Page 38 of Lost In Kakadu

Her heart clenched as she contemplated how she was going to handle her feisty daughter without Spencer around.

Chapter Sixteen

Charlie opened his eyes, licked his dry lips and tried to swallow. His mind was a dark fog and he wondered if the plane crash was just a bad dream. But the shredded undercarriage above him soon brought him crashing back to the present. Although, he was confused by the distinct aroma of freshly baked bread. He rolled his head, following the smell and saw Abigail and Mackenzie squatting by a fire.

“That smells good.” He didn’t recognise his own croaky voice.

“Good morning.” Mackenzie arrived at his side. “Or should I say afternoon?”

Charlie held his hand toward him and stabbing pain in his side reminded him of his injury. “Did you find my satchel?”

“Yes. Do you want it?”

Charlie sighed with relief. “Yes, please.”

Mackenzie placed the bag within Charlie’s reach and the old man immediately fumbled with the clips. With Mackenzie’s assistance, the buckles released and the bag fell open, spilling out an assortment of papers. Charlie pushed aside the loose sheets to reveal a bundle of envelopes neatly tied together with white ribbon.

He picked them up with trembling fingers, placed them on his chest, folded his hands over them and fought a tide of emotions. A sob released from his throat, but it hurt so much he nearly choked.

Mackenzie’s warm hand caressed his shoulder. “Hey man, don’t cry. You’re going to be all right. Are you hungry?”

Charlie’s stomach twisted as if it understood what Mackenzie had said and he nodded. Although he doubted he could actually eat. At least he won’t be eating alone, unlike most meals he ate.

Mackenzie returned from the fire with warm damper. As he handed it over, Charlie avoided his concern-filled eyes.

“Can you help me up, please?”

Mackenzie put a hand under his elbow and pulled him to a sitting position. Charlie cried out and panted until the sharp pain faded to a dull ache. Mackenzie handed him a damper bun. He hesitated for a brief moment then bit through the crust and savoured the warm bread. But his dry throat made it impossible to swallow. He had to sip water to force the food down.

“How long have we been here?”

Abigail cleared her throat and seemed embarrassed. “Well, we crashed four days ago, but you’ve only been here since yesterday.”

“Four days!” He imagined his boss’s distress at not receiving any communication from him. His superior was a brilliant scientist but lacked any personality, preferring his biology equipment to people. Charlie’s brow furrowed and he shook his head. “That’s not good. Not good at all.”

“We’ll be okay for a while,” Mackenzie said. “There was food on the plane, and we have bottled water.”

“Don’t worry, Charlie. Spencer’s family will come for us soon.” Abigail laid her hand on his arm.

Charlie considered her words.Who would be looking for me?Only his employer knew where he was and his boss would be the only one who cared, but not for compassionate reasons. He needed this trip to be a botanical success to receive further government funding. The security of his job and that of his boss were riding on his shoulders.

His heart sank.I’ll be letting him down.He stared at his blood-soaked shirt.

Success was impossible now.

But Charlie wasn’t ready to give up. This injury wasn’t an obstacle, it was motivation. His survival depended on that elusive berry. If everthere was a moment in his life when he needed divine focus, this was it. He reached into his satchel and Mackenzie helped him lift out his heavy journal.

The leather-bound book was crammed full with additional pieces of paper that swelled it like a concertina file. The pages were yellowed and curling in the corners from repeated handling. “My journal will help us. I have heaps of information on edible plants in this area. It’s my research project. Remember, I’m here to find an antioxidant plant. It will help me, so we need to find it.”

“Um … Charlie, your wound is serious.” Abigail spoke with a mixture of concern and confusion. “Your rib is?—”

“These berries will help.” Charlie nodded with conviction. He leaned toward the book and howled as gripping pain ripped through his chest. Panting, he teetered on the edge of unconsciousness.

“Jesus, Charlie.” Mackenzie jumped. “Take it easy. Your rib is sticking out of your chest for God’s sake.”

Charlie trembled as he swallowed hard. “Help me lie down.”

Darkness seeped into his field of vision as Mackenzie lowered him. He panted rapidly, fighting to retain focus. “I want to see it. Open my shirt?”

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