She shrugged. Arthritis was something she’d learned to live with and, as Sandra handed Terence the hypodermic, she closed her eyes and waited for the soothing numbness to flood through her. But when Terence had finished stitching and bandaging her knee he touched her chin, and her eyes flew open as she cried out with the pain.

‘Sorry, Gran,’ he said. ‘That looks as if it’s dislocated, but we’ll need an X-ray to make certain there are no fractures. I seem to remember we had one years ago, but it was never that reliable.’ He turned to Sandra who was quietly and methodically clearing up. ‘Can you have a look in the operating theatre? It’s just off the ward.’

Sandra was about to leave the room when Hugh came in. He took one look at Gwyneth and went pale. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t get to you straight away, Ma, but I’ve been on the two-way to Cloncurry.’

He nodded as Terence asked about the machine. ‘We’ve still got it, but it’s ancient and unreliable, and if her jaw’s broken she’d be better off being flown down to Brisbane.’

‘Then that’s what we must do,’ Terence replied. ‘At Gran’s age we can’t afford to take risks.’

Hugh ran his fingers agitatedly through his hair. ‘I wish it was that easy,’ he replied. ‘But I’ve just been on to the Flying Doctor Service about another case. They can’t fly today, not with the dust storms building up.’

‘So what do we do?’ Terence mirrored his father by ruffling his own thick mop of hair.

‘We’ll have to operate here if it’s necessary,’ he said with a worried frown. ‘Or at least, you will. I’ve got to get to Carey Downs Station. One of Big Mac’s kids has been badly burned and she needs urgent attention.’

Gwyneth eyed the pair of them and tried to convey her frustration at them talking over her as if she was a bit of furniture. But she soon discovered it was far too painful to express her fury, so she flapped her hand at Hugh to shoo him out to the child that needed his attentions far more than she did, and glared up at Terence. She had no idea how skilled he was at surgery, and didn’t really care one way or the other – she just wanted to be free of this awful pain.

Hugh seemed to understand, for he grabbed his medical bag and kissed her on her forehead. ‘Be good, Ma,’ he murmured. ‘And I’ll see you when I get back. Terry knows what to do, so you’re in safe hands.’

She flapped at him again and closed her eyes.

*

Algernon Baker was an angry, frustrated man. Life had become nothing more than a battle against a series of crashing disappointments, and today he was at breaking point.