Eyes Wide Shut
By Meredith Shayne
Copyright © 2011 by Meredith Shayne
Smashwords edition
Cover photo: Nuttapol Chavanavanichwoot at Dreamstime
Cover design: LJ LaBarthe
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
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***
It was only a short flight from the Royal Flying Doctor Service base at Meekatharra to the nickel mine at Mount Keith, but it was long enough for Adam's stomach to get tied in knots. As the little B200 airplane flew south over the brick red, sun baked plains of Western Australia's outback, Adam tried to distract himself by watching their shadow skim over the ground, racing kangaroos over the boulders and spinifex clumps that littered the landscape. But as soon as the stark gray graduated steps of the open-cut mine came into view, out of place amongst the red plains surrounding it, Adam's stomach clenched, and he leaned forward, almost pressing his nose up against the window as his heart started to skip in his chest.
"Adam, for God's sake," his nurse, Carol, said from beside him as a heavy hand landed on his knee. "I'll toss you out on your ear in a minute if you don't stop fidgeting."
Adam hadn't even known his leg was moving. He looked down at his knee as Carol moved her hand back to her own lap. When he looked up at her she was watching him. He could see himself in the reflective surface of her sunglasses, and it wasn't a pretty sight; his eyes looked bright blue against the bloodshot brightness of his eyeballs, his dark hair was way too long and Jesus, he wasn't even forty yet, how much grey hair did he have to have? "What?"
"How long has it been since you and Chris broke up?"
Adam frowned and turned back to the window. "Two months," he said after a moment, almost under his breath.
"After a year, right?"
Adam hunched his shoulders, crossing his arms across his chest. "Yes."
"Have you spoken to him since?"
"No," Adam grunted and hunched even further into himself.
Thankfully, Carol let him be.
The plane swung out around the piles of tailings from the mine, skirting the residential village and coming in at the landing strip from the south. Their pilot Sally brought the plane down smoothly, like she always did, Adam hardly feeling a bump. Their ride was already waiting for them just off the side of the runway, the driver coming out to meet them as the plane's engines cut out and its propellers came to a halt. Sally jumped down from the cabin just as the young man reached for Adam's kit to take it to the car, and Adam couldn't help but notice the boy's eyes lingering on her for longer than was strictly necessary; Sally had the dark brown skin of her Aboriginal mother and an aura that made men flock to her, and already Adam could see miners gathering outside various buildings along the airstrip. It made him nervous for her.
"You'll be all right?" he asked her as they walked toward the car.
She threw him a faintly exasperated look. "Yes, Dad, I'll be fine. I'll be hanging out with Aunty, don't you worry. She'll keep me out of trouble."
"Get her to save me a custard tart, would you?" Aunty was Shirley, an Aboriginal woman of Sally's mother's people, who was a hundred if she was a day. She ran the cafeteria at Mount Keith's workers village with an iron fist, but always had time for the RFDS, feeding them up every clinic day. "And a steak and cheese pie, too."
"Anything else you want, your majesty?"
Adam smiled. "Probably. I'll let you know when I think of something."
They climbed into the truck, Adam cradling his bag in his lap as they drove away from the airstrip and into the worker's village, concentrating on the comforting weight of it rather than the men watching them, and the fact that none of them were the man he wanted to see. They set up in the village's sick bay and the steady stream of patients all morning almost made him forget his earlier nervousness. Still, every time he thought he caught a glimpse of reddish-blond hair out of the corner of his eye his heart leapt and his stomach twisted, but every time he was disappointed. He caught Carol watching him sometimes, but he ignored her, put his head down, and got back to work.
***
"Anyone else out there?"
Carol shook her head. "No. Morning rush is over, by the looks of things."
Adam looked down at the desk in front of him and nodded. "Okay. You might as well go to lunch then. I think I'll stay here for a bit."
Carol's hand fell onto his shoulder. "Adam..."
"I'm fine, Carol, really. You go have your--" He'd lifted his head to look at her, only to have his attention caught by someone standing in the doorway. Suddenly his heart was in his throat, and he didn't trust himself to speak.
Carol turned toward the door. "Oh." Adam couldn't look away from the door, but he heard the smile in her voice. "Definitely time for me to go to lunch."
She put the files that were in her hands onto the desk and walked toward the door. The man filling the doorway stepped inside the room to let her pass, but before she did, she paused to smile and put a hand on his arm. She turned to look at Adam. "Half an hour."
Adam nodded, swallowing hard, watching her as she stepped through the door and closed it behind her. Adam stared at the door for a long moment in silence before looking up at Chris, who was standing just inside the doorway still, hard hat clutched so tightly in his hands his knuckles were white.
That made Adam feel a little better, but his heart was still threatening to beat out of his chest. He cleared his throat. "Hi."
Chris attempted a weak smile. "Hi." He hesitated a moment, then walked toward the desk, sitting down in the chair next to it and gently laying his hard hat on the desk. He was dressed in the fluorescent yellow safety vest and worn blue shirt and trousers that all the mine workers wore. His red-blond hair was sweat-damp and flattened to his head, the line from the band of the hard hat still visible. As Adam watched, he ran a hand through it, making the short strands stand up in spikes. He hadn't shaved in a while, his red-gold whiskers almost a full beard, with no grey to speak of, even though he was closer to forty than Adam was. Chris' neck was damp with sweat; Adam wanted to lean forward and lick it.
"I didn't think you'd come today."
Chris shrugged, a slight blush creeping up his neck. "Yeah, well. You guys don't come that often. Got to make the most of it when you do come, right?"
Adam's heart sank. "Right." He paused, then rallied. "What can I do for you, then? Do you need more nicotine patches?"
Chris shifted in his seat, the blush on his neck creeping to his face now. "No, not really." He paused, his fingers playing with the hem of his safety vest. "Well... maybe."
Adam raised his eyebrows. "Okay..." he turned away from Chris and bent down to his box of supplies. His heart had calmed down a little, but his hands were shaking as he fumbled through various boxes of drugs. "I think I've got a box you can have here..."
"I didn't really come for the patches."
Adam froze, and he kept his face turned away. "What?"
Chris shifted again, and his boot knocked against Adam's shoe. "I didn't really come here for the patches."
Adam sat up slowly and turned, staring at Chris. Chris' gaze dropped to Adam's mouth, and Adam's heart sped up again as Chris licked his lips, then said, "Are you going to say something?"
Adam tore his gaze away from Chris' mouth and looked into his eyes. "Ah... yeah. I don't know. Maybe." He stared at Chris for a moment or two longer, then got up, walking slowly across the room to the door, flipping the latch to lock it. When he turned back around, Chris was standing up, facing him. Chris was breathing so hard that Adam could see his chest rising and falling. Adam was suddenly finding it hard to breathe as well.
"Come here," he said.
Chris crossed the room in three long strides and barreled into Adam, pushing him up against the door. Chris was a big man, with several inches on Adam's own six feet and the build to go with it; Chris' broad chest and shoulders dwarfed him. Adam hadn't forgotten how it had felt to be pinned by Chris' bulk, but it still made him moan now as Chris' mouth came down on his.
"Shh," Chris said, and kissed Adam again, rough and hot, shoving a hand between them to rub at Adam's cock through his trousers. Adam arched, his hands tangling in Chris' hair as Chris made short work of his belt and zipper, then wrapped an arm around his waist, fingers splaying on the small of his back. When Chris' hands moved down into his trousers to clutch at his ass, Adam broke the kiss, gasping, and tightened his fingers in Chris' hair.
Pulling Chris' head back, Adam licked his throat, tasting sweat. Chris' whole body shuddered, and he shook off Adam's hold on his hair, grabbed Adam's hand and pressed it to the front of his own trousers. Adam squeezed, and Chris' breath came out in a rush; they kissed again, frantically, using teeth almost as much as lips and tongues. Adam got Chris' trousers open, but before Adam's hand could close around his cock, he pulled Adam close, so they were pressed together, chest to hip. Chris' hands were roaming again, smoothing over the cheeks of Adam's backside, gripping and kneading as he breathed hard into Adam's ear. Adam kissed the side of Chris' neck, nipping and licking at the spot just under his ear.
"Ah, fuck..." Chris shuddered again and started to tug at Adam's trousers. "Off. Get these off," Chris murmured throatily, pulling Adam away from the door and shoving his trousers down.
"Fuck... okay, just..." A few awkward moments followed while Adam did battle with his trousers and shoes, which wasn't helped by Chris scrabbling at the buttons of his shirt to expose his chest. Adam's stethoscope slipped off his shoulders and fell to the floor with his shirt, but Adam gave it only a second's thought, because he barely had time to kick his trousers and underwear to the side before Chris was turning him, pressing him against the door again. Adam turned his head, his cheek resting against the rough varnish of the wood. He gasped as he felt Chris' cock against his ass, Chris' chest pressing against his back, Chris' lips against the nape of his neck. "Fuck, Chris... you want to do this here?"
"Oh, fuck yes." Adam heard a faint crackling noise and turned his head to watch Chris tear a condom wrapper open with his teeth. Chris kissed Adam's neck again and pressed against him, hips moving, cock sliding along the crack of Adam's ass. Adam could feel the trail of wetness it was leaving on his skin, and suppressed another moan. Chris pressed his face into Adam's too-long hair. "Want me to stop?"
Adam shook his head. "No."
"Thank God," Chris murmured. He stepped back, and Adam could hear his breathing hitch as he rolled the condom on and slicked himself up, wrapper and lube hitting the floor a moment before he gripped Adam's hips and shoved his knee between Adam's legs, spreading them.
Adam rested his forehead on one arm, closed his eyes and bit down on a moan as he felt the head of Chris' cock nudge at his hole and then slowly, slowly start to push in. Adam breathed deeply, the sound loud in his ears as he reached his free hand down to stroke his cock, Chris' length filling him. Chris kept going until they were balls to ass, then stopped, leaning against Adam's back and breathing rough and harsh in his ear.
"Fuck, you feel good," Chris whispered. "I missed this. Missed you..." With that Chris started to move, gently at first and then more forcefully as Adam's muscles relaxed, until Adam had to brace himself with his arm to avoid being pushed face-first into the door with every thrust. Their breathing seemed incredibly loud in the quiet of the room, the slap of skin on skin unmistakable for anything other than what it was, but Adam couldn't bring himself to care as Chris gripped his hips and lifted him almost off the floor, the change in angle bringing Chris' cock in contact with Adam's prostate with every thrust. Adam bit his arm to muffle his cries and came all over his hand and the door as Chris continued to pound into him, gasping into Adam's hair and shoving Adam hard against the wood as he came.
For a moment they stayed there, still breathing heavily, Chris' cheek resting on the top of Adam's head, his arms wrapped around Adam. Adam laid his arms over the top of Chris' for a moment, but then Chris stepped away, pulling out and pulling off the condom. "Got somewhere I can put this?" he asked softly.
"Ah... yeah." Adam dressed quickly and then dealt with their mess while Chris made himself decent, cleaning up the come on the door and shoving the tissue-wrapped condom into a couple of specimen bags before stuffing it down into a corner of his bag.
When Adam turned back to Chris, they stared at each other for a moment, then Chris stepped forward, retrieving his hard hat from the desk. "I should go."
Adam nodded. "Yeah. Carol will be back soon."
"Yeah." Chris glanced toward the door, then looked back at Adam. "So, I'll... I'll call you."
Adam knew he really didn't need all the hurt and frustration of being with someone who'd fuck him in the sick bay at work but wouldn't sit alone with him in a pub in Meekatharra for fear of being thought gay. He still found himself nodding. "Sure, if you want to."
Chris frowned and opened his mouth to speak, but just then there was a sudden rap on the door. They both froze, until a voice from the other side said, "It's Carol, you idiots. Open the bloody door."
Adam stepped around the desk and Chris to unlock the door. He couldn't help but look out into the hallway to make sure it was still empty of their afternoon patients, making Carol roll her eyes. "It's too late to worry if anyone's there now," she said as she shook her head at him and stepped into the room.
Chris wisely beat a hasty retreat. Adam watched Chris until he turned the corner and went out of sight, then turned back into the room; as he did so, he noticed his stethoscope still on the floor. He retrieved it and when he stood up, Carol was standing in front of the room's only window -- which was now open, its government-issue blind hitched up as high as it would go -- with her arms crossed, watching him as he slung his stethoscope back around his neck. Adam refused to think about why she thought the room needed airing. Carol opened her mouth, but Adam forestalled her with a raised hand.
"You know what? Don't start. I'm really not in the mood."
He knew she'd ignore him and yell at him anyway, but footsteps in the hallway saved him. Adam turned toward the door again, his back to Carol as their next patient -- a man with an incredible sense of timing -- arrived. "Mr. George," Adam said, pasting a smile on his face. "Come in. What can we do for you today?"
***
Their afternoon patient load was heavy enough that Adam didn't have time to think about what had happened with Chris, and after a while Carol stopped giving him looks about it as well. When they got back to the airstrip, Sally was already there waiting for them. Carol headed straight to the plane, climbing into the cabin and unloading her gear.
Adam turned to Sally. "All right?"
"I'm okay." Sally grinned at him, then handed him a paper bag. "Steak and cheese pie and a custard tart. Bit late for lunch, though."
From inside the cabin, Carol said something that Adam didn't quite catch. Adam willed himself to be casual. "Yeah, well. I had things to do."
"So I gathered," Sally said. She looked at him for a moment, her gaze dropping to the side of his neck. Her eyes narrowed. "Adam, is that... is that a hickey on your neck?"
"Jesus fucking Christ, it better not be." Adam almost dropped the bag of food Sally had given him in his haste to put his hand to his neck, his face flushing hotly. He dropped his gear and started rummaging through his bag for something to use as a mirror, but he was brought up short by Sally bursting into laughter.
"There's nothing there, you idiot. God, you really make it easy for me to take the piss out of you."
Adam glared at her. "That wasn't funny. How did you even know?"
"Oh, it was funny," she said. "And I know everything, you know that. Plus, I saw Chris in the cafe, and he's worse at hiding things than you. In the sick bay, was it? God, have some control, you horny bugger."
"Shut up," Adam said, his face heating. "It wasn't my fault."
"That's what they all say." Sally slapped him on the back and headed for the plane. "Come on, lover boy. Time to make tracks."
***
The two weeks of his shift that Chris had left to work crawled by, the time made even more excruciating by the fact that the visit from the RFDS had made his workmates even more obnoxious than usual. They all lusted after Sally, even as they gossiped about her Aboriginal heritage as if it disgusted them. Ten days of listening to this had Chris at the end of his tether, and one night after a particularly graphic description of what one of the miners wanted to do to her, liberally peppered with words like "abbo", and "boong", Chris lost it, holding the young man half way up a wall by his throat and squeezing until the boy's eyes bugged out. Everyone else in the cafeteria crowded around hooting and cheering, most betting on whether Chris would choke the boy before anyone in management was alerted, while some of the more community-minded souls made useless attempts to pull Chris back. Chris waited until the lad's face was turning blue before dropping him in a crumpled, gasping heap on the floor and walking away without looking back. The head of Engineering read Chris the riot act, which Chris took without a word, but from then until the end of his shift he ate his meals alone in his room.
***
Three weeks with no contact from Chris had Adam pacing his kitchen, phone in hand as he punched in Chris' home number and leaned against his sink, eyes closed as the call connected and began to ring. He held his breath as he counted nine rings before the answering machine picked up. He swore and hung up, only just stopping himself from throwing the phone across the room. He stood for a minute, tapping the phone against his forehead, then pushed off the sink, dropping the phone on the kitchen bench and sweeping up his car keys. Stalking to the front door, he flung it open, only to come face to face with Chris, hand raised to knock on Adam's door.
Adam stepped back in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
Chris looked everywhere but at Adam. "I, ah... well. I told you I'd call you and I haven't, but I'm off work now, so I... I just thought I'd stop by."
Adam raised his eyebrows. "You've driven here straight from the mine?"
A flush started on Chris' neck. "Ah, no. From home. Perth."
Adam felt a sharp stab of triumph in his chest. "Driving eight hours from Perth isn't exactly dropping by."
"Yeah, I know, but I..." Chris' cheeks were pink now, but he reached under his arm, producing a newspaper-wrapped package from under it and holding it out. "I brought fish and chips?"
Adam smiled. "All the way from Perth?"
They both laughed, and just like that, the tension was broken. Chris smiled. "No, not all the way from Perth. From here. Although God knows where the fish actually comes from."
"I think it comes from Perth. But it's fried here, and that's what matters." Adam stepped back, opening the door wider. "Come in, then, before it gets cold."
***
They ate dinner in front of a game of Aussie Rules -- Fremantle Dockers versus Essendon -- sharing a six pack of beer along with their food. Chris ate the last of the chips and sat back with a satisfied belch, slinging an arm around Adam's neck and pulling him back so they were nestled together. To Chris' surprise, Adam didn't resist, and he even tilted his head back a bit, resting his head on Chris' shoulder.
"So you shaved your beard off, then."
Chris put a hand up to his chin for a moment, feeling the rasp of stubble that was only ten hours old rather than ten weeks. "Yeah. Mainly because I was hoping to get some tonight."
Adam chuckled, and put a hand on Chris' knee. "You got some last time, with the beard."
"Yeah, but I didn't plan that."
"Didn't plan it? You had lube and a condom in your pocket!"
Now it was Chris' turn to laugh. "Yeah, but that was a last-minute thing. I didn't plan it out enough to shave."
Adam made a skeptical noise, but didn't pull away, and his hand crept further up Chris' leg. "Yeah, okay. Whatever. Sounds like bullshit to me."
Chris didn't try to defend himself any further, and they lapsed into silence, until Chris tightened his arm around Adam's shoulders. "So... do you really want to watch this game?"
"No, not really." Adam grabbed Chris' hand and pulled him up off the sofa, dragging him into the bedroom.
***
It was different than in the sick room at the mine and not only because they were doing it in a bed. It was much gentler, slower, and they used their hands and mouths on every bit of each other they could reach. Chris lay back and spread his legs, pulling Adam on top of him and hooking his legs up around Adam's waist. They kissed slow and deep as Adam pressed his cock inside Chris' body and began to thrust, and when they came, one after the other, they cried out into each other's mouths, and kept on kissing, Adam's fingers tangled in Chris' hair, until he pulled out and slumped down next to Chris, his head resting on Chris' shoulder.
They fell asleep still tangled together, and when Chris woke, Adam was still curled around Chris with his head on Chris' chest. It was still early, the barest hint of the gray light of dawn peeking through the bedroom blinds. It was quiet too, so quiet that Chris could hear the ticking of Adam's wall clock out in the living room. There was no traffic noise, no bustle of people like there would have been in a city; there wasn't even any bird noise. That was the problem with this place, it was too quiet by half. It needed people, enough people to make it easy to get lost in, to be anonymous.
Adam shifted, murmuring something unintelligible and settling down again with his head tucked underneath Chris' chin. Chris sighed softly, his hand finding its way into Adam's hair, stroking gently. If only it wasn't so bloody quiet here, it'd be perfect.
***
Adam stood, leaning against his sink again, eating a bowl of cereal. He was dressed for work, but only in the most cursory way, his feet still bare and his shirt undone. As he ate, he watched Chris at his dining table, dressed in a pair of track suit pants and a faded Sydney Uni Engineering T-shirt, eating Vegemite toast and staring at the pine-wood finish of the table as if he could read the secrets of the universe there. Adam ate the last of his cereal and reached back to put the bowl in the sink. "So... are you going to stay for a bit?"
Chris looked up. "What? Oh. Yeah, sure. A few days, at any rate."
Adam crossed his arms over his chest. "You could stay longer, you know. You could even stay until you went back to work. They'd do a pickup from here, I'm sure."
Chris shook his head and looked down at the table again, picking up his coffee. "No, can't do that."
"Why not?"
"Because. I've got to be picked up from Perth."
"No, you don't."
"Yeah, I do."
"No, you don't, Chris. They pick up from places other than Perth, I know they do. You could--"
"No, I couldn't." Chris put his cup down on the table with so much force coffee almost sloshed over the side of it. "What reason do I have for being here? No good one."
Ow, that hurt. "I'm here. And we're friends, friends can spend time together, can't they?"
Chris sighed. "Yeah, they can, but that's not what you're asking me to do. You're asking me to live here."
"No, I'm not!"
"Yeah, you are. I have three weeks on, three weeks off. Hanging around with a friend doesn't go on for three weeks. If I get picked up from here, it'll be too obvious."
"Oh, for fuck's sake..." Adam pushed away from the sink and started pacing. "Obvious to who? No one takes that much notice."
"They do. You don't know them like I do. They'd notice."
Adam stopped pacing and faced Chris again. "So what if they did? We could still just be friends. You could be coming here to see someone else for all they know."
Chris laughed. "Who, Adam? This is Meekatharra -- no one lives here! Who would I be coming to see except you?"
Adam stared at Chris and shook his head. "You... this is ridiculous. You haven't... why are you even here? Why did you start this up again if you still feel how you felt before?"
"I told you, it was a spur of the moment thing, I--"
"Spur of the moment thing, my ass!" Adam shook his head again, then began to do up his shirt buttons and jam the tails of his shirt into his trousers. "You'll fuck me when it suits you, but when it comes to making any sort of..." Adam's mobile, on the kitchen counter with his wallet and keys, started to ring. "Fucking fuck!" Adam snatched it off the counter and answered it. "Hello?"
"Adam. It's Carol. We need you. There's been a cave in at Leinster."
Leinster was the sister nickel mine to Mount Keith, but unlike Mount Keith, it was underground. Adam looked up at Chris, then looked away, turning his back on him.
"Kalgoorlie's not handling it?"
"No, they're tied up with some local stuff," Carol said briskly. "The cave in happened early last night, they've been digging them out all night. There's about five miners trapped down there, so not too many, but we don't know anything yet about how hurt they are. They reckon that if we leave now they might have the way almost open by the time we get there. Sally's off today, but me and Paul'll be waiting for you at the airstrip."
"Okay. I'll be there as soon as I can." He hung up. "I've got to go. There's been a cave in at Leinster."
"Leinster? Jesus." Chris stood up. "What happened? How many are trapped?"
"About five, they think. I've got to go." He headed to the bedroom to get his shoes. Chris followed, but stayed in the doorway.
"I should go down there. They could be guys I know."
"What good will that do?" Adam said. "You won't be able to do anything, and you'll just be in the way."
Chris was silent for a moment. "Okay. What should I do, then?"
"Stay here. Or go back to Perth. I don't know. God, Chris, do whatever you want. You always do, why change now?" Adam pushed past Chris and grabbed his keys, then headed for the door. Opening it, he paused. "Lock up, if you leave. I don't know how long I'll be." He stepped over the threshold and closed the door behind him without waiting for a reply.
***
In the plane on the way to Leinster, Carol said quietly, "Drove past your place this morning. Was that a certain person's car I saw in your driveway?"
Adam stared out of the window, but nodded. "Yeah. He came over last night. Drove all the way from Perth."
"Well, well. That's a good sign, isn't it?"
Adam shrugged. "Don't know. We were fighting when you called this morning."
"Oh. Sorry to hear that."
"Yeah." Adam sighed. "Me, too."
***
"Our paramedics and the ambos have just gone in," the site foreman said, slapping hard hats on both Adam and Carol's heads. "Dunno how much you know, but the first cave in was caused by an earthquake not far from here. Our geo guys have been monitoring the aftershocks, which haven't been that big so far, but there's no way of predicting if a bigger one's on its way. So long story short: get in there and get out as fast as you can. I'm not having any more bloody casualties here today." He shoved masks at them, the type used to filter out dust. "For the nickel dust. Don't need a compo claim from you blokes on top of everything else."
They took the masks and put them on, then headed into the mine. The shaft was full of dust, and Adam squinted against it, walking as fast as he could. As they got further into the mine the amount of rock and debris littering the ground increased, and the darkness became deeper, so that the lights placed along the tunnels by the rescue team became essential and their pace slowed as they carefully picked their way along. For more than an hour, the only sound was their breathing, loud through the masks, but as they got closer to the cave in site they could hear voices and see a pool of light up ahead. The collapse had happened at the end of a shaft the miners had been blasting, and beyond where the paramedics were working Adam could see equipment buried amongst the rubble. The paramedic nearest them nodded as they climbed over the last of the fallen earth.
"Glad to see you here," she said. "We've just been triaging. There's five of them. One of them's dead," she jerked her head in the direction of the tunnel's end, where a man's body lay half buried by rocks and dirt. "He was the furthest into the shaft when it came down, so he caught the brunt of it. This guy here's not too bad, but he got thrown back and landed on his head, so he's got a nasty head wound and a dislocated shoulder." The man was sitting furthest away from the cave in with a blanket over his shoulders, one of which stuck up at a very awkward angle. Half his face was covered in blood, his hair plastered with it. "And these three," she gestured around them at the people that the other paramedics were working on, "need to be stretchered out of here."
"Right." Adam nodded. "Let's get to work, then."
With Adam and Carol bolstering the paramedic numbers to five, they made quick work of getting the three unconscious men onto spinal boards and secured, so that the basic work of drips and bandages and stabilizing the patients to be moved could be continued in safety.
With that done, Carol approached the conscious miner and started to help him to his feet. He was only halfway up when they heard a deep rumble from underneath them, and the ground shook violently, rocks and dirt raining down on them from the roof.
Adam swore and put an arm up to shield his head, and out of the corner of his eye he saw the paramedics lean over the men on the spinal boards, shielding them from the falling debris. Adam's breath caught, his heart threatening to beat right out of his chest. "Christ on a bike," he said breathlessly. "They weren't kidding about the aftershocks."
The miner spoke. "Nah. That happens a lot after one of these things."
The man sounded incredibly calm; Adam had to wonder how many painkillers they'd given him. "Well, it's best we get you all out of here then, as quick as," Adam said, looking at Carol. "All right?"
Carol nodded and slipped her arm around the miner. Her face was covered in dirt above her mask, which was streaked with sweat. "I'll be as quick as I can," she said, and marched the man away as fast as possible.
Adam turned to the paramedics. "What can I do?"
The female paramedic pointed. "This guy's ready to go. Help me carry him, then we'll come back and help these guys get the other two out."
Adam nodded and went to the miner's feet, hefting the body board at the same time as the paramedic lifted her end. They started to pick their way around the rubble, and Adam's arms were already aching by the time they got clear of it. Sweat poured down his face and stung his eyes, and his breathing was loud again through the mask. It was slow going with the body board between them, and they covered only a fraction of ground in ten minutes compared to what he and Carol had covered on the way in. He was concentrating so hard on putting one foot in front of the other that at first he didn't notice the roar, and by then it was too late; the ground buckled under his feet again and he stumbled, registering the shout of the paramedic just before the side of the shaft blew out and knocked him sideways, slamming him into the opposite site of the tunnel with crushing force.
***
Back in Meekatharra, the sun crawled toward midday and then back down again, night falling with no sight nor sign of Adam. Chris fell asleep in front of the Monday night movie with a plate of Vegemite on toast in front of him, only to be woken by a knock on the door. Frowning, he got up, turning off the TV and flipping on a light before he got to the door. He opened it to see Sally standing there. It took him a moment to wake up and get a proper look at Sally's face, to see that she looked like she'd been crying, to realize that this wasn't a social call. His heart stuttered to a stop in his chest.
"What's wrong? Is he all right?"
"I don't know," Sally said, her voice shaking. "There's been another cave in. He didn't make it out before it happened. There are others in there with him. They're digging through to them now."
Chris felt all the blood drain out of his face, and he staggered backward, letting go of the door. Sally steered him into a seat at the dining table. Chris sat with his head in his hands while Sally put the kettle on, as if tea was going to be enough in a situation like this.
***
The hours crept by slowly. Tea was made several times, in silence. Dawn came just as quietly as it had the day before, and Chris cursed it even more than he had the first time; never had he wished to hear a phone ring more.
Sally had her hands wrapped around her second tea of the day before Chris spoke. "You know what the last thing I said to him was?"
Sally looked over at him. "What?"
Chris rubbed his hands over his face, pressing his fingers into his eye sockets until it hurt. "We were having a stupid fight, and I said... I said that there was no reason for me to come here. No good reason." He laughed harshly. In his mind's eye he could see Adam's face when he'd said it, see the flash of hurt there that Adam had tried to hide. "I'm a fucking idiot. Such a fucking idiot."
Sally didn't say anything, the wall clock the only sound in the room.
***
Midday came and went. Sally tried to get Chris to eat something, but he wasn't hungry. He stood at the kitchen window, looking out into the backyard. "You think he's dead, don't you?"
Chris heard Sally catch her breath. "I never said that."
No, she'd not said that, but Chris knew her. And he knew that even though she was city-bred and only had one Aboriginal parent, she'd taken on board some of that bush-born parent's habits and customs. One of which was not saying a dead person's name. "I know you haven't, but you also haven't said his name since you got here. It's been hours, and you haven't said his name once."
"That doesn't mean anything, I could just be..."
He turned to look at her, leaning against the sink just like Adam had been the last time Chris had seen him. "Say his name now, then. Go on."
Sally looked at him, and he watched as tears started to fall down her cheeks. She dropped her gaze to the table and swiped at her cheeks with a balled-up fist. "I can't," she whispered. "Just in case."
Chris watched her for a moment, then turned back to look out the window again.
***
Sally's phone ringing as the sun sank down over the horizon again had them starting out of their skins after so much silence. She dived for it, getting up from the table and heading for the front door as she answered it. Chris could see her standing on Adam's front steps, but he couldn't hear what she was saying; he was on his way out the door to find out when she came racing back in.
"He's alive. They're transferring him to Perth hospital. I've got to go."
She slammed the door when she left. Chris stood in the middle of the lounge room for a minute, then turned to grab his keys and wallet before running to his car, his heart singing. Adam was alive.
***
Adam blinked awake to the sight of a pristine white hospital ceiling and frowned up at it. Next to him, the steady beeping of a heart monitor counted out his pulse and, when he moved his left arm, he felt the pull of an IV coming out of his hand. His head was fuzzy in the way that spoke of heavy duty painkillers. He felt a faint ache in his belly, and his ribs hurt. His leg seemed to be in a plaster cast.
When he turned his head to the right, he saw Chris sitting in a chair right up close to his bed, leaning over, his arms folded and resting on top of the mattress, his head cradled on them. He was fast asleep.
Adam watched him for a moment, then lifted his hand and gently stroked Chris' hair back from his face. Adam counted five heartbeats before Chris' eyes fluttered open.
"Hi," Adam said hoarsely, clearing his throat.
Chris sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Hi. How long have you been awake for?"
"Not long." Adam cleared his throat again. His throat felt raw. He'd had surgery. He couldn't think what it could have been for. "Water?"
"Oh. Yeah, sorry." Chris got a jug of water from the bedside table and poured some into a cup, popping a straw in and holding it for Adam until he was sure that Adam could hold it properly. Adam drank slowly, closing his eyes with a sigh when he was done and Chris took the cup back.
"Thanks. Am I... is this Perth Hospital? What happened?" He opened his eyes.
Chris looked shocked. "You don't remember? There was a mine cave in, at Leinster. You were caught in it."
"A mine cave in?" Suddenly, it all came rushing back, and the heart monitor beside him started beeping double time. "Fuck, that's right. I... Carol? Is Carol okay?"
Chris' hand came down on top of his. "Yeah, she's okay, she got out, her and the guy she walked out. The people you were with, though, the paramedic, and the miner... they didn't make it."
Adam closed his eyes, pressing his lips together. Chris squeezed his hand. "And everyone else?"
"The other paramedics and the rest of the miners got out all right, except for the guy who died in the first rock fall. Although they all had to be rescued in the end."
Adam sighed. "Good. Okay." The heart rate monitor started to slow, and he opened his eyes again. "Is my leg broken?"
Chris nodded. "Yeah, and your ribs. They operated on your guts, too. For internal bleeding." Chris' hand tightened on Adam's again. "You were pretty banged up. You were in intensive care for three days. You only just came out last night." He hesitated. "Listen, I... I just wanted to say I'm sorry for what I said that last morning. I was a real asshole, and when I think that you almost..." Chris stopped suddenly and lifted Adam's hand, pressing his forehead against it and breathing hard. "God. Sorry..."
"Chris..." Adam said, but just then a nurse came through the door, all chirpy expression and toothy smile. Chris sat up again, but didn't drop Adam's hand.
"Ah, Doctor Taylor, you're awake, I see." She checked the monitors and wrote something on his chart. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I've been run over by a truck. And you can call me Adam."
"Well, Adam, that run-over-by-a-truck feeling should go away in a day or two, but we'll be keeping you in for another few days, just to see that you're out of the woods. Can I get you anything? Are you hungry?"
He wasn't really, but he knew he should eat something. "Sure. I could eat something."
She raised an eyebrow at his non-committal tone, but instead of lecturing him, she turned to Chris. "Visiting hours are almost over, Mr. Barker. You know what that means."
"Yeah, I know." Chris waited until she left, then turned to Adam with a crooked smile. "They've been kicking me out pretty regularly."
Adam squeezed Chris' hand; he still hadn't let go. "They do that. It's not good for you to sleep in a chair all the time, anyway. You must be exhausted."
Chris shrugged. "I'm all right. It's not a big deal." He sat for a minute, then stood, his hand finally slipping out of Adam's. "But I better go before they really do kick me out. See you later?"
Adam nodded. "I'm counting on it."
***
True to his word, Adam did see Chris later, during evening visiting hours, and every visiting hours after that. Chris stayed with him the whole time, reading him things out of the newspaper, doing crosswords with him, sitting and watching the TV with him. Adam slept a lot when Chris was there, too, even though he tried not to, but every time he woke Chris was always there, just sitting quietly by his side. The times between visiting hours moved incredibly slowly, even if most of the time was spent convincing his near-hysterical mother that she needn't fly all the way from Surfers Paradise to see him. As the day of his discharge approached, Chris filled him in on the arrangements.
"Courtesy of the RFDS, you get a one-way trip home in Sally's plane. There was talk of just picking you up the next time one of the planes did a drop-off here, but Sally's hissy fit threatened to reach epic proportions, so they backed down." Chris smiled. "Don't be surprised if the plane's decorated with streamers and balloons."
Adam laughed. "I'll look forward to it."
He did look forward to it, too, but at the same time he felt weird about it. Chris had spent so much time at the hospital, so much time doing as much as he could, and yet Adam still didn't know what was happening between them. They hadn't talked any further about the fight they'd had, or about Chris' apology and what it meant, so it was with mixed feelings that he let Chris bundle him in a wheelchair and take him down to the ambulance that would take him to the airport to meet Sally.
"So I'll see you later?" Chris said when they parted, his hand brushing Adam's hair back from his face in front of everyone in the ambulance bay.
Adam hid his shock at that and just nodded. "Yeah, sure. I'll call you."
Chris smiled and stepped back as the paramedics came forward to lift him into the ambulance. "I'm counting on it."
***
Sally made such a fuss of him when he got to the airport that he was surprised to find a complete lack of streamers and balloons in her plane. She insisted on strapping him into the gurney rather than letting him sit up, but as a compromise she let him have the back raised as high as it would go, so that he was almost sitting. He was accepting this a little grumpily as she talked to the air traffic controllers on her mike, readying them for takeoff, when the door of the plane suddenly opened and Chris appeared, slinging a duffel bag into the cabin before climbing in after it and settling into a seat next to Adam's gurney.
Adam stared at him. "What are you doing here?"
Chris smiled. "What does it look like? I'm coming with you."
"Why?"
"What do you mean, why? To look after you, you idiot."
"Don't you have to work?"
Chris nodded. "Eventually, yeah."
Adam raised his eyebrows. "So... won't that be a problem for you?"
Chris shook his head. "Not anymore."
"What does that mean?"
Chris turned to him, his expression completely serious now. "I mean that I'm not going to make it a problem anymore. If there's one thing this week has taught me, it's that where the plane picks me up doesn't matter as much as I thought it did. Does that make it clearer for you?"
Adam was quiet for a few moments, long enough to notice that there was complete silence from the pilot's seat as Sally listened in. "Yeah, it does." He paused. "Come here."
Chris leaned in, and they kissed, Chris' hand cupping the back of Adam's head. When they parted, Chris rested his forehead against Adam's. "I spent almost two days thinking you were dead, and another day convinced you wouldn't make it. I didn't like it. Promise me you'll never do that to me again. Promise me, and I'll stay wherever you like for as long as you like."
Suddenly, the tightness in Adam's chest had nothing to do with his broken ribs. "I promise."
"Thank God for that!" Sally said from up front, firing up the engines. "Come on, lover boys. Let's make tracks."
###
Available September 28th, 2011:
Rust Red: Galvanized
An Eyes Wide Shut sequel from Torquere Press
When you're used to the adrenaline-filled life of a Royal Flying Doctor Service physician, being chained to a desk with a broken leg would try the patience of a saint. But coming out in the testosterone-driven environment of a West Australian nickel mine is no walk in the park either. Six months after the mine cave in that almost killed RFDS doctor Adam Taylor, he and his mining engineer boyfriend Chris Barker need a break. A trip to Surfers Paradise to visit Adam's family seems like just the thing, until a chance meeting with an old adversary on the tourist strip makes Chris' private life very, very public. With the nickel mine seething with prejudice and aggression, and Chris stubbornly refusing to admit that his safety is in question, it's up to Adam to persuade Chris that the love they share is more important than Adam's love for his job and the rust-red landscape that surrounds them, before it's too late.
About the author:
A scientist in a past life, these days Meredith Shayne mainly uses her scientific training to poke holes in television pseudoscience. Originally from Australia, she moved to New Zealand to start a new life a few years ago and hasn't regretted it for one minute, even if she frequently wishes that the New Zealand weather was a little better; if she's forced, she'll admit that the refreshing lack of animals that can kill you in New Zealand makes up for a little rain. Meredith travels a lot, so much so that she has developed a shameful love of airplane food and knows her passport number by heart. When she is at home, she enjoys baking, horrible music from the 1980s, reality television, and gloating any time Australia thrashes the living daylights out of New Zealand on the sporting field.
Visit Meredith at http://meredithshayne.com/ and http://twitter.com/meredithshayne