The Road Back (34 page)

Chris lifted his head and howled, ‘
Meeeegaaan
. . .'

He lost track of time, concentrating on his footfalls and watching for the glow of Shaun's torch. He was moving higher up the bank now among massive tallowood and blackbutt trees, their great canopy of branches acting like leafy umbrellas, lessening the downpour. In the background was the distant roar of the falls. Chris looked back across to where Shaun's light was moving and he was startled to see that the distance between the two of them was lengthening, so he turned downhill, pushing through the slippery undergrowth towards his friend. The last thing everyone needed was for him to get lost as well.

God, where could she be? Chris lifted his head and shouted his daughter's name again and again, his voice becoming raspy. He gripped the stick he was using to stop himself from slipping and concentrated on catching up with Shaun. Then he froze. He'd heard something. Faintly, he heard the sound again. His heart leaped.

‘
Heeelp. Someone help me
.'

Chris knew he had found Megan. He wanted to crash through the wet foliage and rush to her, but he held his ground as he had no idea which direction the faint cry had come from.

‘MEGAN, it's Dad, where are you?' he shouted as loudly as he could.

‘
Dad . . . Dad . . .
' The voice was still very faint. Megan was some distance away. Quickly Chris shouted to Shaun, ‘Frenchy, I can hear Megan.'

Straight away he heard Shaun's voice replying, ‘Chris, I'm coming.'

‘
Daaad . . .
' Megan's shout was quickly lost in the swirling rain.

Moments later, Shaun reached Chris. ‘I heard her, mate,' Chris told him in
excitement.
‘Megan, stay where you are, I'm coming,' he shouted.

Faintly they both heard her call back, and turned in the direction of the sound. ‘
Dad, please hurry
.'

‘Okay, that's certainly Megan. We'll find her quickly now. I'll radio in straight away with the good news and give them our map coordinates,' Shaun said triumphantly.

‘Mate, I can't wait for that,' said Chris as he heard Megan's cry again.

Disregarding his instructions to stay with Shaun, Chris hurried towards Megan's cry, slipping and falling in the mud. Cursing, he pulled himself up and leaned against a tree to catch his breath. Then he heard other voices ahead of him. Dear God, was it over? Please, please let it be all right. He could see a light blinking between the gaps in the trees and stumbled on.

‘Megaaaan . . .' he called.

‘
I'm here, Dad . . .
' Her voice was nearer. Then he heard Alex calling out.

‘Up to the right, Chris. Follow the light.'

He was still among the tall old trees, trying frantically to make his way towards the
lights. Then through the curtain of rain he could see a bright light and the figure of someone carrying a bundle wrapped in an oilskin.

‘Look up here. We've got her, Chris.' Alex's voice was elated and cracking with emotion.

‘Where are you, Dad? I want my father,' sobbed the voice inside the raincoat.

‘Megan, oh, my girl. I'm here . . .'

He reached Alex, who gave him the wet and shivering girl. Megan put her arms around her father's neck, sobbing and muttering incoherently. Chris held her tightly to him, his fingers in the dripping tangle of her hair, her body saturated and cold against his. Chris clung to her, feeling both the joy of relief and the fear of what might have been.

By now Shaun had caught up and immediately unrolled a silver insulation sheet.

‘Here, Megan, let me get this around you. It will help warm you up,' he said kindly.

‘Darling, we have all been so very worried. Are you hurt at all?'

‘No, but Dad, I was so scared . . . I'm sorry.'

‘Shh. There's nothing to be sorry about. It's over now. Just as long as you are okay. That's the important thing.'

The insulation blanket crackled as he crushed his daughter to his chest as though he would never be able to let her go. He looked at his friends over the top of Megan's head. ‘Thank you, all of you.'

‘No worries,' said Shaun with a grin, trying to disguise the relief he felt. ‘I owed you one anyway.'

‘I'm just glad she's in one piece,' said Alex. ‘They won't be long bringing down a rescue litter for you, Megan. Bit far for you to walk. And you're probably suffering from hypothermia, so we have to look after you.'

Megan nodded, her teeth chattering, and buried her head in her father's shoulder once more.

*

A cheer went up when Megan and the stretcher party reached the café. Chris had held her hand all the way back, reluctant to let her go. Then from the sea of smiling faces and bright lights Susan dashed forward, followed by David. She hugged Megan, who started to cry again. Chris, very relieved to see his mother, let go of Megan's hand, slumped into a chair and started to shake. He was handed a mug of hot sweet tea as a doctor started to examine Megan.

‘Oh, Bunny, I'm so sorry you had to come back. Sorry, David,' said Megan, tears running down her cheeks.

‘Of course we had to come. I was so worried about you, and you are far more important than some old organic farm,' said Susan.

‘Your grandmother loves you very much. There was never any question about us coming back. You come first and that's how it should be,' said David.

‘Thank you, Dad. I knew you'd come,' said Megan in a little forlorn voice.

‘That's what fathers are for, my darling.'

‘Oh my God. Jill.' Chris pulled his phone out and rang Jill's mobile.

‘Jill. It's me. It's all right. Megan's been found.'

‘Oh, thank God,' said Jill. ‘Chris, I've been frantic with worry. All I knew was that Megan was lost and I couldn't get through to you. Why was your phone turned off?'

‘I've been out of phone range for a couple of hours, searching for Megan, but she's fine now. I'll put her on in a minute.' Briefly Chris told Jill what had happened and then waited for the tirade he knew would follow.

‘How could you be so stupid letting her go bushwalking on her own! You are so irresponsible, Chris. How could you? I knew you wouldn't be capable of looking after her. For God's sake, put her on.'

Trying to remain calm, Chris said, ‘Jill, she didn't go out on her own. This was just an unfortunate accident. Everything's all right now.' Without waiting to hear any more, Chris handed Megan the phone. ‘It's your mother.'

She made a face and whispered, ‘Is she mad?'

‘Only at me. It's not your fault, just tell her you're okay.'

He leaned back in a chair and shut his eyes. It had all been nightmarish and now he was exhausted. He couldn't wait to go home and get to bed.

Chris listened to his daughter as she placated her mother, assuring her that she was fine.

Finally Megan hung up, and Chris opened his eyes and looked at her expectantly. ‘She's okay now,' Megan reported. ‘She was frightened and a bit mad at you
.
You know she gets cranky when she's stressed.'

‘People react differently when things go wrong,' said Susan. ‘Don't take it to heart. She probably wishes she wasn't so far away.'

Watching his mates get themselves cups of tea and coffee, Chris felt so grateful for their efforts that he was suddenly at a loss for words. These men were his friends. He'd known them since they were all young boys together. And for him they had unhesitatingly dropped everything to help. He knew that if he needed them again they would do the same, as would he for them. They were solid and dependable and he hoped that one day he might have the chance to repay them. Chris went quickly to shake hands with the police commander and thank him for his help, and then he moved among the members of the SES and the police rescue squad, the paramedics and the doctor as well as the volunteers who had provided food and hot drinks for everyone, letting them all know how thankful he was. So many people had been involved in looking for his daughter. He found it hard to find the right words to express his gratitude.

The doctor spoke quietly to Chris.

‘Your daughter needs to go to the local hospital for observation, Chris. She has mild hypothermia and she shouldn't go home until her body temperature is back to normal. It might be best to keep her in overnight.'

‘I don't want to go to hospital. I want to go home,' cried Megan when she heard.

‘Darling, we can't take any chances with you. You need proper medical attention. But I'll be with you all the time, so don't worry,' said Chris. ‘I promise I won't leave you.'

Before Megan was loaded into the back of the ambulance, she insisted that Chris ring Jazzy to let her know that everything was fine. It was only a brief conversation. ‘Jazzy is really pleased, but she's really, really tired. Her mother had to wake her up. I said you'd ring her tomorrow, when you're home.'

Chris sat beside Megan in the ambulance as they drove to the small community hospital, while David took Chris's car back to Neverend. Once Megan was admitted to a ward, she went to sleep straight away. About ten minutes later, Chris suddenly realised that he had forgotten to tell Georgia the good news. By now it was after midnight, so he walked quietly out of the ward and sent her a text message. She rang back immediately.

‘Oh, Chris, that is such good news. I couldn't get to sleep because I've been so worried. Where are you now?'

Chris explained that he was spending the night in a chair beside Megan's hospital bed.

‘What a wonderful father you are,' exclaimed Georgia. ‘You must be dog tired yourself.'

‘I'll survive, just as long as I have my daughter safe and sound. I'll ring you tomorrow and tell you what happened, if that's all right with you.'

‘It certainly is. Goodnight, Chris, and I'm so relieved it all turned out in the best possible way.'

Chris hung up, thinking to himself what an extremely nice person Georgia was, before he went and spent an uncomfortable night in the chair beside Megan's bed.

*

After Megan was discharged the next day, Susan and David drove up to take them both home. Chris and Megan spent the afternoon sleeping.

The following morning, Megan seemed little the worse for wear and she happily went to school, ready to tell everyone about her great adventure. Chris returned to work and spent the day thinking about how very lucky both of them had been.

A few days later, having come home from work early, Chris looked at the blank page that was supposed to contain his notes about Norma. All he really knew about her was that she had been devoted to her profession. Susan was sure that, because of this, she would have maintained some relationship with one of the state nursing organisations.

Chris had already rung all those he could find, but had not been able to track Norma down. On impulse, though, he decided to try again. It wouldn't hurt, and it was possible he would get someone else who might be of more help. He knew it would be a pity not to be able to get in touch with Norma.

So Chris rang the state's Nurses and Midwives' Association again. This time Sarah, the woman who answered his query, seemed very happy to help him when Chris explained what he was after. ‘It's all computerised now, so if she's been a member in the past, we should be able to find some trace of her.'

‘I was hoping that would be the case,' said Chris and gave her Norma's name.

‘I can't find anything under that name. Do you know if she got married? She might be registered under her married surname. Sometimes nurses work under their maiden name and sometimes their married one.'

‘I suppose she could have. She was a friend of my mother's. They lost touch but Mum never heard that she got married. I don't think that my mother thought of her as the marrying kind.'

‘Look, leave it with me and I'll do a bit more of a search.'

‘You're very helpful. I do appreciate it,' said Chris gratefully.

Chris headed to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. Susan was rolling out pastry for an apple pie.

‘Do you think Norma got married?' he asked her.

‘Not that I ever heard. She was such a dedicated midwife. Loved her mothers and their babies. She never once mentioned any boyfriend back in Australia. Norma was a rather serious, no-nonsense sort of person. I mean, that's not to say she wouldn't have fallen in love, but somehow I just can't imagine it.'
Susan suddenly looked at Chris. ‘Gosh, you don't suppose she has died?'

‘It didn't seem odd to you that she never kept in touch with any of your group?'

‘Not really. I didn't, either.'

‘Maybe she didn't go to the reunions because you didn't.'

‘Oh. I hadn't thought of that. But we weren't very close. I wasn't in Indonesia for all that long, but Norma stayed until her term was up. We did make an effort to get along, even though we had little in common. We all did our best to do that.' Susan lifted the rolling pin and patted the pastry, then smiled at Chris. ‘We all believed in
what we were doing. Do you believe in what you're doing now?' she asked quizzically. ‘Do
you think you still have some wild living to do? Or are you over travelling, living abroad, dashing from job to job? It's not my business, you know I'm here for you and Megan no matter what, but I can't help wondering about your future.'

‘You know, Mum, this business with Megan has made me rethink things somewhat. I rather enjoyed my peripatetic life and liked having no ties, leaving my responsibilities for Megan to Jill, but now I see that not only was I selfish, I was missing out. I love having Megan around. She is an absolute joy and I can't imagine being without her.' He smiled. ‘But, Mum, if truth be told, it's the financial issues that concern me most right now. When you have money, you have a lot more options. Without it, your horizons are limited.'