raw prawn with me. I’ve seen my fair share of serious injuries and know from personal experience what severe pain’s like.” He pulled the cap off the needle with his teeth and spat it inside the truck. “Believe me; I have no intention of mollycoddling anyone, especially you. This is the anti-nausea.” He yanked open the door. “Arm or leg?”
“Arm.” She closed her eyes. Something cold brushed against her arm, followed by the sharp sting of the shot.
“I’ll go get the pain meds. Don’t move.”
“Can’t move,” she whispered. Please, God, do something, anything. Just get me through the next day. He can’t be all bad, but…
Her eyes flung open as another needle pierced her skin. “What was…?” She broke off, instantly woozy. Her vision blurred and her head swam. “What did you—?” Her eyes fluttered closed as bright light surrounded her.
~*~
Jed fastened the seatbelt, and tucked the faded blanket from the back of the Ute around her. He shut the door and strode to the back of the vehicle. He’d never known a woman like her. She could whinge and earbash like a good’un, but at the same time, he was starting to feel sorry for her. She didn’t want to be here anymore than he wanted her around.
He fastened the back cover on the Ute and went around to the driver’s side. The woman was as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike. And he didn’t have time for…
Jed shook his head.
All these women were the same. She’d be just like his succession of foster mothers. He’d never meet her high standards. No matter how hard he tried. OK, she was unlikely to lock him in the dunny without supper, or stub a smoke out on him, but could he take the chance on letting himself become emotionally involved with anyone who believed in a God who allowed kids to suffer?
No.
No, he couldn’t.
Not when he was one of those kids.
No matter how much he wanted kids of his own one day. Just a darn shame he’d have to put up with a wife in order to get them.
It had to be this way. He had to be alone. It was safer.
He started the Ute, and set off. Hopefully, he’d go more than half a mile this time before having to stop again. Reaching down, he grabbed the radio. Time to call in. “Hey, Pete, it’s Jed. Are you there?”
“Sure am.” Pete’s voice crackled over the airwaves. “You on the way back?”
“Not exactly. I have one of the medics with me.”
“Who?”
Jed paused. The airwaves weren’t exactly safe, and he didn’t want the guerrilla’s finding out he had a sheila with him—especially one who couldn’t run away. They’d be sitting ducks. He was a pretty good shot, but even he couldn’t fight off a whole platoon of armed men. “One of the docs. We’re heading to one of the hospitals to pick up some urgent supplies.”
The Ute lurched over the road. The suspension creaked.
“The rains are coming.” Pete sounded worried.
“I know and believe me, mate, if I had a choice, I would not be doing this.” He glanced up at the sky. “I’m hoping we make it before it gets too wet out here.”
“Where are you now?”
“In the Ute,” he snapped. “Roughly thirty miles out from the mission. The best I can do on these back roads is crawl along at a whopping fifteen miles an hour, twenty at the most.”
“Step on it.”
Jed cursed as the Ute hit another rut. “I’m trying, but the roads ain’t the best.”
“Radio in every two hours.”
“Will do. Out.” He replaced the mic and turned the music up full blast. His fingers tapped in time to the drums and bass filling the vehicle. He began to hum and ended up singing full belt, forgetting for a while he even had a passenger.
Three hours later, he parked and jumped out for what foster mother number seven called a comfort stop. He headed into the bush, his senses on full alert. Aware of the gun tucked into the back of his pants, he untucked his shirt to cover it.
Back at the Ute, Dr. Boyd was still out of it.
“Long may
“Arm.” She closed her eyes. Something cold brushed against her arm, followed by the sharp sting of the shot.
“I’ll go get the pain meds. Don’t move.”
“Can’t move,” she whispered. Please, God, do something, anything. Just get me through the next day. He can’t be all bad, but…
Her eyes flung open as another needle pierced her skin. “What was…?” She broke off, instantly woozy. Her vision blurred and her head swam. “What did you—?” Her eyes fluttered closed as bright light surrounded her.
~*~
Jed fastened the seatbelt, and tucked the faded blanket from the back of the Ute around her. He shut the door and strode to the back of the vehicle. He’d never known a woman like her. She could whinge and earbash like a good’un, but at the same time, he was starting to feel sorry for her. She didn’t want to be here anymore than he wanted her around.
He fastened the back cover on the Ute and went around to the driver’s side. The woman was as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike. And he didn’t have time for…
Jed shook his head.
All these women were the same. She’d be just like his succession of foster mothers. He’d never meet her high standards. No matter how hard he tried. OK, she was unlikely to lock him in the dunny without supper, or stub a smoke out on him, but could he take the chance on letting himself become emotionally involved with anyone who believed in a God who allowed kids to suffer?
No.
No, he couldn’t.
Not when he was one of those kids.
No matter how much he wanted kids of his own one day. Just a darn shame he’d have to put up with a wife in order to get them.
It had to be this way. He had to be alone. It was safer.
He started the Ute, and set off. Hopefully, he’d go more than half a mile this time before having to stop again. Reaching down, he grabbed the radio. Time to call in. “Hey, Pete, it’s Jed. Are you there?”
“Sure am.” Pete’s voice crackled over the airwaves. “You on the way back?”
“Not exactly. I have one of the medics with me.”
“Who?”
Jed paused. The airwaves weren’t exactly safe, and he didn’t want the guerrilla’s finding out he had a sheila with him—especially one who couldn’t run away. They’d be sitting ducks. He was a pretty good shot, but even he couldn’t fight off a whole platoon of armed men. “One of the docs. We’re heading to one of the hospitals to pick up some urgent supplies.”
The Ute lurched over the road. The suspension creaked.
“The rains are coming.” Pete sounded worried.
“I know and believe me, mate, if I had a choice, I would not be doing this.” He glanced up at the sky. “I’m hoping we make it before it gets too wet out here.”
“Where are you now?”
“In the Ute,” he snapped. “Roughly thirty miles out from the mission. The best I can do on these back roads is crawl along at a whopping fifteen miles an hour, twenty at the most.”
“Step on it.”
Jed cursed as the Ute hit another rut. “I’m trying, but the roads ain’t the best.”
“Radio in every two hours.”
“Will do. Out.” He replaced the mic and turned the music up full blast. His fingers tapped in time to the drums and bass filling the vehicle. He began to hum and ended up singing full belt, forgetting for a while he even had a passenger.
Three hours later, he parked and jumped out for what foster mother number seven called a comfort stop. He headed into the bush, his senses on full alert. Aware of the gun tucked into the back of his pants, he untucked his shirt to cover it.
Back at the Ute, Dr. Boyd was still out of it.
“Long may
Similar Books
