Chapter Fourteen – The Race
"Should I call a nurse?" Debbie asked curiously as she stuck her head through the curtain to Sam's cubicle.
He glanced at her in confusion at first, then shook his head and broke into a grin. "I'm fine," he assured her. "I'm working on my breathing exercises."
"Well, I'm glad to see you look so much better," she said and walked up to him. "You weren't a pretty sight back there."
He smirked and offered a shrug. "I honestly don't remember much about it," he said somberly.
"The situation seemed so dire at times I feared you'd be gone when we arrived," she let on.
Sam swallowed and then turned to look directly in her eyes. "Debbie I appreciate you had time to come and get me out of there otherwise I wouldn't be here right now," he said seriously.
She offered a shrug. "My grandmother always called this place the vicious outback, the land which decides who lives and dies. She was of course a bit of a drama queen," Debbie let on with a laugh.
"I just-"
"No, Sam," Debbie said and held up a hand to forestall him. "I'd do it anytime for a colleague."
A nurse suddenly appeared outside the cubicle and waved for the uniformed pilot to come. "Emergency," she mouthed.
Sam made a face. "Have fun," he said sarcastically.
Debbie nodded with a smile as she turned to leave. "See you later," she said.
OOOOOO
"The way you're dressed I'd say you're aiming for Tour de France next," Kate teased lightly from the car as she drove up behind Geoff.
"Good, Kate, get out of the car," he ordered in relief.
The nurse stared at him in confusion. "Excuse me?" she asked dumbfounded.
DJ bicycled up to them with the handheld radio in hand. "Emergency, Kate," he said apologetically and then turned to Geoff. "I've called Debbie out to the airport."
She nodded and slipped out of the driver's seat to make way for the doctor.
"Thanks," he said appreciatively as he handed her the bike. "The service sets its hope to you now, Kate."
She grimaced and stomped in frustration as she watched him leave.
"Come on Kate," DJ encouraged. "Let's show them some racing spirit."
"Anyone I know?" she asked worriedly.
"The patient is a competitor," DJ let on. "Apparently there was an accident in a large cluster leading to a collision with several cuts, scrapes and bruises."
Kate crossed her arms over her chest.
"But that's not why we're sending the Nomad. The guy who ended up underneath the others didn't fare so well. He's at least got a broken leg," the radio operator explained.
"Where are they?" Kate asked curiously.
DJ glanced at his watch. "Well, the rest of them should be here in about thirty minutes so you better prepare yourself," he suggested jovially.
Fixing him with an undignified stare she turned the bicycle around and carefully swung her leg over the high steel frame, almost ripping her uniform in doing so. "He's going to owe me big time for this," she mumbled in annoyance. However, as she took a minute calm down a cunning smile suddenly appeared on her lips. She was actually looking forward to his company and to share a drink at the porch of the Majestic with him because that's what it was going to cost Geoffrey Standish.
"Hi!" a familiar voice called from behind. "We aren't too late are?" Zoe asked as she rode over with Mick in tow.
"I'd say you're just in time," DJ offered as he saw the competitors draw near.
"Okay, everyone line up!" Jack ordered with his gun drawn and raised, ready to give signal.
"No cheating now George," Emma hollered teasingly as she and Hurtle took place at the start.
Baxter gave them a sour look but said nothing as several other villagers and farmers filled in behind them.
"Three, two, one – GO" Jack shouted.
"We're biking, Jack!" DJ teased as he sat off, pedaling like crazy down the road as the real competitors drove by, leaving him in a cloud of dust.
"Start pedaling, Hurtle!" Emma shouted over her shoulder.
"We can't win, Emma, then we'll lose money," he mumbled cautiously.
She snorted in disbelief. "Have you actually been betting on us?"
OOOOOO
"They are away!" Nancy hollered as she came over from the Majestic, having been in touch with Jack at the start.
The people gathered on the main street cheered excitedly.
"Crank up the volume would you, Vic?!" one of the dodgers asked.
He threw them an annoyed glance from the small stage near the finish line. "What do you think I am doing? He complained as he continued to fiddle with the buttons on the soundboard DJ had rigged up.
In the meantime Nancy raised the volume on a portable radio at the Women' Associations tent.
"Today's competition is now entering the last phase and the locals have joined in –" the reporter shouted excitedly over the scratchy connection.
"Good on you, Nancy!" Violet hollered appreciatively over the noise from a short distance away.
OOOOOO
Geoff breathed a sigh of relief as Debbie started the props and leaned back in the chair to rest his head. "A real aircraft," he mumbled.
Debbie threw him a sideway glance as she began to taxi. "I heard the mail plane was somewhat of a disappointment?" she said innocently.
He shrugged casually.
The pilot chuckled.
"How long till we reach them?" he asked curiously.
"Thirty minutes, give or take," she replied and reached for the radio. "I have a headwind. We might just as well tune in Vic and the others back at the Crossing."
There was a burst of static and then the bar and hotel owner's voice could be heard over the channel.
"I am getting reports from along the way-"
OOOOOO
Back in Cooper's Crossing Vic paused and fiddled with the buttons once again. "Hold on a second, Jack," he said and grimaced as his words went out via the loudspeakers. He quickly released the talk button.
Sergeant Carruthers's voice suddenly replaced Vic's on the open channel. "I said it looks good. We had an incident of foul play at the back of the field. George Baxter, DJ and Walter McGee are now fighting for the jumbo prize," he let on amusedly.
"Who's in the lead, Jack?" Vic asked, keying his microphone.
There was a moment of static before the policeman answered.
"It seems to be a tight battle up ahead. I don't have a clear view from here but it looks like Kate Wellings is pedaling for her life at the front."
The gathered local crowd back in Cooper's Crossing cheered loudly at the words.
Vic hastily made a quick calculation in his head about distance and speed as he thought about the betting.
"Ask him about the others," Nancy pushed.
"What about the competitors, Jack?"
"I don't know how much you've heard over the radio, mate. The management confirmed it was one of the lead stars in the race, Nate Dobson, who required the medical assistance from the docs. They aren't too happy about the incident. The field is widely spread, some of the last contestants are now overtaking me trying to get back into the race. They will never be able to catch up with the top though."
"When can we expect to have the winner-" Vic began to ask.
OOOOOO
Geoff breathed a sigh of relief as they got their patient into the aircraft and moved over to the cabinet while Debbie gently strapped in the patient. Two other bicyclists who'd broken the race and stayed with their friend until the doctor had arrived eyed the pilot appreciatively as they sat down in the rear seats of the aircraft. Feeling their eyes at the back she blushed as she made her way to the pilot's seat. Geoff caught her eye and chuckled silently as he quickly gave the lead star of the race another checkup.
"Are we ready to roll?" Debbie asked.
Geoff turned to Nate Dobson. "Are you going to be okay there?" he asked kindly.
The bicyclist nodded. "It's much better now, thank you."
"Still, it hurts to break a leg," Geoff offered.
Nate chuckled. "I'd be the first confirm that," he said.
The doctor nodded and made the thumbs up sign and then pointed toward the cockpit. "I'll radio ahead, call me if you need me."
Debbie mentioned for him to strap in as she lined up the aircraft for take-off. "This is Mike Sierra Foxtrot calling Broken Hill flight service. Awaiting clearance to depart the old Foxton road to Windoona inbound for Cooper's Crossing."
"Mike Sierra Foxtrot. Flight Service confirming clearance, over."
"Mike Sierra Foxtrot, inbound for Cooper's Crossing. ETA, thirty-five minutes," Debbie said.
"There is no other air traffic in your area. Have a good flight, Broken Hill flight service out."
Debbie smiled and nodded at Geoff as she changed the frequency setting.
"Mike Sierra Foxtrot calling Victor Charlie Charlie," Geoff called over the radio.
"Victor Charlie Charlie receiving," came a very familiar voice, causing the pilot and the doctor to share a confused look.
"Sam?" Geoff questioned with a frown.
"Yeah, we're a little short staffed at the moment," he explained jovially. "A little weird sitting at this end though."
"Sam, please have Chris report back to the hospital. We're inbound and should be back in about twenty minutes," he said.
"Will do," he confirmed and then added lightly, "she's been dying to get out of that tent for ages."
Debbie had to bite her lower lip in order to prevent a laugh escaping her lips.
"Anything special she need to prepare for?" the grounded pilot asked seriously.
"No, he's a lucky guy," Geoff replied. "It seems to be a clean break of the bone. We'll set up the x-ray machine when we arrive."
"Understood, Victor Charlie Charlie out," Sam returned.
OOOOOO
"Doctor Randall!" A young nurse called as she came jogging from the direction of the hospital. "Message from Doctor Standish. They've loaded the patient and estimate arrival at the hospital in twenty minutes."
The doctor smiled politely at the gathering in front of the Women's Association's tent, Violet and Nancy, as she excused herself.
"Here they come!" Someone shouted among the crowd in excitement.
Vic strained his eyes to see. At first the only thing he saw was a dust cloud but then as they drew near he began to be able to single out the competitors.
The speaker's voice boomed over the radio as he began to give details to the gathered public about the distance, the leader, the race and the exciting finish of the fourth leg.
The two regular dodgers sitting outside the pub quickly covered their glasses as dust swirled around them when the twenty something bicyclists pedaled into town in rapid succession.
"No one can say it' dull around here," one of them muttered.
The other tipped his hat as he watched the last few contestants ride over the finish line.
Meanwhile Nancy excitedly waved at her husband. "Here they come, Vic!" She shouted as she spotted Kate, Emma and Hurtle, Mick and Zoe, the first of the local contestants, racing toward the town.
Vic was just about to speak when a familiar voice came over the open channel.
"This is the DJ reporting live from the pace car."
Back in the police vehicle Jack frowned as he threw a glance at the young, bruised and dusty Greek he'd just picked up and then at the demolished bicycle in the ditch a few meters behind them.
"It's starting to get exciting folks! Kate Wellings, Emma Plimpton, Hurtle Morrison, Mick Matthews and Zoe Buchanan is racing toward the Crossing at breakneck speed. It's so close, so close. I can't tell who's going to win from here, the rest are miles behind. Kate is only a wheel in front of Hurtle and Emma and now Mick is pushing from the left," DJ shouted excitedly. "Who is it going to be?"
"Faster Emma!" Hurtle urged.
Zoe bumped Mick's wheel unintentionally as she got too close and wobbled, she used the brakes to stabilize the bicycle and she was instantly left behind. The action left Mick fighting with his bicycle in order to get it on the right track and the fraction of a second he was in front of Kate diminished to zero and then some. Emma and Hurtle rushed forward, pedaling like crazy but Kate didn't give up. The four of them then burst through the hastily strung ribbon that marked the finish line in a cloud of dust.
The locals cheered as the contestants of the real fourth leg rushed forward to detangle Emma, Hurtle, Mick, Kate and Zoe from each other.
The bruised but cheerful radio operator jumped out of the police car as it parked next to the finish line. "Who won?!" DJ shouted excitedly as he ran up to them.
"I don't know, mate," Vic said.
DJ frowned. "What do you mean you don't know?" he asked.
"I meant I didn't see it from my position," Vic replied in annoyance.
"Maybe we should call it a draw," Jack suggested as he got out of the car.
"It can't be a draw," Hurtle protested.
Jack eyed him suspiciously. "Really? And why is that?"
Vic stepped in before he could say anything. "Come on, Jack. It's a race. You've got to deduce a winner among the contestants," he reasoned.
The policeman sighed. "Well then, set up a committee to look at it," he suggested.
Kate panted as she got off the bicycle and took a moment to gather herself.
"Oh, Kate," Violet said proudly as she walked over to her. "What a good race."
"Congratulations," Mick said with a friendly smile as he gently slapped her on the back.
"Yeah, what a spirit," a tall and lean yet muscular man said kindly as he made his way over to them. "All of you," he added.
Mick humbly nodded and shook the man's hand. "Burt Martin," he acknowledged. "It's an honor. I have to say, I've been following your career for years. Congratulations to the victory."
"You've raced before?" the bicyclist asked curiously.
"Not in your kind of league," Mick said. "But I did race for Country Club Sydney South in my youth."
"Only the best gets in there, mate," Burt replied with a chuckle and shook his head. "What made you leave and give up a career?"
"My wife," Mick said and then added with a smirk; "a twisted knee and some torn ligaments."
"Joanne would never have let you race," Kate admonished as she noted a slight limp in his gait.
Mick shook his head amusedly. "She always says 'no pain, no gain'."
Burt laughed and turned toward the nurse. "And this would be the local winner, nurse-"
"Kate Wellings," she introduced herself proudly.
"It isn't settled yet!" Hurtle hollered from a slight distance.
"Is that old man always that grumpy?" Keith O'Reagan, the race's number two, asked jovially as he walked up to Kate and the others.
A man clad in suit quickly materialized next to them. "Please come this way, Mr. Martin, Mr. O'Reagan. The reporters wants to have a word and the crowd would love to see you in the winner's circle," he said and ushered them away.
"No rest for the weary, huh?" O'Reagan let on.
"I guess I'll see you later then?" Martin said with a charming smile as he nodded at Kate.
"I can take any of them," Zoe said happily as she walked up to join Kate and Mick.
"A little old for you are they not?" DJ asked innocently as he too joined in and then broke into a teasing grin.
"Why should age matter?" Zoe reasoned with a shrug and then added; "But you're right. Have you seen that one over there?"
Kate, Mick and DJ tried to follow her gaze.
Zoe pointed at a younger competitor with a few cuts and scrapes on his elbows and knees. "That's Christopher Cox," she said. "Mum and Dad did an interview with him a while back. He's said to be the new top contestant for Australia."
"He's younger," Mick admitted.
"But he's still too old for you," DJ added teasingly.
OOOOOO
To be continued