IT WAS A week later when Darcie made her way along the corridor to Jack’s office. They hadn’t seen much of one another recently.
Jack had been away setting up what he called an outreach clinic. But at least he was at the hospital today and Darcie meant to make the most of it.
She knocked and popped her head in. ‘Got a minute?’
‘Good morning.’ Jack heaved his chair away from the desk and beckoned her in. ‘Haven’t seen you much this week,’ he said, as she took the chair opposite.
‘No.’ Her smile was quick and gone in a flash. She looked across at him. He looked serious and she wondered for the umpteenth time whether he was regretting their kisses and the shift even for a few hours from professional to personal. Maybe he hadn’t thought about it at all.
The possibility left her feeling hollow inside.
‘How are preparations for the clinic going?’ she asked.
‘So far, so good. The board members are enthusiastic and the owners of Warrawee station have offered space we can utilise. And it will be a central point and closer for some of the patients than having to travel in here to the hospital. Would you and Maggie have time to put your heads together and work out the basics of what we’ll need for the start-up?’
‘Of course.’ Darcie looked enthusiastic. ‘So—starting from scratch, we should think about furnishings for a treatment room and some kind of reception area? Bed, chairs, desk and so on. We can take patient files and laptop on the day. Maybe the whole area will need a lick of paint. And what about a water cooler, tea-making facilities...?’
‘Hang on, Darcie.’ Jack injected a note of caution. ‘Let’s just do the basics until we see whether patient numbers indicate it’s viable. And it goes without saying all emergencies will still have to come here to the hospital.’
‘I realise that. But I think a less clinical environment should work well for our indigenous folk, at least. Some of the elders in particular still have a fear of actual hospitals.’
‘You’ve really got a handle on Sunday Creek and its people, haven’t you?’
Darcie’s gaze tangled with his as his gentle words soothed all the lonely places in her heart. Breaking eye contact, she said quietly, ‘Everyone here has shown me the kind of respect a doctor can only dream about. And I’ve felt incredibly welcome.’
Jack rubbed absently at his jaw. ‘You’ve obviously earned every bit of trust people have placed in you.’
Darcie coloured faintly, shrugging away his compliment. ‘How often would you visualise running the clinic?’
‘Perhaps every couple of weeks.’ Jack’s mouth turned down. ‘Depends if folk warm to the idea.’
Darcie sent him an old-fashioned look. ‘Establish it and they will come.’
‘Let’s hope so.’
‘Am I going to get a turn or are you intending to keep it to yourself?’
His mouth puckered briefly. ‘You may have a turn, Dr Drummond. Now...’ Jack placed his hands palms down on the desk ‘...what did you want to see me about?’
‘I’d like a second opinion about a patient, David Campion, age twenty-seven. He’s an artist, lives fairly basically in a shack in the bush, according to Maggie. Rather eccentric, I suppose. He wanders in when life gets a bit beyond him.’
The leather creaked, as Jack leaned back in his chair. ‘He’s not using us as a hostel, is he?’
‘No, I’d say not. He seems genuinely under the weather but I can’t get a handle on whatever it is.’
‘Drug use?’
‘I’ve never detected any sign.’
Jack steepled his fingers under his chin. ‘So, what does he live on—the sale of his paintings?’
‘They’re exceptional.’ Darcie warmed to her subject. ‘Wonderful outback images. He had a showing at the library not so long ago. I bought two of his smaller prints. They’re on my bedroom wall.’
‘Is that so...?’ Jack’s blue gaze ran across her face and down to where the open neck of her shirt ended in creamy shadow. ‘I must look in some time.’
Darcie’s heart revved at his cheeky remark. She moistened lips that had suddenly gone dry. Did he mean that? More to the point, did she want him to mean it? She swallowed. Was she brave enough to force the issue now, this minute? Go after what her heart was telling her she wanted, needed?
Jack hadn’t missed her startled look, or the way her gaze fluttered down. Then back. He gave himself a mental kick. He shouldn’t go around making facetious remarks like the one he’d just made. Look into her bedroom? What the hell had he been thinking of? But the remarks had just...slipped out. Darcie. Every time he looked at her, he came alive inside.
Wanting her.
But she was vulnerable.
So he shouldn’t rush things.
It took him barely seconds to come to that conclusion.
‘We’ll talk soon, Darcie...’
Darcie caught her breath. The promise in his words was like a husky whisper over her skin, warming her.
For a second she looked at him like a deer caught in the headlights. She waited until her body regained its centre. Then she nodded. She knew what he meant. No explanations were needed.
Abruptly, Jack pulled his feet back and stood. ‘Let’s have a look at your patient, then, shall we?’
Jack’s examination of David Campion was thorough. He ran his stethoscope over the man’s chest and back, his mouth tightening. ‘Cough for me now, please, David. And again. You’ve a few rattles in there. When did you last eat?’ Folding his stethoscope, he parked himself on the end of the treatment couch.
‘Dunno.’ David shrugged his thin shoulders. ‘Haven’t felt hungry.’
‘I’m going to keep you in.’ Decisively, Jack began scribbling on the chart. ‘You’ve a chest infection. We’ll try to zap it before it turns nasty. I’d like to run a few tests as well, see if we can turn anything else up. Is that OK with you?’
The man blinked owlishly. ‘I guess so.’
‘We’ll get you settled in the ward shortly, David.’ Darcie sent her patient an encouraging smile. ‘It was good you came in today.’
‘A word, please, Darcie.’ Jack clicked his pen shut and slid it into his shirt pocket. He stepped outside the cubicle and pulled the screens closed. ‘Ask Maggie to get things rolling for David’s admission, would you, please?’
‘As soon as he’s settled, I’ll take the bloods,’ Darcie said. ‘What are we testing for?’
Jack reeled off what he wanted. ‘Oh, add hypothroidism as well.’
Darcie frowned. Under-activity of the thyroid gland. ‘That’s more common in women, isn’t it?’
‘Perhaps.’ Jack lifted a shoulder. ‘But we can’t take a gender-based view and not test for it. As a case in point, a couple of years ago at Mercy in Melbourne, they had a young man of twenty with breast cancer.’
‘I guess it would explain David’s continued lethargy to some extent,’ she conceded.
‘There were other pointers,’ Jack expanded as they began to walk along the corridor. ‘His heart rate was quite slow, plus his skin was as dry as old bones.’
‘That could be because of a less than adequate diet and his iffy living conditions.’
Jack’s mouth pleated at the corners. ‘Well, we’ll see when the bloods come back. Ask the lab to email the results, will you? We’ll do a CT scan as well. We’re equipped to do that here, aren’t we?’
‘Yes, but the technician is also the chemist, so I’ll have to give her a call to come in.’
‘Do that, then, please. Interesting case,’ he said, as he handed her the chart and continued on his way.
* * *
It was a week before David’s test results were back. Jack went to find Darcie and together they went along into his office.
When they were seated, she looked at him expectantly. ‘So, was it the thyroid, as you suspected?’
‘Mmm. Plus his iron stores are abysmally low. But we can treat him.’
‘If we can find him,’ Darcie warned. ‘As you know, he discharged himself after only a day and went bush again.’
‘You don’t think he’ll be at his shack?’
‘Unlikely. He told me he has to get several paintings ready for a gallery in Melbourne a.s.a.p. He’s possibly taken his swag and easel and gone somewhere to paint.’
Jack tugged thoughtfully at his bottom lip. ‘Then we’d better find him and get him started on some medication. See if Maggie can draw us some kind of mud map for the general location where he might be. Fancy a ramble?’
Darcie looked torn. ‘Should we both be away from the hospital?’
‘It’s quiet and it’s not as though we’re disappearing for the rest of the day.’ He curved her a brief smile. ‘I’m the boss and I’ll take the flak if there’s any. Look on it as doing a house call. If we can find David promptly, I’m hoping we may be able to persuade him to come back to the hospital with us.’
‘That would be so helpful,’ Darcie agreed. ‘The sooner his condition is treated, the better.’
Jack got to his feet. ‘That’s why we need him here where we can monitor him and get his dose of thyroxine right.’
* * *
‘That could be David’s place through there.’ Darcie pointed ahead to where a timber shack was just visible through the belt of spindly she-oaks. They’d been driving for about thirty minutes and Maggie’s map had been spot on.
‘Well, let’s just hope he’s home.’ Jack brought the Land Rover to a stop.
Picking their way carefully, they climbed the rickety steps, stepping through a fringe of trailing vine to the landing. Raising his hand, Jack knocked and called out but there was no response and no sound from within. He placed his hand on the doorknob. ‘Shall we?’
Darcie looked uncertain. ‘Perhaps we’re being a bit intrusive, Jack.’
‘He could be ill and not able to answer the door.’
Jack’s logic held up and Darcie nodded her assent.
The door was stuck hard and it needed extra impetus from Jack’s knee to get it open. They stepped into the cool interior, which had light coming in from a glass panel at the rear of the building.
They stood there in complete silence until Darcie breathed, ‘Oh, my goodness...’
‘Wow,’ Jack added, clearly awestruck.
The place was filled with artwork, unframed pictures of varying sizes and subjects, ranging from the simplicity of a handful of wildflowers in a jar to the dramatic wildness of a gathering storm.
Darcie’s hand went to her throat. ‘He’s so talented.’
‘Amazingly so.’ Jack took a step backwards. ‘We’re treading on very private space, Darcie. I think we should go.’
They left quietly. Descending the steps, they stood for a moment and looked around.
‘It’s so still, isn’t it?’ Darcie sounded awed by the silence.
Jack’s mouth folded in. ‘Might be if the cicadas shut up for two seconds. But I know what you mean.’
It was the middle of the day, the sun high in the heavens, the feathery foliage of bush wattle trees clumping as far as the eye could see. Jack turned his gaze upwards, following the height of the eucalyptus that towered over a hundred feet into the sky. Then out to where the boulders rose up in uneven humps, their reddish-yellow tints like polished brass in the sun. He exhaled a long breath that turned into a sigh. ‘David could be anywhere.’
‘What should we do, then?’
‘I guess we could try a coo-ee and see if we get any answer.’
Darcie knew he was referring to the Australian bush call. ‘Go on, then,’ she urged.
Jack needed no encouragement. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he called, ‘Coo-ee-ee-ee.’ The sound, high-pitched, reverberated and echoed back. And back.
They waited.
Nothing.
‘Like to try one with me?’ Jack’s clear blue gaze suggested a challenge. ‘Two of us might make a bit more of an impact.’
‘Me?’ Darcie wavered for a second. ‘I’ve never...’
‘Come on,’ Jack encouraged. ‘It’s easy. Follow me.’ She did and made a sound between a squawk and an out-of-tune trumpet.
Jack shook his head in disbelief. ‘That wouldn’t wake a baby! Let’s go again. Ready?’
This time she did much better. ‘Now I’m getting the hang of it,’ she said, clearly delighted with her progress. ‘Shall we try again?’
‘Third time lucky?’ His mouth quirked. ‘Let’s go.’
But there was still no answering call. Darcie turned away, disappointed. ‘I hope he’s not lying injured somewhere, Jack.’
‘That’s not likely. I’d guess he knows this part of the bush like the back of his hand. If he’s heard us, he might simply have chosen not to respond.’
Darcie’s gaze followed the myriad little bush tracks that ran off into the distance. ‘Should we start looking then?’
‘No.’ Jack vetoed that idea. ‘That’s not our brief.’
‘But David is ill, Jack. He needs treatment.’
‘Yes, he does. I’ll leave a note for him and shove it under his door.’
‘Stress the urgency for him to come into the hospital, won’t you?’ Darcie looked concerned.
‘Why don’t you do it, then?’ Jack flipped a spiral notebook and pen from his shirt pocket. ‘Since David knows you, he might take more notice. While you’re doing that, I’ll give Maggie a call and check on things there.’ Jack began moving to a spot from where he could get a signal for his mobile.
‘Did you get on to Maggie?’ Darcie asked when he returned.
‘Nothing urgent on.’
‘So we’ll head back to town, then?’
‘I think we could hang around a bit longer. David might show and it’d be a shame if we missed him. Let’s give ourselves a break and find a shady spot where we can have our lunch.’
‘Lunch? You brought lunch?’
He shrugged. ‘I threw a bit of stuff together. It’s always a good idea to carry food and water when you set out anywhere in this kind of country. Your vehicle can let you down, you can get lost, have an accident. Any number of unforeseen circumstances can see you stranded and waiting hours for help to come. And you don’t venture out anywhere without telling someone where you’re going.’
Darcie made a tsk. ‘I know all that, Jack.’
‘Just reinforcing the message,’ he replied evenly. ‘Can’t have you getting lax.’
‘As if!’ she huffed, and set about helping him organise their picnic.
‘That looks like a good spot over there.’ He pointed towards some dappled shade provided by one of the gum trees. ‘Bring the blanket from the back seat, will you, please? I’ll just check there are no ants.’ After a quick inspection he stated that it was OK.
‘I see you’ve raided the hospital linen,’ Darcie said, helping him spread the blanket on the grass.
He sent her a rakish grin. ‘Are you going to report me?’
‘Report you to you? Don’t think I’ll bother. Think of all the paperwork.’
He chuckled. It was brilliant to see her relaxed, upbeat and...happy. And he vowed to keep it that way. If he could. ‘I’ll just get the cooler.’
* * *
‘I feel a bit guilty sitting here having lunch while our patient is missing,’ Darcie said.
They’d eaten crusty bread rolls stuffed with cheese and cherry tomatoes and were finishing with coffee, from the flask Carole had thoughtfully provided, and some chocolate biscuits.
‘We’re just making the best use of our time,’ Jack rationalised.
Darcie began gathering up the remains of their picnic. ‘How long are we going to wait, Jack?’
‘Darcie, it’s been barely twenty minutes. Do you want us screaming with indigestion? We’re entitled to time off but how often do we get it?’
‘Not often...’ Darcie made a small face. ‘Well, not on a regular basis, I suppose...’
‘So all the more reason to take it when the opportunity presents itself. And after all we could be considered working,’ he said with a grin. ‘We’re waiting for a patient. Meanwhile, let’s get more comfortable.’
When they’d settled themselves against the broad base of the gum tree, Jack turned to her. Raising his hand, he brushed the backs of his fingers gently across her cheek. ‘This is good, isn’t it?’ he murmured.
‘It’s good...’ Darcie voice faded to nothing. Almost without her noticing, he’d moved closer and gathered her in.
And in a second Darcie felt caught in a bubble. The world faded away and there was just the two of them. Her lips suddenly felt parched and she moistened them, her tongue flicking out to wet them.
Jack followed the darting movement and exhaled a long, slow breath. Leaning into her, he claimed her mouth. He tasted coffee and chocolate and was instantly addicted. A shot of adrenaline buzzed through his system. She opened her mouth on his, inviting him in. But he wanted more. Much more. He wanted to lay her back gently on the blanket. Make love to her here with nothing but the deep, rich smell of the earth and the sighs and sounds of the bush around them. His hand shook as it slid beneath her shirt and smoothed the softness of her skin where her waist curved into her hip.
At last the kiss ended. But not their closeness. Jack lowered his mouth to her throat, his lips on the tiny pulse point that beat frantically beneath her chin.
Darcie felt her throat tighten, fluttering her eyes closed as his fingertips idled, taking their time, delicate, like the finest strands of silk.
‘Darcie...open your eyes for me...’
She did, every part of her aware of the heat of his body against hers, of that fathomless blue gaze and of a need as basic as her own. Lifting her hands to the back of his neck, she gusted a tiny sigh. ‘I wish we could stay here for ever.’
They looked at each other for a long moment, unmoving until Jack reached out a finger and began to twine a silky lock of her hair around it. His gaze softened over her. ‘Our time will come, Darcie.’
But obviously not today, she thought resignedly a second later as his mobile rang.
Jack swore under his breath. ‘Whoever invented cellphones should be sectioned.’
‘Then what would we rely on?’ Half-amused, Darcie drew herself to a sitting position. ‘Coo-ee calls?’
‘Well, not yours.’ He grinned, mock-swiping her with the offending phone and scrambling upright.
Activating the call, Jack said, ‘Hi, Maggie, what’s up?’
‘Max Alderton’s been injured. Severe neck wound.’
‘What happened?’
‘Apparently he was out on his motorbike, mustering. He ran into a single-strand wire placed across the track. Louise said it was put there deliberately.’
Jack whistled. ‘What’s the damage?’
‘Profuse bleeding to the right side of his neck.’
‘Can we expect arterial damage?’
‘Lou isn’t sure. Fortunately, Max had his mobile with him. He was able to alert Louise. She’s bringing him straight in. I’ve told her to keep Max sitting up. But he should go straight to Theatre, Jack.’
‘Yes.’ In a perfect world. Jack was thinking fast. ‘What staff do we have, available, Maggie?’
‘Well, I can scrub in. And providentially Brad Kitto, one of the flying doctors, has just arrived, returning a patient from chemo in Brisbane. He’ll gas for you.’
‘He’s qualified?’
‘Extremely.’
‘Good.’ Jack felt relief wash through him. ‘Ask him to scrub and get himself set up, please, Maggie. We’ll cane it back now.’
* * *
Jack filled Darcie in on the way back to Sunday Creek.
‘Oh, how dreadful for Max! And Louise thinks it was sabotage?’
‘Seems so. Max has worked Willow Bend for over twenty years. You’d think he’d know if there were any single-strand fences about the place.’
Darcie shook her head. ‘He could have been—’
‘Decapitated.’ Jack didn’t mince words. ‘If someone was out to injure him, it’s an appalling situation.’
‘You’ll take him straight to Theatre?’
‘Yes. Maggie’s on it. And fortunately we have an anaesthetist. A contingent from the flying doctors arrived, returning a chemo patient.’
‘Oh, that will be Heather Young. We like to keep her overnight and make sure everything’s OK before she travels home.’
‘And where’s home?’ Jack was concentrating on his driving, keeping the Land Rover at a swift but steady pace.
‘Loganlea. About two hundred Ks out. Her family will be in to collect her tomorrow, I imagine.’
‘What’s Heather’s prognosis?’ Jack asked.
‘Quite hopeful. But with cancer you never know.’
‘Obviously you’ve been managing her care extremely well,’ Jack said. ‘I’ll read the notes when I get a chance.’ He glanced down at his watch. ‘Another ten minutes should get us there.’
Darcie suppressed a sigh overlaying her concern for Max. In reality they were never off duty.
Already the enchantment of their magical time away from the hospital seemed light years away.