“I’ll heed your warning, Doctor,” she said in a sarcastic tone as she kept moving, not giving him time to respond.
Despite what she said, it didn’t ease his concern. He felt responsible for all his staff but for some reason Ellen seemed so naive that she required more attention. A couple of times the new people hadn’t taken his warnings seriously and had almost gotten in trouble. He couldn’t let that happen to her.
He returned to the front and took a seat on a stool just inside the tent door. Ellen was sitting on a blanket she’d apparently taken from the supply van. Chance tried not to appear as if he was watching but she claimed his attention. As she sat, a few of the village girls approached. Ellen spoke to them in a soft voice, halting a couple of times as if searching for the correct word. One of the girls tentatively picked up Ellen’s hand and touched her fingernail.
“You like my polish?” Ellen smiled and held her fingers out wide.
The child nodded and the other girls stepped closer, each stroking a nail in wonder.
“Stay here and I’ll be right back.” Gracefully she rose and headed for the transport truck as if on a mission. She climbed onto the back bumper and reached in to pull out a backpack. Looking through a side pocket, she removed a small bottle. After dropping the bag back into the truck, she returned to the girls. Ellen sat and the children gathered around her again. She patted the blanket and invited them to join her, then opened the bottle. Taking one of the girls’ hands, Ellen placed it on her bent knee and applied polish to a nail. There was a unified sound of awe.
What the hell? The woman had brought fingernail polish into the jungle.
Bright smiles formed on dark faces. Small bodies shifted closer in an effort to have a turn. Ellen had their complete attention. Her blonde head contrasted against those around her. The girls giggled and admired their nails, showing them off to their friends before jumping up and running to display them for someone else. As one left another joined Ellen.
Her mirth mingled with the children’s. The sound was unusual in the rain forest yet seemed to belong. Like the sweet song of birds in the trees.
Chance walked toward her. It was time to get started again or patients would go unseen and he couldn’t let that happen. He stood over the little group. “You seem to have created a stir.”
Ellen looked at him with a grin on her face and moved to stand. “Every female likes to do a little something special for herself.”
She wobbled and Chance reached for her elbow, helping her to stand. A shot of awareness he’d not felt in years went through him. It was both exciting and disturbing. To cover his reaction he said, “Even if they can’t have it all the time.”
Ellen glared at him. “Especially then. A moment of pleasure is better than none.”
What would it be like to share pleasure with her? Whoa, had the noon sun gone to his head? That wasn’t something he should be thinking about in regard to any of his staff and certainly not about this too young, too idealistic newcomer. Life had taught him that picking women wasn’t his strong suit.
Chance released her arm as if it had turned into a hot coal. “I’ll see you in the clinic. You’ll be working with Michael this afternoon until I think you know the ropes well enough to handle cases on your own.”
Ellen didn’t know what had gotten into Chance but she was relieved that she didn’t have to assist him. Working with Michael was easy and fun so why did it seem anticlimactic next to helping Chance? There was an intriguing intensity about him that tugged at her.
He had seemed so much larger than life when she’d heard him speak. The passion and compassion he felt for the people of Honduras had vibrated through her with each of his words. She’d been drawn to this place. But she’d fought too long and too hard to make her own decisions and Chance was too bossy for her taste. She didn’t need another man overseeing her life.
One of the girls who’d had her nails done was Chance’s patient at the next table. Despite having her back to them, Ellen overheard him say, “Your nails are so pretty.”
She smiled. Mr. Gruff and Groan might have a heart after all.
During the rest of the afternoon and into the dimming light of evening came the continuing blur of people with open wounds, bug bites, sores, to serious birth defects. Thunder rolled in the distance and the wind whipped the tent as the last of the patients were being seen.
“Get started on putting things away. We need to get on the road before this hits,” Chance called to everyone as he finished cleaning a wound on the calf of his last patient, a middle-aged man.
Ellen began storing the supplies in the van. As she passed by Chance he said, “Ellen, would you get an antibiotic out of the med cabinet for me?” He held up a key attached to a ring.
“Sure.” Her hand brushed his larger one as she took it. A tingle went through her. Why this reaction to him of all people? She wasn’t looking for that. Hadn’t come here expecting it. She hurried toward the van.
Entering the vehicle, she made her way down the small isle to where the med box was located. Constructed of metal and bolted to the floor for security, it was situated behind the bench seat. She went down on her knees in front of it. The light was so poor she fumbled with the key in the lock. Slipping her hand into the side leg pocket of her cargo pants, she pulled out her penlight. She balanced it on a nearby shelf, directing the beam toward the lock.
The screech of the driver’s door opening drew her attention. She glanced over her shoulder. A thin young man held a knife in her direction. Fear made her heart pound. Her hand holding the lock shook. She opened her mouth to scream.
The man leaned over the seat bring the knife to her neck. “Tranquillo.”
Ellen remained quiet as he’d asked. She glanced out the end of the van. What was she going to do? She couldn’t give him the meds and she had to protect the others.
The tip of the knife was pushed against her skin. The man hovered over her. He smelled of sweat and wet clothes.
“What do you want?” she asked.
“The drugs,” the man bit out. “Open the box.”
The urgent demand in his voice told her he meant business. When she didn’t immediately move he pressed the knife against her and growled, “Now.”
Panic welled in her. She couldn’t give him the drugs but the blade at her neck reminded her that she couldn’t put him off long either.
With relief and renewed alarm she heard Chance call, “Ellen?”
“Say no word,” the man whispered, slipping down behind the seat but still holding the knife to her neck.
She had to warn Chance.
* * *
Why hadn’t Ellen returned? Chance headed toward the van.
He had finished applying the bandage around the man’s leg. All he needed to do now was give him the antibiotics and they could get on the road. A commotion outside caught his attention. A young man who looked like he was in his twenties was being helped into the tent by another Honduran about the same age. There was a rag soaked in blood on his arm. Michael and Karen were aiding them. Marco and one of his men had started setting up the exam table they had just folded. They could handle the situation. He wanted to know what Ellen was doing.
He instructed his patient to remain where he was. The rear of the van had been driven under the back of the tent. The area was shadowy because the portable lamps were being used around the exam tables. With the dimming light of the day, compounded by the storm, it was hard to see.
As Chance neared the open doors he saw the small glow of what must be Ellen’s penlight. “Hey, what’s taking you so long?”
She was on her knees on the floor, facing the medicine box. Her head turned slowly toward him. Even in the disappearing