From Duty to Daddy by Sue MacKay Page B

then changed his mind. ‘Better for you to drive. That’ll save time.’
    Talking to Molly at the same time as slipping into the SUV, Charlie said, ‘I’m on my way with another doctor. He’ll have to work under supervision but I don’t see a problem.’
    ‘That’s great. Where’s your dad? I can’t raise him.’
    ‘He’s out on the lake. I need to drop Aimee off with someone. I’m in town.’
    ‘Got that covered. Gemma’s here and says she’ll meet you at the airport. She’ll bring you a medical bag and take Aimee home.’
    Charlie slammed the gear lever into ‘Drive’ and snapped her seat belt on. ‘Let’s go.’

CHAPTER SIX
    T HE RIDE TO the airport would’ve been exciting if Marshall hadn’t been considering the injuries they’d find when they got there.
    Obviously Charlie was too because she hissed through clenched teeth, ‘Impact injuries mean spinal damage, ruptured organs and broken bones.’
    ‘For starters.’ Marshall grimaced. ‘You’re presuming there are survivors.’
    ‘We wouldn’t have been called if there weren’t.’
    ‘True. I wonder what altitude the plane reached before something went wrong. It would’ve been moving at maximum speed and could’ve spun into the ground nose first.’ Goose-bumps rose on his arms. He knew exactly what that looked like. ‘We had a plane crash on landing at my last posting in Afghanistan so I’ve some idea of what to expect.’
    ‘How did you cope? Did you know any of the men on that plane?’
    ‘Yes.’ He stared out the windscreen but it was the injured bodies of his men he saw. He could hear Rod groaning, could see his shaking hands splayed across his leaking wound. Marshall closed his eyes, drew air deep into his lungs and focused inwards. If only he’d been able to save his buddy then he wouldn’t have this guilt of failure weighing him down. It could’ve happened to him, and still could one day. He couldn’t put Charlie and Aimee through what Rod’s family had had to deal with.
    Charlie’s soft voice slowly broke through his dark thoughts. ‘I wonder how many people were on board. Usually there’s a maximum of six skydivers strapped together in pairs, and the pilot.’
    Turning from staring outside to watching her, he asked, ‘As the hospital here isn’t a major one, what happens with the patients we attend?’
    Indicating to turn left, Charlie slowed and turned into the airport grounds. ‘Depending on the severity of the injuries, they’ll be flown by helicopter to either Rotorua Hospital or Waikato Hospital up in Hamilton. Again, depending on the extent of injuries, one of us may have to accompany the patient or patients.’
    A police car led them onto the grass perimeter. Ahead, black smoke spewed into the sky and fire trucks surrounded what had to be the wrecked plane. Ambulances were parked nearby, the back doors wide open as crews carried heavy packs of equipment towards the victims.
    As Charlie pulled up beside the trucks she hauled in a deep breath and clenched her hands then loosened them. ‘Here we go.’ Shoving the door wide, she dropped to the ground and handed Aimee over to Gemma.
    Jogging along beside her, Marshall took her free hand and squeezed it hard. ‘You’ll do fine. Once you get started, everything will slot into place. Just like you used to do in the ED.’
    Then there was no more time to talk. They were at the site of the crash. Tangled metal that no longer resembled an aircraft stuck up out of the ground from the small crater the impact had made. Bodies lay everywhere.
    ‘Hey, Charlie. Glad you’re here,’ Joseph, a doctor from another medical centre in town, called to her. He crossed to them and shook Marshall’s hand when she introduced the two men. She recognised the other doctor and a nurse already working with victims. ‘I’ve been put in charge of the scene. We’ve triaged the poor devils who are lucky to be alive. Two dead. Four in a very bad way. We need to crack