Digger groaned and opened his eyes.
‘Hurts…’
‘OK, I’ll stop pushing.’ Jennifer was pleased to see her patient looking more alert. ‘You’ve had a nasty knock on your left side. You’ve got broken ribs and may have some internal injuries. How does your breathing feel now?’
‘Bit…better…’
‘You need some fluids,’ Jennifer told him. ‘Dr Knight here is going to put a needle in your hand now.’ She glanced up swiftly, having heard what sounded like a faintly incredulous snort. ‘Is that a problem?’ she asked evenly. ‘You have fluids in that kit. I was assuming you also had the IV gear to make use of them.’
‘Oh, I do,’ Guy responded.
‘Then what’s the problem?’
‘No problem.’ Guy clearly wasn’t going to be the first to break eye contact. ‘It was just your other assumption that I found kind of amusing.’ An eyebrow rose. ‘You’re used to being in charge, aren’t you, Dr Allen?’
Jennifer felt muscles in her jaw tighten as she watched Guy pull a tie on a package from the kit, unrolling it to reveal a good supply of cannulae, swabs, luer plugs and occlusive dressings. He had asked for her help, hadn’t he? As the most highly qualified person present, of course she had assumed command of the scene.
‘And you must be used to being a big fish in a little pond.’ Her smile lacked any hint of warmth. ‘Why don’t I put the IV line in?’
‘Works for me.’ Guy’s smile was just as chilly as hers had been. ‘I’ll go and see if I can find what we need to get Digger a bit more comfortable and keep him warm.’
‘Try the radio while you’re there,’ Jennifer instructed. ‘I’d like to know how far away rescue is.’
The arm she was encircling with a tourniquet moved as Digger raised his hand.
‘Stuffed,’ he said succinctly. ‘Radio’s…shot.’
‘I’m sure Dr Knight is responsible enough to carry a cell phone. If he isn’t, then mine is in my bag…wherever that is.’
The snort from Guy was unmistakable this time. ‘And how many transmitter towers did you spot on the way, Dr Allen?’
The sound from Digger could have been a groan. Or a growl.
‘Cut it…out,’ he said clearly. ‘You’re behaving…like children.’ Despite having to take short gasps of air every few words, he continued speaking. ‘My fault we’re here…Going to be a while…Rather not listen to…squabbling.’
Squabbling? She was never that unprofessional, especially when dealing with less qualified subordinates. And just how long was ‘a while’? An hour? Two, maybe? The puff of air around her lower legs as she moved was icy, and Jennifer realised that the chill was why her fingers seemed to be lacking their usual dexterity as she snapped the cap off a cannula.
It was ridiculous to be engaging in some sort of power play with a rural GP who apparently wasn’t impressed by her position or personality. Or maybe he was still in a huff because she hadn’t recognised him from yesterday’s question-and-answer session. None of that mattered a damn right now because none of them were safe yet. Not by a long shot. She bit her lip as she glanced up to see Guy turning back towards the wreckage of the plane.
‘If you can find something to prop Digger up with, I’d be grateful,’ she called. ‘Lying flat isn’t going to help his breathing.’
A hand was raised in acknowledgement but Guy didn’t turn his head so Jennifer didn’t bother to call out any thanks. She turned back to the task at hand.
‘Sharp scratch now, Digger.’ It took several seconds of careful needle-tip manoeuvring to gain access to a vein flattened by low blood pressure. ‘Sorry,’ Jennifer murmured. ‘I know it hurts.’
‘It’s nothing,’ Digger said. ‘And I’m the one…who should be sorry, lass.’
‘This wasn’t your fault,’ Jennifer found herself saying. ‘And according to Guy, if you hadn’t handled things as well as you did then none of us would have made it.’
‘Shirley?’ Digger’s voice was rough. ‘And Bill? Are they…?’
Jennifer shook her head, meeting his gaze only briefly before reaching for the luer plug to cap the end of the cannula.
‘Oh…God!’ Digger squeezed his eyes shut. By the time he opened them again, Jennifer had taped the IV into place and attached the giving set. She held the bag of saline aloft and opened the flow.
‘What did you say…your name was?’
‘Actually, I didn’t say.’ Jennifer’s smile was rueful. ‘Rude of me, wasn’t it? I’m Jennifer Allen.’
‘You’re the…big shot…from Auckland, yeah?’
‘Yeah.’ The smile was matched by a dismissive head-shake. ‘Not that that’s going to be much help up here.’
‘I’ll be right.’ A faint smile tugged at Digger’s lips. ‘I’ve got…nine lives.’
‘But how many of them have you used up already?’ Guy had returned, carrying what looked like the back of a seat. He also held a bulky, pale blue item of clothing.
‘Put this on,’ he directed Jennifer. ‘The sunlight’s not going to be around much longer and it’s going to get bloody cold.’
The padded anorak looked inviting but Jennifer hesitated. Guy’s face softened almost imperceptibly. ‘Shirley doesn’t need it anymore,’ he said quietly. One corner of his mouth tilted. ‘And it should keep you warm—it’s big enough to go round you twice. Here, I’ll hold that bag while you put it on, then we can get this seat behind Digger.’
The instant warmth was comforting. ‘Thanks…Guy.’
‘You’re welcome…Jennifer.’
So they were to be on an equal footing. Fair enough. ‘What about you?’ Jennifer’s gaze slid to Guy’s bare arms. ‘Aren’t you freezing?’
‘I’ll go back and get Bill’s jacket in a minute. Let’s sort Digger out first.’
It wasn’t the first time Jennifer had gained the impression that this man was used to putting other people first. She felt a pang of remorse that she hadn’t enquired into his welfare before this. That blood on the leg of his jeans still looked remarkably fresh. If it had all come from Bill, why hadn’t it congealed and darkened by now? As soon as they made the pilot as comfortable as possible, she would make it her business to check Guy out properly. She’d need to do something about her own arm as well. Doctors really were the worst patients.
‘I don’t suppose you’ve got a foil sheet or something in that kit, do you? It would be good to get something between Digger and the ground.’
‘Sure.’ Guy handed back the bag of IV fluid but Jennifer didn’t want to stand and hold it.
‘Could
