by Lily Harlem
Leo didn’t pause. But he could hear Salim’s footsteps behind him and his panting breath. He kept going and arrived back at the well.
An elderly woman, thin and haggard, was just starting to collect water from the base.
“Wait,” Leo said. “Stop.”
She looked at him and frowned.
“Please, just a minute.” He flicked on his flashlight and shone it into the dark depths.
“What are you doing, Doctor Leo?” Salim asked breathlessly.
“It’s the water from the well.”
“Yes, it is, down there.”
“No, what I mean is the dog wouldn’t drink it.”
“It wouldn’t?”
“No, and a dog’s nose is much more sensitive than ours. There’s something wrong with it, the water.” Leo shone the torch around the base. He could see the water’s dark surface now, glistening in the distance. He tried to make out the edge of the well and see if there was anything floating in it.
“Can you see anything, Salim?” he asked.
“No, just water, which is good in a well.”
Leo said nothing. He began a careful, methodical sweep of the rippling water, examining the edges. Suddenly he spotted something. “There, look. What’s that?”
Salim bent lower.
Leo narrowed his eyes and strained to make out what he was seeing. It appeared to be something bloated and pale and it was hooked between the side of the well and a rocky protrusion. The gentle flow of the underground stream was making it bob and rock.
“I don’t know,” Salim said. “But it shouldn’t be there.”
“I agree.” Leo shook his head. “We’ve got to get it out. It should be nothing but clear water down there. I think whatever that is, bobbing up and down, is contaminating the water and making everyone sick.”
Salim gasped. “You do?”
“Yes,” Leo said, straightening. He looked around the village. “It seems those who drink boiled water and tea or bottled water or…yes, or breast milk, are fine. Anyone who has taken water straight from the well has become sick.”
Salim’s eyes were wide, as though he thought Leo a great genius. “So what do we do?”
“Like I said, we have to get it out so the stream can run clear and fresh again.
Salim glanced over the side of the well.
Leo joined him. It was about fifteen feet deep.
“Do you want me to go down there?” Salim asked quietly. “I will, for the good of my village. I will do that.” He banged his chest and pulled a determined expression.
“I’m sure there will be no need for that. Perhaps if we can make some kind of grabbing device, we could free whatever that is and scoop it into a bucket. We can then bring it up and get rid of it.”
“Yes, yes, that is a better idea. Much better.” Leo batted away a fly that was bothering around his ear. “I suppose what we need is a long stick then we could fashion a hook onto the end.”
Salim nodded. “Yes. I will go and get that now. I know just the thing.” He ran off, kicking up dust behind himself.
“What is happening?” Sister Afua called from the hospital entrance.
“I think I’ve found the source of our mysterious sickness bug.”
“You have?” She appeared surprised and came toward him.
“Yes, there’s something in the well. Something that I suspect is rotting and making the water unpotable.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “Salim has just gone to get a stick. We’re going to try to get it out. Either that or push it away so it can go with the natural flow of the underground stream.”
“It would be good to know the cause of the sickness, so we can stop it happening.”
“Yes, you’re right.” Sister Afua peered down the well.
Leo flashed the light into the darkness. “There…see?”
“Yes.” She shook her head. “So anyone who has drank this without it being boiled is sick.”
“You got it in one.”
“Here. Is this right?” Salim jogged over. He had sweat on his forehead and he was carrying a long stick that was smooth and straight.
“Perfect,” Leo said.
“And it has a curved end for hooking.” Salim spun it around so Leo and Sister Afua could examine the opposite end.
“Oh, well done, Salim.” Sister Afua smiled and rubbed her hands together.
Salim seemed as though he would burst with joy at the praise. “Thank you,” he said, his voice higher than usual.
Leo took the stick. “Right. It’s going to take three of us. Sister, could you please hold the light?” He passed her the torch. “Salim, if you lower the pail down to the water, I’ll try to maneuver it beneath whatever that is and then jab it free.”
“Yes, yes.” Salim nodded and began to drop the bucket.
Leo lifted the stick high and slowly and carefully, keeping a tight grip, lowered it into the well.
The pail hit the water with a tinny splash. Sister Afua kept the light beam on it as Leo poked the bucket beneath the bobbing contaminant.
Watching it shift and agitate, Leo became more and more convinced it was something dead and rotten.
“That’s it,” Leo said. “Just like that. Hold it steady.” He prodded and poked and got the bucket lined perfectly beneath his target.
“It’s a chicken.” Sister Afua gasped.
“So it is.” Leo could see that now. It was a fat, bloated, drowned chicken. The feathers were stuck to its torso, its head lolled and its body was swollen and contorted. “We’ve really got to get this out.”
Gingerly, so as not to disturb the progress they’d made so far, he nudged at the place the chicken seemed to be trapped. It was as though its claw had become stuck in the brickwork, no doubt as the poor thing had tried to scramble free.
“Nearly there,” he said, “just a bit...” He worked and wriggled. It was an awkward task because the pole was long and heavy and hard to keep control of. He could hear Salim panting at his side with the effort of holding the bucket still.
“Just a little bit more,” Leo whispered, aiming a harder stab at the lodged-in section.
Suddenly the chicken broke free. It spun on the surface of the water. Leo jabbed at it, to keep it over the bucket. “Pull, Salim. Pull the bucket up now.”
Salim heaved.
Leo did his best to keep the chicken central until it was clear of the water.
“It is heavy.” Salim groaned.
“I’ll help. Hang on.” Leo quickly pulled the long stick up from the well then cast it aside. He grabbed hold of the well rope with Salim and together they brought the chicken to the surface.
The smell hit Leo first. “Yuk.” He held his breath for a few seconds. “Disgusting.”
Sister Afua and Salim didn’t seem too worried by the smell and as the chicken came into view, they all stared at it.
As soon as it was up and out, the pail on the ground, Leo put his hand over his nose. The chicken was indeed rotten. Rotten and rank and no wonder the villagers had been ill drinking water that had been near it.
“We should take it away and bury it, so it can do no more harm,” Salim said.
“Good idea,” Leo managed. “And give this bucket a good clean too.”
Salim unhooked the bucket and stood up straight. “I will do this job, right now.”
“Yes. You should.” Leo was relieved when Salim turned around and headed out of the village.
“You have an audience.” Sister Afua gestured behind Leo.
“What?” He spun and saw that a large group of villagers had gathered—women with babes on hips and children holding their mothers’ skirts and men with concerned expressions. “Oh, I didn’t realize.”
“You are quite the hero, Doctor Leo.”
“Well, I really don’t know about that. I—”
She laughed. “Take the adoration. It could have been weeks before we found that chicken, if we ever did. You have saved the day, well a
nd truly.”
Leo shifted and fidgeted. He had a sudden longing for Malik’s calm presence. But of course, that wasn’t going to happen.
“Could you tell them in both languages?” Leo said, smiling at the crowd. “What the problem was and that it is best we make some kind of grid to go over the top of the well. It would prevent the problem happening again and to be honest, I think it would be safer all round.”
“Yes. I will do that and set some of the men to the task. When will the water be safe again?”
“Very soon I should think, maybe even now. It flows down from the mountain at a steady rate so it should wash any residual bacteria away pretty quickly.”
She nodded and turned to the crowd. As she began to speak, Leo slipped away and went into the hospital.
It had turned out to be quite a morning.
Chapter Fourteen
Two days later and Leo was relieved that many of the ward patients who’d had bacterial gastroenteritis were improving. Some had even gone home. The only one who hadn’t made progress was the first old lady he’d treated, but she hadn’t worsened, so he could only hope it was her age hampering her recovery. The village on the whole was also much better and he was still receiving handshakes for discovering the source of the disease and getting rid of it.
A new, wooden grid had been fashioned over the well, which pleased him very much. He’d always thought an open well was a hazard for the children that played in the square all day. Thank goodness it was only a chicken that had met its demise down there.
He’d had a busy morning—changed two intravenous lines, administered anti-emetics, seen the asthma child for a check-up then had to suture a nasty gash on a young man’s foot. He’d been out hunting and had caught it on something in the ground. Leo gave him prophylactic antibiotics to prevent it becoming infected.
But now he was hot and thirsty so he wandered into the office in search of tea. There was no one else around to ask if they wanted a brew and, glad of the peace, he shut the door and stared out of the window at the horizon.
As the kettle element struggled and creaked, his attention fell on a small dark dot in the distance. A trail of dust puffed in its wake and after a few minutes, Leo realized that it was a man walking toward the village.
His heart did a little flip. Was it Malik? Was he on his way home?
Leo had missed him so much. It was an ache that had followed him around as if he were wearing a heavy, uncomfortable cloak.
He peered a little closer, willing his eyes to focus on the figure.
It certainly looked like Malik. Tall and broad and with a confident, determined stride and carrying a long, thin spear.
Leo sucked in a breath as a tingle went through his cock and a tug played with his balls. A memory skipped through his mind. Him bent over the bed, his arsehole trembling for Malik’s dick and Malik shoving into him with unbridled lust and desperation. Fuck, that had been hot and by God he wanted it again.
Pressing his hand on the material covering his shaft, in the hope of preventing a full blown hard-on, Leo poured boiling water over tea leaves then left the mug to cool. He turned back to the window, the tug in his belly not abating in the least and the density of his cock increasing.
Now he was sure it was Malik. He recognized the width of his shoulders, the neat tapering to his waist and his long legs. He couldn’t make out features but yes, it was him.
Leo blew out a breath. Malik was home, safe.
What a relief.
Much as he’d missed him, he’d also feared for his safety. He knew he, himself, wouldn’t survive for more than an hour out there in the bush.
His growing erection pushed into the zipper on his shorts and he turned away from the window. It was getting uncomfortable and it didn’t do to have a hard-on at work. Any more ogling Malik striding along wearing only denims and with that spear in his hand, and Leo would be oozing pre-cum.
The scent of the tea, fruity and sharp, filled his nostrils and he took a tentative sip. It was too hot so he set it down and leaned back against the wall. The cool from the whitewashed bricks seeped through his T-shirt and he shut his eyes and pushed his fingers through his hair. He could hear his pulse, rapid in his ears and his breaths, also quick, dragging in and out of his nose, throat and lungs.
It seemed this was what Malik did to him. Even at a distance his body responded. He wanted him now as much as he had before. If anything, that one wild fuck had increased his desire, the satisfaction was just a distant memory and he wanted to be sated all over again.
A small click alerted Leo to someone else in the room.
He opened his eyes.
“Malik.”
Malik stood before him. His skin was shiny from the heat of the sun and his breathing, like Leo’s, was a little fast.
Leo glanced at the door as Malik shut it.
“You’re back,” Leo managed, dropping his hands.
A muscle jumped in Malik’s cheek and his gaze roamed Leo’s face. His big eyes brimmed with darkness, his pupils large and deep. Still he didn’t speak.
Leo swallowed. His tongue was heavy and he struggled to find anything to say. Malik’s beautiful, raw masculinity had stolen all sensible thoughts and words.
Malik stepped closer—so close Leo could feel his body heat radiating toward him. He could also see a small peppering of sweat on his upper lip and he smelled of the sun, of warmth and the outdoors.
Leo pulled in a deep breath and flattened his palms against the wall behind him. He was crowded, hemmed in by Malik. He wasn’t complaining, up close and personal with this man was something he craved. But…
Again he glanced at the door.
“Do not worry,” Malik said. “They are all busy.”
“Yes…but…?”
“No buts.” One side of Malik’s mouth tipped into a half smile. “I am taking you away.”
“You are?”
“Yes.” Malik leaned closer and put his palms on the wall on either side of Leo’s head. “Tomorrow morning.”
Leo glanced at Malik’s bulging biceps and the way his skin stretched luscious and smooth over the balls of his shoulders. He could also see a small tuft of underarm hair. He’d like to twirl that hair in his fingers, nuzzle into it and breathe in the essence of this man who again had his cock straining forward.
“I…I’m not sure if I can leave the hospital.” Though the idea of going away with Malik was hugely appealing.
“You are entitled to a few days off, plus you need to learn some of our ways…survival skills.”
“Well, yes. I suppose I do.”
Malik dropped his face lower. “I’m going to teach you everything you need to know.”
Leo could feel Malik’s sweet breaths on his nose and mouth and chin. His heart rate rocketed.
Damn, if someone comes in now…
They were far too close, personal space had been breached massively. It would be obvious there was something going on between them.
“You’re going to teach me everything?”
“Yes.”
If Leo moved his face an inch, he’d be able to kiss Malik, but he didn’t. He stayed frozen in place, trapped by the big arms and big body caging him in. “Where are we going?”
“To the canyon. I have prepared it so a white man will find it comfortable.”
“You didn’t need to go to all that trouble. I’m sure I would be okay if—”
“Oh, yes I did.” He tipped his head and put his mouth against Leo’s right ear.
Leo could no longer see his face, just the nape of his neck and the neat, short hair that was trimmed close to his skin. “But why?”
“Because I need you,” Malik whispered. “I need you relaxed and comfortable. I also need for no one to see us, hear us or disturb us and the canyon is the perfect place. No humans for miles around to hear your screams of pleasure when we go for it.”
“It?” Leo struggled to say even that one word. Damn, his balls were constricted and his
arse cheeks clenched. His cock was surging forward and getting bloody uncomfortable.
“You know what it is, Leo,” Malik said, his voice low and husky. “It is sex. It is me fucking you.” He paused. “All. Night. Long.”
“Yes…” Oh, how he wanted that.
“It is me bending you over. It is me licking your arsehole until you beg for more. It is me pushing you to your knees and ordering you to suck my big, black cock.”
“Yes, yes, I want to do that. All of that. And your cock. I want to suck it…” Leo blew out a long, slow breath, his control slipping. Malik’s sinfully delicious words were riling him up to a painful state. “I want to suck your cock, Malik.”
“I know you do.” Malik’s lips brushed his ear. “I also know you want to fuck my arse, don’t you?”
“Yes. Fuck, yes,” Leo whispered.
“You want to fuck it hard like I did to you and see what a white cock looks like in a black hole.”
Leo shut his eyes. Lust was blurring his vision. “I just want…you.”
“Are you hard now?”
“Yes.” Leo groaned. “Very.”
“Good.”
“Are you?” He had to know.
“Of course. I am always hard when I am near you.”
Leo released his hand from the wall and in a daring and damning move, he pressed his palm over the front of Malik’s shorts.
Malik’s shoulders tensed but he didn’t back away. He stayed very still.
Sure enough, Leo could feel his erection butting forward. He could make out the length and thick girth, as well as the burning heat of it.
“It is all for you,” Malik said. “But you must be patient, Leo.” Suddenly he stepped away.
Leo covered his own hard-on with the hand that had been on Malik’s cock and touched his other hand to his temple. Fuck. He just wanted to fuck, right now. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Which was, of course, impossible.
Malik was right. He’d have to be patient.
Malik let his gaze slide down Leo’s body and licked his lips.
For Leo the appreciative perusal of his hard-on through clothing and the lingering look was like a heated caress, and he was already hot enough. Sweat dampened his armpits and his forehead. Adrenaline rushed through his veins.