These Are a Few of My Favourite Things

As the slender upper branches of the gums whipped about in the wind Charlie stood as still as stone. Her eyes however continued to scour the trees for the creature. Since it would be feeling scared and hunted she had to be extra cautious now. Charlie grimaced as a twig snapped beneath her foot, apart from the wind there was no noise out here. The bush having a lull between the activity of the day and the dash of the smaller creatures who would come out during the dusk to seek safe food.

There was a movement to her left. Charlie turned slowly searching the ground and tree trunks for the creature.

The box had looked innocuous enough when Charlie opened her front door to an unexpected knock. The box was the only thing there, looking pretty in the wrapping of brown paper and tied up with string. Charlie couldn't help but sing a few lines of the song as she collected the box to head back inside.

The box was a lot heavier than it had seemed sitting on the porch. And the weight was unevenly spread, moving side to side as she made her way to the table.

That was it though, as she pulled the string off the box the small brown mass finally had enough room to break free. Unfortunately, it ran into the dog first and terrified it retreated out the open back door, dog in pursuit. Charlie was almost sure she had seen blood on its hind leg as it leapt out of the box and so Charlie headed out on a rescue mission. Into the bush reserve that edged her property and calling Laddy back to her side.

Laddy was such a great dog when it came to injured animals. He would mother them back to good health, regardless of any initial scratches and snarls he received. But this new creature didn't know that yet. As Charlie slowed and started searching the bushland Laddy, remembering his training, stopped at the edge of the bush as he'd been taught but he was keeping a careful eye on Charlie, as all good boys do.

Creeping forward through the growing amount of undergrowth Charlie would drop to her knee every couple of steps so she could get a better look under the fern leaves as the poor thing had been so small.

And then she spotted it. It had indeed been injured and could no longer run. It lay there under a thick layer of leaves trying to hide. Staring intently at her.

Charlie made a soothing sound as she dropped to her hands and knees properly.

“Sshhhhh little one. It's okay, I'm here to help. Sshhhhh”

She inched forward towards the creature, continuing to make these reassuring statements to what she could now see was a quokka whose right leg had a nasty bite on it.

Almost to the animal, she paused as it seemed about to try another run.

“It's okay” she repeated. “I'm a friend, and we can help you with that leg”

The quokka contemplated her face for a moment and then seemed to relax ever so slightly. She shuffled forward a little further, and reached out a hand towards what she could now tell was a female. With an open palm, Charlie rested her hand next to the quokka so it could sniff her and realize Charlie really was no threat to it. The quokka moved a little closer (still keeping an eye on possible escape routes) and nuzzled her hand. After a few minutes of this (because receiving affection from wild animals never gets old) Charlie moved slowly right up to the animal to gently start looking at the injured leg.

She smiled at the quokka as she touched its blood-soaked leg,

“Well since you came in one of my favourite things we'll name you Marta. And I'm sorry to say it Marta but this leg is quite bad.”

Martas' shaking had started to settle so Charlie moved her hand slowly back up the animal to stroke her head for a few moments before scooping Marta up into her arms.

As she started the walk back to her house Charlie continued to talk to Marta and the little creature barely flinched as Laddy fell into step beside them.

When they reached the house Charlie quickly pulled up a much bigger box and lined it with a soft blanket. Placing Marta inside she laid a smaller blanket over the top so Marta wouldn't panic too much with the car ride to the vets.

And it was together with the vet that they found the tiny joey that Marta was carrying. The tiny ball of fur was in fine health and with Martas leg now cleaned and bandaged Charlie took the box of mum and bub back to her place.

“You're going to stay with us for a while” Charlie whispered she gently folded down one side of the box so Marta could reach the fresh food and water placed next to her. Over the following days, Marta continued to heal. After a week Charlie was able to leave the bandage off completely and a week after that Charlie came out to discover the box was empty. Surprised she searched the yard quickly with her eyes. She smiled as she saw Marta sitting by the fence-line chewing some leaves, Marta turned to look in Charlie's direction and then hopped off into the bushland.