The Australian's Bride

CHAPTER FIVE

C ONCENTRATE !

This had to be important. An urgent staff meeting for every available medic on Wallaby Island would not be called for something that wasn’t of major significance.

Susie tried to catch the anxiety she could see on the faces around her as she walked into the lecture theatre that was part of the convention centre at the resort. It wasn’t easy. She felt as if she was floating above the scene. The way she had already floated through the first part of today—on autopilot, as she’d helped Jack and other children through their airway clearance sessions.

The way she had floated, early this morning, from the bed she had shared with Alex last night.

Part of it would be due to fatigue, she realised, climbing the steps to slip into one of the tiered seats. You couldn’t indulge in mind-blowingly incredible sex for an entire night without being left a little on the tired side.

Another part was due to Susie being in a mental space she’d never discovered before. A space that felt alarmingly perfect. As exciting as the most thrilling roller-coaster ride imaginable but, at the same time, as secure as a trusted shoulder to cry on. A wild ride that was, paradoxically, soft and comforting.

Was this what being on cloud nine was all about?

The area at the base of the seating featured a lecturn and people were positioning themselves. Charles was there. So was Beth Stuart, talking to a tall man Susie didn’t recognise. Beth took a seat and the buzz of speculative conversation in the room died down. Late arrivals found spare seats.

Miranda sat beside Susie, who noticed that Nick— the father of one of Miranda’s young asthma patients— was accompanying her. The look and smile the couple exchanged as they settled hurriedly into their seats made it very clear they were together in more than a professional sense. Goodness, when had that happened? It was enough to prompt Susie to scan the rest of the room more carefully.

Where was Alex?

He’d gone back to the cabin to shower and change and had been planning to have breakfast with Stella. Had he not got the message about the meeting?

Yes!

Susie missed the first words Charles spoke because the side door opened again to admit Alex, and a wave of sensation rippled through her body with unexpected ferocity.

Just the glimpse of his hand as he pushed the door shut behind him was enough to make her skin tingle with the memory of his touch. As he turned, her glance went to his face and she could see he had shaved recently but that dark shadow outlining his jaw would always be there. Would always remind her of the deliciously rough sensation that stubble had given her last night. On her breasts. On her thighs…

A small sound must have escaped her because Susie earned a quick, surprised glance from Miranda.

‘Are you OK?’ she whispered.

‘I’m fine,’ Susie whispered back.

‘Fine’. Such an innocuous word. It could be a cover for not feeling good at all. Or, in this case, a cop-out from an inappropriate attempt to search for a word that could encompass feeling this good.

Was Alex feeling good?

Susie hadn’t expected to find the surgeon staring in her direction. For a moment, across all the heads turned in Charles’s direction, her gaze locked with Alex’s and the connection was enough to make her toes curl and that ripple of sensation kick back in.

‘Angus Stuart,’ Charles was saying in the background. ‘An epidemiologist who’s here for a conference. Angus has a particular interest in pandemics and has been involved in government think-tanks set up in the wake of the bird-flu scare we all heard so much about a couple of years ago.’

Stuart? The name finally sank in and Susie dragged her gaze away from Alex. She wasn’t the only person to search out Beth, who was now sitting in the front row of seats. Were they related? She took another look at the man beside Charles. He was quite proper looking. Distinguished even. Very serious and unsmiling at the moment, which made him seem an unlikely relative for the friendly and outgoing Beth but, then, how much did she really know about Beth?

‘As you will all be aware,’ Charles continued, ‘we’re having an outbreak of an influenza-type illness here on the island. Currently we have two adults from the resort and three children from the camp as inpatients in our medical centre. None of them are critically ill but we’re monitoring them carefully. Influenza is never something to be taken lightly and we have the additional concern of having a large group of children here, some of whom are already compromised healthwise.’

Susie stole another glance at Alex but he was totally focused on Charles and he was frowning. As though he had assimilated something that hadn’t yet been verbalised and he either did not like or disagreed with the information.

‘Dr Stuart’s opinion was sought because an unusual number of dead birds have been discovered on the island over the last few days.’

Everybody was focused now. Silent and still.

‘One of our inpatients is known to have been in direct contact with one of those birds last Tuesday. She started showing the first symptoms of her illness on Friday.’

‘Lily…’ Susie murmured. ‘Oh, my God!’ This was possibly worse than a suspected diagnosis of meningitis. ‘Bird flu?’

‘Shh,’ Miranda cautioned.

‘One of our rangers who collected birds from the shoreline on Friday afternoon is also showing the first signs of a viral infection, with a raised temperature, headache, photophobia and arthralgia.’

The audience was not so silent now. Whispered conversations were breaking out. Alex stood silently, still frowning at Charles, his arms now folded. Someone else raised their hand.

‘How many others are sick? That haven’t been admitted yet?’

The ‘yet’struck a note that increased tension. Already they were assuming that the viral infection was going to be a serious illness for everybody who caught it.

‘Unknown,’ Charles responded. ‘That information is something we’re going to ask all of you to help collate today. We want you to check the groups of children you’re responsible for and report any symptoms, however mild they may be at present.’

The nurse who had accompanied the cancer children stood up to voice the fear everyone was now sharing. She had to raise her voice to be heard.

‘Are you saying we’ve got an outbreak of bird flu on Wallaby Island?’

‘No.’ It was Angus Stuart who answered. ‘And that’s something we need to make clear to everybody. There’s no cause for panic. What we are saying is that the coincidence of finding dead birds with an influenza outbreak means that further investigation is prudent.’

‘What kind of investigation?’ Miranda asked. ‘Are you wanting us to collect blood or sputum samples?’

‘We’ve started that with our inpatients. A series of specimens is needed over several days if we are going to rule out an infection with H5N1.’

‘H5N1?’ Susie whispered to Miranda.

‘Avian Influenza A,’ she responded quietly. ‘A specific strain of bird flu.’

‘At the moment we just need to get a handle on how many potential cases we might be dealing with,’ Angus continued. ‘And get an idea of demographics. Parts of the island these people have visited. Whether they’ve touched or seen any dead birds.’

‘Everybody needs to be warned not to touch any and to report any sightings,’ Charles added.

‘But we’re on an island,’ someone said. ‘We’re a world away from any known cases.’

‘We have migratory birds that travel long distances. The fact that this is an island is to our advantage. In the worst-case scenario, it means we can isolate this virus.’

‘As of now,’ Charles said clearly, ‘Wallaby Island is quarantined. Until we know what we’re dealing with, nobody will be allowed to leave.’

‘What?’ The single word broke from Alex into the stunned silence. ‘That’s impossible. I’ve got a full operating list waiting for me in Sydney with a 7:00 a.m. start time tomorrow. I have to be off this island today.’

Susie had known that he was due to leave this afternoon. She had known all along that last night had been a one-off, never-to-be-repeated experience. Still, it was disturbing how hollow it made her feel to have it confirmed so vehemently. And a bit humiliating to see that Alex couldn’t wait to get away.

‘I’m sorry,’ Charles said firmly. ‘It’s now out of my hands. Angus has been in touch with the appropriate authorities and the quarantine has been notified. Disease investigation and control experts are coming in to take over but no one is going to leave. There will be no exceptions.’

‘But people have already left,’ someone objected. ‘I saw the seaplane taking off early this morning.’

‘Steps have been taken to intercept those people. And to contact everybody else who’s been on the island in the last week. They will be kept under observation and isolation, if necessary, in their homes. Guests at the resort will be receiving a written bulletin shortly, outlining the situation. The staff will be doing their utmost to reduce the inevitable inconvenience and they will, of course, have free accommodation until this is over.’

‘What about anyone who gets critically ill?’ Miranda asked. ‘Some of our children might need intensive-care facilities if they get a bad dose.’

‘We’re flying in extra supplies,’ Charles told her. ‘Antiviral medications, among others. We’re already set up with one bed capable of intensive monitoring and ventilation. We’ve got another ventilator on its way. Just in case. If the situation deteriorates, we’ll review it on a case-by-case basis.’

Miranda got to her feet. ‘Have you got some free time, Susie?’

‘I think so. Why?’

‘I want to check every child in the camp with asthma or cystic fibrosis—the ones most likely to get into trouble if they get sick. I don’t want to alarm the parents or the children, though. Nick wants to help. Have you met Joshie’s dad?’

Susie shook Nick’s hand.

‘You know more of the kids than we do,’ Miranda continued. ‘I thought that, between us, we could reassure everybody while we’re assessing them.’

‘Sure. I’ll do whatever I can to help.’

‘Not that there’s any point in not telling the truth,’ Miranda added. ‘You can bet this quarantine will hit the news big-time and there’s no way they’re going to shut down Internet or television reception at the resort, is there?’

‘No.’ There was no way Susie was going to get anywhere near Alex, either, as the group began to disperse. He had moved forward with a determined expression on his face and was now in earnest conversation with Charles. No doubt trying to persuade him that his hospital in Sydney couldn’t cope without him.

They would cope, though, wouldn’t they? There must be other paediatric neurosurgeons available for emergencies and elective surgery could always be postponed. It wouldn’t be for more than a few days.

Some people were pushing towards Angus and she could hear him talking as she followed Miranda through the door.

‘No sustained human-to-human infection documented so the World Health Organization’s global preparedness plan is still at Phase 3….’

A final glance over her shoulder revealed frown lines on Alex’s face like the ones she had seen when he’d first arrived. Stress lines.

OK, so this was inconvenient and potentially scary, but it was so unlikely that this could really be the flash point for a pandemic. Susie was worried for the sake of the children who might get sick, but she couldn’t be frightened for her own sake. She was young and healthy and this did have a bright side, didn’t it?

How long had it been, if ever, that Alex had had a few days that he could spend with his daughter uninterrupted?

Days with Stella. Just a few, but they could provide memories that would last a lifetime.

Susie hurried out into the bright, tropical sunshine.

Days turned into nights, didn’t they?

If Stella was getting quality time with her dad during the days, Susie could enjoy his company during the nights maybe. She could collect her own memories to treasure for her lifetime.

Yes. No matter what else the cloud of anxiety hanging over Wallaby Island had in store, there was definitely a silver lining in there somewhere.

* * *

Lunchtime provided an ideal opportunity to assess the remaining children Miranda and Susie had not caught up with after the briefing. Charles and Angus had also been busy, talking with parents and camp staff, and although there was an undercurrent of anxiety, things seemed to be running normally. Parents may be conversing quietly with each other but the dining hall was as noisy and cheerful as ever when the two women entered.

Malcolm, the camp chef, emerged from the kitchens before dessert was served to demonstrate his skill at playing spoons. More than one scuffle was generated as children snatched each other’s cutlery and tried to emulate the talent. Parents started smiling as the sound of clattering spoons was interspersed with shouts of laughter.

‘They’re not worried, are they?’ a mother said to Susie.

‘We shouldn’t be, either,’ she responded. ‘We’ll get on top of this. We’re going to separate all the children who are even a bit sniffly.’

‘But what if it is bird flu?’

‘If it is, then human-to-human transmission is even less likely,’ Miranda said reassuringly. ‘The fact that we’ve got so many people getting sick is probably a good indication that it isn’t.’

Susie could see Stella. She was watching Jamie, who had two spoons held back to back in one hand and was managing to make them clink as he hit them on his other palm. His fan club of younger children were standing close, crowding Stella’s view. Susie went over to her table.

‘How’s it going?’

‘Boring,’ Stella replied gloomily. ‘There’s been nothing to do all morning. All these people have been here and everybody’s been getting their temperature taken and stuff.’

‘It’s this flu bug. We need to know who’s caught it.’

‘Yeah. Jamie said it’s bird flu and Stephen said that means we’re all going to die.’

‘Not true,’ Susie said firmly. ‘On either count.’ She wanted to steer the conversation in a more positive direction. ‘What’s on for this afternoon?’

‘There’s pottery and stuff. Someone’s reading stories on the beach. There’s a group that’s going to collect shells for making necklaces and there’s swimming-pool soccer or kayaking.’

‘What are you going to do?’

‘Dunno.’ Stella flicked a glance in Jamie’s direction. ‘I might just go to the beach.’

‘You could go somewhere with your dad. If you got a cart, you could go up into the rainforest—up to that lookout on the top of the mountain even. He should see that before he goes.’

‘He’s not going. He’s stuck here for days and days. He’s really cross.’

‘He’s worried about his patients back in Sydney, that’s all.’

‘He’s always worried about his stupid patients.’ Stella’s head hung as she picked at a small stain on her T-shirt. ‘He never worries about me.’

‘Not true,’ Susie repeated. She gave Stella a gentle nudge. ‘He was really worried the other night when you shut yourself in the bathroom.’

‘He didn’t even want to talk to me before.’ Stella’s voice was a low mutter that Susie had to strain to hear over the noise of the children around them. ‘He’s been on his phone all morning.’

‘So he’s probably finished making all the arrangements he needs to for not getting home on time. I bet he’d love to spend the afternoon just with you.’

Stella shook her head. ‘He didn’t even look at me before. Not really. I was just being a nuisance and I don’t want to go back to the cabin.’

‘Hmm.’ Susie remembered the way Alex had dismissed her as a nuisance on that first meeting. How small and insignificant it had made her feel. ‘What if I thought of a way that would make him really notice you?’

Stella’s suspicious glance was hardly a surprise. It had been Susie’s idea that she dress up in her new clothes to impress her father when he arrived, and look how that had backfired. But this idea was much better. Susie leaned over to whisper in Stella’s ear.

The girl shook her head again. ‘I can’t do that.’

‘You could,’ Susie encouraged. ‘I know you could.’

Stella thought about it for a minute. Then she sighed in acquiescence. ‘Will you come with me? In case I can’t?’

‘Sure.’ Susie was smiling, already anticipating results. ‘Let’s go, Star.’

Alex was still on the cabin veranda. An open laptop sat on the table in front of him and he was talking on his mobile phone, his gaze sightlessly encompassing the broad, gently sloping track that led towards the camp complex.

Susie stayed near a large tree at the bottom of the slope but she was only half-hidden. She needed to watch to make sure Stella didn’t get into difficulties and lose her confidence as she walked—without her crutches— towards her father.

The moment Alex became aware of what he was seeing was obvious. He became very, very still. The conversation he was having was abruptly terminated, the phone slowly put down and abandoned. Alex sat, riveted by what he was watching. Poised to rush in and offer assistance if necessary but holding back—willing the miracle to continue.

Which was exactly how Susie was feeling. The grip on Stella’s crutches became loose as her palms got sweaty. The tight feeling in her chest was what reminded Susie to breathe. From either end she and Alex were walking every slow, measured step right along with Stella.

Susie could see the limp but she could also see every correction for balance.

‘Go, Star,’ she murmured aloud. ‘You can do it.’

She could feel the tension in Stella’s body as she concentrated hard on her task. Being a gentle uphill slope was helping. It would have been much harder going downhill. But there were steps at the end of her journey to get to the veranda. They had only practised steps once. Would Stella risk undermining her triumph by attempting something that could be too difficult?