The Marine's Return

by Rula Sinara

  Lexi wasn’t family and, even as a nurse, she avoided eye contact with him. That said enough. He gave her a terse nod to let her know he got the message that she didn’t need anything else and he started to leave. Job done.

  “Wait.” Lexi stepped between him and the tent exit. It was a tight entrance, putting them very close. Close enough for him to pick up the lingering scent of her shampoo. Close enough that it wouldn’t take much for him to reach out and touch her and let her cheek warm his hand. Close enough to feel an undeniable energy between them.

  No. This had to be a one-way thing. How could he not be drawn to her serene, unassuming beauty...to her healing heart...to her stubborn, determined inner strength? She resembled some sort of earth goddess in an oil painting. No sign of weakness. Lexi was in control. She didn’t want anyone complicating her life, least of all him.

  “Is there something else for me to help clean up?”

  “No. But I’d like to help you.”

  Real nice. She could keep her pity. He shook his head and tried to walk past her, but she held his arm.

  “Chad, please listen. I saw you earlier, standing out there alone. If you’re in any pain, you have to let me know. I have some pain medication for you in the cabinet here. Your mom left it, just in case.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “She also warned me you’d say that.”

  “The last thing I want is the two of you hovering over me or worrying about me.”

  “I’m not worried. I’m concerned. They’re slightly different things. I know you can take care of yourself.”

  “Good. We’re on the same page then. I realize it’s in your nature to care for patients, but you have plenty of them around here. I’m not one of them.”

  Her eyes glistened and he couldn’t help but notice the movement in her smooth neck as she swallowed. Part of him wanted to rest his face there, breathe her in...kiss her. He pinched the bridge of his nose and rubbed his eyes.

  You can’t think of her that way. She’s off limits. You’re just trying to forget the pain...the past.

  “I’m not offering help to a patient,” she said. “I’m trying to offer it to...to a friend. I know you haven’t been here that long, but you know Tony. I’d like to think that makes you a friend of the family.”

  She rested her hand on the top of her belly and, this time, didn’t take her eyes off his. She wasn’t staring at him with disgust. There was an intensity in the way she gazed at him...warmth, caring...sincerity.

  Chad’s chest cramped and he took a deep breath. Who was supposed to be looking out for whom here?

  “I’m not taking any drugs. The pain isn’t that bad. Besides it’s not my arm. I have some scars on my back that sometimes itch badly, that’s all. I can handle it.”

  “Are you putting anything on them? You’re still less than a year out from your injuries. Aren’t you applying a lotion to help with scarring and healing? Dryness alone can make the itching worse.”

  “Mostly. But like I said, I’m fine.”

  “Mostly? For goodness’ sake, Chad. If you can’t reach all the areas, I can rub it on for you.” Her face flushed and he could feel the heat rise in his neck. “I’m a nurse. It’s what I do,” she quickly clarified.

  “I don’t need—”

  “—my help. I get that. I’m not one to ask for help, either, yet I’ve accepted your assistance with the table, so we can call it even. Come sit down.”

  She motioned toward the exam tent behind her and gave him a firm look. She’d gone from hesitant and almost shy to professional nurse mode in an instant.

  Fine. He’d let her examine his shrapnel and burn scars. She’d seen the ones on his face, and if that wasn’t enough to extinguish the chemistry between them, a close-up view of his chest and back would. It wouldn’t change how he saw her, but it would certainly change how she saw him.

  And that was a good thing. He needed to keep his distance. And he definitely had to keep himself from acting on whatever attraction was building between them. He stepped into the tent and waited for her to close the flap, then pulled his shirt off, all the while keeping his eyes on her. He wanted to watch her reaction...to see the truth.

  She didn’t so much as flinch.

  Instead she stood in front of him as he sat on the edge of the exam table. Then she touched the tips of her fingers to the pinkish, pale burn scar that extended from his right shoulder around to his spine, then across a similar scar that spread from the side of his waist to his lower back. Her eyes swept over him, inspecting every scar, including the wrapped shoulder stump that was all that was left of his arm.

  “What’s bothering you the most at the moment? This scar here?” She touched the area of his back that was the hardest to reach. He nodded.

  “They actually look like they’re healing well. Surprisingly well, in fact. I’ve seen worse scars.” She put her hand on his knee. “I don’t mean to make less of what you suffered. I didn’t mean it that way at all.”

  “They used some of the latest techniques in burn treatment. I was in an induced coma for most of the initial treatment, but I was told afterward that they used the latest methods to speed up the healing of the burns and to keep inflammation around the amputation down. I was lucky. My combat uniform offered some protection, or it would have been worse. So I’m told.”

  She took a bottle from one of the cabinets and went around to stand behind him.

  “Tell me if anything I do hurts. This is just mineral oil. Basic, but it’ll help moisturize the skin and maybe stop some of the itch. If you have a different lotion you want me to fetch, I can.”

  “This’ll work,” he said, clearing his throat to get the words out.

  She placed her hands on his back and began working the oil into his skin. Her touch was soft and gentle and caring. His eyes closed and even the roughest of the scars seemed to smooth out under the silky glide of her palms. Her hands worked magic, soothing all his pain and discomfort...massaging away the tension that had been festering deep in his bones...clearing out the memories of that day in battle, if only for now.

  Neither spoke, but her touch and the sound of her steady breathing seemed to wash over him, drowning out the chatter of the world outside the tent and lulling him into an almost meditative calm. A depth of quiet he couldn’t recall ever experiencing before.

  Peace.

  There were no battles within. No images of war in his mind.

  Lexi was giving him something no one else had been able to. A moment of unadulterated peace.

  Even with his eyes still closed, tears stung the rims of his eyelids. He swallowed them back and willed them to stop.

  Hope had always told him that the strongest of men were the ones who were brave enough to show their emotions...that crying wasn’t a weakness but a strength. Yet his father—a fellow marine—had never cried around others. In fact, the only time Chad recalled him breaking down was when Chad’s mother, Zoe, had died.

  Even then, with Chad too young to fully understand but old enough to remember, Ben had only cried in private. Chad used to hear him from behind his closed bedroom door. Chad had understood then and there that if he wanted to grow up to be just like his dad, he’d have to channel his tears into taking action. Instead of showing weakness, he’d have to be strong and fight all that was wrong in the world.

  But right now, he wasn’t sure what he was feeling. Everything seemed to blur in his mind. Strength, weakness, peace...love. No. Not love. Gratitude. It had to be the latter. Or maybe, as she’d called it, friendship.

  His muscles relaxed as Lexi rubbed circles over his shoulder blade, adding oil as needed. Then her hands reached around his waist, as she tended to the old wounds along his torso. He heard her step around the table to stand in front of him. Her extended belly inadvertently brushed against his knee as she spread oil along the side of his waist. />
  He didn’t dare open his eyes, not because he feared what he’d see in hers, but because he wanted to hold her...rest his forehead against hers...kiss her. And if he opened his eyes, a tear might escape.

  Whatever this feeling was—gratitude, relief, whatever—he didn’t trust himself around her. He had to remind himself that she was merely administering care as she’d do to any patient. He couldn’t breach that boundary, friendship or not.

  “All done,” she said softly.

  He forced his eyes open as if waking from a dream. He blinked at the brightness from the evening sun streaming in through the window. “I didn’t want to startle you.”

  “I, um, I’m good. Thank you. That actually helped. With the pain, I mean. And the itching. Thanks.”

  Why was he bumbling like an idiot? He flexed his fingers and rolled his shoulders.

  “Good. I’m glad. Studies show that massage can help. Any relaxing exercise, such as meditation, can give you relief, actually. Don’t hesitate to let me know if the scars are bothering you again. We should do this daily. While you’re here, at least.”

  He stood without answering and slipped his shirt on. He was relieved that she didn’t try to assist him with the shirt.

  She turned toward the sound of Mac’s helicopter approaching. “Jacey is back,” she said.

  They stepped outside just as Mac took off, after Jacey safely cleared his landing area and was headed toward them. She was yelling into a satellite phone as she trudged over.

  “Who’s she talking to?”

  “Must be Taj. He calls from the hospital sometimes, though all they ever seem to do is argue.”

  “They do seem to annoy each other. I don’t understand why he doesn’t go help out at another clinic if she drives him so crazy,” Chad said.

  Lexi turned and frowned at him. “You’re kidding, right?”

  “No. Why would I be?”

  “Chad Corallis. For all your observation skills, you’re missing the most obvious signs.”

  “Of what?”

  “Of when two people really like each other.”

  * * *

  THE END OF the week approached and Lexi was worried. Chad seemed to prowl around the camp day and night. He never seemed satisfied by what he saw, and often disappeared into the brush, searching. Yet he was friendly with the villagers who came in for medical care, and his expression seemed to soften whenever he watched her tend to a patient.

  Still, Chad was a man of action and she knew he was forming a strategy. But to do what? Shut them down?

  On Thursday morning he approached her as she was setting up for the day.

  “I have a plan, but I can’t exactly do it myself. As soon as Taj returns for the weekend, I’m going to head out to my sister Maddie’s place. I’m hoping with her connections to human rights groups, she can help us out.”

  “With what exactly?”

  “This place needs some sort of barrier around it. It’s easier to keep an eye out for trouble when there’s only one way in and out. Like with an enkang. Sometimes you don’t have to look far for a solution—the Masai had it figured out long ago. Build an organic, natural thorny fence out of acacia branches. Better than barbed wire. Only it would take forever for us to build a fence like that. So, I’m hoping Maddie might be able to help facilitate some food donations to the nearest homesteads in exchange for their expertise with building one of these fences. They’d get needed food for the kids, the medical facility would stay open longer, assuming this works, and you’ll be safer.”

  “Are you planning on staying to oversee this construction?” She tried not to get her hopes up.

  He tensed.

  “For a bit. I may have...other things going on. I can’t stay long.”

  Of course he couldn’t. She hoped he meant that he was finally ready to resume therapy sessions.

  “I’m confused. I know I asked you to stay to buy us time, but I thought you wanted to shut us down. After that poaching a couple of days ago, I assumed you’d order us back to Nairobi, but now you’re offering to stay longer?”

  “Let’s just say too many people out there have a high regard for you.”

  She studied his face. That was too easy. There was something he wasn’t saying.

  “And once this fence is done? Then what? We get your seal of approval?”

  “We’ll take it from there. You’ll still need a guard around here, after I’m gone.”

  After he’s gone. So he would go, after all. She knew he wouldn’t stay. Why did hearing it feel like a stab wound?

  “When are you going to Haki and Maddie’s place?”

  “Mac said he’d fly me over after tomorrow, when he drops Taj off. Um... Maddie said if you want to come, she has maternity clothes you can try on and borrow if you like. Plus a few newborn items you could use instead of buying new ones in Nairobi. It’s about forty minutes by air to her place. Her baby is fifteen months old and has outgrown a few things.”

  His sister wanted to share with her? A warm feeling swirled in her chest and balled up at the base of her throat. That was something a friend or family member would do.

  “I...I don’t know. I probably do need a few things, but we’ve been so busy here.”

  “I discussed that with my mom. She suggested Taj bring one of his fellow interns, just for the day. It would free you up, and maybe convince the intern to work at one of my mom’s other locations part-time, like Taj does.”

  “That is a good solution for me, but aren’t you still worried about the safety of the camp if you’ll be away?”

  “I’ve already talked to an elder at one of the enkang homesteads about the fence. He offered to send a few family members to at least get started on one for the clinic. Mac also mentioned that he heard KWS was going to be out this way to make sure there aren’t any more snares endangering anyone. There’ll be plenty of people around. So, of all days, the clinic will be safe without me. If you want to go, that is.”

  He had just emphasized that he’d be leaving. So why did he sound like he was asking her out on a date?

  Because you’re tired and have a wild imagination.

  Or maybe it was because he was building her an acacia fence and offering to give her items that would make her and the baby more comfortable.

  And then he’ll leave. What’s the point of getting close to Chad and his family if they’ll only desert you?

  She placed her hands on top of her belly.

  “Okay. I’ll go.”

  It was a risk, but only if she let her guard down around Chad or Maddie. If she kept her heart protected, it couldn’t get broken.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  HAKI AND MADDIE had built their home on a rise overlooking a river valley and grasslands below. The view was absolutely breathtaking. The hot wind rippled the grass, and gunmetal-gray boulders dappled the slope leading up to the plateau. The view across the valley was spectacular. A herd of zebras grazed along the side of the dried creek bed that meandered farther than the eye could see. Hawks flew overhead, their shadows sweeping over the herds. An elephant trumpeted in the distance and Lexi saw several emerge from behind a copse of trees. This was artistry at its best. Their home embraced the African architecture used in some of the tourist lodges, incorporating timber poles and thatching. Yet the house was humble and every detail had been made to fit into the scenery, as though it were part of every boulder, blade of grass and sprawling acacia tree. Very Frank Lloyd Wright in that respect. And it all stood against a sky streaked with wispy, white clouds like a piece of blue lace agate.

  Mac led Chad and Lexi up the wide stone steps, embedded naturally along the rise and fashioned from the same granite that was native to the area.

  Chad held out his arm to her.

  “Take my hand or hold on to my arm. These steps are a little steep. I don’t want you to
fall.” He stuck his elbow out as if she was his date at a formal event. Only he wasn’t in his Marine uniform and his T-shirt meant their arms would touch. Skin to skin. And she was definitely not his date.

  Lexi hesitated then took his arm.

  “Thanks. I have to admit, my center of gravity is a little off these days.”

  The stairs opened onto a wide front yard and a breezeway-style porch gracing the house.

  Off to the right lay a small building, similar to their clinic bungalow but flanked by pole-fashioned animal pens. Haki was a veterinarian and he seemed to have quite a few patients at the moment. Masai homesteads dotted the landscape in the distance.

  Haki had told Chad many times of his dream to open a clinic to serve the farmers and their livestock. His father was also a vet who’d helped his aunt Anna start Busara, an elephant research facility and orphan rescue.

  But Busara mainly served rescued elephants, and Haki had seen a need for animal care among tribal farmers whose herds, including farm dogs, often suffered death due to untreated yet preventable and curable diseases. He believed if he helped the people, he would relieve suffering and desperation, which would in turn help prevent some individuals from falling prey to bribes offered by poachers.

  Maddie, as a humanitarian lawyer, embraced his dream, too. She often commuted to her practice in Nairobi and stayed at her parents’ if she had to spend lengthy hours in court. But she also did pro bono work and took on cases for humanitarian groups like Native Watch Global.

  He hoped his sister would be able to help him out with respect to their mom’s clinic and Lexi’s work, but it wasn’t the only reason he was there.

  “Have you seen this place before?” Lexi looked over at Chad, then must have realized she was still hanging on to him. She slipped her hand away and a breeze stole the lingering warmth of her touch. He was tempted to reach out and weave his fingers through hers.

  “No, but I’ve seen similar places. I lived in Kenya for many years, so we used to go on safari road trips to visit my aunts, uncles and cousins who live off the grid. I didn’t realize Maddie and Haki had finished building their house. Maddie only told me about it when she came out to our parents’ place the day I returned.”