Page 6 of Stockman's Stormcloud

Two

‘Can MrPurrington sleep with me tonight?’ The little girl stroked the ginger cat hogging her hospital bed.

Sophie smiled at her young patient, as she packed up their board game. ‘You were supposed to be asleep hours ago.’ Sophie playfully tapped the patient’s nose.

‘Where does Mr Purrington sleep?’

‘He has his bed at the nurses’ station, and this trolley so he can help me do my rounds.’ Everyone at the small bush hospital loved Mr Purrington. The patients sat higher in their beds, their smiles growing, whenever Sophie rolled her special nursing trolley into the room, with Mr Purrington in his basket eager to visit patients, as the cat who loved his cuddles.

But he’d gotten so lazy lately, he’d be lucky if he walked a corridor a week, preferring to be handled by both the patients and the staff.

‘Come on, Mr Purrington, it’s time to say goodnight to little Sammy.’

‘Will I see Mr Purrington tomorrow?’ The little girl patted the cat, snuggling into his plush basket. Along with the stash of vintage board games, her nursing trolley carried bowls for water and cat biscuits, as well as keeping the cat’s long lead that attached to his harness to ensure he never ran off. Not that the ginger lump of fur would run. He was the type to just lie down in the corner and sleep through an emergency—which was handy in a hospital.

Sammy went to suck on her fingers.

‘Hands, miss.’ Sophie turned the tap on at the sinks to wash her hands.

‘Um, yeah, sorry.’ The little girl grinned, hopping down to soap up her hands beside Sophie. ‘It’s a baaaaad habit.’ Sammy rolled her eyes. ‘It’s so bad that they call mefinger-sucking Sammy. The dentist said I’ll need braces if I keep sucking my fingers, which is super expensive, and Mommy won’t be able to buy me my new set of roller-skates. And I’ve just learned to skate backwards.’

‘Roller-skates? That’s cool.’

‘I want purple ones. To match my tutu.’

‘You know you won’t be able to roller-skate for a while.’ The girl had just had her appendix removed. Yet children recovered so quickly, and the way Sammy was moving around, it wouldn’t be long, and she’d be back in the playground.

‘I know.’ Sammy sighed heavily as she lay back on her pillows.

‘The good news is you’ll be going home tomorrow.’

‘But I’ll miss Mr Purrington.’

‘I’m sure he’ll miss you, too. Goodnight, Sammy.’

‘Goodnight, Mr Purrington.’ The little girl tucked her sheets under her chin, giving the cat a wave.

Sophie pushed the cart down the empty corridor. It was the middle of her night shift, and she only had a few in care tonight, so her rounds were a breeze She parked her trolley at the nurses’ station. ‘Walk time, Mr Purrington.’

The cat yawned at her for daring to disturb him.

When she put him on the floor to walk, the great big lump just lay down.

‘Seriously cat, you need the cardio.’ Sophie dragged him by the halter, and he slid across the polished floor like a body surfer on ice, until he got the message to walk. It was the same story every night.

At the glass doors, she pressed the large redExitbutton, and the doors slid open. The heat hit them like she’d walkedinto a sauna.

No wonder the cat refused to leave the comfort of the air-conditioned hospital. The car park was so steamy, heat radiated from the asphalt, even though the sun had set hours ago.

‘Just a short walk then, Mr Purrington.’

The cat’s fluffy paws delicately trotted through some weedy grasses, gravel, and red dust, while Sophie lightly held the cat’s lead and strolled alongside as Mr Purrington searched for the best place to do his business.

Sophie arched her neck back at the sky. It was as if the stars were draping over her like a cloak, their sparkly layers were endless. Coming from a city of lights, the outback’s skyline of stars was such a novelty, she could get lost gazing at them all night long.

A sweep of bright spotlights bathed the road coming from town. With the hospital behind her, it gave her a slightly elevated view of the one road, and the tiny outback town of Elsie Creek.

But that vehicle passed the fire station, the police station, and the retirement home, and kept on coming. Which meant one thing…

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