“Tell him I said thanks.”
“Tell him yourself.” Mattie felt her temperature. His palm was hot. “How did you sleep? You’re looking better. Your lips aren’t blue anymore.”
“How’s Rainbow? Has anyone talked to her?” she asked, feeling guilty that she hadn’t asked earlier.
Mattie and Nev shook their heads. They hadn’t called her. Maybe Reg had. Rainbow was in school now.
Ronnie would call her this evening. Had to try to remember.
23
BLUE QUANDONG
Three days later, when her blood pressure was stable and she could shuffle zombie-like to the toilet, the doctor let her go. Mattie pushed her down to the car park. It had rained overnight and earlier that morning. The air outside the hospital in Cairns smelled like wet asphalt, exhaust fumes, and the ocean. Nev ran to fetch the truck.
Her brother stood behind the wheelchair massaging her neck and shoulders. She always forgot he had a degree in sports physiotherapy. When he had told her he wanted to be a women’s sports therapist during his off-season, she, along with everyone else, had written that off as a creepy excuse to get his hands on hot female athletes, but maybe she had been too harsh on him. Whatever he was doing to her back felt amazing.
The silver truck appeared, then parked in front of them.
Getting into it was a challenge.
When she finally sat breathless in the passenger’s seat, safe from being asked to move again for at least an hour and a half, exhaustion made her cranky. She felt shitty about the fact that she hadn’t called Rainbow yet.
The thought of calling made her emotional, and she didn’t want to lean on the girl that way. Rainbow needed calmreassurance and lighthearted jokes, not to be traumatized by a half-dead parent. She couldn’t project safety and stability if she was half-asleep or a weepy mess. In hindsight, not calling Rainbow was probably worse. She couldn’t win.
Nev pointed to the seatbelt. “You got to wear it.”
“I don’t.”
“Do.”
“Make me.”
They were still arguing when Mattie returned.
Nev shook his hand. “We’ll meet you at your dad’s in an hour. Have to make a quick pit stop.”
Ronnie wedged her hands under the seatbelt to take pressure off her incision. She had lost the argument.
Wet highway, steam-clouds rising off shining asphalt in the sun. Who said roads couldn’t be beautiful? Travelling west on the Gillies Range Road through the mountains was the same as before, but she noticed the scenery through fresh eyes. The view from the passenger’s seat looked different than the view from the driver’s seat. Angles and sight lines. Funny how such a small shift in location caused a dramatic change in perception.
Life was fragile and precious; she couldn’t take it for granted, nor could she rely on always being healthy. She couldn’t fight her way out of situations or run away. She needed someone like Nev to be a second set of eyes and ears, a second brain, asking nervous questions like, “Does she need a transfusion?” and “Where does this blood come from?” Selfishly, she liked the attention. Liked not being alone. “Reckon we ought to take better care of ourselves, eh?”
“Okey dokey.” Nev squinted against the sun.
“We have to quit smoking.”
Nev pulled down the overhead visor to shade her eyes as they went around a switchback. “I will if you do.”
“Deal.” Ronnie watched gum trees fly past the window. “I need to get back in shape so I can keep up with Rainbow.”
“Being an athlete doesn’t make you a better mum.”
“Doesn’t it?”
“Does it make Mattie a better dad?”
Point taken.
