later Karen was called to assist Michael with a patient while Ellen was still doing a wound cleaning. When she finished Karen and Michael were still involved with the patient so she was left with no choice but to help Chance.
“Ellen, would you mind calling the next patient?”
She did as he asked. A highly deformed man entered the tent with the help of a woman who Ellen guessed was his mother. The man had elephantiasis. His arms and legs were enlarged, as were areas of his head and neck. She couldn’t prevent her intake of breath. The only case she’d ever seen had been in a medical textbook.
“We mustn’t make him feel unwelcome,” Chance said from close enough behind her that she felt the warmth of his body.
He spoke to the man in Spanish and he returned a lopsided smile that appeared sincere.
“Ricardo is one of my regular patients.”
“Hello, Ricardo,” Ellen said, giving him her most genuine smile. “Nice to meet you.”
Ricardo gave her the same smile he’d given Chance.
“We’re going to need to get some blood work today, Ricardo.” Chance said, pulling on gloves.
The man nodded and spoke but it came out as gibberish.
Ellen went to get a blood sample kit. She returned and Chance said, “Ricardo, do you mind if Ellen draws your blood?”
Ricardo nodded his head in agreement. As she pressed to find a good vein Ricardo said, “Pretty.”
“Yes, she is,” Chance answered as he continued to examine Ricardo.
She smiled at Ricardo. “Thank you. You are very sweet.”
Even with his distorted face she could see his discomfort. This man was a gentle giant who’d been given a bad deal in life by contracting elephantiasis.
Chance finished his examination and gave Ricardo a supply of antibiotics before he left. With him gone Chance asked, “You’ve never seen someone with a major case of elephantiasis, have you?”
“No. I had no idea. I’m sorry I reacted poorly.”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s hard not to.”
There was that compassion she rarely saw but which pulled her to him. “What can you really do for him?”
“For right now he’s getting the antibiotic diethylcarbamazine but that only really deals with the symptoms. He has lymphatic filariasis. It’s from worms introduced by mosquitoes. It’s common in the tropics. Ricardo is just one of many. If you stay around long enough you will see more. Ricardo’s case is getting bad enough he’ll need surgery to keep walking.”
“Where will he go to have that?”
“I had hoped we would have a standing hospital built by now but we’re still working on the funding. Right now he’ll have to go to the city or hope a visiting group of orthopedists is able to come here.”
“That’s sad.” Her heart hurt for Ricardo and the others like him. These people needed more help.
Their next patient entered and ended their conversation but the needs in the small tropical country remained on Ellen’s mind. Chance was working hard to do what he could but it wasn’t enough. What would happen if he didn’t get the funding required and the clinic closed?
The rest of the afternoon was one more patient after another. Once again a storm built and seemed primed to dump water over them. As much as Ellen enjoyed rain, every day was a little much. Thirty minutes after the last patient was seen the clinic was dismantled and she, Karen and Peter were running for the truck as the first fat drops of water fell.
“You guys will be drenched. We’re going to have to double up in the cabs,” Michael yelled over the sound of thunder and wind. “Ellen, you go in the van. Karen and Peter, we’ll just have to make do in the truck cab.”
The rain started coming down in sheets. Ellen didn’t hesitate before running to climb into the van. Marco was already in the driver’s spot. Her bottom had hardly hit the seat before she was being pushed across it by Chance. His body leaned heavily against hers as he slammed the door. He moved off her but she was still sandwiched between him and Marco. The gearshift on the floor forced her legs into Chance’s space. She shifted to an upright position but remained in too close contact with him.
“Maybe I should just ride in the back of the truck,” she murmured.
Chance looked out the window shield. “Not in this storm. Scoot over.”
“To where? I’m practically sitting in Marco’s lap now.” She shifted away from him but it made little difference. Her right side was sealed to his left from shoulder to knee.
Marco put the truck into gear and it launched forward. They hadn’t gone far when the truck hit a bump that almost brought her down in Chance’s lap. She squirmed away from him. Gritting her teeth, she did her best not to touch him any more than necessary. Her mind as well as her body were hyperaware of even his breathing. She’d be sore in the morning from her muscles being tense in her effort to put space between them.
The storm continued to rage around them as they traveled over the muddy roads. Finally, they reached the poorly maintained paved road. She was exhausted and the cab was warm and steamy. With the steady swish-swish of the wipers the only sound in the cab, Ellen’s chin soon bobbed toward her chest. Sometime during the ride her head came to rest against a firm cushion.
A hand on her arm shook her. “We’re home.”
Ellen jerked straight. She’d been leaning against Chance’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you.”
He ignored her, reached for the door handle and said a little stiffly, “Since it’s so late we won’t be eating in the dining room tonight. A supper tray will be brought to your hut.”
A light rain fell as she climbed down from the van. “I’m glad. I don’t think I have the energy to walk up to the main building.”
Karen joined them and handed Ellen her backpack. “I’m headed for a hot shower and bed.”
“Me too,” Ellen agreed. “I’ll walk with you. Good night,” she said to the group in general.
“We have another early morning tomorrow. Be here ready to go at six a.m.,” Chance called after them.
Karen mumbled, “Slave driver.”
Ellen giggled. “And a few other things.”
Foliage dripped around them and the moon shone above as they walked along the path toward their huts.
“Chance is something else, isn’t he?” Karen said with admiration in her voice.
“He’s something all right,” Ellen mumbled.
“Very good looking, and super smart. I can see why the women that come down here are known to get crushes on him.”
Ellen
