(1.13) A Choice of Enemies

1.13 A Choice of Enemies by Judy Colquhoun

Summary: Adrian Bailey, the hippie-type son of successful (read: rich) businessman Rex Bailey, is travelling the Outback on a bicycle. He eats some red berries, and lands himself in hospital, from which he soon checks himself out and heads off again, despite being urged not to. A journalist (a friend of Chris's) is in the area, interviewing George Baxter, a couple of sheep station owners and the doctors. The farmers are on the verge of needing to sell up because of the economic climate. Adrian falls down a slope, and because his battery wasn't charged up whilst in town (it was nearly flat to begin with), his call isn't picked up. When he's found, Tom has to decide whether to save the reckless rich boy or a 7-year-old boy with severe burns. Tom saves the boy and Adrian dies. The journalist writes a negatively slanted article, prompting an angry Rex Bailey to show up. Sharon tells him she would have done the same, because Adrian chose to be where he was, and he had been warned not to go out there. Bailey relents.