The Bush Doctor's Challenge

‘Are you talking about the gorgeous raven, or the ravishing redhead?’ Kell quipped, but his voice was thick with emotion as the bathroom door opened and a pale-looking Shelly tentatively stepped out.

‘I’m talking about the blonde,’ Ross said slowly, one arm pulling his wife towards him as he shakingly took the baby from Abby.

‘I’m sorry,’ Shelly sobbed, the emotion of the evening finally catching up. ‘I tried to hold on.’

‘There’s absolutely nothing to be sorry for.’ His eyes never left his daughter as he gently led his wife to the bed. ‘This is the best homecoming I’ve ever had.’

‘Wun.’ Matthew was at the door now. Charging in, he placed a battered book in the crib, his face splitting in two as he saw Ross sitting on the bed.

‘Hey, buddy, don’t I get a kiss?’

‘Daddy!’

‘I think we might have outstayed our welcome,’ Kell whispered to Abby. ‘How about you let me buy you that drink now?’

‘How about you show me where I can have a shower?’

They said their goodbyes, an engrossed Ross attempting to apologise for landing Abby in it, but his mind was clearly on the latest addition to his family.

‘Abby will be fine.’ Kell grinned. ‘I’ll bring her luggage over and show her around. Don’t worry about a thing, just enjoy tonight.’

‘No problem there,’ Ross said, then turned to Abby. ‘Look, thank you, I really mean that.’

‘It was a pleasure,’ Abby said warmly. Stepping out into the now dark sky, a billion stars twinkling down, the warm hand of Kell guiding her along the dusty red soil, it hit her, a heady mixture of relief at what had transpired and utter fear at how different the scenario could have been.

‘You’re crying?’ His voice was questioning, concerned, but not for a second mocking.

‘I know.’ Abby sniffed loudly as she fished in her pockets for a handkerchief. ‘It’s never got to me like that—a birth, I mean. It’s always been nice, special.’ The words were buzzing in her head as Abby attempted to articulate the strange emotions that were assailing her. ‘But at the end of the day it’s been a job well done. Tonight it just got to me. Seeing Matthew, he was so cute, bringing the baby his book, and then Ross…’ Another tear splashed down her cheek and Abby wiped it away then gave in as a few more followed. ‘He was so thrilled, so delighted with his new daughter, yet he still managed to make Matthew feel number one.’

As Abby started to walk again, Kell pulled her back. ‘You think that’s a tear-jerker?’ His eyes were searching hers as Abby’s returned his stare. ‘Wait till you hear this—Matthew isn’t Ross’s son.’

He watched as Abby’s lips parted, as the tears started spilling again.

‘They’ve only been married a year, and you know what? He loves that little guy as if he was his own. That’s love for you.’

‘She’s a lucky woman,’ Abby said slowly, but Kell shook his head.

‘They’re all lucky.’ Taking her hand, he led her along the pathway. ‘They found each other.’

‘This is you.’

Pushing open the unlocked door, Kell stood back and let Abby into her new home.

Her luggage lay higgledy-piggledy on the dark wooden floor, no doubt courtesy of Bruce, and Abby stood a moment as Kell flicked on the light.

‘It’s pretty basic. Kitchen.’ He gestured ahead. ‘Lounge.’ Stomping along the hallway, he flicked on another light and Abby was somewhat surprised to find herself standing in a beautifully furnished room. A large wooden fan whirred away overhead bouncing a shadow off the white walls, broken by vast Aboriginal paintings, the native art so much more appropriate in its own setting than the museums Abby was used to seeing it in. The soft-cushioned cane furnishing looked inviting and the huge low table in the middle of the large room would be the perfect spot for her computer.

‘Oh.’

‘What’s wrong?’

‘I left my computer back at Ross and Shelly’s.’

‘Well, I’m not going back to get it,’ Kell said quickly. ‘That’s one little party I’m not breaking up.’

‘Of course not,’ Abby snapped, kicking herself for even mentioning it. ‘I was just saying.’

‘So we’re back where we started?’ Kell turned to her. ‘Arguing about a computer.’

‘Nobody’s arguing,’ Abby said defensively, but the closeness that had overtaken them since the delivery seemed to have gone, and to her surprise she missed it. ‘I was just…’ Her voice trailed off and after a reluctant pause she finally spoke. ‘I was just moaning…’ A smile wobbled on the edge of her lips as Kell waited for her to finish.

‘Again.’

‘Ready to see the rest of your place?’ His smile returned as Abby nodded. ‘Bathroom.’ Flinging open the door, Kell carried on walking as Abby poked her head in briefly. ‘Laundry.’ Opening a cupboard, he gave a wicked smile. ‘Washing powder. And if I’m not mistaken, there’s even an iron. All mod cons here.’

‘Very funny,’ Abby retorted, following a very broad back along a very narrow corridor.

‘Bedroom.’

Suddenly, Kell’s voice sounded thick as if he had a cold or had suddenly developed hay fever, but with a notable absence of flowers and not a sneeze in sight Abby could only assume that the sight of the vast queen-size bed was having a similar effect on Kell as it was on her.

A flimsy mosquito net dusted over the bed, the whirring fan billowing the voile gently against the crisp white sheets, emitting a low throbbing hum in the semi-darkened room, and for an inexplicable moment, never had a bed looked more tempting.

‘I think we’ve earned a drink,’ Kell said gruffly. ‘And if I know Shelly, there’ll be a few in the fridge.’

Eternally grateful he wasn’t suggesting the pub, Abby’s answer was for once positive. ‘Help yourself. I’m going to make my acquaintance with the shower.’

‘Better?’

Rubbing her hair with a large towel, Abby stepped into what was supposed to be her lounge and amazingly didn’t feel like a total stranger. She hadn’t known what to wear, but a pair of too new jeans seemed about right and a black sleeveless T-shirt was surely casual enough.

‘Much.’

‘I made some supper.’ The table had been haphazardly laid, and a slab of cheese surrounded by crackers beckoned her. ‘But we could head down to the pub now if you’re starving, or there are a couple of steaks in the fridge.’

‘This will be fine.’

Better than fine actually. Loading her knife with soft Camembert, Abby scraped it along a cracker before biting in. Never had cheese and crackers tasted so good, and as Kell poured iced water into two glasses Abby rallied at the prospect of more time with him.

‘We’ll have to go over soon,’ Kell added. ‘The locals will never forgive me if we don’t go and fill them in.’

‘What’s with the we?’ Abby questioned, nervous at the prospect of facing everyone, far happier to keep a professional distance. ‘It won’t take both of us to deliver the news.’

‘It took both of us to deliver the baby,’ Kell pointed out. ‘Don’t miss your pats on the back, Abby, it’s one of the perks of the job.’

‘So, are you always so laid back?’ Abby asked, resuming the conversation that had taken place in the warm euphoric glow of the baby’s birth.

‘Yep,’ Kell said simply, before elaborating. ‘The only trouble is that it doesn’t last. Me, I worry after the event. Give me a drama and I cope. Honestly, Abby, I don’t know why, but you can throw anything at me and I’m like a textbook, I just see what needs to be done and do my best to get on with it, I don’t even break a sweat. But afterwards…’ Kell let out a breath. ‘I’ll lie awake tonight imagining every possible thing that could have gone wrong. What if I’d still been waiting for your plane to come in? What if the head hadn’t delivered easily? What if—’

‘I get the picture,’ Abby moaned. ‘Unfortunately it hits me there and then. I’m constantly picturing the worst-case scenario.’

‘It’s just the way you work.’ Kell shrugged. ‘And it probably makes you a great emergency doctor. Hell, if I’m in trouble I want a doctor worried on my behalf.’

‘And I want a nurse who’s calm and efficient.’

‘Hey, maybe we’ll make the perfect team.’ Those dark eyes were smiling and that brittle exterior Abby normally so effortlessly portrayed seemed to be crashing down around her as she smiled back at the man beside her.

‘Maybe we will,’ she said softly. ‘Maybe we will.’

Everything about him screamed contradiction.

Everything about him had Abby entranced.

‘You don’t look like a nurse,’ Abby ventured, plunging her knife back into the cheese, flustered by her own rather personal observation.

‘You mean I don’t look gay?’ Kell laughed at her rather shocked features, but Abby quickly recovered.

‘Actually, add a handlebar moustache to those boots and skimpy shorts and you’d be a wow at the Sydney Mardi Gras!’

‘I was decorating!’ Kell laughed. ‘Anyway, in case you were wondering, no, I’m not gay.’

It had never even entered Abby’s head that he might be. Not for the briefest second. Some men might throw up that question every now and then, and a male midwife, oozing compassion and in tune with a laboring woman, might bring about one of those occasions, but somehow Kell wore it all well. ‘I wasn’t,’ Abby said quickly. ‘You just look more like a—’

‘Labourer,’ Kell suggested, totally unabashed. ‘Hell, you’re a snob, Abby.’

‘No, I’m not,’ Abby replied hotly, and then gave him a worried look. ‘At least I hope I’m not.’

‘Well, I’ll choose to reserve judgement on that. And for your information I am a labourer and a drover, too, and a few other things in between.’

‘A real Jack of all trades?’ Abby said lightly, but her forehead creased slightly. ‘What’s a drover, by the way?’

‘A cowboy to you.’

‘Oh.’

‘Well, almost a cowboy. And while we’re making personal observations about each other, you don’t exactly look like an outback doctor.’

‘I know,’ Abby groaned, then checked herself. It wouldn’t do to voice her misgivings to a local, so instead she assumed what she hoped was a more positive tone. ‘But I’m really excited to be here.’

It didn’t fool him for a second! ‘That’s not what I heard.’ Kell grinned, topping up her glass of iced water then his own. ‘I was under the impression you were only here under sufferance.’

‘You know?’ Abby gulped. ‘But if you know, that means…’

‘It’s OK,’ Kell moved quickly to reassure her. ‘Ross only mentioned the fact you didn’t really want to come to me, no one else knows. Reece Davies is a friend of Ross’s and apparently he was singing your praises when he volunteered you for the job. Ross just told me to treat you a bit gently and make sure that people didn’t give you too much of a hard time until you’d found your feet a bit.’

‘Honestly,’ Abby checked, ‘you’re not put out that I only came because I had to?’

‘That’s the reason most doctors come.’ Kell shrugged. ‘Let’s face it—it’s a pretty weird place to be. Ross had a passion for it, but he’s the exception rather than the rule. The outback’s screaming for doctors…’

‘So you have to take what you can get?’

‘Not at all,’ Kell refuted. ‘Reece wouldn’t have recommended you if he didn’t think you were up to it, and Ross wouldn’t have taken you on just to have another name on the staff roster. The outback’s precarious enough without carrying people. You’re here because you’re wanted, Abby. The only person who’s not happy with the decision is you.’

‘Oh, I don’t know,’ Abby mumbled. ‘I’ve been practising medicine for nearly eight years now and this afternoon is going down on my list of top ten moments. If there’s a few more of them around then it’s been the right choice. I can see what Reece was saying more clearly now. It’s easy to get caught in all the high-tech stuff, but if this is the buzz grass roots medicine gives, then maybe these next three months won’t be so bad after all.’

‘Maybe not.’

They shared a smile, a tiny smile but it was loaded with hidden meaning. Confused, Abby stood up, and for something to do she grabbed the water jug and headed off to explore her new kitchen, her mind buzzing, every nerve in her body suddenly screaming. A couple of hours in Kell’s company and she was acting like a hormone-ravaged teenager, not a sensible thirty-something doctor.

‘What’s this?’ Abby asked, pulling open the fridge.

‘I would have thought a lady like you would know champagne when she sees it.’

‘I meant, what’s it doing in the fridge?’ Abby asked, refusing to jump.

‘Shelly would have left it there to welcome you. We could always wet the baby’s head?’

It could almost have passed as an innocent question, but there was a look in Kell’s eyes and such a heavy throb in the air that Abby knew her reserve would pop with as much oomph as the champagne cork, and that was one path she definitely wasn’t going to take.

‘We’d better get over to the pub. At this rate we won’t even make last orders.’

‘You’re joking, aren’t you? The news of the baby will have the pub pumping to the wee hours. It could be a long night.’

‘Not for me.’ Abby shook her head. ‘I’ll have a quick orange juice and say hi, and then I’m out of there. I need to be on the ball, and something tells me Ross isn’t going to be around very much over the next few days to ease me in.’

‘Then it’s just as well you’ve got me.’

Another simple statement, but again Abby felt the throb of sexual tension, the path of a conversation littered with possible innuendo, and she almost took a tentative step, almost responded with a loaded answer herself. But she pulled back in an instant, Kell’s easy smile making her wonder if her mind was playing tricks.

‘I’ll just go and get changed. You do whatever women do before they go out.’

‘But where are you going?’ Abby asked as he headed for the front door.

‘I rent the house next door.’ He either ignored or didn’t notice the shocked look on her face, carrying on chatting in his usual easy style. ‘I only use it for when I’m on call and if I’m on a late then early shift, but I guess it kind of makes us neighbours.’

She didn’t answer, Abby truly couldn’t, just stood there dumbfounded as he turned and left; the five minutes it took Kell to wash and change nowhere near enough time to get her head together.

Not only was she going to be working alongside him, he would be living next door to her as well.

Three months.

The words didn’t console Abby this time.

After only three hours in Kell’s company already Abby’s nerves were on fire…

CHAPTER THREE

‘PUMPING’, was a slight exaggeration on Kell’s part, Abby decided, but the pub was certainly lively.

Walking in, Abby braced herself for a few curious stares, but the cheer that went up as they both entered almost floored her.

‘What’s all this for?’ Abby gasped as her back was slapped so vigorously that, had she been choking, her airway would undoubtedly have been cleared in two seconds flat. Jugs of beer were being held up in all directions as Kell guided her through to the bar.

‘You just delivered Tennengarrah’s newest resident, remember?’

Oh, Abby remembered. After all, how could she forget? But never in her wildest dreams had she expected this kind of reception. The births she had witnessed at the hospital had been accompanied with a certain amount of euphoria, a jubilant husband, a few relatives, but the long lonely walk back to the doctors’ mess had meant any emotions had been left in the delivery room.

But here! The whole town seemed to be out, cheering and applauding.

‘Abby, this is Jack Brown,’ Kell introduced. ‘Tennengarrah’s one and only policeman.’

Another smiling face appeared before her. ‘Glad to have you on board, Abby,’ Jack grinned, ‘playing midwife’s not my favourite pastime, you did a great job.’

Another pat on the back, another vote of confidence to make her feel as if she had done something really special. In fact, by the time the obligatory toasts had been made, and her hand shaken by every last person at the bar, Abby found herself starting to agree with them.

It really had been special.

‘They’ll settle now.’ Kell grinned, guiding her to a table. ‘A birth’s big news here, but when the cricket’s starting…’

Abby’s eyes followed his to the massive screen in the corner, every head in the place seemed to be turned to it.

‘It’s all a bit much to take in, I guess.’

Abby took a sip of her juice and gave a small shrug.

‘Or perhaps there’s not enough to take in?’ Kell asked perceptively. ‘It must seem a bit of a small world here to you.’

‘It’s just not what I’m used to,’ Abby admitted. ‘I’m not saying my way’s better than yours or anything, it’s just different, that’s all.’ Taking a breath, Abby decided to deal with a niggle that had been bothering her. ‘I’m sorry if I came over as snobby or superior when we first met. It was just nerves, I guess.’

‘I was just teasing when I said you were a snob.’ Kell was smiling at her. Even though Abby still couldn’t look, she could almost feel the warmth of it, almost see the wide dark lips breaking apart in an easy smile.

‘I know, and no doubt I’m going to have to get used to it. I’m quite sure there’ll be more than a few embarrassing moments. To date I’ve always lived in the city, always worked in big teaching hospitals, where I just blended in.’

‘I doubt that.’ The beer glass in his large hand seemed tiny, and Abby found herself staring at it as Kell carried on talking. ‘I can’t imagine a woman like you ever blending in.’

She chose to ignore that little gem, casting her mind around frantically for something to say. ‘Do you ever get fed up?’

Kell shook his head. ‘I don’t get the time to get fed up.’

‘And you’ve never thought of working in a city?’

Again Kell shook his head. ‘I did some of my course units there, but it wasn’t where I wanted to be, I was always more than happy to come home.’

‘So you’ve never thought about…’ Taking a nervous sip of her drink, even Abby herself could barely believe the personal nature of her question. ‘About moving away?’

‘Why would I?’ Kell shrugged. ‘I’ve got everything I need here. A great job, my family nearby. They run a large cattle station out of town,’ he explained, ‘so there’s never a chance of being bored, and though there are relatively few people here, at least I know most of them. I could never leave this place, Abby. Tennengarrah isn’t just a town in the middle of nowhere to me, it’s home.’

‘So what made you choose to do nursing?’ Abby couldn’t stop herself. Undoubtedly he was a great nurse, she’d witnessed it for herself today after all, but it just seemed such a strange career choice for a man so in tune with the land, for an almost cowboy!

He didn’t answer straight away. From the cheers and ‘Howzats’ flying around the pub, Australia had obviously taken a wicket and Kell stood up to watch the replay as Abby sat there, feigning interest.

‘Golden duck,’ Kell said, sitting back down with a grin.

‘Sorry?’

‘You’ve no idea what I’m talking about, have you?’ He grinned as Abby shook her head, then leant forward a touch. ‘Mum had cancer.’ His voice was still light, but Abby saw the pain behind the frown that flittered across his face. ‘Every few weeks we headed off to Adelaide for her chemo. I used to go with her and I guess that’s how it started. I’d never even given nursing a thought before, still didn’t then really, but later…’ Abby watched as his Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat, and Kell took a drink before he carried on talking. ‘When it became terminal Mum wanted to be at home, and why shouldn’t she be? The whole town loved her, wanted to help look after her, be with her…’

‘But there wasn’t anyone?’ Abby ventured.

‘Oh, no, we had the clinic. It was tiny then, one doctor and one nurse, Clara. You’ll meet her tomorrow, she’s great. She made all the difference in the world. Sure, Mum had more friends and neighbours than you could count, all willing to help, but it was Clara who came at two in the morning to up her morphine infusion, Clara who turned her, worked out the meds with the doctor, Clara who made all the difference. I went out on a couple of her clinics, saw the work she was doing and I knew then I’d found what I wanted to do with my life.’

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