Sumatra, 1995 – Part 4

After what seemed like an age a doctor came out to me to explain that they had run tests and that they did indeed have a very dangerous type of cerebral malaria. He said that Caz was very ill but stable and was now on a ward receiving treatment and would be okay. Tracey however was gravely will and was now in intensive care being treated and they were working to stabilise her condition. They would not know if she would survive until several days had passed. He also told me that had we arrived even 6 hours  later she would, without a doubt, have died, we had made it in the nick of time.

I broke down and cried.

I stepped outside and smoked a cigarette allowing the exhaustion and relief to wash over me, I had done all I could do.

I finished the cigarette and went up to the ward to see Caz, gave her the update on Tracey and told her I would come by again tomorrow, she was barely conscious. I then went up to the intensive care unit to check on Tracey. She was in a glassed off room lying unconscious with various tubes helping her stay alive. I then left, went down to the reception to collect my things and get the documentation I would need  to check into a guest house as the hospital were holding onto my passport until the bill was paid.

I had been through Singapore a couple of times before so I had some idea of where to go, and headed to the area with backpacker guest houses. Singapore is not cheap, not like India or Indonesia and it took a while to find a place I could afford and was comfortable enough to stay for the week or two I may need to be there. I had already decided that I was not going anywhere until Caz and Tracey were well enough to be on their way.

I eventually found a place that would do the job, showered and crashed out for a while before going out for something to eat. For me today was over and everything else could wait until tomorrow when there would be plenty that needed doing. Time to rest.

The next day I went back to the hospital and Caz was doing better and able to talk. I helped her sort through her things and find her travel insurance papers. I promised her I would contact the Australian Consulate and take care of the insurance side of things, hopefully the Consulate would help. I then popped up to see Tracey. There had been no improvement and she was still gravely ill, only time would tell. The doctor on duty took me to one side, sat me down and told me he was still hopeful for her recovery but it was in no way certain. He advised that I contact her family and get them to come over as soon as possible as she could die anytime in the next few days; it may be their last chance to see her alive.

I was shaken by this and of course promised to do whatever I could. I popped back down to Caz to get some background on Tracey so that I could have the information I needed to get the Australian Consulate to help out. At this stage I kept the worst of the news from her as she was still very weak, and I was hoping beyond hope that things would improve in the next few days.

I then went off and rang the Australian Consulate who were less than helpful. They said they would send someone in to look in on them but that was it, they couldn’t help with anything else, not even handling Caz’s travel insurance claim. I explained about Tracey having no insurance would they at least agree to cover that? No, was the reply. I was frantic, raving down the phone about how she was an Australian citizen and they had a duty of care. It made no difference.

Then I had an idea. Tracey and her mother were living in Australia and were Australian citizens but were originally from New Zealand, so I rang the New Zealand Consulate, it was worth a try. Once I spoke to the receptionist and explained the situation I was put straight through to the Consul himself. A completely different story, he would of course do everything in his power to help and we agreed to meet at the hospital that afternoon.

In the meantime I went to a photocopying shop that had a fax machine and took care of the paperwork for Caz’s insurance claim. Then back to the guesthouse, a quick shower, something to eat and back to the hospital to meet the Consul.

He was a marvel. He spoke to the administration department and guaranteed the bill and had my passport returned to me. His staff had already contacted Tracey’s mother and explained the situation to her and were arranging to fly her to Singapore the next day at their expense as her mum was a low-wage worker and did not have the funds to cover her travel costs.

We then visited the ICU and he talked things through with the medical team and then we popped down to see Caz and he assured her they were doing everything they could to help, and were happy to help her too even though she was not a New Zealand citizen.

When all that was done it was late afternoon and so he offered to drop me off at my guesthouse on the way back to the Consulate, I gratefully accepted. He dropped me off and told me he would arrange for a car to come and pick me up and take me to the hospital in the morning and then pick me up me from there to take me to the airport to collect Tracey’s mother who was arriving later that day. I thanked him. I was blown away.

The Australian consulate did nothing.

Sure enough a car arrived to take me to the hospital in the morning. In between reading a book, wandering around aimlessly outside and smoking cigarettes, I spent the day there checking in on Tracey whose condition was still unchanged and visiting Caz who spent most her time asleep.

The time then came to head to the airport and  a very smart car came to collect me and take me and the Consul himself to meet Tracey’s mother. Being an official NZ Government vehicle they were able to park in the restricted area right outside the arrivals exit door where we waited anxiously until it was time to go in and meet her in the arrivals hall.

When the time came it was not hard to spot her as she came through from the baggage claim area; the distraught looking woman who was clearly suffering from  lack of sleep was Mrs. Moore, Tracey’s mother.

We stepped forward to introduce ourselves and reassured her the best we could about her daughter. She said very little. We took her to the car and went straight to the hospital to see Tracey who was still unconscious in the ICU.

At the hospital I made my goodbyes and headed back to my guesthouse. It had been a long day.

Over the next few days I went back and forth to the hospital to visit and to keep Tracey’s mother company. Caz was improving by the day and slowly getting her strength back, and Tracey’s condition began to stabilise and then the nurses came to us to say she had regained consciousness. The doctor came and carefully examined her and declared her out of danger. She was going to live!

The relief was overwhelming and a river of exhausted tears were shed.

Over the coming days I was finally able to relax a bit, I even took a couple of days out to act as an extra in a Hong Kong soap opera. I had decided I would stay in Singapore until both Caz and Tracey were discharged and heading home. I wanted to see this through.

The visits to the hospital became more light hearted with Caz up and about, and eventually Tracey too.

Finally they were well enough to leave, and they both decided to fly back home to Brisbane. This trip was over. Caz still had a good bit of her travel budget left and cashed some travellers cheques and reimbursed me for the various taxis, flights and ferry rides, which I was grateful for as I was running low on funds and this would help see me home.

We all hugged, swore lifelong friendship and made our tearful goodbyes.

They made for the airport and I made for the Malaysian border at Johor Bahru.

Over the next couple of years we did all stay in touch for a while, more so Tracey who was very aware that I had saved her life. As is the way with things time passed and communication drifted, and then finally ceased. I was very content with this, life moves on. It is nice to think that Tracey Moore is enjoying life somewhere and is possibly a mother herself now maybe even a grandmother.

I spent a couple of days in Johor Bahru recovering from the whole ordeal. A strong dose of palpitations that sent my heart racing and collapsing me to the ground told me I must rest before embarking on the long trek home.

I needed to get back to New Delhi to use my return flight back to London, and for that I needed to get to Bangkok where I had flown to on a return ticket at the start of this adventure.

I did not have much money left , but enough if I budgeted wisely. I decided I would make the best of this last stage of the trip.

I took the famed Jungle Train that runs all the way from southern Malaysia to Kota Bahru in the north East. The first leg is overnight and you wake in the morning to travel the rest of the day through the depths of the Malaysian rain forest, a somewhat surreal experience, and very different from the frantic journey through the rain forest on our way to Palembang airport. From Kota Bahru I headed out to the Perhentian Islands which I had been told were paradise. Sure enough it was very beautiful, but I was too careworn to enjoy it. It was hot, humid and had plenty of mosquitos, and was much more expensive than mainland Malaysia. I decided it was time to move on and make my way back home.

I got the ferry back to Kota Bahru and went straight to Penang where I was intending to catch a train direct to Bangkok. I checked into the Yee Hing guest house and to my surprise found that Kevin, my eldest brother’s schoolmate, was there, so I decided to stay a couple of days. We had a great time eating incredible street food while I regaled him with my story. It turned out that somehow the story had already spread and some people we met had heard of my adventures. One couple even insisted on buying me breakfast as a sign of appreciation! I was much moved by this.

I was keen to get home now and did not stay long. I took the train to Bangkok, stayed a night and flew to New Delhi. I have a misty memory of landing at Indira Gandhi airport on a hot, rainy late monsoon day, the dark heavy grey clouds reminding me of England. I had booked my onward flight so as to avoid having to go into the city and stayed in the airport until my flight home.

The rest of my life awaited.