Medical Mission (7 page)

Josh was rushed from the RFDS plane into the waiting ambulance, which raced straight to the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

He had a hard time keeping track of what was occurring. There were movements and lights, things happening around him. Faces peered at him and voices droned. He threw up again and again, his stomach twisting
into a knot, his throat burning with bile. He slipped in and out of consciousness. When he was awake, his world was filled with confusion, fear and pain. When he was asleep, his dreams were filled with confusion, fear and giant monster snakes. He hardly knew when he was conscious.

And then he was aware of something.

What is that sound?
he wondered.
A baby?

Josh opened his eyes. Through the blurriness he saw movement. He blinked and his vision started to clear. Someone shifting about. He blinked again. Someone was walking back and forth, rocking a baby in her arms. She had long dark hair tied back and a round, kind face.

It's Mum
, he thought.

He tried to say hi, but his mouth wouldn't work properly. It came out as a grunt.

‘Oh dear,' said Mum, stopping and looking at Josh. ‘I'm so sorry, love. I didn't mean to wake you. I've been trying to keep Nate quiet but, you know, babies don't always cooperate. He's asleep now.'

Josh's heart wrenched. Tears welled up in his eyes.

‘Oh, honey, are you all right?' Mum moved closer, concern crinkling her face. ‘I'll call a nurse.'

‘Fine,' Josh managed to say. He tried to swallow the dryness from his mouth. ‘Just missed you … so much.'

The tears rolled down his cheeks.

Mum's eyes welled up as well. ‘I've missed you, too.' Holding Nate in one arm, she sat
on the bed beside her first son and gave him an awkward, one-armed hug.

Josh sniffed back the tears as he turned to the baby. It was kind of squishy-looking, with its eyes shut tight and had a drooling mouth.
No, not it
, Josh corrected himself.
Him. Nathan. Nate. My brother.

Josh smiled at his new sibling. ‘He's out of the … plastic box?' He couldn't remember the word.

His mum smiled. ‘Yes. He's out. His lungs have developed well. He's breathing without a ventilator. And he's strong enough to come home. And soon you will be too.'

‘I see we're awake,' said a nurse, striding into the room and snatching the chart from the end of his bed. She made some notes and then hung it back. She checked
the IV drip. ‘How are you feeling?' she asked.

‘Okay,' said Josh, automatically. Then he realised that it was true. He was feeling okay. ‘Better. A lot better.'

‘Good,' said the nurse. ‘The antivenom treatment is almost done. It's in the IV. No allergic reactions. But we'll keep an eye on you for a while. Assuming all goes well, and I'm sure it will, you'll get to go home tomorrow.'

‘So I won't miss
The Flying Doctors
,' said Josh excitedly.

‘Flying doctors?' The nurse looked confused. ‘They brought you to Adelaide, but they're gone.'

Josh laughed. ‘No. Not the real ones. The TV ones.'

The nurse frowned. ‘I'm not sure I follow you.'

‘Doesn't matter,' said Josh.

‘Ooo–kay. I'll just leave you to rest, shall I?' She turned and left the room, a bemused expression on her face.

‘Now, don't get your hopes up,' said Mum. ‘We'll see how you're feeling after you get home before we make a decision about you going to the drive-in.'

‘I
have
to go to the fundraiser,' insisted Josh. ‘More than ever now that the RFDS saved me!'

‘Wellll … we'll talk about it with your father when he gets here.'

‘Dad?' Josh tried to push himself up into a sitting position. ‘Dad's coming?'

‘Of course he is, love,' said Mum. ‘He
booked a flight a soon as he found out what happened to you.'

‘He did?' Josh felt his throat tighten and his eyes prickle – but his face brightened. ‘He didn't say anything about coming.'

‘Oh dear, you know he often doesn't say things when he should. And he's been so overworked lately. And worried about Nate and me.'

‘He didn't come here for Nate,' said Josh in a tiny voice. ‘But he's coming here for me.'

‘He wanted to go with me and Nate,' said Mum. ‘But he knew I'd be okay. He said he didn't want to leave you alone.'

Tears were now streaming down Josh's face. ‘I can't wait to see him.'

Josh looked out the window.

Marceline waved from the Trash and Treasure Market, which had been set up on trestle tables at the back of the drive-in. It was packed with people going through all the stuff that had been donated.

As the car slowly cruised by, Josh saw Jason, Lee and Ramone behind the food
stalls, which were also set up on trestle tables by the building. There were lots of people lining up for cakes, pizza and sweets.

The car came to a stop as Ratchet, Sally and Pete approached. Josh opened the window.

‘Good to have ya join us,' growled Ratchet, shoving a giant container of popcorn at him. ‘Decided to use the machine.' Josh watched as the corners of her mouth twitched, then rose. She was smiling. It was kind of a scary smile, but a smile nonetheless. ‘Show starts in ten minutes. Your reserved spot is over there.' She pointed to a place marked by four traffic cones.

‘Glad you're okay, mate,' said Pete.

Sally rushed forward, leaned in through the window and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Josh blushed, at a loss for words.

‘Go on,' grunted Ratchet. ‘Don't want to miss the start. Get!'

As the car continued on, Josh heard Ratchet bellowing ‘Allons-y!'

The drive-in was packed. Locals as well as tourists had turned out to support the RFDS.

This is going to raise heaps of money
, thought Josh.

The car ground to a halt and he looked over his shoulder into the back. Mum was sitting next to Nate, who was strapped into one of those fancy baby capsules, which did pretty much everything except change stinky nappies. Dad had borrowed the car from a neighbouring farm so they could all come tonight as a family. They couldn't
have strapped his brother into the back of the ute.

It only took a moment to tune the radio in to the drive-in's frequency. The ads were already playing, trying to convince viewers to visit the local shops.

‘This is my first time at the drive-in,' whispered Josh.

‘Long overdue,' said Dad.

‘I'm glad we made it,' said Josh.

‘I'm glad
you
made it,' said Dad. ‘You had me worried there for a moment.'

An awkward silence stretched for a few minutes before Dad spoke again, eyes glued to the screen as if he was intently interested in the advertisement for the Coober Pedy Opal Exchange. ‘I'm proud of you, son. Real proud of you.'

The ad finished.

An RFDS aeroplane sped across a dirt strip, craggy mountains and desert landscape in the background, and launched into the air straight at the audience.

It's different
, Josh noticed,
from the one I was in
.
Older-looking. Two propellers.

But the landscape was familiar. The Australian outback. Sure, a different part of the outback to that which they were in. But it was still their world. Desolate. Isolated. Striking. Beautiful. Home!

Words filled the screen …

 

CRAWFORD PRODUCTIONS
presents
THE FLYING DOCTORS

 

Josh heard applause and cheers from the other cars.

He smiled and leaned back to enjoy the show.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia (RFDS) began as the dream of the Reverend John Flynn, a minister with the Presbyterian Church. He witnessed the struggle of pioneers living in remote areas with no available medical care. Flynn's vision was to provide a ‘mantle of safety' for these people, and on 15 May 1928 his dream became a reality with the opening of the Australian Inland Mission Aerial Medical Service (later renamed the Royal Flying Doctor Service) in Cloncurry, Queensland.

Over the next few years, the Service began to expand across the country, and by the 1950s was acknowledged by former Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies as ‘perhaps the single greatest contribution to the effective settlement of the far distant country that we have witnessed in our time'.

Until the 1960s, the RFDS rarely owned its own aircraft. Progressively, the RFDS began to purchase its own aircraft and employ dedicated pilots and engineers.

Today, the Royal Flying Doctor Service is one of the largest and most comprehensive aeromedical organisations in the world. Using the latest in aviation, medical and communications technology, it delivers extensive health care and 24-hour
emergency service to those who live, work and travel throughout Australia. The RFDS has a fleet of 66 aircraft operating from 23 bases located across the nation and provides medical assistance to over 290,000 people every year.

 

Did you know? John Flynn, the founder of the RFDS, is pictured on the Australian $20 note!