Violets in February (6 page)

“I'm not going and that's final!” Lucy's raised voice echoed through the entire building.

“Lucy, be realistic. You can't walk or bear weight.”

“Hence the crutches.”

Tim marched into the clinic. “Vic, reason with her.”

“There is no reasoning with Lucy, you know that. She's as stubborn as they come.”

Lucy slowly pulled herself into the room. Her normally pale skin was white, with the exception of the bags under her eyes. Sweat beaded her brow. Pain wracked her features and filled her red-rimmed eyes. Her left leg didn't touch the ground and it was evident just that short distance had exhausted her. “I'll be fine. I'll sit to treat people. The guys can fetch and carry for me.”

“Fine.” Tim pointed to a chair, his tone curt. “Sit.”

Lucy lowered herself to the chair, her face creasing in agony.

Tim leaned his hip against the counter. “OK, so a patient comes in. Late twenties, early thirties. Female. Severe damage to the knee. Dislocated patella, which was replaced on scene by a local tribesman.”

Jed chuckled. He knew exactly where this was going.

Lucy scowled.

Tim continued with a faint smile on his face. “Only the knee is too swollen for that to be the only problem. Upon examination, you conclude there is a possibility that the knee joint itself maybe be dislocated. Or there could be ligament damage. Or the cartilage is torn. Either way, the foot is cold to the touch and swelling. What do you do?”

Lucy's scowl deepened. “I'd tell my boss to stop making things up and quit being stupid.”

Tim's eyes narrowed. “What do you do?”

“Tim, really…”

“Oh my days, woman!” Jed groaned in frustration. “Stop being such a stupid dill and tell the bloke what he wants to hear.”

She turned to him. “Dill?”

“A stupid dill actually,” he repeated. “Means the same as drongo. You may think you're the ant's pants around here, being the only doctor and all, but even I know what the bloke wants to hear.”

Color filled her cheeks for a second. “I'd send them for an X-ray and MRI,” she said quietly. “It may need surgery. And if the foot is cold, there could be arterial damage or something blocking the blood flow.”

“Thank you,” Tim said firmly. “You leave with Jed. ASAP.”

Jed did a double take, throwing his hands up in horror. “Whoa, hang on a tick. I can't take her. It'd be faster to get a chopper in here. That way she'd be in the city in a couple of hours. Three, at the most.”

Mani came in, his face downcast. “Generator is out. The blokes are fixing it.”

“That settles that,” Tim said. “No power for the radio.”

“Then I'll give them a bell.” Jed pulled out his cell phone, glared at it and then shoved it back in his pocket. “Fudge and blasters, there's no signal.”

“Not here,” Tim said dryly. “Hence the radio. And no power for email either.”

Jed shook his head. “I can't take her. The roads aren't safe. The rebels—actually, speak of the devil. They want to evac you lot outta here. You need to radio—” He broke off, swearing, managing to cut off the blasphemy just in time. “I'll use the radio in the Ute. Call a chopper and they can take the whole jolly lot of you away.”

“Jed, please…” Tim began.

Lucy sighed. “Tim, don't waste your breath. I'm not going anywhere, least of all with him. And that's final. Not even if he were the last man on the face of the planet.”

Jed spun around, fixing his furious gaze on her. His arguments aside, no one was allowed to insult him like that. Yes, he was mad, but there were some words even he wouldn't use in front of a lady. Instead, he opted for one of the milder cuss words he'd heard even Christians use. “Why the heck not? What's wrong with me?”

“You're rude. I don't like you. You swear way too much. You have lousy taste in music.” Her eyes unfocused for a second or two. “And you have a snake on your arm.”

Building anger filled him until her last words. He automatically brushed his arm, glancing down. “No, I don't,” he snapped. “And I'll thank you to keep your opinions to yourself.”

“I don't feel…” Lucy closed her eyes.

“The meds are kicking in,” Vic said. “She might be a little more compliant, but I doubt it.”

Jed turned to Tim. “Look, I agree she needs a hospital, but it's really not safe out there. The main road is closed because of the fighting, and the back roads are naff at the best of times. On top of that, the Ute can be a little shonky when she puts her mind to it. And with the monsoon about to start the roads are just gonna get worse.”

Thunder crashed in the distance, right on cue.

Jed nodded to the window. “The jungle is no place for a woman, especially a sheila who's talking rubbish.”

Tim raised an eyebrow. “She was right about one thing.”

“What's that?” he asked, not having expected anyone to agree with the woman's torrent of abuse.

“Your choice of language can be a little colorful at times. At least more than she's used to hearing in the mission field.”

“There is a snake on your arm,” Mani added, indicating the edge of the tattoo peeking from under Jed's shirt sleeve.

“And your music is a little loud.” Vic winked.

Jed scowled. He didn't want to take the sheila, couldn't risk something happening to her on the road. But at the same time, she needed medical help and with no radio they couldn't call a chopper. He could, but the rebels would intercept the transmission and be here sooner. He really had no choice but to try to get the doc out himself. Sucking in a deep breath, he looked at Tim. “Would it be possible to take a shower before we leave?”

“Sure.” Tim nodded. “We've got soap and towels you can use.”

“Cheers.” He followed the bloke to the shower block. “Pack up what meds the doc will need while I shower. Better give me a weeks' worth just to be on the safe side.” He took the soap and towels. He turned the water on full belt. He showered twice. First with his clothes on to wash them, because who knew when he'd get to change them again. Then he stripped and showered properly.

His fingers ran over the snake tattoo on his left arm. That was one of his favorites, despite having been done after a long session with the blokes that left him blind drunk. No doubt, the nosy sheila would want to know the story behind the tattoos, but if he told anyone it wouldn't be her. With a bit of luck, she'd sleep all the way to the city.

He dried off, then wrung out his clothes and put them back on. In this heat, he'd dry fast. Thunder rolled again. He glanced through the window at the clouds building in the distance. “Just give me two days,” he muttered. “Just hold off for two days.”

He headed back to the clinic and looked at Lucy. “Ready?”

“I'm not going anywhere,” she snapped. “Why won't anyone listen to me?”

“Shut up. I took a shower, washed my hair and my clothes, just to take you out. So you jolly well are coming if I have to drag you all the way to the city myself. Have they packed for you?” As she shook her head, he heaved a heavy sigh and stomped off towards her room.

As he flung open the drawers and grabbed a backpack, he could hear her moving slowly down the hallway.

“Don't you go through my drawers,” she called, not bothering to hide the irritation in her voice.

“I wouldn't go through your drawers if you paid me, darl',” he yelled back, deliberately using innuendo. He flung her underwear into the bag, followed by shirts, shorts and a very short nightshirt. He turned around, grabbing her hair brush.

Lucy appeared in the doorway. “I beg your pardon!”

“Granted, but like you said the other day, darl', you ain't got nothing I haven't seen a dozen times.”

Her jaw dropped. “How…how dare you?”

He smirked. “I think the expression you're looking for is how very dare you, actually. Where's your wash bag and toothbrush?”

“Over there.”

Jed shoved those into the pack as well. “I'll come back for ya in a sec.” He brushed past her and took her bag out to the Ute. He slung it in the back.

Mani came out with a crate. “Some food, water, and meds.”

Jed nodded. “Cheers.” He noticed the pot of violets in the side of the crate, but didn't say anything. “Set it in the back. I'll go get the doc.”

He headed back inside and swung Lucy into his arms.

She struggled, managing to keep hold of the crutches. “Hey, I can walk.”

“I beg to differ.” He strode to the Ute and dumped her unceremoniously into the passenger seat. “Sit there and belt up.”

“Belt up?” Fire briefly replaced the pain in her eyes.

“Take it both ways, lady. She'll be apples, you'll see.” He scurried around the vehicle. Sooner he bailed the better.

“What have apples got to do with anything?” she sighed, struggling with the belt.

Jed tried to start the Ute. “Means it'll be OK.”

Tim ran over. “Before you go…” He leaned in through the window and took Lucy's hand. “Lord, God, I pray for protection on the road for Lucy and Jed…”

Jed shook his head and tuned out Tim, turning the engine over and over until it caught. God sure hadn't protected him in the past, and he didn't see how that was about to change now. He cast one eye over the darkening sky to the west.

Two more days. Just give me two more days before you fall, rain.

He raised his hand in farewell, as Tim finished speaking, slammed the Ute into gear and left a trail of dust behind him.

5

Lucy grabbed the dashboard and held on for dear life as the truck lurched over the rough road. “I thought bouncing on roads was a metaphor,” she gasped.

Jed stopped chewing the piece of gum long enough to shake his head. “Nope.”

Could the man not do two things at once? “Can't we use the main road?”

His chewing grew louder. “Nope.” He turned up the music.

Lucy turned it down immediately. “Why not?”

“Guerillas.” He spat something out of the window, hopefully the gum, and then twisted and stretched across Lucy. He pulled open the glove box and drew out a pack of cigarettes. He flipped it open and offered the pack to her.

She shook her head. “No, thanks.” The pain in her knee reached new heights. Her stomach churned, and she swallowed hard.

Jed shrugged. He pulled a cigarette out with his teeth and tossed the pack back, pushing the glove box shut. He lit up and inhaled deeply.

“That will kill you,” she chided.

His only reaction was to blow a cloud of smoke at her.

She coughed and waved a hand to clear it.

He laughed, transferring the cigarette to the hand by the window. “Better?”

She closed her eyes as the truck lurched again. “I think your suspension is going.”

“Think?”

She groaned. This was going to be a very long day. Assuming she lasted that long. “Can you use more than one word at a time while driving?”

He tilted his head for a moment. “Nope.”

“Great.” Lucy sucked in a deep breath, her stomach churning. With all that was going on, and her fighting so much over leaving, she hadn't asked for the travel meds. “Pull over.”

Jed glared at her. “No.”

She swallowed hard, bile rising fast. “Pull over or I throw up in your truck.”

Jed slammed on the brakes, forcing her against the seatbelt. He turned the music up full blast.

Lucy flung open the door and leaned out as far as she could. Pain, plus motion sickness, wasn't a good combination. She heaved over and over. Finally, she leaned back in the seat.

“Better?”

She nodded, holding one hand against her stomach, sucking in several deep breaths.

“Goodo.” He slammed the truck into gear, setting off again.

Lucy groaned as the road got worse. She hung onto the seat with one hand, pressing her stomach with the other, and praying the nausea would ease. But she only managed five minutes before she had to ask Jed to stop again. The next half hour was just as miserable. After the fifth time of her asking, Jed didn't even bother to hide the sigh of displeasure as he stopped.

Leaning back into her seat, exhausted, Lucy looked at him. “What? I can't help it.”

“Women,” he muttered.

“I said all along I didn't want to come in your truck…”

“Ute,” he corrected.

“Whatever you call it. I get travel sick going five miles in a car on a tarmac road if I'm not driving. Never mind this.”

Jed thumped the steering wheel with both hands, setting off the horn. He swore. “Car sick? Are you having me on?”

Lucy pressed her hand to her mouth, swallowing hard. The urge to throw up eased. “No, I'm not. And please don't swear. Or I might just throw up on you.”

He scowled. “Throw up in my Ute, and I'll teach you swear words you didn't know existed.”

She shut her eyes. “Can I at least have the window open more than a crack? The smoke isn't helping.”

He stubbed out the cigarette. “Sure.”

Lucy cranked open the window, twisted to face it, and sucked in a deep breath.

“Would there be anything to help in the box of meds they gave me?”

“Might be. It'll be in a red box if there is.”

He opened his door and leapt out. Moving to the back of the truck, he started rummaging through the crate. “How's your pain level?”

“Bad.”

“How bad is bad?”

Lucy bit her lip and rubbed a sleeve over her eyes, glad he couldn't see her. If she were honest, she no longer knew what to do with herself. She wanted this whole nightmare over.

Please, God, get me out of here…

She opened her eyes and jumped. Jed stood right there, studying her.

“Pretty bad, then,” he said, his voice gentler than it had been. “Crikey, woman, why didn't you say something?”