G'day everyone, sorry its been so long, I've not been well. I am on the mend so updates will be short and sweet for a while-but I'll endeavor to press on.
The accident site-Gungellan Road.
"Don't move Claire." Alex said, "Its Alex, not Heath, can you hear me?"
Claire didn't move or respond. Alex grabbed his sat phone and dialled for an ambulance. By this time Terry had arrived and grabbed the extinguisher from the back of Alex's ute, dousing the flames as best he could.
"Where's that bloody ambulance?" Alex said loudly.
"Coming now." Terry replied as a plume of dust appeared on the horizon, lights flashing and the siren making itself heard.
The paramedics placed Claire on a spine board and loaded her into the back and took off at a great rate of speed.
"You follow. I'll tell the girls at Drovers." Terry said, seeing Alex's concern.
"Thanks mate, I'll call as soon as I know." Alex replied as he ran for his ute.
At Drovers Run.
Terry had arrived and delivered the bad news to Meg.
"Ill tell Tess, she needs to get to town straight away." She said.
The Fisher Emergency Dept.
Alex paced the floor, Claire had been taken into the crash room and no one was telling him anything. He racked his brains on how to find Heath, Claire was really the only one that knew where he was. Picking up his phone, he dialled Dave.
"Brewer, Alex mate, where was Heath going with those cattle?"
"He was talking about Warwick I think mate, reckons he has an old mate there that's an agent."
"Right, thanks mate, I'll give that a shot, anything else, ring me straight away."
"Sure, what's up?"
"There's been an accident, I have to find him Dave, Claire crashed the ute."
"Shit. Ill ring a couple of mates up there, see what they can find." Dave suggested.
"Good work Brewer, you're a bloody champion."
Whilst Alex was ringing agents in Warwick, Dave rang a mate of his, Jim. He was a vet at Texas, just over the border.
"Hey Jim, Dave Brewer speaking."
"Dave!" Exclaimed Jim, "Where have you been hiding yourself?"
"Can't speak about that now, I need to know if you have come across a drover by the name of Heath Beresford."
"Everything alright?" Jim asked, noting Dave's concern.
"Just need to get in touch with him, urgent." Dave said.
"Right, well I did, I reckon I know where he'll be, he's headed for Warwick, I can get a message to him if you like?"
"Thanks mate, Id owe you one big time for that if you can." Dave said.
"Yeah ok, I'll put it on your tab." Jim said with a chuckle. "Ill get out that way now."
"Thanks." Dave said, he phoned Alex straight back.
"Alex, Dave. A vet mate of mine from Texas is on his way to find him."
"Top job Brewer, Ill organise a plane to the air strip here for him." Alex said.
"No worries." Dave said as he disconnected.
Alex just put the phone in his pocket when all the Drovers ladies and Nick arrived.
"How is she Alex?" Tess asked, clearly distraught.
"I don't know Tess, they won't tell me." Alex said sadly.
Tess pushed past Alex and strode to the nurses station. She was told that as soon as they knew something, she would know. Tess joined the others, now sitting on the chairs in the hall.
North of Texas, Queensland.
Heath sat in the saddle, the agent leaning on the bulbar of the Landcruiser wagon. They both gazed at the cattle, they were yarded, fat and in great condition.
"What do ya reckon?" Heath asked the agent.
"I've got an order to fill for a processor, I'll give you top market price now."
"Done." Heath said, reaching down to shake the agents hand and seal the deal. The agent shook hands, then began punching numbers into his sat phone and organising trucks. Heath sighed, that was the last trip up the long paddock as boss drover. Time to go home.
"That's quick." The agent said, hanging up the phone, "trucks a kay down the road empty, he can take them straight away."
"Bewdy." Heath responded. Just as another four wheel drive wagon arrived.
"Heath Beresford?" The driver asked.
"That's me." Heath replied.
"Hi, I'm Jim, I'm a vet and a great mate of Dave Brewers."
"Oh hell." Heath replied with a laugh, "Dave's sent you to check on me?"
"No, he asked me to give you a message. There's a plane at Texas, I'm to take you there and make sure you are on it, you need to head back to Fisher, theres been an accident."
"What?" Heath spat. "Phone please." He said to the agent, "Phone for Christ sakes." He thundered. The agent tossed it to him.
Punching in Dave's number.
"Dave Brewer."
"Heath here Dave, what the hell's going on?"
"Ah, Heath mate, ah there's been an accident, Claire's in hospital at Fisher, anything more than that I don't know."
"Shit." Heath cursed as he hung up the phone. He unloaded his gear from the horse.
"You can sort this lot? Send the horse to Drovers Run, Gungellan." He said to the agent.
"Go mate, done." The agent said.
Heath ran for Jim's wagon, Red and Blue following closely.