Shakana smiled.
“Who, whom, what the hell difference does it make?” She was crying harder. “I don’t want to go, and he knows it. I want to stay here, work with you…” She was now sobbing. “He doesn’t like me, so he’s using my fall as an excuse to get rid of me.”
“Oh, Becca, no,” Shakana said, still mopping away the tears. “You didn’t fall, you collapsed. Dr. Andrews doesn’t dislike you…” She hesitated, bit her lip. “I think. He is a physician, and he is right about your condition. You’re worn-out.”
“But I could rest here,” Becca protested. “A couple days of rest and I could—”
“No, Becca, you couldn’t,” Shakana interrupted. “It won’t be enough. Have you looked at yourself in a mirror lately?”
“Well, of course I have, every morn—”
Shakana again cut her off. “No, I don’t mean a quick glance while brushing your teeth, or your hair. I mean really looked, stark naked.”
Becca shook her head, wincing at the stab of pain. “No, why in the world would I do that?” she asked with sharp impatience.
“Why indeed?” the nurse drawled. “Gee, you don’t know you’re practically down to nothing but skin and bones, do you?”
“Oh, come on, Shak,” Becca protested, using the nickname she had given her friend. “I know I’ve lost a little weight, but…” In truth, she was well aware she had lost a lot of weight, but still she felt compelled to deny it.
“A little weight?” Shakana repeated in astonishment. “Becca, you are skinny, hardly any flesh on your bones at all. Your clothes hang on you.” She gave Becca a shrewd look. “Oh, I know you’ve been wearing smaller tops, but your scrub pants literally hang on your hips, and despite the elastic waistband, I think the only thing holding them up is your protruding hip bones.”
Becca bit her lips, admitting, “I was going to get a smaller pair of pants, when I got around to it.”
Crossing her arms over her ample breasts, Shakana gave her an arch look, murmuring, “Uh-huh.”
Becca couldn’t help a weak smile. “Well, I thought about getting a smaller pair.”
Shakana shook her head, her dark eyes sad. “Oh, Becca, I’m going to miss you so much. But it’s time for you to go home, rest, put on some weight. Dear friend, it hurts me to see you like this.”
Tears welled in Becca’s eyes. “Come with me, Shak, please.”
Those sad dark eyes grew misty. “I can’t, Becca. You know that. This is my home.”
“I know.” Becca heaved a deep sigh, coughing with what she thought was the emotional tightness in her chest. “I know,” she repeated, accepting another tissue from her best friend.
Crying softly after Shakana had left to check on her many other patients, Becca fell into a deep dreamless sleep once more.
At the jostling of her body, Becca was startled awake. What…? she thought, her eyes opening wide as she realized she was being moved onto a litter.
Shakana was there, and Dr. Andrews, directing the procedure, of course.
“Shakana?” she croaked from her dry-as-dust throat. “Why am I being moved?”
“The plane is here for you,” Dr. Andrews said, his voice devoid of inflection.
“But, my stuff…” she began.
Shakana squeezed her hand. “I packed your things for you, Becca.”
“But…” Heaving a long sigh, Becca gave up, knowing protest was pointless. She glanced around at the men handling the litter. From their uniforms and insignia, she could tell they were an American rescue team.
“I’m so thirsty, can I have some water, please?” She looked to Shakana, but it was Dr. Andrews who moved, holding up his hand to halt the crew. Taking the cup Shakana handed him, he put the straw to Becca’s lips. His fingers lightly brushed her chin. The light touch rippled through Becca like a minor earthquake.
Shaken by the odd sensation, she quickly gulped the cool water and moved her face away from his hand, settling her head on the pillow. “Thank you,” she murmured, not daring to look at him.
“You’re welcome.” His voice was harsh with an angry tinge.
Confused by his tone, and the possible reason for it, Becca stole a glance at him. He had turned away, again motioning the men to go.
Before they started to roll the litter away, another man walked into her line of vision. Becca frowned in confusion, because the man was wearing scrubs and a white coat. Stopping beside her, he took her wrist into his hand to take her pulse.
Becca frowned.
He smiled. “I’m Dr. Devos. And your pulse is a little rapid.”
“She’s a little anxious and upset, Doctor,” Shakana said. “She doesn’t want to leave.”
“It’s best, Ms. Jameson.” He smiled again. “If you’ll excuse the expression, you look like hell.”
Somewhere around forty, he looked so kind, his smile was so gentle, she had no choice but to smile back. “I’ll excuse you…this time.”
“I told you she was exhausted, Jim.”
Becca shifted her gaze to Dr. Andrews. In her opinion, he looked worse than she felt. Apparently Dr. Devos agreed with her assessment.
“So are you, Seth. That’s why I’m here to replace you.”
“What?”
Becca was shifting her glance from one to the other, her mind echoing Dr. Andrews’s angry and sharply voiced question.
“You’ve been ordered home. You can take all the time you need to gather your things.” He paused, grinned and added, “So long as you do it within the hour.”
“Jim, this is ridiculous.”
“Sorry, Seth, it’s out of my hands.” He turned to smile at Becca. “You may spend some time with your friend here—” he indicated Shakana with a nod of his head “—until Dr. Andrews is ready.”
“Thank you, Doctor.” Her voice was thick with gratitude. She was ill and had just met him, yet Becca already knew she liked this soft-voiced man. Besides, he had thrown Dr. Andrews a curveball! She smiled.
“You’re welcome.” Smiling back, he turned to the rescue squad. “Take the litter to one of the empty examining rooms, so the nurses can get this bed ready for another patient.” From the men, he looked at Shakana. “You have permission to stay with your patient until Dr. Andrews is ready.” With a smile to both women, he strode away.
Holding Becca’s hand, Shakana walked beside the litter to the empty examining room. Tears welled in Becca’s
