‘You’ve been fortunate. Even with a breech birth you won’t be requiring any stitches,’ Jade announced after the birth.
Mitchell had assessed both babies and noted that although they were small they were healthy and would need no additional support. Clearly there had been some mix-up with dates and for all concerned it was a welcome mistake.
‘Although I have no concerns about the health of your daughters, we need to get mother and babies to hospital immediately,’ Mitchell announced, as he gave the firstborn to the father for a cuddle while he packed away his medical kit. ‘Can you drive us back to the airstrip? I will need you to take it very slowly.’
Jeremy looked with joy at the tiny miracle in his arms, then at his second daughter, being held by Emma. He turned to look lovingly at his wife as a smile played at the corners of his mouth. ‘They are perfect and beautiful, just like you.’
She stared in silence at the man who had given her the two most precious gifts in the world. ‘They are beautiful, aren’t they?’ she said as she drew in a deep breath. Then, apparently forgetting the others still sharing the tent, she added, ‘But we’re still never having sex again!’
It was a bumpy ride to the makeshift airstrip where the pilot was waiting. They had travelled slowly in a convoy of four-wheel-drives with the assistance of the other campers.
‘I won’t get on the plane without Jeremy,’ Sophie suddenly announced when the pilot explained that her husband could not fly back. There simply was insufficient room.
‘We’re at capacity as it is. Your husband will have to drive back to Adelaide.’
‘I won’t do it,’ she said, clinging to her husband’s T-shirt. ‘I want him with me and our babies, or I won’t take the flight.’
Mitchell considered Sophie’s request. She had been through so much in the past few hours and her request was not unfair or irrational. The woman was in good health and both babies were healthy and he knew they would more than likely be discharged from the hospital in a week or so. They were both a good weight and had no obvious medical problems.
He crossed to Jade, hopeful that she would agree to take the later flight. Emma was the only choice to travel with Sophie and Jeremy. She was the flight nurse and knew the plane’s equipment, and if turbulence occurred it would not be an issue to her. She could also more than adequately meet the three patients’ medical needs.
Jade tentatively agreed. ‘So we’ll fly home later this afternoon, then?’
‘Yes,’ the pilot explained. ‘Head back to the campsite in the four-wheel-drive for a couple of hours until I get back … Or you could hit the road but it would be about a six-hour drive.’
‘We’ll wait for you to return,’ Mitchell said. ‘There’s been some bad weather and I don’t know the condition of the road.’
The pilot nodded and, after loading the passengers, he took off.
Jade watched the plane disappear from sight. She was enormously relived that Sophie and her two beautiful babies were on their way back to the Eastern Memorial with Jeremy and Emma but she felt uneasy that she was on the ground with Mitchell.
One of the drivers from the campsite suggested they all head back to the campsite and have something to eat. Then they could return in two hours for the return flight. It was just before five in the evening and with daylight saving the sun wouldn’t set for hours.
Mitchell and Jade agreed.
‘I’ll call home on the way and let them know you’ll be late tonight,’ Mitchell said as they climbed into the vehicle for the ten-minute trip back to the campsite. It was quicker going back as they didn’t have to take it slowly for Sophie and the babies.
The early vegan dinner was lovely and much needed. Jeremy and Sophie’s friends insisted on providing a healthy spread of food as a thank you for all that Jade and Mitchell had done in ensuring Sophie and the babies were fine. Mitchell and Jade didn’t realise how hungry they were until they started eating. There was an abundance of everything and it was beautifully prepared and very tasty.
‘As I said, Eastern suburbs hippies do the whole Woodstock thing in style,’ he whispered in her ear. ‘And they take their four-wheel drives to a campsite in the middle of nowhere so they’re not exactly roughing it.’
Jade smiled as she took another bite of her salad. ‘But maybe next time they shouldn’t do it when one of them is heavily pregnant.’
The time was passing quickly and Jade was preparing to head back to the makeshift airstrip when a call came through.
‘Dr Forrester, it’s Doug from the RDFS base in Adelaide. I’m just calling to inform you that there’s been an emergency on a sheep station just north of you and unfortunately the pilot has been redirected there and won’t be able to collect you this evening. I can have a plane there in the morning.’
‘I guess that will have to be okay. What time do you want us back at the airstrip?’
Jade was busy thanking her hosts for their hospitality.
‘Fine,’ she heard him say as she headed to the four-wheel-drive. ‘We’ll be there at nine a.m.’
Jade’s jaw dropped. There had to be some mistake.
‘Be where at nine in the morning?’
Mitchell drew a breath, well aware that Jade would not like his answer.
‘The airstrip.’
‘No, we can’t be staying here tonight. Why? What happened?’
‘An accident at a sheep station is more urgent than us, I’m afraid, so we’re here till the morning.’
It was a disaster. Jade was upset and although she knew she had no right to be angry with Mitchell, she still felt that it was his fault in some way. She had never spent a night away from Amber and worried how the little girl would react.
Mitchell saw her stiffen and stare coolly at him. ‘I’m not wanting to be here any more than you, believe me. I’ve done my fair share of camping over the years and I quite like the king-size bed and the air-conditioning I have back in Adelaide. But we need to make the best of it. I’ll see if they have a spare tent so we can have one each and we’ll get the bedding organised now.’
‘But what about Amber? You promised me that I would be back to tuck her into bed.’
Mitchell ran his fingers through his hair. ‘I know, and I’m sorry. I didn’t plan for this to happen.’
‘I never said you did, but I’m worried about Amber.’
‘I’ll call my mother and you can talk to her and to Amber while I organise our sleeping arrangements.’
Mitchell dialled and handed the telephone to Jade, who was quickly reassured by Maureen that Amber would be fine and that she would sleep in the room with her overnight. Jade felt better. Not great, but better.
Mitchell, however, wasn’t feeling so great. He had been told they would have to share the tent that belonged to Jeremy and Sophie. It was a state-of-the-art tent and they did have spare clean sleeping bags and pillows to give them. He decided to deal with that problem later. He worried that if he raised that issue, Jade would start the three-hundred-mile trek home on her own.
‘Let’s walk around for a while,’ Mitchell suggested as his footsteps cracked the fallen pieces of eucalyptus bark lying on the ground. ‘Amber is under control back at home and my mother will call if there are any problems. There’s nothing to do but make the most of the time here and I promise nothing