by Anna Willett
Paige leaned over and kissed him. A soft gentle kiss that made him want to wrap his arms around her and stop her from leaving. Instead, he pulled her back and kissed her a second time.
“I need to check your drip and take a look at that leg,” Lizzy said from the doorway.
Paige pulled away from him as though she’d been caught doing something wrong. Hal frowned. He didn’t like the way she reacted to Lizzy’s presence. Paige was kind and gentle, but not easily intimidated.
“Okay, just give us a minute,” Hal said and was surprised to see Paige’s eyes widen with shock.
“No, Hal. Let Lizzy do it now,” she said and gave him a warning look.
Lizzy’s washed out eyes fell on Hal. “I can’t wait around all day,” she said with a hint of impatience. “Do you want me to check your leg or not?”
“Yes. Thanks,” he said and caught a grateful look from Paige.
Lizzy approached the bed and flung back the sheet. The cool air touched his skin and Hal felt a spark of pain in his ankle. He heard Paige gasp, and looked down. It was the first time he’d seen his legs since the snake bite, and what he saw took his breath away.
His right leg looked normal apart from the white bandage mid-way between his ankle and knee. His left leg was so swollen that the skin looked ready to burst. A blood-soaked bandage covered the skin just above his ankle. Beneath it, rose a knot of swelling the size of a fist. His foot, the colour of an over-ripe plum, and the whole lower leg, lay encased in crude splints held in place with bandages.
“Hmm,” Lizzy said and leaned closer to his broken leg. To Hal’s horror, she sniffed. “No sign of infection yet,” she said and pulled the sheet back up. “I’ll give you something for the pain and bring you the bed pan,” she said as she settled the sheets around Hal’s chest.
He wanted to tell her to forget the painkillers. He didn’t want to disappear back into the greyness of the previous night. He needed to be alert, but the strain of talking and trying to sit up zapped him of any strength, and the pain in his leg rapidly grew from red-hot to white. In truth, a part of him wanted to float away.
He nodded. “Thanks,” he managed.
Lizzy disappeared into the small cupboard on the left of Hal’s bed. He glanced over at Paige, struck by how pale she looked. He realised the sight of his leg had affected her as much as it had him. He clenched his lips together and swallowed. His wife’s distress, coupled with pain and fatigue, threatened to overwhelm him. He laid his forearm over his eyes so Paige wouldn’t see the building tears.
Lizzy reappeared and slid a small needle into the muscle of his upper arm. Soon he drifted off, voices seemed distant, movement and touch dream-like in its slowness. He was vaguely aware of Paige whispering something in his ear. It sounded like “moo pong”, but could have been “hold on.” He chuckled and closed his eyes.
Chapter Six
The ute still sat parked around the side of the house. Paige followed Lizzy along the same stone path she’d walked the night before, only now sunshine blanketed the property rather than darkness. Paige stepped over a cracked stone. In between glancing at the path and her surroundings, she took in details hidden in the night. Weeds and dandelions sprouted from the overgrown lawn. The house revealed itself to be in worse shape than she thought. The once red brick structure had faded to the colour of stale gingerbread. The veranda sagged drunkenly to the right and some of the many windows were boarded over. The overall effect came close to derelict.
Paige watched Lizzy’s back as the woman marched towards the old Holden. Dressed in navy blue pants and a lighter blue loose shirt with short sleeves, it was as though Lizzy had donned her nursing clothes to properly inhabit her role. The fabric of the shirt strained against the woman’s broad shoulders. Paige found herself hurrying in order to keep up with her long strides.
Once in the car, Lizzy turned to her and spoke for the first time since leaving the house. “When’s the baby due?”
Caught off guard by the question, Page hesitated. It was the first time Lizzy had made mention of Paige’s obvious pregnancy, which in itself seemed strange. A big baby bump was usually the first thing people talked about. But until that moment, Lizzy had managed to avoid the subject.
“Two months.” Paige put her hand on the swelling.
“Not long,” Lizzy said, looking not at Paige, but straight ahead at the windscreen.
“No. Not long,” Paige agreed and wondered if it would be rude to ask her to hurry up and drive.
Lizzy tapped a thick finger to her lip as if thinking. A few seconds ticked by and then she put the key in the ignition. The engine clicked a few times, but refused to start. Paige gripped the hem of her dress and waited while Lizzy tried again. A metallic grinding filled the cab, then nothing.
Paige shook her head. “What’s wrong? Why won’t it start?” Her voice rose, the frustration jagged in her words.
Lizzy shrugged. “Probably the starter motor.”
“What’s that? Can you fix it?” Paige asked, turning her body towards Lizzy.
Lizzy reached under the seat and pulled out a large silver spanner. For a terrifying second, Paige thought she meant to hit her with it. Then Lizzy pulled the release lever next to the steering wheel.
“Wait here,” she said and got out of the cab.
Paige bit her lip and watched Lizzy lift the bonnet. Paige whispered a litany of curses under her breath. She jumped when she heard a metal crack.
“Slide over and try turning it on.” Lizzy’s voice came from under the bonnet.
Paige slid sideways, lifting one leg at a time over the gear stick. Squeezing herself behind the wheel, she called out, “Now?”
“Yes. Turn the keys and press on the accelerator.”
Paige held her breath and did as instructed, trying to ignore the growing certainty that the ute wouldn’t start. Again the grind of metal and clicking rose from under the bonnet, but the engine didn’t catch. Paige lowered her head onto the steering wheel and closed her eyes.
“I’ll tell Soona to take a look at it.” Lizzy’s voice next to the window startled her.
Paige lifted her head and regarded the woman. She looked unfazed by the car’s failure to start. She knew it wouldn’t start, she’s not at all surprised. Paige didn’t know where that thought came from, but she had no doubt it was true. For whatever reason, Lizzy wanted her two new guests to stay put.
“Do you have another car?” Paige asked without any real hope.
Lizzy pulled the driver’s door open. “Does it look like I have a fleet of cars?” She asked, and wheeled her arm around.
“No, I didn’t mean…” Paige tried to explain.
“I know it’s difficult for you and Mr November, the calendar boy up there to understand,” Lizzy pointed at the house. “But I’m not made of money. I’ve done everything possible for you and all you do is look down your nose at me.” Spittle flew out of her mouth, narrowly missing Paige’s face.
Lizzy turned and stomped back to the house leaving Paige sitting behind the wheel of the useless vehicle with her mouth open. She tried to work her mind around what just happened but kept returning to whether Lizzy had done something to the ute to make sure it wouldn’t start or not. It seemed like insanity. Then she recalled the angry outburst. Paige replayed Lizzy’s words over in her mind. She called Hal, Mr November. Where does that level of anger and resentment come from?
That led her to another frightening thought. Did Lizzy know the phone wouldn’t work? Had she brought Paige and Hal here knowing they wouldn’t be able to call for help? Maybe. Almost certainly. Paige rubbed her hand over her mouth. What she couldn’t get her mind around was why? Why would the woman want to keep them against their will? Maybe she’s going to kill us, a little voice in her head whispered. Paige pushed away that thought. If she wanted to kill them, she wouldn’t be trying to nurse Hal back to health. But is she? Yes. Paige thought so, but she wasn’t a doctor. She had no idea if what Lizzy was doing was really helpi
ng Hal.
Her pulse rate increased. Her heart wasn’t pounding, but it beat faster. She needed to get Hal the hell out of this cuckoo hatch and into a hospital. She rubbed her hands together and then steepled them under her chin. The question was, what lengths would Lizzy go to in order to keep them here? Paige didn’t want to believe the woman might be dangerous, but could she be sure?
She drummed her fingers on the wheel and looked around the cab. It occurred to her that the Holden might not drive, but their Ford would. If I can change the tyre. Paige slid gracelessly out of the ute and slammed the door. After Lizzy’s angry outburst, Paige wondered what to expect. One thing she was sure of, Lizzy wouldn’t be happy when Paige told her she intended to leave. She stopped walking. From her current vantage point she could see the back door; over to the left of the house, a ramshackle chook pen with at least four birds pottering around; beyond the outbuildings stood patches of trees and long grass. Paige decided it would be too easy to get lost in a place like this and tried to let the idea go.
* * *
When she entered the kitchen, Lizzy stood at the sink. She tipped a yellow and black kettle under the running water. She didn’t look up or acknowledge Paige in any way. The tightness of the woman’s shoulders and thrust of her long chin told Paige the storm was far from over.
“I’m sorry if I sound ungrateful. I know how much you’ve helped me and especially Hal.” Paige watched Lizzy put the kettle on the stove top and light a match to the burner. The heavy aroma of gas filled the room.
“I just got … well, a bit panicky.” Paige continued. “I … Thank you for helping us. I really mean it.” She bit her lower lip and prayed she sounded grateful, with maybe just a touch of fear. The last shouldn’t be difficult as she could feel its dark tendrils creeping up on her.
“Alright then,” Lizzy said without turning around.
Paige wasn’t sure if she’d won the woman over. In fact, she didn’t think Lizzy liked her either, and the scornful way she’d referred to Hal made her even more puzzled about the woman’s intentions.
The screen door slapped open and Soona ambled into the kitchen carrying a cereal box that had been cut in half. She wore the same denim dungarees as the day before, but underneath sported a brown sweatshirt strained across her thick upper body. Paige could see the box contained four brown speckled eggs. Soona put them down on the table with surprising gentleness and then headed for the drawing room.
“Stop!” Lizzy turned from the stove and fixed her glare on Soona.
Soona stopped moving and hunched her shoulders together as if expecting a blow. It was a small movement for the large woman. If Paige had disliked Lizzy before, that flinch of fear in Soona’s shoulders turned her dislike to contempt. Suddenly the room felt too small, and the two women like giants. Paige was caught in the middle of whatever drama these two women played. She didn’t want to look at Lizzy or Soona, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away.
“What’s in your pocket?” Lizzy asked.
Soona shook her head, her dark hair clung to her forehead and cheeks in damp strings. Lizzy’s lips bunched together in an angry pucker. Her eyes, the colour of shark’s skin, narrowed. The hairs on Paige’s arms tingled. She could almost see the storm gathering behind Lizzy’s eyes. Paige felt the urge to say or do something to break the tension, but her mouth felt dry and a small part of her feared Lizzy would unleash the storm on her.
Lizzy crossed the room, her sensible brown lace-ups thumping the boards hard enough to shake the table. Soona opened her mouth and let out a sound that reminded Paige of a baby horse. Lizzy grabbed a handful of Soona’s shirt, probably a chunk of skin with it, and spun her around.
Lizzy plunged her hand into the front pocket of Soona’s dungarees and pulled out an egg. She held it in the palm of her hand.
“What have I told you?” Lizzy asked, pushing the egg under Soona’s nose.
Soona’s hands flapped at her sides as if she were trying to take flight. Lizzy’s hand flipped up and smashed the egg into Soona’s forehead, grinding and rubbing it against the woman’s skin. The centre of Soona’s face was coated in yellow sticky goo that dribbled off her chin and pooled on her sweatshirt.
Lizzy stepped back and inspected the mess. “Get in your room and clean yourself up.” Lizzy gave the woman’s shoulder a shove with enough force to send her stumbling into the drawing room.
Lizzy turned back to Paige and gave her head a small shake. The change from barely contained rage to parental disapproval took seconds. In that moment, Paige knew she was in trouble. The air felt hot, like a heavy blanket had been thrown over her. A tingling sensation jangled her nerves. Paige pressed her lips together to keep them from trembling, and tried to keep her face smooth and impassive.
“She’s always sneaking eggs.” A sad, almost motherly smile pulled up the sides of her mouth. “She thinks if she keeps them warm a chick will hatch. I’ve tried to tell her that we don’t have a rooster, but she’s retarded so I suppose she has trouble understanding.”
Paige tried to think of something to say. “Oh.” The sound slipped out of her mouth and even to her own ears it sounded like a weak puff. She’d just watched Lizzy bully and assault a woman whose intelligence was like that of a small child. She felt disgust at herself for watching and staying mute, and at Lizzy for the obvious pleasure she took in hurting someone mentally incapable of protecting themselves.
“You don’t have that problem, do you?” Lizzy pointed at Paige’s belly and made a sound that came close to being a laugh.
“What?” Paige asked, confused by the woman’s sudden change of tone and direction.
“You’ve got a rooster,” she said and made a wet snorting sound with her nose.
Paige could feel the heat creeping up her neck. She put her hand on her belly instinctively covering it from Lizzy’s pointing finger. She tried to think of a response that wouldn’t make the woman angry, but Lizzy had already lost interest in the conversation and returned to making a cup of tea.
“I think I’ll go and sit with Hal for a while,” Paige said, trying to sound casual.
“Don’t wander around too much up there, some of those rooms aren’t safe,” she said without turning around.
Chapter Seven
Hal could hear a voice coming from above like droplets of rain under the shelter of a tree. Beneath him, the airbed rocked gently on the waves; he could see the white shoreline and smell the salt in the air. He wanted to paddle back, but his leg felt like it was caught in the jaws of something solid and unyielding. If I’m floating on the ocean, how can raindrops be falling out of a tree? His mind struggled to make sense of the voice and the jaws. Both were very real.
“Hal.”
He heard his name and the shoreline wavered. If he turned his head, he knew the sun and the waves would disappear. He wasn’t sure how he knew this, it was just a certainty. Like the way he knew that if he turned on a tap, water would come out.
“Hal, please.”
He recognised the cadence and reluctantly let go of the shimmering vista and turned to the sound of his wife’s voice. His eyes opened and, for a second, no longer than the time it took to blink, he thought he was on the beach in Bali and his wife was leaning in to kiss him. He could taste the salt on her lips and hear the distant cry of seagulls.
“Hal, I need you to wake up.” The urgency in her voice swept the gulls away and brought him back to the tiny room.
“Paige,” his voice slurred. “Are you okay?” This time the words were clearer.
His mind still felt heavy, but now he could make out details. He was still in the small hospital room. Paige, heavily pregnant, stood next to the bed. She wore the white sundress she’d had on, when? He tried to remember when he’d last seen her. Hours ago or had days passed?
“Hal, I’m going to get you out of here.” He watched her mouth move and tried to keep up with her words.
“I think we might be in deep shit,” she said and leaned closer to his
ear.
He could feel her hair tickle his nose. He wanted to laugh, but his woolly mind slowly made sense of what she was saying. Deep shit.
He wanted to ask her what sort of shit when she spoke again. “I’m going to sneak out and walk back to our car.” Her voice a whisper, so close to his ear he could feel her breath on his neck.
“I’ll have to change the tyre myself so you need to talk me through it.”
"You can’t do that,” he said, sounding more like himself. “You’ve never changed a tyre and …” he paused. Even pumped full of dope, he realised that what he said next would make him sound like an asshole.
“And what?” Paige asked.
“And you’re pregnant,” he said, and winced at the look of hurt he’d put on his wife’s face.
“Listen to me very carefully, Hal,” her voice dropped low, a notch deeper than he was used to hearing. “The woman who brought us here is crazy. Not just a little bit, but big time crazy.” Paige drew in a long breath; he could feel it rush past his cheek. “She’s keeping us here. I don’t know why, but right now I don’t care.” She put her hand on his cheek and looked him in the eyes. “All I care about is getting you out of here, so you’d better start explaining the finer points of changing a tyre.”
He could see the fear swimming in her eyes and he felt a hollow sensation in the pit of his stomach. The haze cleared and the gravity of their predicament dawned on him. You knew you were in trouble the moment you saw that woman. Yes, but the pain had been in charge, and when the pain leads the way the only thing that matters is making it stop.
His head felt clear now, but the sizzling fingers swarming up from his ankle still gave him a run for his money. He made himself focus on Paige’s eyes.
“I already took off the damaged wheel so you only need to put on the spare.”