Her eyes held his and he saw tears were running unheeded down her face. ‘Jock. Still alive. Hana’s with him. Hanged himself.’ She hurried towards Mim, who’d gasped and reeled with her hand to her mouth.

‘Mim. Find Mum and tell her to set up the sick bay. Phone RFDS for retrieval. Send Poddy as soon as he comes so we can bring him back fast. Lone Tree Hill. I’ll get the utility.’

Zac strode towards the house. ‘I’ll grab first aid and Stella’s intubation equipment. Throats swell and occlude.’ Jock would need ventilation if he was going to survive.

Chapter Forty-two

Ava

Ava jerked to a halt at the front door in the farm utility and wiped the tears off her cheek with a trembling hand. Zac jumped off the verandah and slid into the passenger seat. ‘Go.’

Her brain was whirling and all she could think was, It’s my fault. She’d missed it. Zac had agreed that Jock’s depression was concerning and they’d made the appointment, but none of them had thought him this urgently in need of assessment. ‘Hana went looking for him. Found him hanging and cut him down.’

Zac made a noise through his teeth. ‘How long?’

‘The ute was still running down the hill when she saw it. He’d used it to swing off.’

Zac sighed. ‘Poor bloody Hana.’

Ava didn’t want to think about poor Hana. ‘She had the sat phone. Imagine if she hadn’t.’

He touched her arm. ‘Don’t imagine anything until we sort this.’

Thank God you’re still here, she thought. And that was something else she didn’t want to imagine. All she said was, ‘Yes.’

Then she glanced at him as they tore up the hill they’d walked so enjoyably down almost a week ago. ‘Have you seen hangings?’

‘Intubate. Ventilate. Resuscitate,’ he recited. ‘We’ll go from there. He’s alive now, so his odds are good.’

She blew out her breath. Okay. ‘Thank you.’

As soon as she spotted them she jerked the car to a halt. She saw Hana sitting on the ground beside the quad bike, her back against the wheel, her body stiff. Jock’s head lay in her lap. His neck purple and face swollen, his lips bloody where he’d bitten them. He was unconscious, and rattling gasps slowed as his wind pipe closed with the swelling and air entry began to shut down. Hana had blood on her mouth, and Ava guessed it was because she’d kissed him.

Ava said, ‘Can you slide out, Hana?’

Zac moved her aside. ‘Take his shoulders as I lift her out. He’s occluding.’ Zac had Hana out and Jock flat on his back in seconds, and Ava reached for the kit to hand him the airway. ‘Straight to endotracheal or we won’t get it in?’ She lubricated it.