Emergency Echo

by George Ivanoff

  ‘Wow!’ gasped Alice, her face lighting up.

  Ben tried to turn back around, lost his balance and dropped the stumps. They fell onto the carpet with a thud.

  ‘That’s fantastic!’ said Alice.

  ‘I’ve fixed them up properly,’ admitted Ben. ‘Sanded off the rust, then put on a treatment. And painted them with proper outdoor metal paint. They’ll be pink for a long time.’

  ‘Thanks, Ben,’ said Alice.

  ‘And Ben also made the sign,’ said Mum.

  ‘Great!’ said Alice, looking at Ben. ‘But, um, why did you draw a burnt sausage on it?’

  Everyone started to laugh.

  ‘What?’ asked Alice.

  ‘I guess I won’t be taking up art, then,’ said Ben.

  ‘Poo!’ shouted Lewis, pointing up at the sign.

  There was more laughter. Alice groaned. She’d had enough talk about poo to last her a lifetime.

  ‘I’m sure it’s not meant to be poo,’ said Alice to her brother. Then she looked at Ben with concern. ‘Is it?’

  ‘No!’ He held his hands to his chest in a theatrical gesture, as if horribly offended. ‘It’s meant to be your appendix.’

  Even more laughter filled the room and Alice blushed.

  ‘I looked it up online,’ said Ben. ‘That’s what an appendix looks like … sort of … I guess …’

  And then everyone was crowding in around Alice, hugging her, patting her on the back and welcoming her home.

  A little later, Grandad fired up the barbecue and people started to move outside.

  ‘I brought some roo sausages,’ said Ben’s mum jokingly, as she went out. ‘’Specially for Alice.’

  Alice glared at Ben. He’d promised not to tell his mum that she didn’t like roo. He shrugged and went out with the others.

  Mum came and took her hand. They sat down on the couch together.

  ‘I hate hospitals,’ said Mum. Her voice sounded tight and her eyes were glistening. ‘Last time one of the family had to go to hospital, it was your dad … and … and he …’

  ‘I know,’ said Alice, putting an arm around her shoulders.

  And then Mum was hugging her again, tears in her eyes. ‘I was so worried you wouldn’t come back.’

  ‘I love you, Mum,’ said Alice, sniffing back her own tears.

  ‘And I love you.’

  It was a little while before they finally let go of each other.

  ‘I’ve got something to return to you,’ said Alice, reaching for the necklace.

  ‘Oh no,’ said Mum. ‘That’s yours now. I think your dad would be happy for you to have it.’

  Alice nodded. Mum squeezed her hand.

  ‘The RFDS were amazing,’ said Alice, wiping at her eyes.

  ‘I’d hate to think what would have happened to you without them,’ agreed Mum.

  ‘Doctor Helen was great,’ Alice went on. ‘She was on the plane with us and she told us this amazing story about her grandfather.’

  Alice paused to think about her own grandfather. He’d proven himself to be very useful. More than useful. He’d got her through the whole experience.

  ‘And Grandad was terrific too,’ said Alice, looking at Mum. ‘He took care of me. Sat with me the whole time. Talked to me. Told me stories.’

  ‘He’s a good man,’ agreed Mum.

  Alice nodded and fell silent.

  ‘Come on,’ said Mum, getting up. ‘We should go outside with everyone else.’

  ‘Hey Mum,’ said Alice thoughtfully. ‘You know how every cloud is supposed to have a silver lining? Well, it’s true – I got a silver lining.’

  ‘What’s that?’

  ‘I flew in a plane.’ Alice smiled. ‘I’d like to do it again. But without the storm and without the appendix.’

  Mum nodded. ‘Well, if you do fly again, it will definitely be without the appendix.’

  ‘Haha,’ said Alice, rolling her eyes. ‘But I think I’d like to travel when I’m older.’

  ‘Where to?’ asked Mum.

  ‘Dunno,’ said Alice. ‘Somewhere. Anywhere. In a plane.’

  ‘Your father always wanted to travel,’ said Mum with a faraway look in her eyes. ‘But he never really got the chance. He’d like it if you did.’

  Alice reached up and touched the gold nugget.

  ‘If you go to Lord’s, I’ll go with you.’

  Alice looked over to see Ben leaning in the doorway to the kitchen. Mum patted him on the shoulder as she squeezed past. ‘You’re a nice boy,’ she said quietly as she headed outside.

  ‘Lord’s … what?’ asked Alice.

  ‘Lord’s Cricket Ground,’ said Ben, as if he were talking to an idiot. ‘In England. It’s where the Ashes are kept. You know, as in The Ashes. The test cricket series between Australia and England?’

  ‘Oh.’ Alice smiled.

  ‘Bill Ponsford played there in the 1930 Ashes test series,’ said Ben excitedly. ‘Australia won that year.’

  ‘Whatever,’ teased Alice.

  ‘And you call yourself a cricket fan.’ Ben shook his head.

  ‘I call you a cricket fan,’ corrected Alice. ‘I just like playing it. And only with pink stumps.’ Both she and Ben laughed. ‘But I’ll go there with you … one day.’

  Ben turned to go outside.

  ‘Hey!’ Alice called after him. ‘Um …’ She hesitated. ‘What colour are your eyes?’

  He turned back and looked at her, a little surprised. ‘Duh! Don’t you know?’

  Alice shrugged.

  ‘I know yours are blue,’ he said.

  ‘And I know that your hair is black, your skin is brown and your nose is kinda squishy,’ she said in a big rush. Then paused. ‘And I know your eyes are dark. But I can’t work out the colour.’

  Ben reached into his back pocket and pulled out a pair of sunglasses. He grinned as he put them over his eyes. ‘Here’s the deal,’ he said. ‘If you haven’t figured it out by the time we get to Lords, I might tell you.’

  And then he was off, out into the backyard.

  Alice laughed, holding a hand over her dressing as her tummy twinged. ‘Deal!’

  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 63 aircraft operating from 22 bases located across the nation and provides medical assistance to over 290,000 people every year.

  Did you know? The RFDS helps a person in Australia every two minutes!

  The RFDS has a fleet of 33 Swiss-made Pilatus PC-12 aircraft that have been converted for aeromedical use. Equipment on the PC-12 includes two stretchers and a stretcher loading device powered by the aircraft medical electrical system, which has been designed to enable easy, safe loading and unloading of stretcher patients without the need for difficult lifting.

  Built into the aircraft is an integrated oxygen system, which distributes 3250 litres of oxygen to standard m
edical outlets. High-level suction is also provided to standard medical suction inlets. Aircraft 28 volt DC and domestic 240 volt AC is provided to power medical equipment. Special cabin lighting has also been fitted.

  Cabin flooring and walls have been resurfaced to provide a suitable, easily cleaned working environment. Purpose-built cabinet and baggage compartment shelving have been fitted to hold medical and general supplies and equipment.

  The aircraft intercommunication system has been extended to include cabin outlets. In addition to the standard aircraft VHF and HF radios, a satellite telephone and specialist radios are also fitted.

  Other medical equipment carried on the aircraft includes:

  Cardiac Monitors / Defibrillators / External Cardiac Pacing Units

  Propaq Vital Signs Monitors

  IV Volumetric Pumps

  Syringe Pumps

  The locations used in this book are real places. This includes the Western Australian gold rush town of Mount Magnet, situated along the Great Northern Highway about six hours drive from Perth.

  Although farmers had settled in the area since 1878, Mount Magnet was established in 1895 as a mining town. It got its name from a nearby hill that has a very high iron content, which affects compasses. Mount Magnet is the longest continuous goldmining centre in Western Australia, with Hill 50 being the main mine since the turn of the 19th century. These days, however, the mining is in decline and Mount Magnet is mostly a service town for surrounding sheep stations.

  There are numerous important Aboriginal sites in the area surrounding the town. About seven kilometres to the north of the town are The Granites, a rocky outcrop with Aboriginal paintings on the granite boulders. Mount Magnet is known for its ‘Everlasting Daisies’ (also called Paper Daisies), which grow for kilometres around the town.

  As a child, legendary Australian cricketer Bill Ponsford (1900–1991) spent his summers in Mount Magnet.

  Appendicitis means inflammation of the appendix, which is a small tube attached to the large intestine. The precise function of the appendix in the human body is something of a mystery, although it clearly plays a role in digestion for other animal species. Anyone of any age can be struck by appendicitis, but it seems to be more common during childhood and adolescence.

  Food or faecal matter can sometimes lodge in the narrow tube of the appendix, and the blockage becomes infected with bacteria. This is a medical emergency. If the appendix bursts, its infected contents will spread throughout the abdominal cavity. Infection of the lining of the abdominal cavity (peritonitis) can be life-threatening without prompt treatment.

  Symptoms of appendicitis include:

  Dull pain centred around the navel, which progresses to a sharp pain in the lower right side of the abdomen

  Pain in the lower back, hamstring or rectum (less commonly)

  Fever

  Vomiting

  Diarrhoea or constipation

  Loss of appetite

  Treatment for appendicitis

  Treatment includes an operation to remove the appendix completely. This procedure is known as an appendicectomy or appendectomy. If the appendix has burst, the surgeon will insert a tube and drain the abdominal cavity of pus. Antibiotics are given to the patient intravenously to reduce the possibility of peritonitis.

  The typical hospital stay for an appendicectomy is between three and five days. Removing the appendix appears to have no effect on the workings of the digestive system, in either the short or long term.

  Abridged version reproduced with permission from www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au

  © 2015 State of Victoria

  During times of difficult communication the Phonetic Alphabet is of great use. ‘S’ and ‘F’ can sound the same, as can ‘D’ and ‘B’. Spelling of names is sometimes required. For example, ‘Smith’ is transmitted as Sierra Mike India Tango Hotel using the phonetic alphabet.

  LETTER

  PHONETIC

  SPOKEN AS

  A

  ALPHA

  AL FAH

  B

  BRAVO

  BRAH VO

  C

  CHARLIE

  CHAR LEE

  D

  DELTA

  DELLTA

  E

  ECHO

  ECK OH

  F

  FOXTROT

  FOKS TROT

  G

  GOLF

  GOLF

  H

  HOTEL

  HOH TEL

  I

  INDIA

  IN DEE AH

  J

  JULIET

  JEW LEE ETT

  K

  KILO

  KEY LOH

  L

  LIMA

  LEE MAH

  M

  MIKE

  MIKE

  N

  NOVEMBER

  NO VEMBER

  O

  OSCAR

  OSS CAH

  P

  PAPA

  PAH PAH

  Q

  QUEBEC

  KEH BECK

  R

  ROMEO

  ROH ME OH

  S

  SIERRA

  SEE AIR RAH

  T

  TANGO

  TANG GO

  U

  UNIFORM

  YOU NEE FORM

  V

  VICTOR

  VICK TAH

  W

  WHISKEY

  WISS KEY

  X

  X-RAY

  ECKS RAY

  Y

  YANKEE

  YANG KEY

  Z

  ZULU

  ZOO LOO

  Missed out on Royal Flying Doctor Service: Remote Rescue? Read on for an extract!

  Dawson crept along, heart pounding in his chest. He trod carefully, quietly, his eyes searching the nooks and crannies.

  He stepped over rubble and out through the door in the crumbling wall. The sun hit him in the eyes, dazzling him. Squinting, he raised a hand to shield his face.

  Crack!

  The noise of rock hitting against rock.

  He ran.

  It could have just been a falling brick – the walls and rubble piles were certainly unstable enough. But it might have been one of his pursuers.

  And he didn’t want to take a chance.

  Dawson skirted the old building. His runners sank into the sand baked by the harsh sun.

  He stopped at the edge of the wall and peered into the main street. There were people near a bright red car at the very far end of the dirt and gravel road. But, otherwise, there was no one else close by. He took a deep breath, then dashed across the street.

  Breathing hard, legs pumping, he made it through to the next ageing building. He surveyed his surroundings.

  Streaks of sunlight hit the tired walls, making the shadows seem even darker. Dawson peered into the gloomy corners, looking for movement … for signs of life. Nothing.

  He inched forward, back pressed up against the wall.

  He looked into the first room. Reasonably intact, it had four almost complete walls; even the window frame was still in place. But the room was filled with debris, where the roof had caved in.

  Dawson moved on.

  The next room by contrast was barely there. The wall with the doorway was the only one completely standing. Dawson continued a little quicker.

  Another room and he was at the back doorway. Like the front room, it still had its wooden frame but no actual door. He looked out cautiously before stepping forward.

  ‘Boo!’

  Dawson jumped, stumbled and fell onto the pile of nearby bricks, scraping his knee.

  A young girl giggled, ran past him in a flash of pink and disappeared around the corner.

  Dawson sighed. This was silly. Why was he scared? It was just a dumb game of hide and seek or chasey or whatever it was.

  Then again, it might have something to do with the fact that he was creeping around an almost d
eserted ghost town – a real live ghost town. Or should that be a real dead ghost town, he wondered.

  ‘Yo, kids!’ he heard Dad’s voice echo around the bricks. ‘Front and centre.’

  Dawson picked himself up and dusted off his grimy blue shorts and t-shirt. He clambered up the pile of bricks and looked for signs of his siblings.

  Nothing. They were better at games than he was.

  Dawson yelped as he slipped down the bricks, landing hard at the bottom. He sighed again. Why had he agreed to play?

  He got up and walked through the dilapidated building, along the neat little path out the front and past the sign saying ‘Exchange Hotel’. Low ropes strung between short wooden posts marked out the boundaries of the building.

  Dawson looked back at the partially collapsed hotel. The sun was going down behind it, shining through the glassless windows, empty doorways and crumbling brickwork, making it glow. It almost looked beautiful … in a weird sort of way.

  ‘Kids!’

  Dad was at the end of the main road, at the crossroads on the edge of Farina, the small abandoned town that they were visiting. As usual, Dad wore blue jeans and a white t-shirt. He always wore jeans, even if he was going out to a fancy dinner. Mum would wear a nice dress and Dad would wear a shirt, tie and suit jacket – with daggy blue jeans. Not a good look. Dawson thought jeans were a silly thing to wear on their holiday, given the heat.

  ‘Coming!’ He waved to Dad and started walking. To his left he could see his little sister, Emma, spring out from the building next to the hotel and race to Dad, skipping over debris.

  Glancing the other way, he saw his older sister, Samantha, climbing out of a rusted old car shell.

  How did she get all the way up there?

  He shook his head. She must have climbed through the car’s window to get inside. He had looked at the automobile when they’d first arrived and its doors were rusted shut. There were lots of sharp edges on it. She could have cut herself. Not for the first time, he marvelled at her reckless behaviour.