Desert Vets - 3. DV Ch 3 - Outbreak

About an hour later, after a lot of struggling, we managed to get the heavily sedated horse in the float, and after giving instruction on where to go, Mike Judson and one of his station hands, Aaron Archer, were on their way for the 90-minute drive to the Corunna Downs Homestead.

Once I had cleaned up, and packed away everything, I was driven back to my plane, with a quick stopover at the local store to buy some groceries for home, and I was soon in the air, also heading for Corunna, but I would be landing at home on the Airbase, where I knew that one vehicle still remained in the garage area of the homebase.

Once I had arrived home, I put all the shopping away, and opened up all of the windows, to get the mustiness out of the house, and while airing it out, I unpacked the two overnights bags, into our master suite, and had a shower to cool off a bit, since I still had a bit of spare time before the horse would arrive.

The only vehicle remaining at the home base was the Army Hawkei, and knowing where the keys are kept, I located them and set off towards the neighbouring homestead, where the new owners were already at the yards, putting out grain and hay into the feeders, and cleaning out the water trough.

“Hello Jexon, it is good to see you again,” Jack Evan said to me as he approached and we shook hands. “Yes, nice to see you again too Mr Evans, Mrs Evans,” I replied, as I shook her hand too. “None of that Mr & Mrs thank you, call us by our first names, that is if you can keep a straight face,” Jack replied. “It will be hard, but I will do my best,” I replied smiling.

“Thankyou for the invite to the wedding, it was a delightful event and it was so good to meet so many new faces, that we rarely get to do,” Jill Evans said to me. “It was our pleasure, we only arrived home yesterday, so we haven’t even had time to get home yet.

Well, I have just now, but my hubby is enroute, once he has finished work, and he is bringing my brother Rhodes to help look after the horse for us,” I replied, “Dad I have done the oil change and…” A voice said as he came out of the shed, and he is a younger looking splitting image of his father, as I watched him approach.

“Hey, its Dr Jexon Kendrik right? Famous District Veterinary Officer, and owner of the Airbase next door?” the young man asked, and I smiled and nodded, “This is our son Mason, who has just competed his associate diploma in Agriculture. Muzz, this as you know is Dr Kendrik,” Jack said making the introductions, and we shook hands.

“Muzz?” I asked the young man, “Yea, my family nickname, as I couldn’t say my name properly when I was younger, and it sort of stuck. Where is the just as famous hubby of yours?” Muzz replied, and I chuckled at this comment, pleased that the Evan’s family was not worried about having a gay married couple living and working next door to them, and I saw all three of them smiling.

“He is flying down in the Twin Otter, along with my brother Rhodes, who is coming to help with looking after the injured horse,” I replied. “Ok, I haven’t met any of your other family yet, so it will be nice to have some other guys around my age on the station,” Muzz said.

“The station hand from Bonney Downs, who is coming down with the manager, is around your age, if they are going to stay over, why don’t we have a BBQ dinner at my place, mind you I will need to get my hubby, as you call him, to do some extra shopping before leaving Kununurra,” I said, and the Evan’s family smiled.

“That would be wonderful, and maybe an official tour of the place too if we may?” Jill asked, “Yes certainly, that will not be a problem, I received an email from the Army base in Perth, to say that there will be no Army manoeuvres on the base for the foreseeable future, and they were considering removing the onsite caretakers as well,” I commented.

Ten minutes later, we heard a vehicle approaching from down the road, and we watched the dust cloud as they came closer to the homestead, and we went around to the other side of the yards to help with the unloading of the animal, but first I had to do a full check on her, to see how she had travelled.

Still groggy from the sedative that I had given her, she appeared to have travelled fairly well, so we waited for an extra half an hour until she was more alert, before attempting to get her back onto her feet, and out of the float and into the shaded yard where she will remain, until she has recovered from the very minor injuries and shock from the collision with the vehicle.

I just hoped that she would recover fully so she can be released back into the wild, and return to her own herd somewhere out there in the Pilbara outback.

Mike Judson and his station hand Aaron had accepted the invitation to stay overnight before returning to Bonney Downs in the morning, and the Evans family accepted the invitation to attend our BBQ dinner. I had managed to get hold of Marcus just as they were arriving back in town, and he went and did a big shop for food and a few other supplies, before flying for two hours to Corunna Base, arriving just before sunset.

I instructed Marcus to land at the airbase, so the sound of the plane wouldn’t spook the horse, and I was there when they arrived, and helped with carting all the food and all of our holiday and personal luggage into the main building. Once all of the food was put away, we all headed over to the cattle yards, so Marcus and Rhodes could see the horse, and also meet the Evans family as well as Mike and Aaron.

Returning to the homestead complex in a convoy, we allowed the visitors to have a look around the building, while Marcus, Rhodes and I got to work preparing salads, and getting the guest rooms ready for the two guests staying. “Wow he is really cute…” I heard Rhodes comment, and I stopped what I was doing and looked at my little brother.

“You too? Now I was not expecting that to happen?” I responded softly, and Rhodes blushed and nodded his head in the affirmative. “Does Mum and Uncle know, and what about our siblings and cousins?” I asked. “Mum and Uncle Owen know, and I am pretty sure that my twin Mary also knows,” Rhodes replied.

“If you ever need to chat about anything, just let me know and we will find a quiet place to have a long talk, oh by the way, if you are referring to the station hand Aaron, just remember that he is two years older than you and an adult, so hands off until you turn 18, understood!” I said to my brother.

“Ok, ok, I get it, but man I so want to…” Rhodes started to say before starting to blush again, and I just shook my head and returned to preparing dinner. I made sure that Rhodes was kept busy with dinner preparations, including cooking all of the meat on the BBQ, and when I managed to finally have a moment with Aaron on his own.

“Just to let you know, my brother is only seventeen so hands off him until he turns 18, ok? Then you have my blessing to go out with him, but if you hurt him in any way…” I whispered to Aaron who looked shocked as he glanced over to me and nodded his understanding.

We ended up having a very enjoyable evening, and after dinner and a few more drinks, the Evans family headed back over to their homestead, and Rhodes drove over there as well, so as to spend a few hours watching the horse, in case anything happens, leaving Aaron and Mike at the homestead complex with Marcus and I, and it wasn’t long before they retired for the night.

Early the following morning, I was up and prepared some breakfast for our guests, and Marcus joined me a short time later. “What are the plans for today dear?” my husband asked me, “Well, I still need to go and visit that station, where the cattle came from that we have under quarantine, so I may be away all day and possibly overnight, depending on how things go.”

For you, can you please check on our four-legged patient, then head into Marble Bar and let them know that we are back living out at the base, and that our Marble Bar Vet Clinic at the airport will be open a couple days a week, let’s say two or three late afternoons for now, and I will leave it up to you to arrange what days they are.

You may even get some patients right away, so hang around the clinic till lunch time, and can you do a stocktake of supplies at the clinic, to see what needs to be updated in there please,” I replied, “Not a problem, boss… dear,” Marcus replied smiling and I laughed at this comment.

“Might be an idea to check with Auggie to see if there are any other callouts this way, and if it’s a station in this area, you might as well handle it, now that you have the Twin Otter as your transport. Just make sure you double check, that there are no fuel line blockages, that problem on our wedding day gave me quite a scare,” I added.

After a flight back to Kununurra, I had my plane refuelled and checked, while I went to the Vet hospital to check on how things are there, and also to grab a bite to eat, while I planned my trip east to Katherine, which is a one hour and fifteen-minute journey.

Once there, I would have a short meeting at the Department of Primary Industries, and where we would set out a plan of action to go to this cattle station that is responsible for this second outbreak of the disease in the cattle. I arrived at Katherine Airport late-morning, and a DPI - Department of Primary Industries vehicle was there waiting for me.

The meeting at the DPI lasted for just ninety minutes, and it was decided that though I was the least experience, I had the better qualifications to lead this trip, along with two DPI officers and a local Vet, who would travel with me to Mountain Valley Station to assist with the work. Located 220 kilometres east of Katherine, by road which is a gruelling five-hour journey mostly on the unsealed East Arnhem Road, and just 52 kilometres of sealed highway, is just over 155 kilometres and just thirty minutes in a straight line by air, which would be our method of getting there.

I was already set to go, having packed my swag, sleeping gear, a bag of clothes, water and food to last me for a week and cooking gear, so it was just the others that I had to wait for to get organised for the trip, which we estimated would take approximately two days to complete the inspection.

“Mountain View Station, this is Kilo Victor Sierra 949, carrying District Vet Officer, and Department of Primary Industries Officers, requesting transport from your airfield the homestead, over,” I said onto the radio on a UHF radio channel. “KVS 949 from Mountain View, we need help please,” came an unexpected reply from a child.

“What is the problem young fella, over,” I asked over the radio, “My mum, she has fallen over and won’t wake up, and Dad is out on a muster for a few days, over,” came the reply, “Ok, my name is Jexon, now can you listen carefully, I want you to roll your mum on her side, and tilt her head back a little bit, this will help her to breath, can you do that, over,” I said giving basic first aid instructions.

“I have heard of you, you’re the flying vet… err my name is Thomas, over,” the boy replied and I smiled, as I waited for the boy to carry out my instructions, “Ok she is on her side, and I can see her tummy going up and down, over,” Thomas said a few moments later.

“Very good Thomas, now is there anyone else in the homestead, over?” I asked, “Just my little sister, the Jillaroo has a day off today, and I am not sure where she is, over,” Thomas responded, “Ok buddy, we will be landing very shortly, stay with your mum, we will be there shortly, over,” I said to the boy, before changing to VHF radio frequency and hitting the emergency button for the RFDS.

“This is the RFDS to the aircraft declaring an emergency, over,” came a fast response, “RFDS Katherine, this is KVS 949, about to land at Mountain View Station, we have a medical emergency. Once we have landed, and assessed the situation, I will get back to you, but so far, I know a middle-aged woman has collapsed, and is unconscious, I have instructed Thomas, her son to put her on her side, and he has reported that she is breathing on her own but won’t wake up, over,” I reported in.

“Is that you Dr Kendrick, if so, that is good what you have done so far, we will dispatch the nearest plane to your location, can you give us a runway condition report, once you are at the homestead, over,” the RFDS operator asked, “Yes this is Jexon Kendrick speaking, I will do, preparing to land now, over,” I said, as I flew low over the runway, which was close to the homestead and cattle yards, before turning around and lining up to land.

Once on the ground I taxied to the closest point to the homestead, before stopping and shutting down the plane, “Guys we have a medical emergency at the homestead, so if you guys can wait, I will go and assist with the emergency at the homestead, until the RFDS arrives,” I informed my colleagues.

“Yes, you go what you need to do, we will be fine,” the senior DPI officer replied, as I unlocked and opened the door hatch and lowered the stairs. A few minutes later, I walked onto the verandah and opened the front flyscreen door.

“Thomas, it is Jexon Kendrick, where are you mate?” I called out, “Down the back in the kitchen,” the boy called out, and I sprinted down the hallway to the other end of the house, where I found Thomas, who looked to be around ten years old, sitting near his mother, and sitting nearby at the table was his sister crying.

“Please can you help our mum,” Thomas pleaded as I approached, “You did very good Thomas, let me have a look at her, see what we can do to make her better,” I replied, as I checked for pulse and respiration, and retrieving my stethoscope I listened to her heart.

“Thomas, can you show me where the radio is please?” I asked and both Thomas and his sister pointed to the top of the fridge, where there was a chair next to it, and I stood up and went to the radio, just as I heard the front door slam and fast footsteps approaching.

“Thomas, Margaret, where are you two? Why is there a strange plane on the side of the airfield?” a young woman’s voice called out, before she appeared a few moments later puffing from running no doubt, and she came to an abrupt stop when she saw me at the radio and her boss on the ground.