The Australian's Bride. Alison Roberts
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of our children might need intensive-care facilities if they get a bad dose.’
‘We’re flying in extra supplies,’ Charles told her. ‘Antiviral medications, among others. We’re already set up with one bed capable of intensive monitoring and ventilation. We’ve got another ventilator on its way. Just in case. If the situation deteriorates, we’ll review it on a case-by-case basis.’
Miranda got to her feet. ‘Have you got some free time, Susie?’
‘I think so. Why?’
‘I want to check every child in the camp with asthma or cystic fibrosis—the ones most likely to get into trouble if they get sick. I don’t want to alarm the parents or the children, though. Nick wants to help. Have you met Joshie’s dad?’
Susie shook Nick’s hand.
‘You know more of the kids than we do,’ Miranda continued. ‘I thought that, between us, we could reassure everybody while we’re assessing them.’
‘Sure. I’ll do whatever I can to help.’
‘Not that there’s any point in not telling the truth,’ Miranda added. ‘You can bet this quarantine will hit the news big-time and there’s no way they’re going to shut down Internet or television reception at the resort, is there?’
‘No.’ There was no way Susie was going to get anywhere near Alex, either, as the group began to disperse. He had moved forward with a determined expression on his face and was now in earnest conversation with Charles. No doubt trying to persuade him that his hospital in Sydney couldn’t cope without him.
They would cope, though, wouldn’t they? There must be other paediatric neurosurgeons available for emergencies and elective surgery could always be postponed. It wouldn’t be for more than a few days.
Some people were pushing towards Angus and she could hear him talking as she followed Miranda through the door.
‘No sustained human-to-human infection documented so the World Health Organization’s global preparedness plan is still at Phase 3….’
A final glance over her shoulder revealed frown lines on Alex’s face like the ones she had seen when he’d first arrived. Stress lines.
OK, so this was inconvenient and potentially scary, but it was so unlikely that this could really be the flash point for a pandemic. Susie was worried for the sake of the children who might get sick, but she couldn’t be frightened for her own sake. She was young and healthy and this did have a bright side, didn’t it?
How long had it been, if ever, that Alex had had a few days that he could spend with his daughter uninterrupted?
Days with Stella. Just a few, but they could provide memories that would last a lifetime.
Susie hurried out into the bright, tropical sunshine.
Days turned into nights, didn’t they?
If Stella was getting quality time with her dad during the days, Susie could enjoy his company during the nights maybe. She could collect her own memories to treasure for her lifetime.
Yes. No matter what else the cloud of anxiety hanging over Wallaby Island had in store, there was definitely a silver lining in there somewhere.
* * *
Lunchtime provided an ideal opportunity to assess the remaining children Miranda and Susie had not caught up with after the briefing. Charles and Angus had also been busy, talking with parents and camp staff, and although there was an undercurrent of anxiety, things seemed to be running normally. Parents may be conversing quietly with each other but the dining hall was as noisy and cheerful as ever when the two women entered.
Malcolm, the camp chef, emerged from the kitchens before dessert was served to demonstrate his skill at playing spoons. More than one scuffle was generated as children snatched each other’s cutlery and tried to emulate the talent. Parents started smiling as the sound of clattering spoons was interspersed with shouts of laughter.
‘They’re not worried, are they?’ a mother said to Susie.
‘We shouldn’t be, either,’ she responded. ‘We’ll get on top of this. We’re going to separate all the children who are even a bit sniffly.’
‘But what if it is bird flu?’
‘If it is, then human-to-human transmission is even less likely,’ Miranda said reassuringly. ‘The fact that we’ve got so many people getting sick is probably a good indication that it isn’t.’
Susie could see Stella. She was watching Jamie, who had two spoons held back to back in one hand and was managing to make them clink as he hit them on his other palm. His fan club of younger children were standing close, crowding Stella’s view. Susie went over to her table.
‘How’s it going?’
‘Boring,’ Stella replied gloomily. ‘There’s been nothing to do all morning. All these people have been here and everybody’s been getting their temperature taken and stuff.’
‘It’s this flu bug. We need to know who’s caught it.’
‘Yeah. Jamie said it’s bird flu and Stephen said that means we’re all going to die.’
‘Not true,’ Susie said firmly. ‘On either count.’ She wanted to steer the conversation in a more positive direction. ‘What’s on for this afternoon?’
‘There’s pottery and stuff. Someone’s reading stories on the beach. There’s a group that’s going to collect shells for making necklaces and there’s swimming-pool soccer or kayaking.’
‘What are you going to do?’
‘Dunno.’ Stella flicked a glance in Jamie’s direction. ‘I might just go to the beach.’
‘You could go somewhere with your dad. If you got a cart, you could go up into the rainforest—up to that lookout on the top of the mountain even. He should see that before he goes.’
‘He’s not going. He’s stuck here for days and days. He’s really cross.’
‘He’s worried about his patients back in Sydney, that’s all.’
‘He’s always worried about his stupid patients.’ Stella’s head hung as she picked at a small stain on her T-shirt. ‘He never worries about me.’
‘Not true,’ Susie repeated. She gave Stella a gentle nudge. ‘He was really worried the other night when you shut yourself in the bathroom.’
‘He didn’t even want to talk to me before.’ Stella’s voice was a low mutter that Susie had to strain to hear over the noise of the children around them. ‘He’s been on his phone all morning.’
‘So he’s probably finished making all the arrangements he needs to for not getting home on time. I bet he’d love to spend the afternoon just with you.’
Stella shook her head. ‘He didn’t even look at me before. Not really. I was just being a nuisance and I don’t want to go back to the cabin.’
‘Hmm.’ Susie remembered the way Alex had dismissed her as a nuisance on that first meeting. How small and insignificant it had made her feel. ‘What if I thought of a way that would make him really notice you?’
Stella’s suspicious glance was hardly a surprise. It had been Susie’s idea that she dress up in her new clothes to impress her father when he arrived, and look how that had backfired. But this idea was much better. Susie leaned over to whisper in Stella’s ear.
The girl shook her head again. ‘I can’t do that.’
‘You could,’ Susie encouraged. ‘I know you could.’
Stella thought about it for a minute. Then she