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The next hour was spent driving through the beautiful countryside around the Blue Mountains. The place was world-heritage listed, and I could see why. It was sad to think some of it had burned in fires in the past. At least now we were in May, the weather was cooler and there was less chance of that. I wouldn’t be going home until next March and would have lived through an Australian summer by then. The cottage had an air-conditioner so I should be okay. In the winter, I would have Ryan to snuggle up to and stay warm.
Ryan chatted about some of the work he was doing, and I talked about my paper. They were all safe topics of conversation. He pulled up at the caves, and I had the jitters, like a little kid. When I was a teenager, I had gone on a school outing to the Cheddar Caves near Bristol in England, but I had a feeling these ones were going to be more impressive.
Jenolan Caves House was next to the caves, and it looked decidedly posh. Ryan went into the reception and picked up the key to the chalet we were staying in. I could get used to someone doing things like this for me. I insisted on paying half of everything though. He’d had enough expense with Bluey recently. We browsed the shops so I could grab some souvenirs and then had a light lunch.
Then we left our bags in the chalet and headed to the cave entrance. The one we were doing was called the Cathedral Chamber Cave, and the number of steps was mind-boggling. I had a feeling my legs were going to kill me tomorrow. The place had adventure caving too, but the idea of going through a small tunnel and my prosthesis getting stuck did not appeal to me.
The experience was so much more than I’d thought it would be. There were narrow walkways but they had rails, and the caverns and rock formations took my breath away. The two of us walked all the way down to the lake pool, though it was going to be a killer for my thighs on the way back. Ryan kept checking I was okay, and so far, I could reassure him he would not have to chuck me over his shoulder and carry me out.
We stopped on the return journey in one cave and sat down to an afternoon tea of jam and scones. It was surreal to eat in such surroundings. Curtains of stalactites and columns rose all around me. I felt small in such grandeur.
We were on our way out and near the top when a man in front of me stopped and grabbed onto the rail. He was clutching his chest, and his breathing appeared too rapid. I could guess what was happening.
“My name’s Autumn. I’m a doctor. Can you tell me what’s wrong?” I asked.
“It’s my chest. The pain—I can’t breathe.”
“Ryan. Can you help him? I need to get him out of the stairwell.”
Ryan popped the man’s arm around his shoulder and almost carried him up the rest of the steps.
A woman grabbed my arm. “It’s my husband. His name’s Paul,” she said through tears. “Will he be all right?”
“Let’s get him somewhere safe, and I’ll have a look.” I gave her hand a squeeze and kept my voice as calm as I could.
The room at the top had people from the tour meandering about, and I directed Ryan to follow me to the side of the area.
The guide stood by watching. “Can I do anything?”
“Clear the room, call an ambulance, and get the AED if you have one.”
In the better light, it was clear the man’s lips were changing color to blue as he became cyanosed. His legs gave out beneath him, and his eyes rolled back in his head. He was losing consciousness. Paul was having a cardiac arrest as far as I could tell. He had no pulse and his breathing had ceased as well.
I automatically started chest compressions. “Ryan, I will let you know when I’m near thirty compressions, and you do two breaths. Are you okay with that?”
“Yes.”
I kept going, wishing I had some drugs with me. The guide fitted the mobile defibrillator on the man’s chest, and we stood clear while it checked his rhythm and shocked him. Then we were back to work again. The second shock worked, and he was back in sinus rhythm. He was breathing but still not responsive. His pulse was rapid and thready but detectable at least. For now, all I could do was observe and make sure he didn’t deteriorate any further.
His wife was crying.
“Can you tell me anything I need to know for the paramedics?”
“Paul has been having the odd chest pain recently but kept saying it was probably indigestion. I told him today was a bit too much, but he insisted we do this. It’s our wedding anniversary, and he planned it. Said nothing would stop him.”
“Is he on any medication?”
“Yes, for his blood pressure but that’s all.”
She had managed to give us a short medical history between sobs. Then, Paul began to regain consciousness. He groaned and was obviously still in pain, but he appeared to be stabilizing. We had a reprieve—that was all I could hope for before he was able to be transported to hospital. Thankfully, the guide had shooed most people from the room. I smiled at the sound of the ambulance sirens.
The paramedics arrived and took over. Both I and Paul’s wife gave them all the information we had, and Paul was wheeled away on a stretcher. I took a deep breath. Now I could relax.
As we walked back to the chalet, Ryan had gone quiet. “Are you okay? I’ve dealt with stuff like that before but know it can freak some people out. You did really well, you know.”
Ryan unlocked the door and strolled inside. I followed him in, and he took me in his arms in a tight embrace. It wasn’t the reaction I had expected, but I wasn’t complaining. When he moved back, he smiled at me.
“I’m fine. I do first-aid courses all the time but have never had to put it into action. You were incredible, Autumn. So calm, and you just got on with it. That man would have died. He was only forty.” Ryan shook his head. “Here he was, on a day out sightseeing with his wife for their anniversary. It’s scary how quickly everything could have changed, and it could have been their last.”
