Flight to Coorah Creek Read online

  Ellen caught Jess’s eye and they shared a smile. ‘I wonder if she stops talking when she’s asleep,’ Jess said with a grin.

  Ellen nodded. ‘She does talk rather a lot, but she has been very good to the kids. And to me.’

  Ellen placed the fresh toast on the table in front of Bethany and Harry and slipped two more slices of bread into the toaster.

  ‘I can do that.’ Jess started to get to her feet.

  ‘No worries. I’m here now. By the way,’ Ellen paused for a second before continuing, ‘Jack has asked me to help him get the house ready for you to move in to. I hope that’s okay?’

  ‘Of course. If you’re willing. There’s a lot of work to do.’

  ‘I don’t mind the work. And he’s going to pay …’ Ellen’s voice trailed off, and Jess sensed the older woman was just a little embarrassed. Of course, with two kids she’d need the money. Jess could understand that.

  ‘Have you had any luck finding a job?’ she asked.

  Ellen’s face lit up. ‘Yes. I have a job cooking at the other pub. The Mineside.’

  ‘That’s great.’ Jess meant it.

  Their conversation was interrupted by the door swinging open.

  ‘Is there any more coffee?’ Sister Luke asked, as she walked in.

  ‘Of course.’ Ellen reached for another cup.

  ‘Jessica, I came to ask a favour of you,’ Sister Luke said, as she slid into a chair. ‘I am heading back east on the train today and I was hoping you’d drop by this afternoon and just make sure Adam doesn’t need anything.’

  ‘Of course,’ Jess replied. ‘But he’s a big boy, Sister Luke. He can look after himself.’

  ‘He can be an idiot sometimes,’ Sister Luke responded, a fond smile spreading over her face. ‘But he means well. I told him I’d be away for a couple of days, but he’s quite likely to forget. I would feel better about being gone if I knew you were around.’

  As any emergency involving Adam was also likely to involve Jess anyway, in her job as pilot, it didn’t seem a big thing to ask.

  ‘Sister Luke, are you ready?’ Trish popped her head around the door. ‘Syd’s just about to drive down to the station. He can give you a lift.’

  ‘Thank you.’ Sister Luke quickly finished her coffee, smiled at Jess and Ellen and left.

  ‘I’d best be going, too,’ Jess said. ‘I need to get down to the strip. Thanks for the breakfast.’

  ‘You’re welcome.’ Ellen’s response was drowned out by Harry and Bethany’s exuberant goodbyes. Jess walked out of the pub feeling almost as if she were leaving a family home.

  It was late morning by the time she made it to the hospital. She walked through the empty corridor towards Adam’s office. He was engrossed in some paperwork on his desk, and didn’t hear her approach. She watched him rub the side of his neck with his left hand. In such an unguarded moment, he seemed tired. Or lonely. Or both.

  She stepped back into the corridor and away from the office door. This time as she approached, she made a bit more noise. When she stepped into his office, he was ready for her.

  ‘I’m glad you’re here. We need to talk about our trip to the Birdsville races.’

  The day got considerably brighter for Adam as Jess slid into the chair opposite his desk. He did need to talk to her about their job providing medical cover during the races. But he was also beginning to discover that a day with Jessica Pearson in it was far better than a day without her.

  ‘What do you know about the races?’ he asked.

  ‘What everyone else knows,’ she said. ‘A bunch of people and horses. A weekend race meeting. Lots of partying.’

  Adam nodded. ‘That’s about it. Our role is to provide medical cover. For about six thousand people.’

  ‘Six thousand? All the way out here?’ The shock was evident on Jessica’s face.

  ‘Birdsville is even further out than we are,’ Adam said. ‘It sits right on the edge of the desert and it’s tiny. There’s the pub, a few houses and a general store. The airstrip, of course, and that’s about it. There’s a clinic, too, but it makes this one look like the Royal Brisbane Hospital.’

  ‘And six thousand people turn up for a horse race?’

  ‘It’s a weekend of racing – but yes, they certainly do!’ Adam leaned back in the chair. The Birdsville Race meeting was one of his favourite events and this year he was looking forward to it more than usual. If he were to be honest with himself, he would probably admit that was because he was eager to share the experience with Jess. He wanted to watch her face as she experienced the wonderful madness of the event. He wanted to hear her cheer on the racers. Laugh at a joke. He wanted to walk into the desert with her and share the beauty of the place. And he knew that would never happen.

  He pulled his mind back to the present. Some dreams were better left unrealised – because the reality would never match the dream.

  ‘We’re not the only medical cover are we?’ Jess asked.

  ‘No,’ Adam said. ‘The Royal Flying Doctor Service goes too. You’ll like them. They’re good guys.’

  ‘But where do they put all those people?’

  ‘Most of them camp at the airstrip,’ he answered. ‘There’s no accommodation, apart from the pub.’

  ‘And we have to camp too?’

  Adam looked at the expression on her face and laughed. ‘It’s all right – the medical team get first shot at real beds at the pub.’

  Her relief was obvious. Adam had a feeling Jess wasn’t a camping sort of a girl. She would probably be happier in an upmarket hotel. She looked pretty fine in the jeans and T-shirts she wore, but he guessed that in a designer dress, she wouldn’t look out of place in the best hotels in the world. Which made it even more curious that she was sitting in his office way out here at Coorah Creek, talking about the Birdsville Races.

  ‘We’re busy, but serious injuries are pretty rare. It’s a fun weekend. Surely you’ve seen it on TV. It’s one of the few times the media acknowledges that we exist way out here.’

  ‘It’s on television?’ Her voice sounded wary.

  ‘Yes. Reporters come from everywhere. Newspapers. Radio. TV, too. Last year I treated one of the TV reporters for severe sunburn and dehydration. He got drunk and passed out on the side of the airstrip in the middle of the day.’ Adam chuckled. ‘He was fine, but I imagine he didn’t spend a lot of time in front of the camera during the next few days. His face was lobster red.’

  Jessica’s face was frozen. Something flashed in her eyes and she looked like a frightened animal poised for escape. He didn’t think she was hearing his words. It was as if her mind was seeing something other than the inside of his very ordinary little office.

  ‘They’re not a bad bunch really,’ Adam said quickly. ‘But they do like to drink.’

  His attempt to lighten the moment fell flat. Whatever had put that look on Jess’s face must have been pretty serious. Serious enough to drive her to the ends of the earth?

  ‘Jess? Is something wrong?’ he spoke gently.

  For a moment he thought she was going to tell him. Her clear blue eyes held his. There was a world of pain in their depths. Pain that was so much more than the mere hurt of a physical wound. Pain that was all too familiar to him. The room was so still, he could almost hear their hearts beating. Somewhere deep inside him, Adam felt the beginnings of a need he thought long since quenched. He wanted to reach out and take her hand. Human contact would comfort her. Would comfort him. There was danger in that thought. In Jess. Because if he got too close …

  The telephone on his desk rang – a harsh note that cut through the room like the shattering of ice. Jessica jumped as if someone had slapped her.

  Adam wasn’t sure whether to be grateful for the interruption – or to curse it. But, in either case, he was a doctor. He coul
dn’t ignore it. He reached for the phone.

  ‘Doc. It’s happening. Right now!’ The male voice at the other end of the line sounded very young and very frightened.

  Adam knew instantly who it was. ‘It’s all right, Steve. Calm down. It’s going to be all right.’

  ‘I gotta get her to the hospital. Right?’

  ‘Yes you do. But you’ve got plenty of time. Don’t break both your necks driving like a madman. Okay?’

  Movement across the desk dragged his attention back from the call. Jess was getting to her feet, obviously leaving. He shook his head and motioned for her to stay.

  ‘Everything is going to be fine,’ Adam said into the phone. ‘I’ll see you soon.’

  Jess was standing by the door as Adam hung up. ‘Jess, I need you.’

  ‘I’ll head for the airstrip. Where are we going?’

  ‘Oh, we’re not going anywhere.’ Adam grinned. He couldn’t help himself. ‘We’re about to deliver a baby.’

  Her face paled. ‘What do you mean … deliver a baby?’

  Adam moved out from behind the desk. ‘Have you ever seen a baby born? It’s the most wonderful moment. A miracle.’

  ‘Let’s get back to the “we” part,’ Jess said.

  ‘I need a nurse. And that’s going to be you.’

  ‘No. No.’ Jess started backing thorough the doorway. Her face was a mask of fear.

  ‘Sister Luke is away,’ Adam said. ‘She took the train east this morning. Some business with her order, I think. It’s you and me, Jess. You are in for such a treat.’

  ‘No. Absolutely not. I know nothing about babies … especially about giving birth to them.’

  ‘But I do,’ Adam reassured her. ‘I know everything we need to know. What I do need is an extra pair of hands. That’s where you come in.’

  ‘No. No.’ Jess backed even further away. ‘That couple don’t want me there. Intruding.’

  ‘Trust me, they won’t care,’ Adam said. ‘They’ll have other things on their mind.’ He stepped closer to her. ‘Jess, you’ll do great. I need you.’

  Jess shook her head again. But the conviction was gone from her face.

  ‘Please,’ he asked one more time, knowing that he had already won.

  ‘All right. I just hope you don’t regret this.’

  ‘I won’t, and neither will you.’

  Jess wasn’t so sure about that, but it looked like she had no option. Adam had simply overwhelmed her with his passion and his optimism and his need. He was walking down the hospital corridor now, issuing instructions to her as he went. For a few moments, she was tempted just to turn and run. What could he do to stop her?

  But she didn’t. If she ran away from this, where could she possibly go?

  At that moment she knew that she was going to accept the assignment in Birdsville as well. Yes, she was worried about the media, but they would probably not even see her – far less realise who she was. And if they did? Somehow she’d deal with that. It would be easier than telling Adam why she couldn’t go. It would be easier than admitting to herself that she was still running away.

  Just a few minutes ago, she had come so close to telling Adam about her past. She wanted to be truthful with him, but was terribly afraid of how he would react. His entire life was devoted to saving lives. To healing. If he knew that she had carried that poison on her plane, he would never forgive her. He would look at her with disgust. She couldn’t bear that.

  ‘Jess. Come on. I need you to focus,’ Adam called from a doorway just down the corridor.

  ‘All right.’ Jess took a deep breath and pushed aside all thoughts about the past or the future. The next few hours were going to be tough enough without letting things she couldn’t change get in the way.

  Adam wheeled a metal instrument trolley into what was to be the delivery room … a bright clean room with a traditional hospital bed.

  ‘Doesn’t this happen in an operating theatre or something?’ Jess asked, as she helped cover the bed first with plastic sheets – then with crisp white cotton.

  ‘Not unless something goes wrong,’ Adam said. ‘I try to stay out of the operating room. It tends to frighten the parents.’

  ‘They’re not the only ones,’ Jess muttered, as she tucked and folded.

  Adam turned to check his instrument tray. Not for the first time, Jess noticed how his long dark eyelashes curved against the tanned skin of his face. Most women would kill for eyelashes like that. They were wasted on a man. Then he lifted his eyes. Velvet brown eyes, with a hint of gold. Jess felt a tiny frisson somewhere deep inside her as his eyes captured hers. No. Those eyelashes were not wasted at all.

  ‘You enjoy this, don’t you?’ she asked, to distract herself from the disturbing thought starting to form in her mind.

  ‘This is the very best part of my job,’ he said. ‘You’ll enjoy it too.’

  Jess wasn’t so sure. But she was beginning to think delivering a baby was a little less scary that the unexpected feelings towards Adam that had suddenly swept over her.

  ‘Shouldn’t I be boiling water or something?’ she asked, to hide the growing sense of panic she was feeling. She’d never had much to do with babies. Her lifestyle as a private pilot meant most of her friends and acquaintances had been travellers. Single travellers. Men who left their wives and children at home. She had no close girlfriends with children. No nieces or nephews. Come to think of it, she’d never even changed a nappy.

  ‘No.’

  ‘But in all the movies—’

  ‘You shouldn’t believe everything you see in the movies, you know.’ Outside the open window, the roar of an engine told them a car was entering the parking lot at a higher speed than was strictly necessary – or safe.

  ‘Ah. That would be them.’ Adam left to meet his patients.

  Jess stood in the centre of the room looking at the tray of cold steel surgical instruments. They were quite terrifying. In her wildest dreams, she would never have imagined herself here. Doing what it seemed likely she was about to do. She glanced across at the open door, and any thought of running away vanished.

  The girl looked young – like a teenager. She was tiny and she was terrified. Her mousy brown hair was dark with sweat and her brown eyes were wide with pain. She was holding tightly to the hand of a man – a boy really – who looked just as young and scared as she did, as Adam ushered them into the room.

  ‘Nikki, this is Jess,’ he said, by way of introduction. ‘She’s going to be helping me today.’ He conveniently forgot to mention she was a pilot, not a nurse.

  The pregnant girl looked up at her with pleading eyes. ‘I’m so glad there’s a woman here,’ she said.

  ‘It’s going to be fine,’ Jess said, as she helped the girl onto the bed.

  ‘Now, Steve.’ Adam looked at the nervous young man. ‘I need you to sit next to Nikki. Hold her hand and help her breathe. Can you do that?’

  Steve looked as if he was about to faint, but he moved to the side of the bed. He took the girl’s hand and squeezed it tightly.

  ‘That’s good,’ Adam said. ‘Now, Nikki, just relax. This is going to take a while. I’m just going to check how you’re doing. Okay?’

  ‘Okay.’

  ‘First babies are unpredictable,’ Adam said, as he donned a pair of surgical gloves. ‘Some of them come into this world in a rush. Others take their time. But you’re here now, Nikki. You’re safe with me and with Jess.’

  Nikki nodded, and then she caught her breath as a contraction took her. She reached for Jess’s hand. Jess saw the approval in Adam’s eyes as she took the girl’s hand in hers. Suddenly she was not quite so scared.

  Adam finished his examination and looked at the three faces turned his way. ‘Everything is fine. We’ve been preparing for this for a while. Re
member everything we talked about. The baby is on its way, but won’t be showing for a little while yet.’

  If Jess wondered what Adam meant by ‘a little while’, she soon found out. Nikki and Steve’s baby was in no hurry to meet the world. For the next few hours, she alternated between comforting the girl, and comforting the father-to-be. The harder and more frequent Nikki’s contractions, the paler Steve’s face became. He left the room several times to fetch more water for Nikki or to visit the bathroom. It was as if he were looking for reasons to escape.

  Jess barely left Nikki’s side. When Steve wasn’t there, it was Jessica’s hand she gripped when the contractions started. At times Jess felt as if her fingers were being crushed. Adam seemed the least concerned of them all. He spent most of the afternoon in the hospital room, leaving from time to time to answer a phone call or attend to some other piece of hospital business.

  He was out of the room when a particularly strong contraction made Nikki scream for the first time. Steve’s face turned a ghostly white and he leaped to his feet, letting go of Nikki’s hand.

  ‘I’ll get the doctor,’ he said, and fled the room.

  ‘Just breathe, Nikki,’ Jess said, taking the girl’s other hand. ‘Breathe.’

  The contraction eased, and Nikki collapsed back onto the pile of pillows. Jess offered her a glass of water, and wiped the sweat from her face with a cool cloth.

  There was no sign of either Steve or Adam.

  ‘Where did Steve go?’ Nikki’s voice trembled.

  ‘He won’t be far away,’ Jess said. ‘I’m sure they’ll both be right back.’

  Another few minutes dragged by, punctuated only by Nikki’s laboured breathing. When the tears started forming in the girl’s eyes, Jess decided she had to do something.

  ‘Will you be all right alone just for a few moments?’ she said. ‘I’ll go and look for Steve.’ And Adam.

  ‘Yes. Please get him!’

  Jess left the room at a rapid walk. She didn’t want to leave Nikki alone for long, but she had to find Steve. And when she did, she was going to say a few strong words!