He looked back at her and struggled to be rid of the oxygen mask. But his fingers were clumsy and he had to yield to her insistence that it stayed in place. ‘I’m sorry, Jane,’ he sighed. ‘I didn’t say anything about those pills because I knew you’d only worry.’

She eyed him sternly. ‘You realise you’ll have to retire now, don’t you?’

He wasn’t foolish enough to think he could carry on under such pressure any more, but he still recoiled at the thought of the hospital having to close. ‘I’ll take it easier from now on, I promise,’ he hedged.

She leaned her elbows on the bed and took his hands. ‘You will concentrate on getting better and leave the work to Terry,’ she said firmly. ‘We’ve had a long talk about things, and he’s agreed to stay.’ She smiled. ‘He’s already thinking of how to improve the place and get more help.’

Hugh frowned. ‘How’s he going to do that?’

‘As you know, the Flying Doctor Service has small medical stations all over the Outback that supply nurses and doctors. Terry thinks Morgan’s Reach would be an ideal location for just such a station, and he’s going to write to Reverend John Flynn to see if he agrees.’

Hugh thought about the legendary man who’d founded the service way back before the First World War. ‘But he’s an old man now. Terry shouldn’t bother him with our staffing problems.’

‘He might be old, but he’s still very much at the helm,’ said Jane, ‘and I’m sure he’ll be able to offer some sort of solution.’ She tucked the sheet in and switched off the light, plunging the shuttered room into dusky darkness. ‘Don’t worry about it all now, Hugh. Just rest and let the young ones get on with things,’ she said softly. ‘We’ve done our bit,’ she added as she kissed his cheek. ‘It’s their turn now.’

He caught her hand as she was about to turn away. ‘I don’t want to go to a bungalow on the coast,’ he said urgently.

She grinned at him. ‘I know you don’t. But once you’re on the mend and our children are settled in their new lives, we can take long, leisurely holidays and see a bit of Australia. We’ll always have Morgan’s Reach to come home to when we’ve had enough.’

Hugh smiled as Jane softly closed the door. She was the best wife any man could wish for, and it seemed the future of the hospital at Morgan’s Reach was in capable hands. He relaxed into the pillows. His work was over now, and he could look forward to spending more time with her – perhaps they could even celebrate his next birthday at Alice Springs. He’d always wanted to go there.

*