I can’t sleep. It’s so hot I can’t even stand to have a sheet over me and the fan just seems to be pushing blankets of hot air onto me. I carefully step over Curly, my cocker spaniel who’s asleep on the floor, to open my window some more. Mum and Dad and Chelsea’s parents are standing silently outside on the pavement in the middle of the night. What’s going on?

I go outside to talk to them. Curly wakes and follows me. It’s as if he knows something is wrong. That’s when I see the eerie glow on the horizon in the distance.

‘What’s that?’ I ask.

‘There’s a massive bushfire on the mountain range,’ says Dad, putting his arm around my shoulder.

I smell the smoke as we all stand and watch the orange line that snakes across the horizon. Suddenly I start to panic. ‘Isn’t that where Maisy lives?’

‘No, honey,’ Mum reassures me. ‘Maisy lives further west, but there are houses up in those mountains, and a lot of bushland.’ She looks really worried.

‘Come on,’ Dad says. ‘We’d better try and get some sleep. It’s going to be a busy day tomorrow.’

‘Why? What have we got on tomorrow?’ I ask.

Mum takes my hand. ‘Juliet, there are going to be a lot of very badly hurt animals coming out of that fire. I don’t know if it’s a good idea for you to be at home. Perhaps you and Chelsea could go out to Maisy’s farm for the weekend?’

I can’t believe what I’m hearing.

‘Mum, I’m nearly a vet, and Chelsea, Maisy and I have all proved that we are very useful in a disaster. Don’t you remember the cow in the dam? You’ll need us tomorrow. We’re not going anywhere!’ I put my hands on my hips.

Mum looks over at Chelsea’s mum who shrugs. ‘We can see how bad it gets and make a decision on it tomorrow, Rachel.’

Mum nods and I try not to cheer.

We say goodnight, but there’s no way I will sleep now. As soon as I’m back in my room I whip out my Vet Diary and start making a list of the things I’m going to need. Curly is glad I’m awake and positions himself perfectly for a pat.

Mum taps on my door. She’s seen my light on.

‘Juliet, please go to sleep. You’ll be tired all day tomorrow and being cranky won’t help me at all.’

I hear the back door close softly and realise Mum has gone over to her surgery. She hasn’t come back by the time I finally drift off to sleep.