The Chronicles of Medic Bob

When You Say: "Deadly Spider"....

Individual Summary: Funnel-web spiders. The mere name of these creatures sends shivers down every Aussie's spine, and Bob is no exception. So imagine his terror when he hears reports of one in the tree-house: a worry that only increases exponentially when - during a break in the show - Ant reaches under the table and yelps in pain. It quickly turns into a race against time for Bob, one that he simply cannot afford to lose.....

*****

Anyone walking past the clinic that morning - at around 6 o'clock, when it was just getting towards the time that everyone started to make their way down to the tree-house for rehearsals - would have heard someone doing a rather violent spit-take, the sound of something clattering to the floor, and then the following yell:

"You saw a WHAT?!"

Inside the clinic, Bob - the owner of the shocked voice - was leaning heavily against his desk and looking very seriously up at Ricky.

Ricky nodded, looking rather scared - though what of, he wasn't sure: was it the medic's reaction? Or was it what had provoked said reaction?

Because that had been the fact that he had reported a known sighting of Australia's - and the world's - deadliest spider in the tree-house.

"You're absolutely positive it was a funnel-web?" Bob asked again, desperately hoping that the ranger would assure him that it was just a big black spider that he'd seen, rather than possibly the most dreaded arachnid in all of Australia.

Nodding his head, Ricky winced as the medic swore darkly under his breath, taking off his cap and running his hand across his brow - which was crinkled in worry.

"Positive - I'd recognise one of those bastards anywhere" the ranger replied, wincing again as Bob swore darkly under his breath.

"Well, I hope for our sake that it's decided to bugger off for the morning and go and hunt some other spiders, or something" he muttered, before his radio crackled into life asking them both to make their way down to the tree-house for rehearsal.

When they arrived, Bob took a quick moment to spread the warning about the sighted funnel-web, and urged everyone to be vigilant and remain on the lookout.

And things were going so well too, right up until a break in the live show, about ninety minutes later, when a loud clatter signaled someone dropping their phone onto the tree-house floor.

"Oh, bollocks" Ant growled, bending down to pick up his phone, glancing up to stick his tongue out playfully at Dec - who was currently laughing at him and his clumsiness.

However, this meant that he was no longer watching where he was putting his hand, and he didn't notice the large black spider that had appeared right next to his discarded phone until it was too late.

The sound of a surprised and pained yelp startled Bob into turning around, and he saw Ant sitting on the ground behind the boys' table, clutching his right hand and sporting a look of intense pain.

"What happened?" The medic instantly asked, crouching down beside him and taking his injured hand in his own.

When he saw the two deep, freshly-bleeding fang marks, his heart plummeted into his feet.

"I dropped my phone and it went under the table, I reached under to get it and then I just felt this awful pain in my hand" Ant explained, complexion paling every second.

Taking a deep breath - as if to prepare himself - Bob bent down and looked under the table. 

There, rearing up on its back legs so that its dangerous fangs were exposed, was a massive funnel-web spider.