‘Oh.’ Emotions began clogging her throat. His generous approach to what could have turned into a messy situation took her by surprise. And yet it shouldn’t have, she allowed. He’d always played fair. ‘I appreciate that—thank you,’ she said quietly.
‘You’re welcome.’ He began walking again. ‘Now, come and meet Karryn.’
Maxi felt a sudden overriding sense of caution. ‘I wouldn’t want the midwife to feel I was going over her head.’
‘You wouldn’t be. Sonia’s not around anyway. She left this morning to check on a couple of expectant mums on outlying properties.’
Maxi inclined her head towards the files. ‘May I see Karryn’s notes, then?’
Handing the chart over, Jake said, ‘I’m not sure I want her to go home just yet.’
They held a mini-consult in a nearby small treatment room. After Maxi had speed-read the patient’s history, she said musingly, ‘Karryn’s twenty-nine and this was her third pregnancy, right?’
‘Yes.’
And the delivery had been straightforward, Maxi noted. There’d been no excessive bleed and only a minor repair necessary. And twenty-four hours post-partum, her obs were well within the normal range. Maxi brought her gaze up. ‘So, why don’t you want her to go home?’
‘They live miles out of town, for starters.’ Jake hitched himself against the treatment couch. ‘She has a child of six and another four. The eldest, Belinda, goes to school. The four-year-old, Nathan, is home with Mum. Plus now she’ll have the new baby. And no one around for back-up.’
‘Are you concerned she’ll overdo?’
‘No question.’ Jake rubbed a finger along the bridge of his nose. ‘Karryn and her husband Dean are trying desperately to keep their property viable. For the last few months Dean has been away most of the day sinking water bores, and right up until she delivered the baby Karryn had been doing the feed drop for the cattle.’
‘I see.’ Maxi made a moue of conjecture. ‘So, fill me in here, Jacob. What does that entail? And when you say cattle—how many does that mean, a dozen or fifty?’
‘Nearer four hundred head.’
‘OK…’ Maxi refused to be thrown. ‘So, how physical is it for Karryn, then?’
‘It’s physical, time-consuming and iffy with the set-up they have to use. She takes the Land Rover with a trailer attached. She’s had to take Nathan with her. Now she’ll have to take the baby as well. They’ll be in safety harnesses but just the thought of it scares the hell out of me.’
‘It’s obviously a struggle,’ Maxi agreed. ‘But it’s the physical part that alarms me. Karryn is not hauling bales of hay out of the trailer, is she?’
Jake shook his head. ‘Not quite. The method they use is to put the vehicle into the lowest gear and secure the steering-wheel so it can’t deviate. The idea then is that the vehicle crawls along while Karryn walks behind, throwing out armfuls of hay from the trailer.’
‘It must be exhausting in this heat.’ Maxi’s heart went out to the young mum. ‘And Dean, the husband, can he not take over the chore until Karryn’s quite fit again?’
‘He’d like to, I’m sure,’ Jake said. ‘But their present bores are drying up and they have to sink for more water sources on the place. The alternative is that they sell their livestock, getting a pittance for it because there’s a glut on the market. And then basically…’ Jake paused for effect. ‘They’ll walk off their farm.’
Maxi winced. ‘I’m beginning to get a handle on things now. Could they buy in water, perhaps?’
Jake shook his head. ‘Not when every spare dollar has to go to buy feed for the cattle.’
‘I understand your concern as Karryn’s doctor, but realistically how far can you interfere?’
‘Maxi, credit me with a little sense. I’ve no intention of interfering. I just need a reason to keep Karryn for another few days. And then to think of a possible solution to ease her workload when she gets home.’
Maxi frowned, beginning to understand just how swamped he must be feeling with his patients’ stress rapidly becoming his own. And obviously Karryn and Dean were just one of many families facing similar scenarios.
But Maxi had a few ideas of her own. ‘Does the town have a physiotherapist?’
‘Not any more. She left a month ago. And I know where you’re going. Some appropriate exercise would up Karryn’s fitness considerably.’
‘Yes, it would. But we can get round that. I have the basics to know what I’m doing. But I’d like a chat with Karryn first. And I promise I won’t go over the top.’
Jake’s mouth crimped at the corners in a dry smile. ‘Can I trust you, though, I wonder?’
‘Give me a break, Jacob.’ Maxi hastily turned towards the door. ‘You’ve told me I have a job here—for the present, at least. So just let me get on with it, please?’
Jake pushed himself away from the couch, his jaw working for a moment. ‘I’ll introduce you to Karryn, then leave you to it,’ he said, grabbing the swing door before it slammed in his face. ‘And, Max?’
Maxi felt an odd little dip in her stomach as her gaze flew up to meet his. ‘Yes?’
He shrugged a bit awkwardly. ‘Just—thanks, I guess.’
She huffed a jagged laugh. ‘I may need that in writing later.’
Jake was as good as his word, taking his leave as soon as he’d courteously introduced Maxi and adding for good measure that she’d come from England on a working holiday.
Maxi shrugged inwardly. It wasn’t quite the truth but it would do for the moment.
‘You must be wilting in our summer weather,’ Karryn said shyly, pulling herself higher on to the pillows.
‘Just a bit,’ Maxi admitted with a smile. ‘But, then, I gather it’s not been an easy time for you either. How’s your bub doing?’
Karryn’s gaze went softly to the downy head in the cot beside her. ‘Really well. He seems a placid little guy. After Nate, that’s a blessed relief, I can tell you.’
Maxi husked a low laugh. ‘Handful, was he?’
‘Like you wouldn’t believe. Always on the go. Still is, for that matter.’ She blinked, her eyes filling suddenly. ‘I hate being away from my kids…’
Maxi placed her hand on the young mum’s shoulder and squeezed. ‘I’m sure you do, Karryn. And that’s what I want to talk about. How best and how quickly we can get you ready to go home to them. Dr Haslem has told me a little of your circumstances. I hope that’s OK?’
Karryn nodded, palming the wetness away from her eyes. ‘It’s hard for everyone around here at the moment. Not just our family.’
‘So I believe. How about you, though?’ Maxi persisted gently. ‘How do you feel in yourself?’
‘It’s been good just to be able to stay off my feet, I reckon,’ Karryn said honestly. ‘But I have to get back to help Dean. I don’t really have much choice.’
‘Perhaps you do,’ Maxi’s voice firmed. ‘If we put our thinking caps on.’
‘How do you mean?’
‘Well, how would you feel about having a few more days with us?’
The young mother looked torn. ‘I don’t know…’
‘I promise we’d