Dudes Down Under (29 page)

The crocodile moved closer, grunting and turning to hiss as the wind dropped branches in its path.

Skeet took a shuddering breath, closed his eyes, and waited for what was coming.

*  *  *

Lucy stood in the circle of Charlie’s arms, allowing herself to have a good cry, out of sight of the guests and staff in her office.

She hiccupped and sniffled like a small lost child, and Charlie held her good and tight. “C’mon, darling, that’s my girl. You needed a cry, Lucy. It’s all gonna be okay, Lucy, trust me. It will be all right. The search teams will find Ginny and Skeet. I’m sure Ed Guest will be with one of them.”

“
I … I hope so. But what if …?”

“
No what-if’s, my girl. C’mon, we have to be positive, okay? Now come on, the teams are itching to head on out. I’m going with ‘em.”

“
Noooo, Charlie, please. I need you here, please!”

“
Lucy, I’m more use out with the other searchers, honey. I’m good with a rifle. The more of us looking, the sooner we’ll find ‘em. You see that, don’t you?”

“
I’m sorry, I was being sel - selfish.” She hiccupped again. “Of course. Please, Charlie, please be careful. Promise me?”

“
I love you, Lucy. I am going to marry you. I have all those reasons and more to be careful. Now give me a smile and let’s get out to the rest of the teams, okay?”

She gave him a kiss and a watery smile. “Okay.”

They returned to the ballroom. The search teams had formed in groups of four. Knowing that Ginny had headed toward the other side of the island at least gave them a starting point. They were all armed and each team carried water and first aid. Doctor Casey was giving them a fast refresher on treatment for broken limbs and shock. Each of the team leaders had been required to do a complete certificate in first aid when they had joined the
Dudes
staff. Every one of them was now relieved that Lucy had insisted on it.

*  *  *

The croc edged closer to the man lying trapped beneath the overturned buggy. It was in no hurry. The meal ahead was a pleasant surprise. The predator moved in for the kill.

Two gunshots rang out, hitting the ground inches from the reptile’s snout. The croc reared its head and spun around. Lifting its huge body clear of the ground, it ran fast into the safe waters of the lagoon.

Skeet registered the sounds of the shots and, opening his eyes, watched the deadly animal run out of his field of sight.

“
Thanks, God! I owe ya one,” he said and lost consciousness again.

*  *  *

“
That was some shooting, Ginny,” said Ed Guest.

“
Yeah, not bad. C’mon we gotta get down there to Skeet, before any more of these frightened crocs show up.”

Ginny led the way, scrambling over fallen trees and pushing aside walls of branches as she moved. She and her companion arrived at the overturned vehicle. Ginny quickly hunkered down to assess Skeet’s condition.

“
Oh, shit!” she said. “Gimme a hand, Ed. We’re gonna have to get this vehicle off him. His pulse is still there but it’s weak and thready. On three, we lift. Try shoving it back on its wheels and pray like hell that the engine still works. One, two, and three …”

Between them they righted the buggy. Ginny again crouched next to her friend's body. His lower legs were saturated in blood. Sharp shards of bone penetrated the skin on both legs. Skeet’s color was dreadful. Ginny’s major concern was that he was probably bleeding internally. They had to get him out of here fast.

“
Try kicking it over, Ed.”

“
Okay.” The key turned. Nothing. He tried again, and again. On the fourth try the engine fired into life.

“
Leave it to idle. We need to move Skeet. I don’t want to risk it but we have to take the chance we’ll do no more damage. He’s not gonna make it without urgent medical help. Lift him slowly and try keeping his lower body as still and straight as possible. I’ll immobilize his lower half as much as I can before we lift.”

Ginny was already scouting around for branches to help do the job. She found five that looked strong enough and grabbed the tow rope from the buggy’s gun safe. She quickly lashed the branches together and placed the rough stretcher under the near side of Skeet’s inert form. ‘You ready, Ed?”

“
Say the word, Ginny girl.”

“
On three we lift just high enough to clear the ground, and then lower him very gently, okay? One, two, three.”

Between them they managed well, lowering Skeet to the branch stretcher, then lifting the stretcher and placing it crossways on the open buggy.

“
You kneel in the back and hold onto him, Ed. Put as much of you as you safely can across him. I’ll drive this thing. We have to get him to help real quick.”

“
Go, go, go!” Ed guest was covering Skeet and trying to hold his weight off the injured man as much as possible while keeping him still.

Ginny drove as fast as she could, trying to dodge fallen trees and branches without swerving around them. They stopped many times, needing to lift and move debris to travel further ahead. Ginny fired three shots in rapid succession as they moved closer to
Dudes
, hoping that a team close by would hear the signal and locate them quickly.

*  *  *

Max was ahead of the other three in the party, “The shots came from over there,” he called to the others over his shoulder as he ran. Charlie and the other two ran to catch up. They all reached the bend in the road as Ginny came around the corner.

She slowed the buggy to a halt, not daring to switch off the engine or drive at the buggy's full capacity, for fear of causing Skeet more damage.

“
What can we do Ginny?” asked Charlie, glancing worriedly at the unconscious Skeet.

“
I think he’s bleeding internally. Tell Doc he probably needs transfusing, plus his legs are in real bad shape. I will get him there as fast as I can, safely though. I’m terrified of jolting him. Is the road clear ahead?”

“
Yep, we pulled off all the heavy stuff. You can go straight through. We’ll go on ahead and let Doc know the story.”

“
Charlie, Max, watch out for crocs. One nearly had Skeet. If Ginny hadn’t fired at it, Skeet would be gone.” Ed Guest couldn’t keep the pride out of his voice.

The others nodded as if they weren’t all that surprised, and ran ahead to warn Doc what was happening.

*  *  *

Lucy and Doc were out the front of the main reception area as Max and Charlie ran up, panting from the exertion.

“
Doc, Ginny is bringing Skeet in. Looks like he’s in shock. Ginny thinks he has internal bleeding and his legs are both a mess. He probably needs transfusing. She’s trying to get here as quick as she can without jolting him around. He’s not conscious.”

“
Oh shit! Okay. Lucy, I need Skeet’s employment record. It will have his blood type on it. You organize that info and I’ll get a surgical team together. Wait here, Charlie. Don’t attempt to move him until I’ve checked him. “

Doc ran inside, calling as he went, “Nurses to the theatre, scrub now, code red!”

The guests sat and watched, no-one willing to interrupt with questions. Lucy ran in and caught up to Doc. “He’s O positive, Doc.”

“
Good, good, the most common type. We are going to need volunteers to transfuse direct during theatre. From what I’ve heard, we will not have much time. See if you can round up folks with O positive blood type. Pray that there’s a few. I think we are gonna need ‘em.”

“
Okay!” Lucy ran inside the ballroom and made the announcement. “Folks, I have no time for explanations. We urgently need type O positive blood. If you are absolutely certain that is your type and are willing to transfuse direct to the patient, please gather here and await further instructions from Doc or myself. This is an emergency, folks.”

“
They’re out front,” Max screamed out. Doc and Lucy both went running, while a good number of staff and guests gathered around the front of the stage.

Doc went immediately to his patient. Skeet was a dreadful color and his skin was sweaty and cool to the touch.

“
Internal bleed, for sure. Where did you find him, Ginny?”

“
He was trapped under the overturned buggy. It was right across his lower body, Doc. His vital signs aren’t good. We’ve moved him as little as possible and Ed has held him firm all the way.” Ginny finally shed tears of relief at having been able to get her dear friend back to
Dudes
.

Doc was busy with Skeet, but he looked up at Ginny and Ed, and smiled. “If we pull him through this, he owes his life to you two. You are both in shock. Go in and have a couple of stiff drinks right now. We’ll talk later. Right, I need three of you men on either side of this stretcher. Lift on the count of three. Don’t jolt him. He must be kept immobile. Repeat the maneuver when we get to the theatre. We’ll transfer him to the table from this. Right - one, two, three.”

The six men lifted Skeet’s unconscious form in unison and moved him at a slow but steady pace, following Doc.

The nursing staff were scrubbed and ready and the first of the volunteer donors lay hooked up to the I.V. and waiting.

“
Thank God O positive is the most common type.” This comment came from the nurse setting up the transfusion stand.

“
Amen to that, but run a quick blood test to make sure. Check the donors' blood types too. If we give him the wrong blood, we'll kill him anyway.”

“
Oh, sweet Jesus, it’s Skeet.” The remainder of the conversation halted as the women went into their well-trained theatre mode.

Skeet’s unconscious form was transferred to the operating table and the men were shepherded outside.

Doc and his team went to work.

“
Ruptured spleen, I think. Put him under and prep him for immediate transfusion.” Doc peeled back the clothing Ginny and Ed Guest had bound his lower half with. “Oh dear God, what a mess.” Doc looked down at his friend. “I’m good, Skeet. I just hope I’m good enough, mate. Either way, I’m all you’ve got.”

*  *  *

Word soon spread around the ballroom that Skeet was hurt, and hurt real bad. Everyone was anxious, and clock-watching.

Those not able to assist in giving blood were crowded around Ginny and Ed Guest, firing questions from all directions. Ed Guest stood up and raised his hand. They fell silent.

“
Thanks, people. Seriously, I mean that. But back off for right now, okay. Ginny saved my life, and Skeet’s. She needs a little time out herself. We’ll talk to all of you a little later.” Ed Guest placed his arm protectively around Ginny and stood there. No one argued. The others moved back and gave them space.

Lucy came over and hugged Ginny. Much to his surprise, she gave Ed a hug as well. “Thanks, guys.”

No one had paid much attention to Cyril and Sadie for a while. They were both asleep over near the windows. Rebecca sat nearby, her guts in turmoil. She had seen them come through with Skeet. He didn’t look good. She was so thankful that Cyril hadn’t seen it. She frankly wasn’t certain of how the big croc would react.

*  *  *

The nurse wiped Doc’s brow again. His hunch had been correct. Skeet’s spleen had been ruptured. He’d removed it and repaired the internal injuries. He had already transfused 6 pints of blood and Skeet’s vital signs had improved, but only a little. The damage to his lower body was severe. Doc wasn’t certain about spinal cord damage. That was the biggest worry and, as with any injury to the spine, time was the biggest factor. Without the necessary imaging equipment, he could only repair the obvious and pray that they could airlift Skeet soon. Keeping Skeet totally immobile was imperative. 

Extensive follow-up surgery would need to be done in a big hospital on the mainland, the sooner the better, but it would still be a few hours or more before a helicopter evacuation could even be attempted. The wind was still gusting way too high.

He closed the abdominal cavity and ensured that more blood was available in case another bleed occurred. For the first time in a very long while Doc sent up a prayer.

He’d need all the help he could get to get his friend through this nightmare.

*  *  *

Eleven hours had passed and the chopper was finally able to attempt an evacuation. The wind gusts were still in the upper range but they couldn’t chance waiting any longer. Lucy thanked heaven again that the two choppers were in their hanger when the cyclone hit. She’d been in radio contact with the base hospital in Cairns, the closest major hospital. If they needed to move him again, he would have a surgical team with him. Doc travelled with his patient and two of the nursing staff went with him to help keep Skeet stable and pain-free on the journey.