Page 2 of Andrew’s Outback Love

James’s voice over the speakers pulled me out of my headspace.

“Please fasten seatbelts and prepare for landing.”

We all placed our seats upright and fastened the belts as instructed. James banked towards the grass strip for landing and I was bathed in sunlight as it washed through the small window beside me. The ground shimmered below, it was a scorcher.

James placed the aircraft down lightly and while we unfastened our belts and stood, he opened the door and lowered the steps into place.

Vivian and Gary, the station owners, greeted us when we descended the steps. Ruby stepped forward and I folded her in my arms for a hug. Cameron and Allison then hugged her close before we were led away to our waiting vehicles. Two minutes in the heat and I could feel the sweat trickling down my back. I slid into the front seat of the Land Cruiser Vivian was driving. Ruby and Cameron climbed into the back while James and Allison rode in the other vehicle driven by Gary.

When we drew up to the homestead, I was surprised by the number of people milling out front. The number of patients at each of my clinics had been rising rapidly since Ruby had joined us.

“Where are they all from, Ruby? I’ve never seen this many here before. Are they Ngemba? Kamilaroi?”

“Both. From surrounding settlements,” Ruby confirmed.

“They have travelled quite a distance to see you. Word is getting around about how you help the blind to see.” Vivian rested her hand on my arm and smiled, it was a genuine smile which lit up her eyes. Even in her late sixties, she was a beautiful woman with whiskey colored eyes that sparkled with life.

My father, before he’d left for overseas, had said outback people were the salt of the Earth and it hadn’t taken long for me to realise that he spoke the truth. He’d left with my mother and brother to take up a teaching appointment at Oxford University in England. They’d been gone almost three years and I’d last visited about nine months ago.

My father had confided, it looked like they would be staying. They had all fallen in love with the country and my brother was doing very well in his legal studies at Cambridge, Oxford’s rival Uni, much to my father’s dismay. I didn’t blame Quinn for not attending Oxford. Attending Uni where our father taught would have made his life a nightmare. Deep down I knew dad understood.

England couldn’t have been more different to my beloved Australia. Although pretty, green and overflowing with floral displays, it didn’t hold a torch to the rugged grandeur of the outback. The weather certainly left a lot to be desired too. I promised my mother, I’d return on a regular basis, but I would never move there permanently. There were tears, but she contented herself with speaking via Skype every week.

***

AS USUAL, VIVIEN HAD the accommodation prepared for us. In a room off to the left of a hallway, clean linen was folded and neatly stacked in a corner. Instruments for the first surgery were positioned on a tray, still wrapped in the autoclave bags. This was our ‘operating theatre.’ A room to the right had a desk, three chairs and a large filing cabinet. It was where I conducted consultations and examinations. The air conditioning kept everything blessedly cool.

Allison and Ruby entered the room where we operated and while Allison removed additional instruments from a black leather bag, Ruby set up everything Cameron would need for the first anesthesia.

Cameron and I both used the bathroom off the office to change into blue scrubs. I sat in the leather chair behind the desk while Cameron sat opposite. I opened the file I should have read on the plane and went through the details aloud.

“Our first surgery is an eight-year-old boy called Apari. I first saw him the week before last and have had him on antibiotics for a fever and a wound on his hand which was badly infected. I need to remove the cataracts on both eyes and place intraocular lenses. Right eye today, left on next visit.”

“Cause?”

“Non-congenital. Like most of these kids, malnutrition, environment, who really knows?”

“Patient two?”

“An older girl of fourteen, Carly. Non-indigenous. Down syndrome, slightly overweight with uncontrolled high blood pressure. She has suffered a left eye vitreous hemorrhage.”

“Vitrectomy? Gas?”

“Air, it would be difficult for her to posture. I saw her almost a month ago but asked her mother to consult with her GP to stabilise her blood pressure before we performed the surgery.”

“Do you anticipate any issues? Will I need a stronger sedation for her?”

“No. Carly is mild Downs and sweet as can be. I discussed the surgery with her, explained she would have to be nice and quiet and still. She was worried it would hurt but I assured her, she wouldn’t feel a thing. I recommend you go with normal sedation and increase if nerves get the better of her.

Cameron nodded.

“Patient three is an elderly indigenous man. Eighty-three-year-old, Gelar. Cataract left eye. Four, five and six are indigenous children – a six-year-old girl, Willa, eleven-year-old boy, Kalti and sixteen-year-old girl, Matilda. All cataract removal with intraocular lens placement.”

Cameron stood and shoved his small notebook into the pocket of his scrubs. “I’ll get ready.”

“Be with you in five.” I watched as Cameron crossed the hall to the other room and caught a glimpse of the ladies also dressed in scrubs. My day was about to begin. I smiled with satisfaction to myself. I was about to restore sight to five children and an adult; their life would be immeasurably better once they had healed. It gave me a feeling of value to be able to help them.

I pushed onto my feet and joined the rest of my team who were waiting. Apari lay ready on the table, Cameron speaking softly beside him as he injected the sedation into the canular he had in place in the little boy’s wrist. Ruby, holding his other hand in reassurance.