Page 67 of Road to Rosalee

Judy turned from where she was icing cupcakes for the wedding tower, spatula in hand. ‘What is it, Showbags? Is our Slim getting cold feet?’

‘No, it’s Zai.’ His words were rushed and breathless. ‘He’s rolled the four-wheeler up at the ridge and he’s hurt, real bad. Slim just radioed it in.’ There were resounding gasps from the women as he sucked in a quick breath. ‘He’s called the medic chopper and it’s almost here. Matt is on his way back from the neighbours’ place in his chopper too.’

The walls almost swallowed Melody up. Dread filled her as sheer panic rose in her chest. No. She couldn’t lose Zai. The ground shifted beneath her feet. She grabbed hold of the bench in a bid to remain upright. Her head spinning, she only caught snippets of what everyone was saying.

Unconscious.

Shallow breathing.

Blood.

Lots of it.

Oh god no.

Judy’s voice snapped her back to it, and the tug of Sarah’s hand on hers had her running alongside the women and towards the waiting LandCruiser, her grandad Steve at the wheel. They all piled into the back. The drive to Zai seemed to take forever, and when they finally got there, the sight before her was earth-shattering. Zai was on the ground, his body lifeless, a group of medics surrounded him. She tried to get to him, but a medic told them to keep back. Her heart beating rapidly, as if trying to punch through her chest, an ominous cloud hung over her head as she tried to convince herself that he was going to pull through this.

The deep whop-whop of another set of chopper blades sliced through the air as her father brought the chopper down. She squeezed her red eyes shut against the dust and grit as she said another silent prayer. She watched her father leap from the Robinson, the blades still rotating, and sprint across the cracked red earth. His face the epitome of urgency, he met with Slim, Patrick and Steve as Zai was lifted from the ground on a stretcher and loaded into the waiting emergency helicopter. Judy and Georgia ran over to the boys, but Sarah stayed by her side, an arm linked into hers. Melody was thankful for the support because her wobbly legs simply wouldn’t move, nor did they have the strength to hold her up on their own.

Next thing, she was loaded into the chopper with Sarah, her father at the helm. Time passed in a blur of tears and her silent begging to god to save Zai. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing him, of not getting the chance to tell him how much she loved him and how sorry she was for all the heartache she’d caused him. After what felt like a lifetime, they landed near the Mount Isa hospital. Melody couldn’t get out of the helicopter fast enough. Heading towards the front doors, she almost slammed into them when they took a split second to open. Desperate to get to the man who owned her heart, her long strides turned into a sprint as she willed the stark white walls not to close in on her.

She skidded to a stop at a desk where a middle-aged nurse lifted her eyes from a folder. ‘Can I help you?’

‘Yes, I’m looking for my boyfriend, Zai Wellstone. He was airlifted here after a motorbike accident.’

‘He’s still in surgery, but you can wait in the visitors’ lounge.’ The nurse came around the counter and gestured to a room to the side. ‘There is coffee and tea and UHT milk, if you’d like a cuppa.’

‘Thank you.’ The emotional lump in her throat was making it terribly hard to breathe. ‘How long do you think it’ll be before we hear something?’

‘I’m honestly not sure, but I will let you know as soon as he’s in recovery, okay?’

‘Okay, thank you.’

After filling out some paperwork and calling Zai’s parents, her father and Sarah joined her in the waiting room. Meeting her worried gaze, Matthew Walsh remained silent and pulled her into his arms. ‘He’s going to pull through this, sweetheart.’

‘I hope so, Dad.’ It was the very first time she’d called him what she’d longed to since meeting him for the very first time, and his hug tightened that little bit, showing he was pleased to hear it. ‘Because I love Zai so much.’ She hadn’t told him about their love affair yet, hadn’t found the right time to do so, but now seemed as fitting a time as any.

‘I know you do, Melody. I can tell by the way you look at him. It’s just like Sarah looks at me.’ He stroked the back of her head. ‘And you make sure you tell him how much you love him when he wakes up, okay?’

She nodded against her father’s chest. ‘I will.’

Unravelling from his arms, she shared a sad smile with Sarah before slumping down in the timeworn lounge chair. Sarah placed an arm around her shoulder, and the two of them huddled against each other. Rubbing her gritty eyes, she exhaled loudly. Now all they could do was wait. So she prayed like she’d never prayed before, going as far as to promise she would do anything god wanted of her if only he would bring Zai back to her.

And as the minutes ticked by and became an hour, then another, she replayed every magnificent moment with him. Every interaction. Every kiss. Every touch. She tried to grasp it all, for if she lost him, so help her god – she wanted to hold all these memories dear forever.

‘Melody.’ Sarah’s voice was a whisper. ‘Can I get you something to drink or eat, love?’

‘No, thank you.’ Her right leg was bouncing and she made a conscious effort to calm it.

‘He’s going to be okay. You’ve got to believe this.’ Sarah’s tone was soft but profoundly reassuring. ‘Zai needs you to have faith in his strength, now more than ever.’

Overcome with emotions, all Melody could do was nod. She, her dad and Sarah had each other’s backs and right now, more than ever, that meant the world to her. Tears glossed her vision again. She clamped her quivering lip between her teeth. The shiny floor and the strong scent of disinfectant made her more nauseated. The clock on the wall ticked loudly, to the point she thought it was going to drive her insane. It had been over two hours and still no news. Her sense of dread increased – she had to move. Now.

Striding out of the confines of the waiting room, she dragged in deep breaths while pacing the length of the corridors, unable to settle the nerves running riot in her belly. She soon returned and sat herself between her dad and Sarah, feeling a much-needed boost of strength. Time seemed to slow to a painful pace, every second another one where she could lose the love of her life. Tears continued to fill her eyes and she repeatedly brushed them away. Like her father and Sarah said, she had to hold on to the belief that Zai was going to pull through. There was nothing she could do or say to ease her pain, or anybody else’s. Right now, all they had was hope.

Ten minutes later, a weary doctor in blood-spattered scrubs with a mask pulled to the top of his head stepped into the room, his face grave. The three of them jumped to their feet. The doctor’s gaze momentarily slipped to the floor. Dread crept deeper beneath her skin and squeezed her soul excruciatingly tight. Her knees gave way, but Sarah grabbed hold of her, preventing her from hitting the floor. Her dad stepped forwards, as if shielding her and Sarah from what was about to be said. The doctor fastened his weary gaze upon him. Her breath hitched as she held it. Bile inched up her tight throat as a familiar emptiness crowded her chest. It was going to be devastating news.

Losing all hope, she closed her eyes, not wanting to hear what he was about to say – her heart wouldn’t survive the anguish of losing him.