It was a long drive. The car sped along the seemingly endless road, the stream of dust in the ambulance’s wake making it difficult to see anything. Burt eventually slowed a little, allowing the ambulance and its dust cloud to pull ahead.

Sam looked at Em, huddled down into her seat, knees up, arms wrapped around them. She looked miserable. I’ve got to do something, thought Sam.

She undid her seatbelt and got up on her knees, leaning over the back seat into the boot of the hatchback.

‘Oi!’ called Burt, glancing in the rear vision mirror. ‘Seatbelt.’

‘Hang on,’ mumbled Sam, digging through her dad’s bag, pulling out smelly socks, extra jeans and endless t-shirts. Was this bag bigger on the inside? she wondered.

Finally, she found what she was after. She sat back in her seat holding an iPad.

Dad had brought it along and filled it with guide books and maps before the trip. According to him, the iPad wasn’t supposed to be used for game-playing while on this ‘old-fashioned’ holiday, saying things like, ‘We never had devices like that when I was young,’ and ‘If I could go on holiday as a kid with just some books and the view out of the car window, so can you’.

But Sam knew the iPad was a sure-fire way of keeping Em calm and occupied. Em’s eyes lit up as the screen flickered into life. She grabbed it eagerly and was soon lost in a virtual world, her mind finally on something other than the situation they were in.

Meanwhile, Sam stewed. She was angry with herself for so many things – for not breaking into the farmhouse to use the phone, for forgetting the first-aid kit until Dad had reminded her, but, most of all, for playing chasey through the buildings of Farina. If only she had listened to Dad … and Dawson.

Sam felt a small pang of jealousy. Dawson had been the sensible one through all of this. He was the one who found help. He was the one who tended to Dad and talked to the RFDS on the phone. And now, on top of all this, she felt ashamed about being jealous.

Burt attempted to make conversation, asking about their holiday and what they had seen. But Sam, lost in her own dark thoughts, responded only with single-word answers and non-committal grunts.

She could tell Burt was just about ready to give up trying, when there was a loud bang and the car suddenly veered into the centre of the road.

Dawson sat in the front of the ambulance with Jen, while Bruce rode in the back with Dad.

Dawson would look over his shoulder every now and then, trying to get a glimpse of Dad through the smallish window that divided the front from the patient care area at the back.

Images of Dad falling punctuated his glimpses. He wondered why these sorts of visions always happened in slow motion. It was like something out of a movie … a bad movie.

He glanced over his shoulder again.

‘Bruce’ll take good care of him,’ reassured Jen. ‘He’s the best there is. Been out here nursing for years. And as for your dad’s injuries … well, I’ve seen a lot worse in people who are now just fine. Bit of a cut and a broken leg. Nothing life-threatening.’

Dawson nodded. He realised Jen was trying to reassure him, but his insides were still churning.

‘Want some music?’ asked Jen.

‘Sure,’ said Dawson without enthusiasm.

Jen stabbed at the stereo controls, and heavily synthesised techno music blared through the speakers. It was the sort of thing Dad called ‘doof-doof music’ because of the constant backbeat – doof-doof-doof-doof …

Dawson looked out of the window at the barren landscape. Flat, dry ground with the occasional scrubby bush; kangaroos hopping along off in the distance; and a raptor of some sort circling in the cloudless sky above.

The music seemed jarring and out of place.

A haze of heat shimmered over everything as the sun beat down onto the desert. But Dawson shivered.

Jen glanced at him. ‘You want me to turn down the air-con?’

‘I’m okay,’ Dawson answered, hugging himself.

Dawson’s gaze wandered to the side mirror. He couldn’t see any cars behind him. He sat up straighter and peered more intently into the reflection, trying to see through the heat shimmer and the dust the ambulance was stirring up on the road behind them.

‘What’s the matter?’ asked Jen

‘I can’t see the other cars,’ said Dawson, his voice up a notch from normal.

‘We’ve been slowly getting further ahead,’ said Jen. ‘They won’t be too far back.’

‘But I can’t see anything,’ insisted Dawson.

‘We went over a rise a while ago,’ explained Jen. ‘So that’s probably restricting our view.’

‘Rise?’ asked Dawson. ‘But it’s completely flat out here.’

‘Not quite,’ said Jen with a little laugh. ‘I know it looks that way. And it mostly is. But there are gradual rises and falls, which are so subtle that you tend not to notice them. On a long stretch of road like this, a slight rise and fall can make it hard to see the cars behind you. That, and the dust as well. We’re kicking up one heck of a cloud and it’s hard to see much through it all.’

‘Oh.’ Dawson stared at the mirror, hoping to see something.

‘Just try to relax,’ said Jen.

Easier said than done, thought Dawson. It was something Dad said often. Dawson finally understood.

Dad was in good hands. There was nothing more for Dawson to do. He knew he should rest and stop worrying. But he couldn’t. Possibilities kept popping up in his mind:

What if they lose the other cars?

What if they break down here in the outback?

What if Dad gets worse?

What if Dad dies?

Em screamed.

Burt fought with the wheel and eased his foot into the brake, bringing the car to a stop.

‘It’s okay,’ Sam comforted Em. ‘Everything’s okay.’ Then she leaned forward to Burt. ‘What happened?’

‘At a guess, I’d say we just blew a tyre,’ he said, following it up with a groan. ‘That’s gonna be fun to change in this heat.’

Burt undid his seatbelt and pushed the car door open, just as the Land Rover pulled up.

‘You can keep playing,’ Sam said to Em as she slid open the window a crack – enough so she could hear what was going on without letting in too much of the heat.

‘That’s all we damn-well need,’ Burt complained.

‘Now don’t get all worked up, dear,’ said Gwen, hopping out of the Land Rover.

‘We’re out in the middle of nowhere,’ moaned Burt, ‘with two kids. It’s damn hot and the spare tyre’s in the car boot that’s chokkas full of camping gear, which we’re going to have to unload before we can change the wheel.’

‘Getting annoyed isn’t going to help,’ said Gwen practically. ‘We just do what needs to be done, change the tyre and keep going. We’ve done it before and I’m sure we’ll get to do it again before our travelling days are out.’ She patted her husband on the arm. ‘Remember that time we drove across the Pilbara in WA? Two flat tyres. And it was hotter than this. But we made it.’

‘Yeah,’ agreed Burt, sheepishly, ‘I guess you’re right.’ He gave his wife’s hand a little squeeze. ‘I’m glad I’ve got you to keep me focused.’

And that’s when they noticed Sam peering out at them through the partly open window. Sam saw their expressions change. She could tell they were concerned about upsetting her. Well, they needn’t worry, she thought. I can look after myself.

‘Sorry,’ said Burt with a little shrug.

Sam got out of the car, determined to do something, to not be a burden. ‘I’ll help with the gear.’ She looked back in. ‘Em, you stay in there.’ Then she slammed the door shut.

‘Oh, you don’t have –’ began Burt, but Sam cut him off.

‘It’s okay. It’s our gear and the sooner we get the tyre changed the sooner we can go after Dad.’ Sam went round to the back of the car and lifted up the hatchback. ‘I’ve helped Dad change a tyre before. I know what I’m doing.’

‘Actually,’ said Gwen, ‘I could take you and your sister ahead in the Land Rover. I’m sure Burt can change the tyre on his own. And that way you can still get to the airport not long after your dad.’

Sam started to unpack the boot. ‘It’s okay,’ she said. ‘They can’t take us all in the RFDS plane anyway. Daws will go in the plane. We’re going to have to wait at the airport … until someone figures out what to do with us kids.’

‘Oh.’ Gwen looked sideways at her husband and pointedly raised her eyebrows. He jumped forward and started helping Sam unload.

‘At least this way I’m doing something useful,’ muttered Sam.

She knew that unpacking the car and helping with the tyre would keep her mind busy – and stop her from thinking about all the things she’d done wrong.

‘How about I ring ahead to the airport,’ said Gwen. ‘I’ll let them know what’s happened. Otherwise your brother might worry. Then I’ll get some cold drinks from the esky.’

‘Thanks,’ said Sam without looking up.

‘I think we should stop,’ Dawson blurted out.

‘What?’ Jen glanced sideways at him.

‘I’ve been watching,’ continued Dawson. ‘They’re definitely not behind us anymore. It’s been ages since that rise. The road’s been flat ever since. I can see pretty far back. And they’re not there. We need to stop.’

‘I don’t think we should,’ said Jen. ‘It’s more important to get your dad to hospital.’

‘But just before you said his injuries weren’t serious.’

‘I didn’t say that.’ Jen was looking worried now. ‘I said it wasn’t life-threatening. There is a difference. What your dad has is a serious injury and he still needs to get to a hospital as soon as possible.’

‘But what if something’s happened?’ insisted Dawson.

‘Well, how about we give them a ring,’ suggested Jen. ‘We’ve got a satellite phone here.’

‘Oh,’ said Dawson. ‘Do you know Burt’s number?’

‘No,’ said Jen. ‘I thought you’d have it. Or your sister’s.’

‘My sister doesn’t have a phone. And I never thought to get his number. We’ve got to stop. It’s bad enough that Dad’s hurt. What if something’s happened to them?’ Dawson’s voice had risen again and he was speaking so fast his words were running together.

‘Calm down, Dawson,’ said Jen, her voice even and gentle. ‘We need to think this through logically. We’re not far from the airport now. It would make more sense to keep going and get your dad onto the plane, which will be ready and waiting. Your sisters aren’t alone. They’ve got Burt and Gwen, who seem like pretty seasoned travellers. If anything has gone wrong –’ seeing the panic in this eyes, she added quickly ‘– and I’m not saying that it has, I’m sure they can handle it. Even if they’ve had car trouble – remember, they’re in two vehicles, so they can still follow on.’

‘If they haven’t shown up by the time your dad is loaded onto the plane and ready to go, I’ll contact the RFDS base,’ Jen added. ‘They’ll have the number for the couple. And if worse comes to worst, I can always drive back to them after your dad’s on his way.’

Dawson crossed his arms over his chest and sunk down into the seat, trying hard to quell the butterflies in his stomach.

‘Okay?’ she asked quietly.

He nodded, then suddenly sat up straight again. ‘Can I use the phone to ring my mum? I tried before you arrived but got voicemail.’

‘Sure,’ said Jen.

Dawson picked up the phone and dialled Mum’s number.

‘Hey Mum, it’s Sam. Did you get Dawson’s messages? We’ve got more problems. Dad and Dawson are in an ambulance on the way to the airport. Em and I were following in Dad’s car, which is being driven by this old guy who’s helping us.’ Sam saw Burt cringe when she said old, and blustered on. ‘Um. He’s really nice. His name’s Burt and he’s been really great. Anyway. We’ve had a flat tyre. We’re fixing it now. Then we’ll get to the airport. Can you ring as soon as you get –’

Beep!

Sam sighed and handed the phone back to Gwen. ‘Thanks.’ She turned to Burt, who was now jacking up the car. ‘Can I help?’

‘It’s okay,’ said Burt. ‘The old guy’s got this.’

Sam went red.