Rescue Nights Page 3

  He was glad she wasn’t so gung-ho that she was going to pretend that she had enjoyed this particular experience.

  In front of them was the cluster of heavy moving equipment and mining fleet trucks which they had seen from the sky. A group dressed in high visibility gear started shouting as soon as they were within earshot.

  ‘He was checking something on the edge of the road and fell,’ said one of the hard-hat-wearing men, as he pointed further down the road edging the mine face. ‘We have been keeping the heavy equipment away so we don’t risk him slipping further.’

  As they got closer, Andrew could see how precarious a position their patient was in. ‘Christ, that isn’t good.’

  This time he didn’t care if Kate heard him. No-one could argue with the truth of it. Kurt, their patient, was dangling on the lower slope. He was twisted in a way that indicated serious breaks and, even against the red earth, a dark stain of blood could be seen.

  They put down their equipment a little bit away from the group, and began conferring. Andrew saw Kate grabbing her harness.

  ‘I’m the one going down there, not you,’ he said, his voice heavy with command.

  ‘Didn’t you read the rescue handbook?’ she replied, as she continued to attack the clips. ‘I’m the rescue co-ordinator so I’m going to be making the rescue.’

  Andrew reached out his hand to halt her. ‘I’m the best one here to assess his suitability to put him in an induced coma on site. With those head injuries, I don’t want him moved until I’ve done that. So, there is no point you going down and coming back again.’

  He could see from her eyes exactly how annoyed she was, but at least she had stopped buckling that bloody harness.

  ‘If you do anything to destabilize the patient on the way down, he is going to end up slipping and getting injured further.’ The note of warning was very clear in her tone.

  Andrew had to stop a long-suffering sigh from escaping his mouth. ‘I’ve spent a long time climbing glaciers as unstable as that slope, and I have yet to send anyone tumbling to their death.’

  He was glad that no-one was standing near enough to overhear their words. The nature of their conversation was hardly going to get them nominated for professionals of the year.

  Kate must have come to a similar conclusion. Because, while her expression promised future retribution, she began to work at anchoring his harness.

  Now a decision had been made, she got behind it with lightning speed. He had to admire her for that. She wasn’t the sort to slow down with a sulk. He stood patiently as she got close, checking the tension in each of the clasps. If he wasn’t so concerned with his patient, he knew he would have enjoyed the feel of his co-worker’s hands running up his sides.

  Finally, she nodded her approval and he stepped back over the crumbling slope.

  Two hours later, and Andrew had completed handing over his patient to the hospital’s trauma team. He was standing, feeling rather warm in the humid air, outside the ambulance bay. A car he recognised as Kate’s pulled up.

  Andrew climbed in and appreciated the chill of the car’s air conditioner.

  Before he could thank her for the lift, she spoke. ‘Normally we ask the ambos to bring us back to base, but I wanted a word.’

  Andrew knew that no good could ever come from a woman speaking those words, personally or professionally. However, he was feeling the effects of the morning’s exertion enough not to feel too concerned. Instead, he quietly admired the elegant lines of Kate’s neck, exposed as it was by a neat braid. She had obviously had time for a shower, something he hadn’t gotten to yet. With red silt still in his hair, Andrew had been forced to borrow a set of hospital scrubs.

  They travelled in silence for the short trip from the hospital base. Once parked, Kate turned to him within the close confines of the car.

  ‘You are going to have to trust my professional opinion,’ she said. ‘I can take patient obs accurately, and I have been making the call about the induced coma protocol ever since it was introduced to paramedics.’

  Kate’s voice was steady and Andrew could all too clearly hear the steely conviction behind her words. He hated being put on the back-foot, a dance Kate seemed to relish, but he attempted to explain.

  ‘I’m sure you are able to make those decisions perfectly competently,’ he said, trying to reassure, trying to earn his leadership stripes. ‘But I am the senior medical personnel on the scene and where there are important medical decisions, I am absolutely the one to make them.’

  ‘While your climb to the patient was…competent,’ Kate drawled his words back to him, ‘rescue operations are what I have spent the last five years working in and training for. Apart from that, I am the lighter team member so me going down would have made any rockfall much less likely. There was a medical argument today for you to do it. But me letting you do it doesn’t mean it is going to happen that way every time.’

  She let him do it. As Andrew was incredulously searching for a reply, Kate opened her car door and swung her long legs out.

  Without slowing down, she added, ‘You might be an excellent surgeon but your resume indicates it has been sometime since you were involved in emergency assessment and care. So don’t think, around here, a medical degree means you can challenge God for supremacy.’

  Without waiting for an answer, Kate closed her door with a sharp bang and walked briskly to the base’s entrance. Andrew swatted the dash of the car in sheer frustration once she was out of earshot. Her words had made the glow of satisfaction of a job well done disappear. Today he had given his patient excellent care, and this jumped-up paramedic had chosen now to give him a scold. Well, he decided, the time for a policy of conciliation was over.

  By the time he had a shower and made his way to the tea-room, Kate was inside, laughing with the rest of the helicopter team, with a decidedly feminine giggle. It seemed like he was the only one to merit the ice queen treatment.

  Going in, Andrew sprawled as he sat at the head of the tea table. He waited for Kate to turn around before he said, ‘Crime must be low in Cairns if you can leave your car here unlocked, or didn’t you mean to do that?’

  The way that Ben immediately chastised her provided him with amusement.

  ‘Sorry. If you had left the keys with me, I would have done it for you.’ He could see, from her slightly heightened colour, his dig had drawn a little blood.

  ‘Thanks,’ she said, smiling an obviously forced smile at Andrew.

  Her expression didn’t relax as Ben turned his attention to Andrew. ‘So, second visit to the hospital. Any nurses there on your radar?’

  ‘The staff there are very friendly,’ Andrew said, wagging his eyebrows at Ben, in a boy’s own type way.

  ‘I’ll bet they are,’ Ben responded. ‘Kate, has the buzz about our popular boy reached your ears yet?’ Not waiting for her answer, he assured Andrew, ‘You remember, you represent the shift. Now Toby, our last doctor wasn’t much chop with the ladies. But Jeremy, before him, he was something.’

  Kate’s laugh was genuine when it came. ‘I’m still not convinced that the reason Jeremy left us, wasn’t because there just weren’t any single women in Cairns left to bed.’

  She looked more relaxed, but Andrew couldn’t help noticing that only Ben was receiving the warmth of her smile.

  Ben continued, in laconic tones, ‘So the motto of the story is, pace yourself.’

  Andrew laughed appreciatively. But, he couldn’t help but push. ‘So Ben, is Kate here as popular as is her right?’

  Andrew knew she would hate the impertinence of the question. Hell, that was why he asked it. What he hadn’t foreseen, though, was the slight but definite stiffening of Ben’s spine.

  ‘Kate here is clever enough not to date any health professionals, doctors and paramedics included.’

  Andrew could consider himself warned. Anyway, Kate’s frostiness towards him had killed all desire. Well, Andrew thought, as he discreetly watched Kate’s shapely body as
she reached for the top shelf, almost all desire.

  Baiting Kate in front of the rescue team was probably not a good idea, however much she had deserved it in private. The jovial mood had become less buoyant, but Andrew was still passed a cup of tea by Ben.

  ‘How is the patient?’ Ben asked.

  ‘Good,’ he answered.

  Seeing from Ben’s face that he actually was interested, Andrew expanded. ‘The CAT scans indicate some bleeding on the brain, so the induced coma was definitely justified. Adding to that he has multiple fractures and contusions, so the trauma team were taking him into surgery when I left.’

  Andrew looked at the roster for tomorrow scribbled on the whiteboard. ‘So hospital transfers are all that is scheduled in for tomorrow?’

  It was Ben who replied. ‘Unless there is another emergency call out, we are going to be the hip replacement flight express.’

  ‘Hope you’ve been boning up on obstetrics care, Andrew,’ said Kate, who obviously couldn’t resist any opening. ‘We end up transferring plenty of women in labour.’

  ‘Aren’t I lucky that I’ve got you along for the ride?’

  Well, snarky seemed to be her middle name. Although after dealing with his former fiancé’s discreetly damaging whispers, Andrew could appreciate fighting with a woman who wasn’t afraid to do so with her fists up.

  ‘Reports call,’ Andrew said, rising as he gulped the rest of his tea.

  Ben took his cue to start moving, ‘Aren’t you glad you joined the glamorous world of helicopter rescue? Red dust in your ear and a pile of reports to file.’

  Shift change came, just as Andrew had finalized the rest of his paper work. He left the office where he had been working quietly and came upon Kate packing the last of the day’s equipment away, chatting to another extremely attractive woman in the Queensland Rescue blues.

  ‘Dr Brigid Adair,’ said the brunette, introducing herself.

  Andrew had seen her name on the roster and heard that she was part of a working couple with her ex-solider turned paramedic husband. He had been surprised by the egalitarian nature of the relationship, as he had read her papers on emergency protocols as part of his preparations for coming to Australia.

  ‘Great to meet you.’ He was more exuberant than usual, liking the way it discomforted Kate.

  Seeing the tough man come up behind her and put a protective arm on Dr Adair’s waist, it seemed that Kate wasn’t the only one slightly put off when he pulled out his best charm.

  The familiar refrain of the alarm had all staff members moving.

  ‘This one is ours,’ was Matt’s quick smile. Like every other front line responder Andrew had met so far, this was what he lived for.

  Seeing an opportunity for a quiet word as the couple left him and Kate alone, Andrew couldn’t resist getting the last word off their earlier sparing. He leaned over her and said quietly, ‘I guess I’ll probably be seeing you at home.’

  He didn’t wait to see the annoyance on her face fully bloom. He just had to imagine it, behind his back, as he walked out the door.

  Chapter Four

  When the weekend came, Kate was only too glad to greet it with brunch. She loved Saturday mornings, especially ones like this. She and Lucy always nabbed the same table in the resort dining area. Their table sat on the deck, and a potted palm partially hid it, so Lucy could avoid the resort’s guests before her shift started.

  ‘Bad penny, ten o’clock.’ Kate’s comment had Lucy swivelling in her seat.

  Looking at Andrew scanning the room, Kate regretted saying anything. Lucy immediately got his attention with an enthusiastic wave.

  ‘Bad penny, you have got to be kidding,’ said Lucy, as Andrew made his way towards them. ‘You obviously haven’t seen the handsome doctor’s abs when he goes swimming in the pool.’

  Kate didn’t get a chance to reply, as Andrew came within earshot. She could only console herself with a silent promise of retribution. When Lucy greeted him with a smile and an invitation to join them, Kate added that to her list for future revenge.

  His ‘only if you are sure’ seemed a little lacking, especially as he was sitting down when the words came out of his mouth.

  ‘Gorgeous morning,’ he continued, as he gestured to the sun-soaked surrounds. ‘Definitely an improvement on the one I would be having in London.’

  Kate had to admit that the resort looked at its best. The polished deck they were sitting on extended to the perfectly maintained gardens on one side and the large pool area on the other.

  Andrew looked in his element here, in a crisp white t-shirt and faded jeans. In fact, watching him pour a glass of water from the crystal glass jug, she knew she had to be thankful that Lucy didn’t pull out a camera and try to upload him to the resort’s website. He looked so appealing that Lucy was certainly capable of such a thing.

  Their waitress, Rosie, seemed to agree, as she greeted him with her smile turned to double wattage. However, even their appealing companion couldn’t distract Rosie from another Saturday morning ritual.

  ‘The awards today will be for the couple having the meanest fight about his work hours and the couple on their first holiday together.’

  As Rosie walked away after taking their orders, Kate could see Lucy’s intense mortification after Rosie had revealed their in-house game. Lucy would hate to have her professional veneer tarnished in front of a virtual stranger. However, Kate couldn’t help thinking that maybe Lucy shouldn’t have invited that particular virtual stranger to breakfast.

  Unluckily, being a best friend meant she had to help Lucy out.

  ‘That’s secret resort business and any sharing of it will result in the immediate expulsion from room thirty-four,’ said Kate.

  Despite her tough words, Kate was glad to see Andrew shooting Lucy an amused smile before he said, ‘I’m a doctor, so confidentiality is a professional pillar. But if there is a game, I want in.’

  Lucy’s relief was palpable to Kate. ‘It is an old customer service game,’ Lucy explained. ‘We play, because, as manager, I’m the only member of staff who eats here. So Saturday mornings we get the wait staff to nominate a few categories and we take a guess.’

  For a moment, Kate wondered if Andrew would turn conservative and disapproving. Instead, he said, smiling, ‘I’m in.’

  ‘So we are nominating the couple in the corner as the brand new relationship, and the dark haired woman looking daggers as the fight,’ Kate said, before she bit into another slice of mango from the fruit platter.

  ‘OK, I will bow to female intuition,’ Andrew replied. ‘But I still think the fight is the bitchy looking woman in black.’

  Kate smiled at Andrew. No-one could doubt his enthusiasm for the game. Looking at him across the breakfast table, she could almost forgive him for his high-handed behaviour at work. Almost.

  Determinedly pushing the stress of the last week from her mind, Kate replied to his earlier sally. ‘I think you’re reading too much into her expression. You’ll find a woman like that wears a bitchy look permanently. She could have had the most mind-blowing sex of her life twenty minutes ago and she still would be sitting there with that frown on her face.’

  Andrew actually laughed, loudly. ‘I wouldn’t recognise that look,’ he quipped. ‘No woman has ever worn it around me.’

  A little embarrassed about mentioning sex in front of Andrew, Kate became aware of Lucy sitting quietly while she and Andrew discussed their challenge so animatedly. However, she was quickly reassured by Lucy’s knowing smile.

  ‘You guys better finish that fruit if you want to have your bacon pancakes,’ Lucy said.

  ‘Yes, Mum,’ Kate said, affectionately winking at her pretty blonde friend. ‘Are you sure you don’t want to add some greens as well to our plates?’

  ‘Considering you ordered both bacon and maple syrup it would serve you right if I did.’

  ‘Do you girls always eat like this?’ Andrew asked.

  ‘Only on Saturdays,’ said Kate. �
��We consider it our duty to be the resort’s quality control.’

  ‘Very generous of you.’

  With perfect timing, Rosie arrived carrying their plates filled with pure indulgence. As Rosie and Lucy laughingly confirmed with Andrew their table’s guesses, Kate took the chance to observe them. Today, Andrew seemed more comfortable, with none of the prickly silences they had both endured during the week. Kate couldn’t help wondering how much of it was the influence of her sweetly mannered friend. Andrew even half-stood when Lucy excused herself to answer a question of the reception staff.

  ‘This is a more entertaining breakfast than I expected when I woke up this morning,’ he said, as he sunk back into his seat. ‘Have you been friends with Lucy for long?’

  Kate swallowed a bite of her pancake, heavy with syrup before answering. ‘We went to the same gym, and I was looking for an apartment about the same time as business was slowing. So she offered me a villa and we have been friends ever since.’

  She watched as Andrew looked across the room to where Lucy was standing. A very unexpected urge had her continuing, ‘Her boyfriend is a local police officer so I’m sure you’ll meet him soon.’

  God, where had that last sentence come from? Did she just warn him off her best friend?

  To cover her fluster, Kate busied herself with adding sugar to her already sweet coffee and waited for Andrew to speak.

  ‘At least there isn’t any rain today,’ he said, changing the subject. ‘If I’m going to be spending it with a bunch of kids at the beach I’d prefer the day not being awful.’

  Kate’s relief at the silence being broken was quickly overcome by a mild dismay, as she comprehended the meaning of his words.

  ‘Pete didn’t rope you into that too?’

  She should have guessed the Base’s commander wouldn’t have missed the opportunity to get a doctor on board.

  ‘Yeah,’ Andrew confirmed. ‘I’m all for volunteering, but my presence today seemed a lot more like conscription. It is not like you can say no to your boss asking you to teach teenagers how to stop drownings.’