curious about their relationship, nothing further was said the whole visit. Kate was pleased that she didn’t have to try to explain how things were as she was having enough trouble trying to work things out in her own brain. She had definitely developed feelings for Joel – much more than just friendship – but she had no idea if they were ever going to be reciprocated. Other than a brief kiss on the cheek when he’d delivered the lasagne, she saw no indication that he felt the same way as she did. And she still hadn’t had a chance to tell him about Marcus.

  It was late on Friday afternoon and Kate was startled by a knock at her front door. Usually the crunch of tires on gravel was enough to alert her to any visitors and she hadn’t heard a car pull up in front of the house. She had spent most of the day curled up on the couch in front of the fire, listening to music and trying to read, dozing on and off with Matilda snuggled on her lap.

  She opened the front door but found no one standing there. Instead, a cardboard box sat on the front doormat. Kate gingerly lifted the lid, and there, sitting on a thin lining of straw, were three of the ugliest chickens she had ever seen. Some of their brown feathers were missing and they were sitting unmoving in the box, looking up at her, as stunned as she was when she lifted the lid and exposed them. Closing the lid with a thud, Kate laughed out loud and peered out the doorway, looking for Joel. She didn’t see him, nor could she see his car. That’s odd.

  She picked up the chickens and brought them inside, having no idea what she was supposed to do with them. As she moved through the house carrying the box in her hands, the chickens squawked and clucked and moved around, trying to find their footing in the straw as the box moved in Kate’s hands. At the sound, Matilda opened one eye disdainfully and looked up from her spot on the couch where Kate had left her.

  “Well, Tilly, this is very strange,” Kate spoke out loud.

  As she was wondering what to do with the chickens, there was a sharp rap on the back kitchen door. Matilda, now awake and curious about the strange noises emitting from the box, hopped off the couch and padded after Kate down the hallway into the kitchen, the bell on her collar jangling daintily. Kate placed the box on the ground and opened the back door, expecting to see Joel, but instead there was another brown cardboard box matching the one sitting at her feet. She opened the lid of the new box, expecting to see more chickens, but instead found three eggs lying alone in the bed of straw. She looked around but could see no one. She giggled again, wondering what was about to come next.

  A small piece of paper was stuck to the veranda post with Blu Tak and as it fluttered in the breeze it caught her attention. She pulled the note down and opened the paper. Just three words.

  Follow the path.

  Kate looked out at the small concrete path leading to the chook sheds and saw a trail of what she assumed must be chicken food. Unsure whether she was supposed to let the chickens out of the box and let them follow the food trail, she decided instead to carry them in their box and follow the trail herself. As she rounded the veggie gardens Kate stopped and grinned. Joel was sitting on the dirt inside the small shed, leaning against the back wall watching her. He was wearing his old Akubra, and his long legs, clad in dirty denim jeans, were stretched out in front of him, one leather booted foot crossed over the other. His hands were crossed behind his head and his face wore a smug expression. He had clearly just sat down and was waiting for her to appear.

  “Joel! What on earth is all of this?” Kate exclaimed.

  “You wanted eggs didn’t yer, love?”

  “Yes. But these chickens” – Kate held the box up – “don’t look capable of laying eggs. They are so ugly!”

  “Oh! Block thy ears, chickens,” Joel chuckled as he took the box from her. “Congratulations Kate Kennedy! You are now the proud adoptive mother of three Isa Browns.”

  “Three I-so whats?”

  “Isa Browns. Chickens. That’s the name of the breed. These three are rescued battery hens. And you just saved them.”

  “Oh. You mean like the ones in cages?”

  “Yes.”

  “I thought all that caged hen stuff was just the animal lib people making a big song and dance,” Kate said. “You’re saying it’s true?”

  “Kate love, please tell me you buy free-range eggs at the supermarket.”

  She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t take much notice. I just buy whichever ones are on sale.”

  “Well, Miss City Chick, it’s time you did take notice. Battery hens are kept in cages, unable to move, spread their wings or lie down and rest. The whole purpose of having your own chickens is they can roam free and exercise. Just wait until you taste their eggs.”

  “Why are these ones so ugly though?” Kate asked.

  “Their feathers are missing because they have had to stick their heads through wire to feed, and that creates wounds that don’t heal.”

  “Oh that’s gross!” Kate replied.

  “Well it might be gross, but unfortunately around ninety-five percent of commercial hens live in cages. Up to five hens share a cage smaller than an A4 piece of paper. That’s eleven million chickens,” he paused for dramatic effect, “just in case you were wondering.”

  Kate stood with her mouth open.

  “Oh, it’s worse. I could tell you how they are killed so you can eat them!”

  “No, that’s enough!” Kate held her hands up in horror. “I might become a vegetarian if you keep talking.”

  She lifted the lid again and peered at the chickens in the box, her opinion of their ugliness instantly transformed.

  “So, you rescued them?” she asked Joel.

  “Yep! A local bloke had a change of mind and decided to get out of battery hen farming. He contacted an organization that finds homes for former farm animals. I drove there and picked them up this morning. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “I don’t mind at all! But what about foxes? The sheds aren’t secure yet.” Kate glanced around her and then did a double take. “Did you do all this?”

  Until that point she hadn’t noticed that the old sheds had been scrubbed clean inside and fresh straw had been laid. The outside was gleaming with a fresh coat of dark green paint and all the wire around the perimeter had been replaced. Fresh water was in containers hanging from the roof of the shed.

  “I’ve been here all morning. I can’t believe you didn’t hear me hammering away,” Joel said with a look of satisfaction on his face.

  “I’ve been inside listening to music and reading. I had absolutely no idea you were even here.” She found herself wishing she had known. She would have enjoyed watching him work.

  Joel grinned at her. “Well, come on then, love, let’s liberate these ladies!”

  Kate wanted to pinch herself. Did guys like this even exist? He was almost too good to be true. Cute and funny. She pictured him working shirtless in her backyard over summer. He would
look hot with a tool belt around his toned waist. She shook her head to remove the image but it refused to go and she felt her cheeks flush.

  With his gloved hands Joel expertly reached into the box and lifted the first chicken out and placed her on the ground. At first her feet were unable to find balance and she flopped to the ground and sat, not moving.

  “Oh no. Is she injured?” Kate cried.

  “Give her time, Kate. These birds have never walked around before. They’ll take a bit to adjust. But they’ve all been checked over by a vet. They’re healthy enough. They just need time. And a bit of love.”

  Just like me.

  Joel lifted the remaining two birds from the box and placed them on the straw. Indicating that she should just watch, Kate sat down on a tree stump Joel had placed inside the small enclosed yard and he squatted beside her. Gradually the birds gained confidence and Kate clapped in delight as they slowly stretched, flapping their misshapen wings with their missing feathers. One bird began to scratch in the straw and the others copied. They all clucked and made the familiar noise that chickens make as though they were communicating with one another in a secret code. Kate was mesmerized and sat watching them for quite a while until she realized Joel was watching her.

  “Thank you, Joel. This is, quite honestly, the best gift I’ve ever received.” Without thinking, she leaned over and hugged him tightly around the neck and kissed his cheek.

  Joel stood up hurriedly and Kate fleetingly wondered if she had done or said something wrong again. An uneasy silence filled the air between them. Why did he keep pulling back from her?

  “You’re welcome, Kate. I was happy to help.” His words sounded forced. He started moving around inside the shed. “Here, let me show you where they will nest and give you some basic education on keeping chickens.”

  Half an hour later, Joel stood at her kitchen window as Kate began preparing dinner. Drinking a cup of tea, he watched the sun setting through the window, creating a vivid purple and blood orange painting in the sky. The earlier awkwardness between them was gone, but as Kate peeled potatoes she mulled over his reaction to her whenever she had hugged and kissed him. She definitely wasn’t imagining it. Was it because of Rebecca? Or was he just not that interested in her? She had to be prepared that maybe Joel only wanted to be friends. Unfortunately she had no way of knowing. He was so transparent about everything else, except his feelings toward her.