The Marine's Return

by Rula Sinara

  * * *

  CHAD SWALLOWED HARD and tried blinking away the sting in his eyes. An uncle to Tony’s kid. The chance to be a part of his or her life. A chance to keep the child safe and give him or her guidance. Not the narrow-minded advice of a young adult, but the wisdom of a grown man. The kind of advice a father would—no. Uncle, not father.

  Chad wasn’t father material. It was too much responsibility to take on, now or in the future, especially with his track record for dangerous choices. He didn’t trust himself.

  The baby nudged his hand again, then settled against it, as if he or she trusted him. He slipped his hand out from under Lexi’s.

  “Tony hated guns. A marine who hated weapons. Show us one of those psychological picture tests with a blade and he’d probably see a scalpel while I’d see a dagger. Saving others, quality of life and family were always his priorities. I’d probably be the last person on earth he’d want influencing his child.”

  “You’re wrong. He respected you. There’s more than one way to save people and ensure they have good, peaceful lives. It takes a rare, selfless person and an incredible amount of inner strength to sacrifice their own comforts and life for the sake of others. You may have seen a dagger but not for the sake of violence. You’re a protector. I lo—like that about you. I respect and appreciate it.”

  He looked at her. Her spunky short hair. Her rosy cheeks...her full lips. They had felt soft and tender against his cheek. She glowed the way he’d heard mothers-to-be often did. He’d never witnessed it himself, though. He’d seen plenty of pregnant women, but none had ever been as beautiful as Lexi. Not even close.

  He wanted to hold her. Kiss her. Protect her and the baby. But he wasn’t right for her. Beauty and the beast...

  Only she didn’t see him that way, did she? A fact that was making him fall for her even more.

  It takes a rare, selfless person and an incredible amount of inner strength to sacrifice their own comforts and life for the sake of others.

  She was describing herself, too, yet she was too humble to realize it. Too humble to see how amazing she was.

  He loved that about her. Guilt swarmed through his chest at that word. He meant that he admired her for her humility. He admired her. Nothing more. It couldn’t be. She was too good for him. The fact that he could even consider her as more than a friend proved it. He was disloyal. A traitor. As forgiving as Tony had been, falling for his wife would be crossing the line.

  “Thank you. For not walking away after what I just confessed,” Chad said.

  “Chad, I would never walk away.”

  If only he could promise the same.

  CHAPTER NINE

  LEXI HELD HER arm out to Malia’s mother, who was carrying the little girl toward the exam tent.

  “I promised to bring her to you if the coughing got worse. Her head is warm. The laibon gave me herbs for a tea, and it helped the fever a little, but she won’t drink it anymore.”

  Lexi took Malia’s temperature. It was high. She listened to the girl’s lungs again. They didn’t sound so good. A laibon was a village elder and a sort of experienced medicine man. She, herself, preferred to do things naturally if possible, and she’d even referred a few patients to holistic or naturopathic doctors when she was in the US. But sometimes it wasn’t enough. Serious infections required a more aggressive approach. She believed it all depended on the situation and there was a place for all approaches.

  “Okay, let’s get you up on the bed, Malia. Thank you for bringing her back,” Lexi said to the girl’s mother.

  The woman nodded, her hands clenched together.

  “You can make her better?”

  “She might require different medicine than I have here, and I’d also like to X-ray her chest. Dr. Hope has one on her mobile unit, but we’d have to wait for her to drive it down here, which could be a few hours. Any blood when she coughs?”

  “No.”

  “Has she been eating?”

  “Not well. That’s why I said she also didn’t want to drink the tea.”

  “We’ll need to get her hydrated.” By IV if necessary, but she wasn’t going to mention needles out loud and upset Malia. The girl cried uncomfortably. “How is your son and the others at home?”

  “All good. No one else is coughing.”

  “Okay. Can you stay? I’d like her to rest here until we can do an X-ray. I’ll give her something for the fever right now. I believe she has pneumonia, but I’d like to confirm and run some tests to see what triggered it so we can treat her better. She’ll get past this,” Lexi said reassuringly.

  Pneumonia, yes. But which type? It could be bacterial, fungal or viral, and they were all treated with different medication. Malia’s mother had said the girl had been playing around the animal pens and a lot of dust. Lexi was most suspicious of bacterial or fungal at the moment, even if fungal was much less common.

  She left Malia and her mom inside the tent and went to put a satellite call through to Hope and to find Jacey. She found Jacey first at the back side of the bungalow, on the roof of all places, trying to fix the small satellite dish that helped give them access to the internet...when it was working.

  “We have an in-house patient. Malia. That little girl with the cough. Is that thing working? I was going to call Dr. Hope’s mobile unit on the satellite phone.”

  “Just about. Something had been chewing on the wire. I stripped it and it’s almost ready.”

  “I told you to wait on Taj. Never climb on the roof like that without someone at least steadying the ladder for you.”

  “He hasn’t returned from the village yet and I wasn’t waiting on him.”

  “I’ll hold it then, so you can get down.”

  Someone called out from around the front. Another patient?

  “Don’t do anything dangerous. Let me go see who is calling. I’ll be right back.”

  She hurried out front. It was Malia’s mom.

  “Please, come. Her head is getting hotter.”

  Lexi ducked into the tent to check the girl’s temperature. It had gone from one hundred and two to one hundred and three point five in the short while she’d been outside.

  “I’m going to go ahead and start her on antibiotics. If the tests show we need to change treatment, we will, but I’ll start her on one that covers most strains. Okay?”

  “Yes. Please, make her well.”

  She wasn’t one to jump to antibiotics, but with the girl’s fever spiking so fast, it was warranted. High, rapidly raising fevers were often bacterial in nature.

  “I’ll do all I can. Here’s a bottle of water. See if she’ll sip some, even when I’m not in here.”

  Lexi went to the cabinet and took out a bag of saline, an alcohol swab and a butterfly needle. “Honey,” she said, returning to the girl’s bedside, “this is going to feel like a quick prick, but be brave and hold still for me. Can you hold her hand so she doesn’t move?” Malia’s mother held her gently and Lexi got the IV set up and started the drip. “This should help a lot.”

  Lexi could hear a jeep screech to a stop outside and, within seconds, Taj was screaming Jacey’s name.

  “I’ll be right back. Stay here with her.”

  Lexi rushed out just as Taj came around the bungalow carrying Jacey in his arms. She was wincing and had her face pressed to his shoulder.

  “She fell. What in the world were you doing up there?” he yelled, directing his concern at Jacey.

  “Fixing things. You can make the call now, Lexi,” Jacey said.

  “Are you okay? I told you to wait,” Lexi said. “You’ll have to take her into the bungalow. The tent is full. I’ll get the ice pack out of the freezer.”

  Taj carried her inside and set her down gently on the bed, then began removing her boot. Jacey reached down.

  “I can do that. I’m fine. Sort
of.”

  “Sit back, would you? For once, let me take care of you,” Taj said.

  Jacey obeyed, but her face turned bright pink as she glanced at Lexi.

  “I’ll be in the kitchen, making the call to Hope. Let him take care of your foot, Jacey,” Lexi said.

  She left them alone and took a moment to close her eyes. Was it a full moon tonight or something? She grabbed a cup of water and took a drink. She needed to take care of herself, too, for the sake of the baby, and it was starting to feel a little muggy.

  She could hear Taj scolding Jacey, going on about how she could have broken her neck. The panic in his voice was unmistakable, which was unusual, since he’d always been ultra calm in emergencies. He was trained to be. But then things quieted and his voice softened.

  Lexi peered into the other room as she waited for the satellite phone signal to go through. Taj set Jacey’s wrapped foot on a stool, then sat next to her. Without a word, he took her hand and laced his fingers through hers. Jacey held on for a moment, but then slipped her hand away.

  Why did it take an injury or tragedy for some people to stop and let someone else care for them? And who was Lexi to preach?

  CHAPTER TEN

  “I WARNED YOU,” the poacher hissed.

  His Swahili was different, yet Leboo could understand him, except for the one or two slang words he muttered. The man grabbed the gun and cocked it, his hand shaking ever so slightly. Sweat dripped down his temple and his eyes darkened. He’d refused to give his name, but it didn’t matter. There was only one name for evil.

  “I swear I tell the truth. There were too many people today. And they stayed outside last night, by the fire,” Leboo said. “But I brought chapati and stew. It will give you strength.”

  It wouldn’t fix the shattered bone in his leg or the flesh wound, but it would appease him. If it weren’t for that gun...

  The poacher glared at him before uncocking the gun and taking the food.

  “Did they say anything about patrols or dogs?”

  “No.” Leboo wished he had a dog. Or that a lion would find the man’s hideout and have a good meal. Thinking like that was evil. Wasn’t it? Either way, the man was protected by the thorny branches he’d ordered Leboo to place around his hideout, just like the mass of acacia branches that fenced his family’s village.

  “You’re thinking of lying to me, aren’t you? I see it in your eyes. You will warn me if you hear of patrol dogs or anyone coming near, yes? You know the consequences if you don’t.”

  “I speak the truth.”

  The man shoved a bite of stew into his mouth, not bothering to wipe where it dribbled down his chin.

  “I need the medicine,” he said, ripping at the bread with stained, crooked teeth. He set down the wooden bowl and spread a clump of tall grass to his right, just enough to see through it. He glanced at Leboo, making sure he got the point. The reminder that the man had a clear view...a clear shot...to the area outside Leboo’s homestead wasn’t necessary. “I see them. I watch them. My aim is good. You understand?”

  Acid burned in Leboo’s chest. He nodded.

  “Good. You are a brave warrior. One that understands the value of a life and a reward. I’m sure you’ll figure out how to bring me the medicine.” He aimed the barrel of the gun through the brush and right at Leboo’s sister, who was gathering sticks for firewood. “By tomorrow. Or else.”

  * * *

  THE RAINS WERE COMING.

  Lexi watched as the first cloud she’d seen in months wafted across the brown savannah, as if inspecting the damage done in its absence. The decaying skeletons of parched animals who’d collapsed at the edge of dry watering holes they’d depended on. The failed grain crops of disheartened farmers.

  The power held in a single drop of water. The power to control the ebb and flow of life...and to take it away. She’d read once that water symbolized emotion. She now understood why.

  She rubbed the small of her back. She had work to do. She loaded the box of glass vials into the truck. There was a special padded holder to keep the more fragile items. Then she went back into the tent to see what antibiotics and anthelmintics they had on hand.

  Malia’s X-ray had been clear and she’d been responding to treatment, but Lexi had kept her for observation for a few days.

  Then Lexi had gotten word that there was a little boy at one of the nearby enkangs suffering from stomachaches and diarrhea. She was heading to that village anyway to administer a final round of vaccines before the rainy season, and she planned to examine the boy.

  She wanted everything she might need on hand, including something to kill parasites, a highly suspect diagnosis given he helped care for his father’s livestock. Loss of fluids wasn’t a good sign. She grabbed a few packets of electrolyte powder and headed back out.

  “I wish you weren’t going alone,” Jacey said, hobbling over on crutches. “They’ll make it back soon, I’m sure. Can’t you wait?”

  Both Chad and Taj had gone to pick up the promised food supplies to deliver to everyone who had helped work on the acacia fence. It was only half done, but they were getting there. Chad and Taj had left early that morning, in the camp’s mobile unit, and were supposed to be back by now, but delays out here were pretty common. In fact, nothing ran on time. One had to account for flat tires, someone else being late or even wild animal crossings. Sometimes there was just no way around a herd of elephants or wildebeests.

  With Mac’s schedule full the past few days, Chad had asked Ben to have his friends at KWS fly over the area a few extra times to make sure they didn’t see any suspicious activity. Nothing had been noted or reported. The unofficial consensus was that the injured poacher must have made it over the border or died by now. They figured someone badly injured wouldn’t have survived hiding out in the wilderness this long.

  So Lexi felt quite safe making the trip to the village on her own. Less than ten kilometers one way was quite doable, especially for the sake of that child.

  “This can’t wait, and you can’t drive, or I’d switch places and watch over Malia. I want to get the vaccines done before the rains come and wash out the road. But more importantly, that little boy with the stomach issues can’t wait. I need to make sure he’s treated and staying hydrated, or he could die. If Taj and Chad show up, one of them can drive out to the enkang and help if they want, but I really don’t think it’s necessary. I’ll probably get back before they do.”

  “I know this is an emergency, but I’m just worried about you. What if you go into labor?”

  “There are plenty of women around here who’ve given birth before. I’m sure I’ll be fine and have plenty of help if I’m at an enkang. Trust me, you’ll get word if I go into labor. I’ve worked with hospital staff who stayed on the job until their contractions hit. I wouldn’t be the first.”

  “They were at a hospital, though. Kind of convenient, I would say.”

  “Jacey, stop worrying.” Lexi grinned. “Imagine me giving birth at a Masai homestead. Tony would get a kick out of that.”

  “You laugh now. Just wait until the contractions hit.” Jacey shuddered at her own words.

  “Ever the comforter. You must have been a labor coach in another life. Today isn’t the day. Okay? I think I’d sense it. And when Hope was out here with the mobile unit, she checked me out, to save me a trip to Nairobi. My cervix didn’t show any signs of softening. The baby hadn’t dropped, either.”

  “Ugh, I don’t need the visual, thanks! The whole thing freaks me out.” Jacey scrunched her face.

  “Trust me, if I could avoid labor, I would, but I think it’s a little late to consider that option. One of these days you’ll be in my shoes and the idea of holding your baby in your arms will mask the labor anticipation anxiety. Just a little.”

  Jacey nibbled at her lip and adjusted her crutches.

  “Guess
it’s a good thing I won’t have to worry about it then,” she said with a weak smile.

  Lexi abandoned the supplies and turned to give Jacey her full attention. What was she saying? That she couldn’t have children?

  “Jacey, how long have you known?”

  “Years.”

  “Years?” No wonder Chad had noticed her mood shift after the baby shower and whenever Taj mentioned kids. “Why didn’t you say anything before?”

  “It’s not something I like to bring up, especially when one friend is expecting and the other is always talking about having a big family.”

  “Oh, Jacey. Never feel like you have to hold back with me. May I ask, as a nurse and a friend, what happened?”

  Jacey put her crutches in one hand and leaned against the tree. She stared at her wrapped ankle for a minute before deciding to share.

  “I was in severe pain as a teenager. While other girls bragged about starting their periods, I dreaded mine. I’d gotten it early, along with the fibroids and endometriosis that ran in my family. I was miserable, depressed from it all, and fed up. By the time I was nineteen, I had too much scar tissue.

  “I searched and didn’t stop until I found a doctor who was willing to do a complete hysterectomy. Given how young I was, they kept telling me I’d regret it. That I should hang in there and try more ‘clean-up’ surgeries. I had no money for that, or to freeze my eggs. Besides, my uterus was too scarred to safely carry a baby to term without high risk of rupturing. I made a choice. It may not have been the right one for other women, but it was the right one for me.”

  Lexi closed the gap between them and gave her a hug.

  “I always knew you were a strong woman, but you’re even stronger than I realized. You had every right to make that decision for yourself. Everyone is different, and no one could know how much you were suffering except for you. I’m sorry if I ever said anything that came off as insensitive, since I had no idea. I hope my pregnancy didn’t make you uncomfortable.”