know, and she was determined he would have it.
CHAPTER SEVEN
M IA placed the phone back on its cradle.
‘How is he?’ Jenny asked the same question she’d asked every morning. It had been a week since Jai had been airlifted to Darwin and soon after transferred south to Adelaide for specialist burns treatment.
‘He’s still in Intensive Care but they’re weaning him off the respirator so this is good news.’ Mia tried to sound positive but it was early days yet. Burns victims often faced their hardest challenge a couple of weeks after the initial injury.
‘He’s not coming home for a long time.’ Susie sighed and patted Jenny’s shoulder.
Mia nodded as Susie spoke the words she hadn’t wanted to say. When islanders left Kirra they often pined for their beloved home, their well-being so intrinsically linked to their traditional lands. Not only did Jai have a huge physical battle on his hands, he was also a thousand kilometres from his home and his family.
‘But as soon as he’s well enough he’ll be transferred back to Darwin and then his family can visit him and we can organise a roster of people to go over.’ Mia scribbledan idea on a yellow sticky note. ‘Perhaps we can raise some money for ferry fares by having a fete?’
Susie’s white teeth flashed as she smiled. ‘That’s a good idea, Sis.’
Happiness spread through Mia. She constantly trod a fine line, being the non-indigenous team member. She was there to teach, not to preach, and not every idea she had worked but this one seemed to be well received. ‘We could ask the child-care centre to do face painting and have a barbecue stall and…’ She caught sight of Flynn who had unexpectedly appeared in the doorway, as was his wont. ‘And we could have a dunk tank with Dr Flynn as the target.’
‘Hey, I heard that!’ Flynn sounded affronted but his hazel eyes crinkled in a warm smile, which he directed straight at her.
She hugged it close.
The two health workers giggled.
‘That Jimmy, he has a good throwing arm,’ Susie teased, before turning to Mia. ‘All nurses get taken on bush camp and your turn is tomorrow.’
‘Bush camp? What’s that?’
‘We take you out and tell you about bush tucker and bush medicine. We all camp out and you cook dinner for us.’ Susie spoke as if this was an everyday event.
‘Really?’ She glanced at Flynn for confirmation. He’d walked over to her whiteboard, which actually looked yellow due to the number of sticky notes stuck to it.
He turned back from reading the board and gave her a knowing smile. ‘Really.’
A strand of unease started to vibrate inside her, andshe had an overwhelming feeling she was on the outside of an ‘in’ joke. ‘Hang on a minute, let me get this straight. During the day, you collect the food for me to cook that night?’
‘No, you have to gather or catch food first.’ Susie grinned cheekily. ‘But I can light the fire for you.’
Visions of being very hungry stamped themselves all over her brain. ‘Do I have to build my own bark humpy as well?’
Jenny giggled. ‘No, we use tents.’
The two health workers ambled off to give their community the latest news of Jai.
She slapped the sticky note about the fete onto her whiteboard and turned to see Flynn studying her, his expression uncharacteristically serious. ‘What do you know about this?’
‘It’s something they do when they like you.’
She chuckled with scepticism. ‘What, take me out into the bush and leave me to starve?’
His sober look vanished with a wink. ‘You’ll only starve if you’re lousy at fishing or a bad spear thrower.’
Laughter bubbled up, bringing with it a sensation of pure joy. ‘Thank you so much. That information is very reassuring.’
‘It’s a great opportunity to experience some Kirri culture.’
She knew it would be. ‘I’m really honoured I’ve been asked even if I am going to be hungry.’ She sat down on the edge of the desk, catching the scent of
CHAPTER SEVEN
M IA placed the phone back on its cradle.
‘How is he?’ Jenny asked the same question she’d asked every morning. It had been a week since Jai had been airlifted to Darwin and soon after transferred south to Adelaide for specialist burns treatment.
‘He’s still in Intensive Care but they’re weaning him off the respirator so this is good news.’ Mia tried to sound positive but it was early days yet. Burns victims often faced their hardest challenge a couple of weeks after the initial injury.
‘He’s not coming home for a long time.’ Susie sighed and patted Jenny’s shoulder.
Mia nodded as Susie spoke the words she hadn’t wanted to say. When islanders left Kirra they often pined for their beloved home, their well-being so intrinsically linked to their traditional lands. Not only did Jai have a huge physical battle on his hands, he was also a thousand kilometres from his home and his family.
‘But as soon as he’s well enough he’ll be transferred back to Darwin and then his family can visit him and we can organise a roster of people to go over.’ Mia scribbledan idea on a yellow sticky note. ‘Perhaps we can raise some money for ferry fares by having a fete?’
Susie’s white teeth flashed as she smiled. ‘That’s a good idea, Sis.’
Happiness spread through Mia. She constantly trod a fine line, being the non-indigenous team member. She was there to teach, not to preach, and not every idea she had worked but this one seemed to be well received. ‘We could ask the child-care centre to do face painting and have a barbecue stall and…’ She caught sight of Flynn who had unexpectedly appeared in the doorway, as was his wont. ‘And we could have a dunk tank with Dr Flynn as the target.’
‘Hey, I heard that!’ Flynn sounded affronted but his hazel eyes crinkled in a warm smile, which he directed straight at her.
She hugged it close.
The two health workers giggled.
‘That Jimmy, he has a good throwing arm,’ Susie teased, before turning to Mia. ‘All nurses get taken on bush camp and your turn is tomorrow.’
‘Bush camp? What’s that?’
‘We take you out and tell you about bush tucker and bush medicine. We all camp out and you cook dinner for us.’ Susie spoke as if this was an everyday event.
‘Really?’ She glanced at Flynn for confirmation. He’d walked over to her whiteboard, which actually looked yellow due to the number of sticky notes stuck to it.
He turned back from reading the board and gave her a knowing smile. ‘Really.’
A strand of unease started to vibrate inside her, andshe had an overwhelming feeling she was on the outside of an ‘in’ joke. ‘Hang on a minute, let me get this straight. During the day, you collect the food for me to cook that night?’
‘No, you have to gather or catch food first.’ Susie grinned cheekily. ‘But I can light the fire for you.’
Visions of being very hungry stamped themselves all over her brain. ‘Do I have to build my own bark humpy as well?’
Jenny giggled. ‘No, we use tents.’
The two health workers ambled off to give their community the latest news of Jai.
She slapped the sticky note about the fete onto her whiteboard and turned to see Flynn studying her, his expression uncharacteristically serious. ‘What do you know about this?’
‘It’s something they do when they like you.’
She chuckled with scepticism. ‘What, take me out into the bush and leave me to starve?’
His sober look vanished with a wink. ‘You’ll only starve if you’re lousy at fishing or a bad spear thrower.’
Laughter bubbled up, bringing with it a sensation of pure joy. ‘Thank you so much. That information is very reassuring.’
‘It’s a great opportunity to experience some Kirri culture.’
She knew it would be. ‘I’m really honoured I’ve been asked even if I am going to be hungry.’ She sat down on the edge of the desk, catching the scent of
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