The Flying Doctors
In My Nature
Chapter 1 - Outcry
~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
2225, Wednesday, 18/3/92
The Majestic Hotel
It had been a long, emotional day, but Jackie felt good about her decision. As she reached the top of the stairs of the Majestic hotel, she began making plans for her afternoon off tomorrow. Perhaps a bubble bath, followed by a relaxing walk in the sunshine? Definitely a huge ice cream, as she had already promised herself earlier that day. With a sigh, she began unpinning her badge from the left hand-side of her uniform.
Turing the corner and heading towards her room, Jackie stopped at the sound of an unusual noise. Glancing around, she realised it was coming from Rowie's room.
Pausing, Jackie listened more intently, quickly determining it was the sound of crying.
Arriving at the door, Jackie held her breath, until she heard yet another distinct sob.
"Rowie?" she tapped lightly on the door.
The noise stopped.
"Rowie?" Jackie repeated, reaching for the door handle.
Slowly opening the door, Jackie squinted to see into the dark room.
"Are you all right?" Jackie stepped into the room, her eyes gradually adjusting to the dark.
She saw Rowie sitting on the edge of the bed.
"What's up, Row?" Jackie frowned.
Receiving no audible reply, she crossed the room to switch on the nearby lamp.
Jackie arrived by the side of the bed, reaching for her friend's shoulder.
Rowie flinched immediately from the contact.
Only then did Jackie begin to take in the other anomalies; the undone buttons on Rowie's pale blue blouse; her smeared make-up.
"He's not worth it, you know? You're stronger than this." Jackie shook her head, as she continued to study Rowie's disposition.
Her head was bent forwards, and her gaze lowered, which prevented Jackie from being able to make eye contact.
Jackie was momentarily distracted by the unmistakable bluish bruising on Rowie's left thigh.
Suddenly, Jackie felt an eerie familiarity sweep over her. Rowie's reaction and dishevelled appearance were all-too symptomatic.
She also realised Rowie hadn't yet uttered a word.
"What happened?" Jackie asked, desperately wishing away the pieces of the puzzle that were slowly falling into place before her eyes.
"Rowie? Did somebody hurt you?" Jackie asked more forcefully, not sure if she was going to receive any form of response.
Jackie sat still for what felt like eternity. Trying to offer the least form of intrusive comfort she could think of, she slowly reached forwards and touched Rowie's hand.
As Rowie felt Jackie's warm hand against her own, the hot tears pricked her cheeks.
Jackie looked back towards the door.
Slowly, she slipped her hand away from Rowie's. "I'll be right back, okay?"
Not expecting nor receiving any verbal response, Jackie silently left the room.
Once she arrived back out into the corridor, Jackie felt the adrenalin kick in. She crossed the hallway to Clare's room, knocking loudly on the door.
"Clare!" Jackie called.
"Come in," came the warm reply.
Stepping into the large room, Jackie drew a breath. "I need your help. It's Rowie. Something's happened, I need you to get Geoff here," Jackie sighed, hoping her suspicions were unfounded.
"Is she all right?" Clare stood and hurried towards the door.
"No, I, I don't know," Jackie stuttered.
"Well, isn't Guy in his room?" Clare shrugged.
"Just get Geoff. Please Clare," Jackie begged.
"Right," Clare nodded, hurrying towards the stairs to get to the nearest telephone.
~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
Penny and Geoff had been talking in the office at the base for the past ten minutes.
"Does Kate know?" Geoff asked, perched on the desk, his hands clasped together.
"Are you going to tell her?" Penny answered defensively.
"Do you want me to?" Geoff continued.
"No," Penny whispered.
"You're asking me to lie to my wife?" he raised an eyebrow.
"I'm asking you, not to tell the truth." Penny watched as Geoff considered her request.
Both were taken by surprise by the sound of a phone ringing. Standing from the desk, Geoff moved quickly out to the phone by the radio.
"Royal Flying Doctor Service, Geoff Standish." He stifled a yawn.
"Geoff, it's Clare, Kate told me you were still in the office," she stammered.
"Just about to leave, what's up?" he frowned.
"Jackie needs you over at the pub urgently." Clare managed to phrase the request in a suitable tactful manner.
"Can't Rowie or Guy handle it?" he shook his head, turning as Penny appeared beside him.
"No, she insisted I call you," Clare answered vacantly. "Geoff, please hurry."
"On my way." He sighed, as he put the phone down and dashed back to his office to collect his bag.
"What's up?" Penny frowned at his increased speed.
"Something at the pub. You coming?" Geoff arrived in the main entrance and waited impatiently for Penny to catch up.
"Sure." She flicked off the lights and scurried after him.
~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
Clare had been slowly pacing up and down the corridor when she eventually saw the door open and Jackie step out into the hallway.
"Geoff's on his way. He was at the base, so he shouldn't be too long." Clare clasped her hands nervously in front of her. "Jackie, what's this all about?"
Glancing back in the direction of Rowie's room, the nurse hesitated, but realised she needed to tell Clare so that Geoff would come upstairs with the minimum amount of attention possible.
"It's serious, Clare. I need you to go downstairs and wait for Geoff. Get him up here as quietly as possible. It's important that no-one else knows what's going on." Jackie watched as the worried look intensified on Clare's face.
"Yes, but what is going on?" Clare shook her head, only then beginning to appreciate Jackie's subversive behaviour.
Taking a final glance around her, Jackie lowered her voice further. "I'm pretty sure she's been raped."
~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
As he ran down the main street towards the pub, Geoff was just able to spot Clare by the front door.
"Clare, what's going on?" Geoff shook his head, as he noticed the tears streaming down her face.
"Clare, what's the matter?" Penny raised her voice at the state Clare was in.
Clare managed to pull herself together and grasped his arm. "Upstairs, Geoff."
"I don't understand? Is someone hurt?" Geoff was taken aback by the expression on Clare's face.
Lowering her voice, Clare looked between Penny and Geoff awkwardly, managing to answer him through a fresh set of tears. "Jackie found Rowie upstairs. She thinks she's been raped."
~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
Vic looked up as Clare, Geoff and Penny walked purposefully into the pub and passed the bar.
"What's up, Doc?" Vic shrugged, noticing the medical bag in Geoff's right hand.
"Don't worry mate," Geoff dismissed, with a reassuring shrug.
Arriving at the top of the stairs, Geoff turned to Penny and lowered his voice. "Pen, head back to you room, eh? Don't say anything to anyone."
Penny simply nodded and left, thoroughly overwhelmed.
Geoff stood beside Clare, who knocked quietly on the door.
"Oh, thank God," Jackie sighed, as she slipped out through the door, and closed it behind her.
"What happened?" Geoff spoke slowly as they took several steps down the corridor.
Nodding and swallowing as she put an answer together, Jackie waited until Clare was out of earshot.
"I found her about ten minutes ago." Jackie shook her head. "It was the second I touched her that I knew what had happened. Well, I knew in my gut, I suppose."
"But did she actually disclose to you?" Geoff prodded, placing his black medical bag down on the floor.
"I asked her what happened, but she wouldn't answer me. And then when I noticed the bruising on her thigh, I asked her if she'd been hurt," Jackie answered.
"And?" Geoff coaxed, somewhat impatiently.
"She started crying," Jackie replied.
"Any other injuries?" Geoff asked in a very controlled manner.
"It's dark, I don't know," Jackie shrugged.
"Right, well, let's see if we can move her to hospital. Take it from there," Geoff picked up his bag again, and followed Jackie back towards the hotel room.
Following Jackie into the room, Geoff closed the door softly, and slowly turned around.
"Rowie, Geoff's here." Jackie took a seat on the edge of the bed.
Hesitantly, Rowie looked up from her fixed gaze on the pale blue rug, although she did not meet eyes with him.
Drawing a deep, perplexed breath, Geoff glanced around the room, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. Only then did he take several steps from the door to the side of the bed.
"Rowie?" he stated simply.
He studied her glassy-eyed expression, before nodding for Jackie to step back outside.
Quietly, Geoff closed the door after them and took half a dozen steps down the corridor.
"See what I mean? Jackie whispered, following after him.
"Yeah; it's not something you can describe, but you know it when you see it." Geoff sighed. "I'll get Clare to organise some transport. Let's wait until we get her to hospital, we'll know more then."
"Geoff, we can't drag her through the pub like that," Jackie protested immediately.
"No, you're right." Geoff tapped Jackie's arm supportively, "You stay in there with her, and I'll get things set up out here. I'll get everyone out downstairs."
"Assuming she can walk," Jackie pre-empted.
"You'll need to find that out. It's important I keep my distance until she's ready. If we've got any chance of getting an exam done later on, we need to take things very slowly for the next few hours. Discretion is the name of the game here, Jackie."
"I know. I've done this before, Geoff," Jackie muttered.
"You probably know more about this than me, I'm sorry." Geoff remembered Jackie's extensive ED background. "I'll come back up once we're ready to go." He watched as Jackie nodded and made her way back into the hotel room.
Gesturing for Clare to follow him towards the stairs, Geoff wrapped am arm around her shoulders. "Clare, I need you to ring Kate and tell her I've been delayed. I'll try and ring her as soon as possible. Please don't tell her any specifics."
"What about the police?" Clare asked, remembering all-too-well, the last time they'd dealt with a similar situation.
"Not yet, we haven't got a disclosure." Geoff rubbed his eyes. "All right. I'm going to go and speak to Vic. Can you find a blanket, please." Geoff headed downstairs, hovering at the bottom of the stairs.
Running his left hand over his hair, Geoff took a step through the blinds, glancing around the room before approaching the bar.
"What's up, Doc?" Vic sidled over, drawing in his lower lip in concern.
"Mate, can I have a word with you in the kitchen?" Geoff looked in the direction of the kitchen door.
"Sure." Vic followed Geoff through.
"Vic, we've got a situation upstairs. I need everyone out of the pub as soon as you can," Geoff instructed.
"Streuth, what's happened?" Vic frowned.
Geoff hesitated, knowing that Vic and Rowie were especially close.
"I'll tell you later, mate. But for now, I just need you to close up as quickly as you can." Geoff patted the older man's arm.
"Right." Vic cleared his throat, and walked back out towards the bar.
Geoff waited in the doorway, listening to the moans of complaint from the patrons at Vic's announcement.
"What's going on, Geoff?" Nancy asked, as Steve brought a stack of dirty glasses into the kitchen.
"We've got a situation upstairs. Ah, has anyone seen Johnno recently?" Geoff asked, considering the possibility of a transfer.
"Had a pool game with him about an hour ago. Said he was heading up to bed." Steve shrugged. "What's the big emergency?"
"I can't talk about it, Steve, but I need everyone out of here." Geoff walked back through to the pub, watching as Vic shooed away the last of the drinkers.
Rubbing his hand across his mouth, Geoff looked between the only three people left in the room; Vic, Nancy, and Steve, trying to decide what explanation to give.
"Steve, look I'm sorry, I need you to head home, mate." Geoff patted the young man's shoulder several times.
"Ah, right," Steve muttered, mildly put out by the exclusion. Nonetheless, he headed out the front door of the pub and back to the garage.
Arriving by his wife's side, Vic frowned, "Right, doc. So what's this about?"
Looking between the older couple, Geoff gestured to the nearby table. "You'd both better sit down."
Vic secured his arm around his wife's shoulders as they both turned back to Geoff.
"I'm afraid it is serious; and what I have to tell you is going to be difficult for you to hear." Geoff turned in his seat, hearing the approaching sirens.
Vic suddenly realised there was one person who's name hadn't been mentioned in the last ten minutes. "Doc, it's Rowie, ain't it?"
Geoff turned back suddenly, his mouth opening at Vic's deduction. "I'm afraid so, mate."
"Well, what's happened?" Nancy demanded, clutching Vic's hand.
"Look ah, we're not sure at this stage, which is why I want to get her to hospital." Geoff deliberately kept his wording vague.
"How, how badly is she hurt?" Nancy's voice rose in pitch significantly.
"We don't know yet, Nancy. A brandy mightn't be a bad idea, Vic." Geoff subtly indicated in Nancy's direction.
"Right." Vic stood slowly.
~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
As Geoff arrived back at the top of the stairs, he saw Clare leaning against the wall, head bowed in thought.
She looked up and handed him the blanket.
"Thanks," Geoff muttered.
Arriving outside Rowie's room, Geoff was just about to enter, when he heard another door open further down the corridor.
"What's going on?" Johnno muttered wearily.
Clare looked immediately to Geoff, who let out a long, exasperated breath.
"Geoff, what are you doin' here?" Johnno frowned, gradually appreciating the seriousness of the situation from the solemness of everyone's faces.
"You, stay," Geoff ordered sharply, before knocking lightly on the door and waiting for Jackie to come back out.
Geoff looked between Johnno and Jackie, knowing that at any second, Johnno was going to have ascertained the situation.
"Vic and Nancy are downstairs. I'll get everyone out of your way up here, then come back and help you with the transfer, all right?" Geoff tapped Jackie's arm encouragingly.
"Sure." Jackie nodded, taking the blanket from him, and disappearing back into Rowie's room.
Pre-empting Johnno's concerned outburst, Geoff arrived quickly in front of him. "Clare, is it all right if we all go into your room for a few minutes?" Geoff gestured towards the ajar door.
"Fine," Clare replied.
"What's the hell's going on?" Johnno demanded, as soon as the bedroom door closed.
Looking from Clare, and then finally to the pilot, Geoff choose his words carefully. "Jackie found Rowie in her room a little while ago. It appears she's been assaulted." Geoff looked back again to Clare, hoping that they would appreciate his subtle variation of the specifics.
"Assaulted? By who?" Johnno demanded, anger and concern quickly surfacing.
"We're not sure." Geoff looked between all three of them once again. "Can you two stay in here for a few minutes? The last thing Rowie needs at the moment is an audience."
"Geoff, do you need us on standby?" Clare raised an eyebrow discreetly.
"Ah, yes. I'll ring you at the base as soon as I can. And see if you can find Guy." Geoff glanced around the room slowly.
"Will do," Clare acknowledged.
"Right, stay in here until we leave." Geoff headed towards the door.
Closing the door to Clare's room, Geoff proceeded back up the corridor, just as Jackie opened the door.
"Do you need a hand?" Geoff asked, deliberately keeping his distance.
"No, I think we'll be all right." Jackie turned back, wrapping the large red blanket around Rowie's shoulders. "It's all right, there's no-one out here besides Geoff."
Geoff watched as Jackie led Rowie into the hallway. Slightly dazed by her surroundings, Rowie squinted at the sudden increase in light, instead focussing her attention on the red rug that ran along the centre of the hallway.
"I'll get that, you just look after her," Geoff spoke quickly, seeing Jackie turn to close the door behind her.
Jackie nodded, and keeping her arm around Rowie's shoulders, walked her slowly down the hallway and towards the stairs.
"Jackie, is there a key somewhere?" Geoff frowned as he looked around the room.
"I have no idea," Jackie answered.
"Right," Geoff sighed, cautiously entering the room.
Switching on the light, he glanced around. Nothing seemed out of place, aside from the blood-stained floral bedspread.
Just as he turned to leave, Geoff noticed the cluster of keys on the small table by the sink. He quickly exited the room, locking the door behind him and moved ahead of Jackie and Rowie towards the stairs.
Geoff arrived downstairs seeing Vic and Nancy still sitting in the kitchen.
"She all right, Geoff?" Vic looked up from his seat beside Nancy at the small table.
"We'll know more once we get her to hospital, mate. Can you both stay in here until we've left?" Geoff spoke awkwardly.
"Now look Geoff, I've known Rowie since she was knee-high to a grasshopper, if something bad's happened, we wanna know about it," Vic raised his voice insistently.
"I understand, Vic. But at the moment, what Rowie needs is some space and the less people around her the better." Geoff felt himself being pulled closer to the point where he would have to tell Vic and Nancy the truth.
"Well, I don't understand. You haven't told us what's happened. Is she all right or isn't she?" Nancy stood from her seat, arriving beside her husband.
"What the hell's goin' on, Doc?" Vic waited, seeing Geoff clasp his hands to his mouth, thoughtfully.
"Look, we don't know the full story yet. I need to stress to you that this must remain strictly confidential. You are not to mention this to anyone, understood?" Geoff looked between them in turn.
"S-sit down, love." Vic felt his blood run cold, as Nancy sat down.
"I'm sorry, there's no easy way to say this. Given the nature of Rowie's injuries, we believe she's been sexually assaulted. We're not sure yet, though." Geoff alternated his glance between Vic and Nancy, not sure who was going to react first.
"Geoff!" Jackie called sharply.
"I've got to go," Geoff had no choice but to leave the couple, and rush back through the pub towards the bottom of the stairs.
Geoff arrived into the hallway, noticing Rowie's grip on the banister.
"What's going on?" Geoff asked.
Rowie looked down at her right hand, clutching the red blanket.
Jackie looked back to Geoff desperately.
"Rowie, I promise you, we're not going to do anything you don't want to." Geoff saw his colleague slowly process his words, before dropping her left hand from the banister and taking the final step from the bottom of the stairs.
~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
"It's gonna be all right, love," Vic rubbed Nancy's shoulder, "Just try not to upset yourself. Not gonna help any."
Both turned as they heard the door open behind them.
"Vic, Nancy?" Geoff stepped into the room. "We're heading to the hospital. Please, it's important you don't mention this to anyone. Clare, Penny, and Johnno know, but no-one else. It's important that it stays that way incase the police are involved."
"The Police? What the hell happened?" Vic muttered.
"We don't know, Vic. That's why it's crucial no-one talks about this. Now, I've locked her room and I've got the key, but no-one is to go in there for now. It's vital that nothing gets disturbed." Geoff looked between each of them.
"Yeah, right." Vic nodded and squeezed his wife's arm supportively.
"Look, ah, we've got a long night ahead of us still. I'm sorry, I need to get back." Geoff looked back towards the doorway.
"Sure," Vic answered, knowing he was the only one who had absorbed the information.