Rainforest Camp by Rebecca Johnson

Author:Rebecca Johnson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Adventure Stories (Children's/Teenage), Animal Stories (Children's/Teenage), General Fiction (Children's/Teenage)
ISBN: 9781760141967
Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia

‘You have a whole page on leeches in your diary?’ says Mr Thomson.

‘I knew we were coming to a rainforest, so I wanted to be prepared,’ I say, feeling a little bit self-conscious with Portia now pushing through the group to see the diary.

‘Vets need to be prepared for everything,’ adds Chelsea helpfully.

‘Apparently, they do!’ says Mr Thomson, smiling.

‘My brother had a leech once, and Dad burnt it off with a match. Has anyone got any matches?’ says Portia.

Tiffany starts crying again. Portia rolls her eyes.

‘Well, Juliet’s diary says not to do that,’ says Mrs Hodby. ‘I think we might go with the information that she has, thanks Portia.’

‘Do you feel confident doing this?’ Mr Thomson asks me.

I nod my head firmly.

‘Now Tiffany, this won’t hurt at all,’ I say. ‘Do you know they actually put leeches on people and animals to make them feel better sometimes?’

‘Yuck,’ Portia says.

‘They suck out all the bad blood and infection, and can be really useful,’ I add. The whole time I’m talking I’m getting what I need from my kit. I have the perfect thing for flicking the leech off. It’s the flat spatula that Mum gave me for putting ointment on things.

I pull the skin around the area tight. Everyone is gathered around the patient trying to get a closer look, except Portia, who is now back in front of the mirror. She isn’t happy that the teachers have listened to my idea.

Quickly and carefully I slip the very thin flat end of the spatula towards where the leech’s head is attached to Tiffany’s leg. In one quick move I flick it off. It flies across the bathroom.

‘Get it off!’ squeals Tiffany, her eyes squeezed shut.

‘It is off,’ laughs Mrs Hodby. ‘Our vet has removed it, no trouble at all.’

‘Thank you, Juliet,’ says Tiffany very nicely, as I dab some antiseptic cream on the sore and quickly pop a pad and bandage over the small puncture mark on her leg. I make it nice and firm.

‘Tiffany, leech bites can bleed quite a lot, but it’s nothing to worry about. My mum told me that they have something in their saliva that stops the blood from thickening. It will settle down soon.’

‘Where did the leech go?’ asks Chelsea.

We all look around the room.

‘It should stand out against the white tiles,’ says Maisy.

‘We’ll need to put it somewhere away from the cabins,’ I say. ‘It’ll want to attach itself again pretty quickly.’

Everyone’s looking really carefully now, except of course for Portia. She is sitting on a plastic chair looking rather impatient.

Suddenly Chelsea grabs my hand. I look at her. With wide eyes she nods in Portia’s direction.

There, on her cheek, is a plump black leech.

She sees us looking at her and looks in the mirror before I have a chance to race over and get it off.

‘AGGGHHHHHHH!’ The scream is enough to freeze everyone in the entire camp mid-stride.

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