Page 51 of Lost In Kakadu

Who would bury me?

Am I destined to be animal food?

Shoving the rotten thoughts aside he sat up. “Yes. We did the right thing. When we’re rescued, we’ll take them home with us.”

His hands were black and bloodied and a raw blister bulged across the top of his palm, threatening to burst. He fetched a water bottle and handed it to Abigail.

She drank a mouthful and held the bottle toward him.

“Use it to wash your hands and face. I’ll get another bottle for me.”

“I thought we were on rations.”

“Yes. But I have to get this smell off my hands and I’m sure you feel the same.”

The stench of death embedded in his flesh provoked a memory he’d blocked out many years ago.

But he shook his head, forcing the recollection away.

With a dampened T-shirt, he scrubbed his hands until the blister burst, and blood flowed. After locating a block of soap, he welcomed the sting from the lather as the putrid odour evaporated. He poured the last of the water onto his face and dried it off with a clean shirt.

With four days of death and destruction behind him, he decided it was time to move into survival mode.

Rodney would’ve wanted him to live.

He imagined flying in a colourful hot air balloon and rising further into the sky with each giant lump of sorrow he threw out. They were going to survive.

Hell, he’d survived living in Kings Cross all alone as an eleven-year-old.

This should be easy compared to that.

He flipped open his case and scooped out a handful of ingredients to make damper. With each manipulation of the dough, he became more alive. A new beginning with him doing what he loved—cooking. When the bread sizzled on the hot tin sheet he inhaled deeply, drinking in the fresh aroma.

Mackenzie heard Charlie’s faint voice in the distance and assumed the cooking smell had woken him. “Tell him the damper will be ready in a minute.”

Abigail strolled to the plane and kneeled beside Charlie.

With a T-shirt protecting his hands, Mackenzie carried the hot tray to Charlie and placed it on the cloth bedding. “How’re you feeling?”

“Better. You must’ve done a good job. I don’t feel much pain in my ribs anymore. My head hurts worse.”

“Good. It’s time to eat. If I know anything, it’s that food gives you energy and without it you won’t survive.” Plumes of steam erupted from the vanilla-coloured dough when he pulled the damper apart. His mouth watered as he handed out equal portions.

The book on the makeshift bedding had Mackenzie recalling what Charlie had said about the antioxidant plant. As an experienced chef, he understood that many plants could cure ailments. Several popular examples came to mind. Aloe vera was well known to heal skin wounds and lemon grass reduced cholesterol.

“Hey Charlie, tell me about your antioxidant.” Mackenzie took a bite of the hot damper.

Charlie’s eyes glowed. “Well, for thousands of years humans have used plants as remedies and some researchers specialising in both western and traditional Chinese medicine believe in yin-yang or balance. It relates to the balance between pro-oxidant and antioxidant.”

They had no balance at the moment and wouldn’t survive for long on their current diet of just flour and beans. “A healthy diet relies on balance.”

“Exactly.” Charlie nodded. “Have you been following the antioxidant phenomenon?”

“I know the Chinese wolfberry is rapidly growing a reputation as a superfood.”

“That’s right. Another example is the Açaí berry from Brazil. It’s also been proven to have unusually high antioxidant properties.”

Mackenzie thought this over. “So do you know what plants are useful around here?”

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