Page 47 of Wings Above the Mallee

‘Yesterday, you mean?’ How had she lost an entire day?

‘It’s Sunday. And a bunch of people have been calling you, but I only answered when “Dad” flashed on your phone screen—I figured your family needed to know that you’re okay.’

‘But the animals. It’s not only the sheep.’ This was Noah all over again; someone else entrusted with her responsibilities, someone who didn’t do what they were supposed to.

‘Heath told me there’s a possum and a magpie, too. Your bird doesn’t like me much, though,’ Charlee said mournfully, displaying a band aid–wrapped finger.

Did it bother Heath that Charlee used his Christian name? She couldn’t imagine Noah ever calling her anything but ‘Mummy’. Now he never would. ‘Dusty is getting territorial now she’s a little older. Doesn’t like to share me or her space.’

‘I didn’t trust her to come back, so she’s been in the bathroom the whole time. Except for yesterday morningwhen she escaped and flew straight in here. I thought she was going to peck your eyes out.’

Amelia managed a smile, knowing how assertive Dusty could be. ‘No, she races in here for snuggles. She loves it if I go back to bed for half an hour—she gets up on the pillow in the crook of my neck and fluffs and coos. I’m surprised you could get her out again.’

Charlee waggled the injured finger. ‘Uh-huh.’

‘And Biggles?’

‘Is perfectly all right,’ Charlee said, irritation creeping into her voice. ‘I told you before, I really like animals. It’s a shame I can’t turn my degree into something useful to do with them.’ She got to her feet as a rhythmic tattoo beat on the front door. ‘That’s the doc’.

‘Why the secret squirrel knock?’

‘Because if it’s Heath again, I won’t answer.’

Charlee’s forthrightness was refreshing, but her disclosure disconcerting.

‘He’s … been here?’ Why did Amelia’s heart lurch at the possibility? And was it lurching or skipping a beat?

‘Hanging around like a blowfly.’

The phrase threatened to jolt Amelia back to her nightmare, but her brain was grappling with the new information. ‘Why?’ The single word sounded too interested, so she scrambled to fix it. ‘I mean, I guess he was worried about his sheep.’

Charlee snorted, a disparaging noise Amelia realised she often used, as she made for the door. ‘Daideó’s sheep. Dad has no interest in them. But sure. Tell yourself that’s his concern, if you want.’

Taylor entered alone, seconds later. ‘Well, you dished out a nice scare,’ she said to Amelia in greeting. ‘How are you feeling?’

‘Like I had a really big night.’

‘Still remember those, do you?’ Taylor’s fingers encircled her wrist as she consulted her watch.

‘We’re not that old.’

‘Some days it feels like it though, right?’

‘Tay, you look more tired than I feel.’

Her friend blew out a sharp breath and subsided onto the chair alongside the bed, fiddling with her necklace. ‘Honestly, I’m shattered. I don’t know how much longer I can keep the practice open. I thought, when Doc Clarke announced he was retiring as soon as I came back from leave, we’d be able to get someone else in quick enough. I mean, we’re not that remote. But there’s just no way to induce practitioners to come out from the city.’

‘And yet, here you are,’ Amelia teased.

‘Yeah, well, we can’t offer every GP a hot farmer, can we?’ Taylor grinned. ‘By the way, thanks for adding to my repertoire with this one.’

‘This one?’

‘ORF—scabby mouth in sheep, according to Luke, but it’s a zoonotic viral, so humans can catch it. The parapoxvirus lives in the environment—which is a pretty gross thought—and sheep get it through abrasions. I double checked with Matt Krueger, and he said that your two probably cut their lips butting up against their bottles.’

They certainly did that often enough; in fact, Karmaa had destroyed a couple of the bottles.

Amelia pushed up in the bed. ‘Can they be cured?’ The cost didn’t matter.

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