Ryan covered the floor space between them with an easy couple of strides. He drew Hannah into his arms and kissed her. ‘I really enjoyed it,’ he murmured. ‘You’re amazing.’
‘Mmm.’ The sound was a little strangled this time. Hannah wasn’t so sure about daylight kisses. Sexual fantasy needed the cover of dark. She drew away. ‘Could you keep an eye out and tell me when the coast is clear on the veranda? I can go down the other end, away from the kitchen, can’t I?’
‘Yeah.’ Ryan turned away and picked up his shorts. ‘I’ll come with you.’
‘No need. It’ll only take me a few minutes to walk and I could do with the fresh air.’
‘It’ll be fresh all right. Might feel quite cold after yesterday with this rain. Did you bring a jacket?’
‘No.’
‘Then why don’t you let me drive you home? I’ve got to take Mike’s Jeep back up to the Athina, anyway. I’d better check in and see what my best-man duties involve. I suspect I’ll have to stick with Mike for the rest of the day.’
And Hannah would need to be with Emily. She probably wouldn’t see Ryan again till later that afternoon. No more daylight kisses to contend with. The odd sensation in her stomach had to be relief, rather than disappointment, surely?
‘A ride would be good,’ she said. ‘That way I can get sorted faster.’
The veranda was deserted and no one interrupted their journey through the garden to the car park. As they scrambled from the end of the veranda, Ryan took hold of Hannah’s hand and it felt so natural it would have been rude to pull hers away. As they left the gardens behind them, Hannah glanced at the hospital buildings but there had been no message from Susie yet and she would be back here in no time. Would she tell her sister about last night?
Maybe not. Not yet, anyway. The experience was still too fresh. Private and … precious?
Would Ryan say anything?
Maybe not. The way his hand still held hers was comforting. As though he shared a reluctance to break the illusion of a bond they’d created last night. Hannah was even more confident he could be discreet when he dropped her hand at the sight of someone running towards them.
Wet curls of black hair were plastered around Mike’s face. ‘I was just coming to find you, mate. Hi, Hannah.’
‘What’s up?’ Ryan wasn’t smiling. Neither was Mike.
‘There’s been an accident up at Wygera. Harry called me to see if I can do a first response with the Jeep. I’ve got a good paramedic kit in the back.’ Mike was still moving and both Ryan and Hannah followed. ‘I was on the way to the house to find a doc to come with me, but you’ll do just fine.’
‘Do you want me to come as well?’ Hannah queried.
‘Please.’ Mike caught the keys Ryan threw and unlocked the doors of the Jeep. ‘Sounds like there are at least three casualties. All teenagers.’ He opened the back of the vehicle and pulled out a light, which he stuck to his roof. A cord snaked in through his window and he plugged the end into the cigarette lighter. A bright orange light started flashing as he turned on the engine.
‘Where’s Wygera?’ Ryan pulled his safety belt on as Hannah climbed into the backseat.
‘It’s an aboriginal settlement about fifty miles from here. We’d normally get the chopper out for something like this but there’s no way anyone’s going to be flying today.’ Gears crunched and the Jeep jerked backwards as Mike turned with speed and they took off. Hannah clicked her safety belt into its catch.
‘What’s happened?’ she queried. ‘And don’t you have an ambulance available?’
‘They’re all busy on other calls right now and it’ll take time to get a vehicle on the road. There’s been trouble with the bloody bulls, by the sound of it—thanks to this weather.’
They were on the main road now, and Hannah could feel how difficult it was going to be, driving fast in the kind of wind gusts they were being subjected to. The windscreen wipers were on high speed but the rain appeared to be easing a little. Hannah shivered. She was damp and still hadn’t had the opportunity to get any warmer clothing. Wrapping her arms around herself for warmth, she listened as Mike continued filling them in.
‘There’s a guy up at Wygera by the name of Rob Wingererra. They’ve acquired a few rodeo bulls. Long story, but they’re a project for the teenagers up there. Huge animals with wicked horns. Apparently the wind caused some damage last night and brought a fence down and damaged a shed. The kids went out to try and get the bulls rounded up and into shelter and they got out of hand. Some kid’s been cut by corrugated iron, one’s been gored by a bull and another sounds like he might have a crush injury of some kind after getting caught between a bull and a gate.’
‘How long will it take us to get there?’
‘It’s an hour’s drive on a good day but I’m hoping to get there sooner than that. Hang on tight back there, Hannah, but don’t worry. I know this road like the back of my hand. We’ll just need to watch out for slips or rubbish on the road.’
He certainly knew the road. Having gone over the bridge and through the township, Mike headed towards the foothills of the mountains that divided the coastal plain from the cattle country Hannah knew was further inland. At the speed they were going, they would arrive there as fast as any ambulance was capable of. As they rounded one corner, Ryan threw a glance over his shoulder.
‘You OK, Hannah?’
The tone was caring. How long had it been since a man had been this concerned for her well-being? It was dangerous to allow it to matter.
‘I’m fine,’ she said hurriedly.
‘No, you’re not—you’re freezing!’ Ryan twisted his body beneath the safety belt, pulling off the lightweight jacket he was wearing. ‘Here. Put this on. ’
‘Thanks.’ Hannah slid her arms into sleeves that were still warm from Ryan’s skin. ‘Are you sure you don’t need it?’
But Ryan wasn’t listening. ‘What information have you been given about these kids so far?’
‘There’s a health worker at the settlement, Millie, who’s very good. Rob called her after he found the kids and they’ve got them inside at his place. She’s controlled the bleeding on the boy that got cut but it sounds like he might have lost quite a bit of blood. The one who got poked by a horn isn’t feeling too good. He’s been vomiting but Millie thinks that might have something to do with a heavy night on the turps. The other one has sore ribs, maybe a fracture, so he’s finding it painful to breathe.’
‘Sounds like a mess.’
‘I’m glad I’ve got you two along.’ Mike flashed a grin over his shoulder at Hannah. ‘Not the chief bridesmaid duties you were expecting this morning, eh? Sorry about that.’
Hannah smiled back. ‘Actually, this is probably more within my comfort zone.’
‘We’ll have back-up pretty fast. There’ll be an ambulance not far behind us and they’ll send another one as soon as they’re clear. We just need to do the initial triage and make sure they’re stable for transport. Couldn’t ask for more than two ED specialists on my team.’
‘Let’s hope it’s not as bad as it sounds,’ Ryan said. ‘At least the rain’s slowing down.’
‘I’ve put in a good word to try and get some sunshine for Em this afternoon.’
Ryan laughed. ‘You think the big guy’s going to listen to you?’
‘Hey, I’ve collected a few brownie points in my time. At least as many as you. Or maybe not.’ Mike glanced at his friend. ‘How’s your dad doing?’
‘Not so great. It’s hard on Mum.’
‘She must be delighted to have you in Auckland now.’
‘Yeah.’
‘Few trips to Brisbane still on the agenda, though, I guess? How’s Michaela?’
Ryan shrugged. ‘You know how it is,’ was all he said.
‘Yeah, buddy.’ Mike’s response was almost too quiet for Hannah to catch. ‘I know.’
What was wrong with Ryan’s father? And who was Michaela? An ex-wife? Hannah slumped back a little in h
er seat. How ridiculous to feel jealous. A timely reminder that this was just one weekend of her life; she didn’t need to get caught up in Ryan Fisher’s personal business. That was the road to the kind of emotional disaster Hannah had carefully avoided in her life thus far.
Caught up in her own thoughts and then a text conversation with Susie, who had heard about the drama at Wygera and was happy to wait for Emily to collect her, it seemed only a short time later that a tall water tower came into view. The cluster of houses nearby had a sad, tired air to them, with the rusting car bodies on the sparse greenery of surrounding land adding to an impression of poverty.
The eucalyptus trees were huge. They had been here far longer than the housing and would no doubt outlast most of these dwellings. Right now, the majestic trees were dipping and swaying in the strong wind, participating enthusiastically in a form of elemental ballet. Small branches were breaking free, swirling through the air to join the tumble of leaves and other debris on the bare ground. A larger branch caught Ryan’s attention as it landed on the steep roof of the tidiest building they’d seen so far.
‘It’s the local hall,’ Mike told him. ‘Built to withstand snow, from what I’ve heard.’ He grinned. ‘Really useful, huh? It should manage the odd branch or two, anyway. We’ve got a turn-off up here and then we should almost be at Rob’s place.’
A young woman could be seen waving frantically as they turned onto a rough, unsealed road.
‘Target sighted,’ Mike said. ‘One windmill!’
Hannah was amazed he could sound so relaxed. And that Ryan could share a moment of amusement. She felt completely out of her depth here. They had one paramedic kit between the three of them and three potentially seriously injured teenagers. Hannah had never worked outside a well-equipped emergency department before.
‘Hell, you took a long time,’ the young woman told them. ‘The boys are hurt bad, you know.’ She led the way into the house. ‘Stupid bulls,’ she added with feeling.
‘They weren’t being nasty,’ an older woman said. ‘They were scared by the wind and that flapping metal on the shed. Hi, Mike!’
‘Hi, Millie.’ Mike smiled at the health worker and then at a man who was holding bloodstained towels to the leg of a boy on the couch. ‘G’day, Rob. How’s it going?’
‘I’ll let you tell me,’ Rob said. His weathered face was creased with anxiety. ‘I think I’ve finally managed to stop the bleeding in Jimmy’s leg now, anyway. I’ve been sitting on the damn thing for an hour.’
Mike had set his backpack-style kit down on the floor and was unzipping it to pull out a stethoscope. ‘This is Ryan,’ he said, ‘and that’s Hannah. They’re both doctors.’ He glanced at the two other boys, who were sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall. They both had a rug over their legs and they both looked miserable. One had a plastic basin beside him. He shifted his gaze to Millie questioningly.
‘Hal’s got the sore ribs and Shane’s got the puncture wound.’ She smiled at Hannah and Ryan. ‘Guess you’ve all got one patient each. Who wants who?’
Hannah swallowed a little nervously. An abdominal goring from a long bull’s horn could have resulted in nasty internal injuries that would be impossible to treat in the field. Broken ribs could result in a tension pneumothorax and there were no X-ray facilities to help with diagnosis. A cut leg seemed the safest option. Even if Jimmy had lost enough blood to be going into shock, the treatment was easy. Stop the bleeding, replace fluid and supply oxygen.
‘I’ll have a look at Jimmy,’ she said quickly. ‘Have you got a sphygmomanometer in that kit, Mike?’
‘Yep.’ Mike pulled it out. ‘You want to check Shane, Ryan?’
‘Sure.’
‘Mary?’ Mike spoke to the girl who’d shown them inside. ‘Could you go back to the road, please? There should be an ambulance arriving before too long and it was really helpful to have you show us where to stop.’
‘But I wanted to watch,’ Mary protested. ‘Are you going to sew Jimmy’s leg up?’
‘Probably not,’ Hannah responded. ‘Not until we get him to hospital anyway.’
‘Do as you’re told,’ Millie added firmly.
Hannah moved towards Jimmy, who looked to be about fourteen. ‘Hi.’
The youth stared back silently for just a second before averting his eyes, which gave Hannah the impression he’d taken an instant dislike to her.
‘I’m going to be looking after you for a bit, Jimmy,’ she said. ‘Have you ever had your blood pressure taken?’
He shook his head, still avoiding eye contact.
‘It doesn’t hurt. I’m going to wrap this cuff around your arm. It’ll get a bit tight in a minute.’
Ryan had gone to Shane who looked younger than the other two. He was holding a teatowel to his side and it, too, was blood soaked.
Hannah unwound the blood-pressure cuff from Jimmy’s arm. His baseline recording for blood pressure was within normal limits but he was young enough to be compensating well for blood loss. She would need to keep monitoring it at regular intervals.
‘I’m going to put a small needle in the back of your hand,’ she warned Jimmy. ‘OK?’
‘Why?’
‘You’ve lost a fair bit of blood. We need to give you some fluid to get the volume back up. Blood doesn’t work as well as it should if there isn’t enough of it going round. Is your leg hurting?’
‘Yeah, course it is. It’s bloody near chopped off.’
‘Can you wiggle your toes?’
‘Yeah.’ The tone was grudging and Jimmy still wouldn’t make eye contact. Was it just her or were all strangers not welcomed by these teens?
‘I don’t think it’s in too much danger of dropping off, Jimmy, ‘she said calmly. ‘I’ll check it properly in a minute. When I’ve got this needle in your hand, I’ll be able to give you something to stop it hurting so much.’
Ryan seemed to be getting a similar suspicious response for being a stranger. Shane didn’t look too happy when he put his hand out to touch the teatowel.
‘Mind if I have a look, buddy?’
‘Are yous really a doctor?’
‘Sure am. Just visiting from New Zealand.’
‘He’s a mate of mine,’ Mike told the boys. ‘He’s going to be the best man at my wedding.’
‘Oh, that’s right!’ Millie exclaimed. ‘You’re getting married today, Mike. Crikey, I hope you’re not going to be late for your own wedding. Dr Emily would be a bit cheesed off.’
‘We’ll get sorted here in no time,’ Mike said calmly. ‘Hal, I’m just going to listen to your chest while you take a few breaths, OK?’
‘But it hurts.’
‘I know, mate. I want to make sure those ribs haven’t done any damage to your lung, though. Try to lean forward a bit.’
Hannah had the IV line secured and a bag of fluids attached and running. She got Rob to hold the bag. Having been given the kudos of being Mike’s best friend, Ryan now had a more co-operative patient.
‘Does it hurt if you take a deep breath?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Can I have a look at it?’
‘I guess.’
‘Wow, that’s a pretty impressive hole! These bulls must be big fellas.’
‘Yeah.’
‘Does it hurt if I touch here?’
‘Nah. Not much.’
For the next few minutes a rather tense silence fell as they all worked on assessing and treating their patients. Hannah didn’t want to disturb the makeshift dressing on Jimmy’s leg in case the bleeding started again, but she made a careful examination of his lower leg and foot to check for any serious damage to blood supply and nerves.
Mike was worried about a possible pneumothorax from Hal’s broken ribs and got Ryan to double-check his evaluation.
‘I think you’re right,’ Ryan said. ‘Breath sounds are definitely down on the left side but it’s not showing any signs of tensioning. One of us should travel with him in the ambulance, though.’
Ryan glanced around him. ‘Anyone heard the one about the blonde and the bulls with big horns?’
Hannah almost groaned aloud. Just when she’d been impressed by the professional, serious manner in which Ryan was approaching a job that should have been as much out of his comfort zone as it was for her, he was about to revert to type and tell one of his stupid jokes. Make light of a serious situation.
And then she caught Ryan’s gaze.
This was deliberate. He knew exactly what he was doing. This was a ploy—as much of a skill as applying pressure to stop heavy bleeding, only it was intended to work in the opposite direction. A safety valve to relieve pressure. A way of defusing an atmosphere that could be detrimental if it was allowed to continue.
What if Hal picked up on how dangerous a pneumothorax could be and got frightened? He would start to breathe faster, which would not only hurt but interfere with his oxygen uptake. Shane might start vomiting again and exacerbate an internal injury. Jimmy might get restless and open the wound on his leg, with further blood loss.
They were all listening already.
‘So, she tells him exactly how many bulls there are in this huge paddock and demands that he honours his side of the bargain and gives her the cute baby one.’
If this was a practised skill, as that almost defensive glance had suggested, what did that tell her about the man Ryan really was? Was the fun-loving, laid-back image simply a veneer?
‘And the farmer says, “If I can tell you the real colour of your hair, will you give me back my baby bull?”’
Maybe the times Hannah saw Ryan so focussed on his patients—as he had been with Brendon’s mother on Monday night and with Shane only minutes ago—said more about who he really was. Or the concern she’d heard in his voice when he’d asked if she was OK on the trip up here. Or … that incredible ability to be so gentle she’d discovered in his touch last night.
The Australian's Proposal (Mills & Boon By Request): The Doctor's Marriage Wish / The Playboy Doctor's Proposal / The Nurse He's Been Waiting For Page 27