Tuesday Afternoon...
On the veranda Nick asks. "How long do you think she'll stay angry with him?'
"Hard to tell." Kate offers.
"All I know is the longer it goes on the harder she'll ride us!" Jodi states.
Tess wonders if she should talk to her.
She's the only one that knows how Stevie really feels about Alex.
He has no idea how his teasing upsets her.
Tess marvels at how Stevie has managed to stay friends with him with all that has gone on in the last few months.
...
"Tess what do you think?" Nick asks.
Tess looks at him blankly. "Sorry what did you say?"
"Can we do anything to speed this up?" Nick repeats.
"No we can't we're best to stay right out of it." She warns.
"Who wants another beer?" Jodi asks.
'Yep'
"Yes please."
"Yeah me too."
"Right four beers coming up." Jodi quips.
...
Stevie reaches Alex quickly and hesitates momentarily trying to remember how to turn someone in case of injury.
Oh god she thinks I hit him in the head please let his neck be alright and the rest of him.
Treading water she quickly places her arm along his back and reaches under the water and cups his chin with her hand.
"Damn Alex why do you have to be so big."She says to herself as she tries to force her arms together through his body as if she were a neck brace.
She flips going under the water herself and rolls him as gentle as she can onto his back.
He doesn't move.
...
She's torn between getting him out of the water and unsure if his neck in hurt.
It was a big rock.
Blood trickles down from the top of his head sending tiny streams of reddish pink into the water.
"Alex!" She calls.
"Alex! Oh please open your eyes." She says breathlessly treading water.
"I'm sorry mate we can't stay out here." She states as she begins to swim him back to the edge.
Tears stream down her face and she tries so hard to hold in all that she feels.
Reaching the edge she gently lays him along the muddy bank as high up as she can.
He's too heavy to move higher.
Again she tries to wake him.
He's breathing but doesn't rouse.
...
She sits brushing the water from his face and tries to look at the cut on his head.
As she leans across him to look at the top of his head he opens his eyes grinning at the view as she moves back he quickly closes his eyes.
"Oh Alex I'm so sorry." She whispers.
She's about to stand when he yells. "Oh shit I think a yabby bit me."
She glares at him.
He smiles.
...
She pushes him.
And begins to move out of the mud.
He grabs her leg and says. "Stevie wait up."
She's crying but he hasn't worked that out yet.
She doesn't look at him.
Clambering up the bank she desperately tries to gain control.
Reaching Banjo she knows she's only got a few seconds to drag some clothes on.
Fighting with her jeans she drags them over her hips, she'll put the rest on once she gains some distance.
...
Grabbing the reins she hoists herself up onto his back just as Alex climbs over the bank.
"Stevie I'm sorry please talk to me."He pleads.
Her head is down so he can't see her face.
He lunges at Banjo's reins to try and halt her escape.
The horse shies a little but it's enough to unseat Stevie who has an armful of boots and clothes and only one foot in the stirrup.
She lands awkwardly and he hears the air forced from her lungs.
...
Winded she slowly climbs to her feet as he tries to help her.
She lashes out at him.
As she waits for air to refill her lungs.
She cries and draws breath.
He tries to comfort her and says. "Stevie I'm sorry."
...
With tears streaming down her face and her breath rasping pain envelopes her.
She gingerly drags her shirt over head with one hand, and picks the remainder of her things up.
"Stevie your hurt my cars here. Let me drive you."He pleads.
She pushes her boots into the saddle bags and remounting Banjo turns him for home.
...
Alex runs for his Ute chastising himself for being so stupid.
Grabbing the towel he dries himself quickly.
Dragging his clothes on he then slips his boots on and bending sits in the Ute.
Turning the key the engine clicks.
"Come on not now!" He yells as he tries again.
Nothing.
...
Flipping the bonnet he works.
Valuable time ticks by.
Running to the driver's door he sits and turns the key.
The engine roars to life.
Running back he slams the bonnet down and re-enters the car.
Leaning out he grabs the door and pulls it shut.
Gunning the engine he heads for home.
...
Nick, Tess, Jodie and Kate have all had lots of beer and are having a fabulous time on the veranda.
Stevie storms inside and heads straight upstairs.
Kate walks into the house and back onto the veranda.
"It must be Stevie the showers running."Kate reports.
Around fifteen minutes later they hear Alex's car.
When the back screen door closes Nick yells out. "Alex grab a beer we're on the veranda."
...
Alex runs upstairs and knocks on Stevie's door.
No answer so he slowly opens it.
She's not there.
Damn.
He runs downstairs taking the steps two at a time.
Tess meets him at the bottom.
...
"Where's Stevie?" He asks.
"Alex you're bleeding what happened to you?" Tess asks.
"Where's Stevie!" He yells panic rising in his voice.
"Hey don't you yell at her!" Nick warns.
"Shut up Nick. Tess where's Stevie?" He pushes.
"I don't know Alex. I thought she was upstairs. What's wrong?"Tess asks.
...
He doesn't answer but runs outside.
Her Utes gone.
In a guttural howl he screams. "No!"
Nick and the girl's race out alerted by his scream.
"Alex what's wrong?" Nick questions.
"She's gone."Is all Alex says?
Tess rounds on him and says. "What did you do to her Alex? What have you done?"
"Not enough."He replies softly. " Not nearly enough."
They watch as he slowly walks to the shearers quarters.