Fisher Hospital waiting room-The following day.
Claire sat reading the paper while Stevie went for coffee. It had been a rough night for them both. Claire's heart skipped a beat when Jim walked into the room. She stood quickly.
"Claire." Jim opened.
"How is he?" she asked with hope.
"He's alright, we've done some scans, no bleeds or damage. It's just delayed concussion, but, we are going to keep him for a couple of days just to make sure."
"Thank god." Claire felt the weight lifted from her immediately. Stevie joined them at that moment.
"He's okay?" Stevie asked.
"Yes." Claire breathed, tears of relief and joy rolled down her cheeks as Jim added.
"You can see him if you wish."
They followed Jim to the ward, Heath lay in bed, his eyes shut. Claire looked down at him, she touched his hand. Heaths eyes opened lightly at the touch.
"Hey girl." He croaked.
Claire stifled a sob as she lay her head on his chest. "I'm just happy you're okay." Heath just quietly chuckled. "Sorry for the whole fainting and collapsing routine."
"Just don't do it again." Stevie said from the doorway.
"Can you do anything about his voice?" Stevie asked Jim.
"Not really, he needs to stop smoking." Jim replied with a grin as he left to continue his rounds.
"I'd better leave you to sleep, I'll make Drovers ready for your return." Claire said, wiping tears from her cheeks.
"Okay, I'll see you in a couple of days." Heath replied, smiling at her.
Drovers-Hours later.
Stevie was giving the good news to the others while Claire was over at Killarney telling Alex, Nick & Harry.
At Killarney .
"Well that's a relief." Nick said.
"Hmm." Was all Harry could manage as he turned and walked back to the house.
"Ah well, maybe Drover Boys made of sterner stuff than I thought." Alex said, a grin spreading across his face.
Claire glared at him, "Seriously Alex? When are you going to grow up? Get rid of the chip off your shoulder and realise he's here for the foreseeable future." She said, the stress clearly still evident.
She just wanted him home, Nick thought as he watched Claire stride away.
"Want to take your foot out of your mouth now?" He asked Alex.
"Ease up." He replied.
"No, how about you ease up, on Heath." Nick said pointedly, as he walked away. Alex watched him go, stunned.
Drovers Run-That night.
As they all sat having dinner Tess broke the silence.
"It'll be good to have Heath back."
"Yeah." Replied Stevie with a broad grin, like it or not, they couldn't imagine the place without him.
"I'm off to Fisher first thing to go and get him." Claire commented, her mouth still full. "Can we do a roast tomorrow night Meg?"
"Sure, I think he'll enjoy that after the hospital food." Meg said with a grin. They all laughed.
"He'll be happier for a comfier bed." Jodi remarked with a smirk.
"And a human hot water bottle." Stevie chimed in. Claire stared at her open mouthed.
"You right are you Hall?" She asked in mock surprise, right before they all fell apart laughing.
Gungellan Road, the next morning.
Claire drove along in the old Merc, a smile crept across her face as she thought of Heath, it would be good to have him back. She saw a battered Landcruiser ute pulled up at the side of the road, its bonnet up with steam going everywhere. Race Hayley's f'ce poked out from under the bonnet.
"G'day Claire."
"G'day Race, need some water?"
"Oh, if ya got a bit there love." He replied.
She fetched a 5 litre bottle from the boot. She still had enough if the Merc needed it, passing it to him she smiled.
"There you go. I'll see you later."
"Yeah! No worries. Thanks." Race said cheerily as she climbed back in and drove away, leaving him to pour the water in. Turning at the cross roads she smiled, it was a good day.
Meanwhile….in Fisher.
Heath sat dressed on the bed. Jim walked in.
"Lucky last and my only discharge." He remarked with his usual charm.
"Thank heck for that, I was beginning to bloody wonder." Heath replied.
"Now, if you have any dizziness, light-headedness, anything out of the ordinary, you let me know, l no ifs or buts, not even a maybe. You call. Understood?" Jim said seriously.
"Yep, crystal clear Doc." Heath replied.
"Okay, you're good to go." Jim said as he left the room, "Give up them bloody fags!" He laughed, calling back over his shoulder as Heath walked out of the room and down the corridor in the opposite direction. Heath laughed as he headed for the exit. Stopping briefly in the forecourt to extract a smoke from one of the nurses, Heath then winked at them and asked for directions to the bus station.
Gungellan, the truck stop.
Claire stopped for fuel as Terry answered the phone.
"Okay, got it, right." He said into the receiver, just before hanging up.
"Hey Terry." Claire greeted him as she walked in to pay for the fuel.
"Hey Claire, message for you." He said.
"What message?" Claire asked, confused.
"From Heath, don't come to Fisher, he's caching the bus out, he'll be here by tonight, he has a lift back to Drovers organised."
Claire frowned, something wasn't right about it.
"Okay, well thanks." She said smiling again at Terry before she walked out.
She drove to Fisher anyway, arriving at the hospital, she was walking in when one of the nurses that was walking out, stopped her.
"You coming to see Heath? He's been discharged." She said with an good natured smile. Claires face dropped.
"When? What time?" She asked.
"This morning, he walked out with his bag on his shoulder, asked me for a smoke and where the bus terminal was." Her voice trailing off as she saw Claire's eyes go wide.
"Did he say where he was going?" Claire pressed.
"Well, no, no he just asked me where the bus station was, I told him, gave him a smoke, he smiled and thanked me and walked." The nurse replied.
"Okay, thanks." Claire said and ran for the Merc, pulling up and the bus station, she went inside, she asked the bloke at the counter if he had seen Heath.
"Sorry love, I haven t, Ill asked Fred when he gets back, he's been on the desk most of the day, he's just out doing the senior cits run."
Claire sank into one of the row of vulcanised plastic chairs, she wondered where he had gone now.
Nearby in Spencer.
Heath walked out of a shop, putting a small bag in his pocket, extracting a smoke he lit it, and headed for the bus terminal.
'Time to close the book." He thought, he paused outside a lawyers office, thinking a moment, he walked inside. In the long run, this would be worth it.