by Lucy Clark
‘Well, that was before I understood your vision. What you’re doing here, Emmy, raising awareness of issues which are usually swept under the carpet, is good. Very good.’ Dart was lowering his head, focusing on her luscious mouth, wanting nothing else than to taste the gloriousness which was his Emmy, when there was a loud shout from one of the villagers.
‘Soldiers!’
At the one word, spoken in English, Emmy froze to the spot. Soldiers? Here? Men with guns? She swallowed over the instant dryness of her throat, her eyes widening in fear.
‘Where?’ Dart called, releasing her and rushing over to the villager who had called the warning.
‘Friend or foe?’ Tarvon asked in his native tongue.
‘Friend,’ came the cry. ‘Injured.’
Dart looked over at Emmy, surprised to see her standing right where he’d left her. It was exactly the way she’d looked when Weyakuu had been brought in the other day. ‘Emmy?’ He crossed quickly back to her side. ‘Everything all right? You’ve gone pale.’ Just as she had when they’d been in the truck, going through the checkpoint. Was she afraid of the soldiers? Or guns? He wouldn’t blame her if she was but his gut told him there was more to it than that.
‘Emmy?’ Dart put his hand on her shoulder and she all but clamped onto his arm, drawing him close.
‘I’ll be fine in a moment,’ she murmured as she breathed him in, trying to calm her racing fear.
‘It’s all right. The soldiers are friendly. Allies.’
‘Will they still be carrying their guns? Weyakuu didn’t come into the village with a gun, just a bullet deep inside him from someone else’s gun!’
‘Em?’ Dart was starting to get concerned. ‘Are you sure you’re going to be all right? If not, I can get Rick to assist me.’
Emmy breathed in one last breath, absorbing strength from him. ‘I can do this.’
‘Are you telling me or yourself?’
She eased back and nodded once. ‘Both. Let’s go see what the damage is.’
Together they walked over to where the injured soldier sat next to one of his friends, his rifle slung over his shoulder with a strap. Emmy reached over and grabbed Dart’s hand, squeezing it a little.
Dart met her gaze. ‘I won’t let anything happen to you, Em,’ he reassured her. ‘Believe that.’
Emmy looked into his gorgeous brown eyes and then nodded, gaining strength from the man by her side. He would protect her.
‘Status?’ he asked Tarvon as they walked into the medical tent.
‘Knife wound to the lower left leg. Bruises, scratches. Minor burn to the hand.
‘Burn?’ Dart asked as he stepped in for a closer look, releasing Emmy’s hand. ‘Not a gunshot wound?’ He looked to the solider and asked in Tarparnese, ‘How did you get the burn?’
The soldier’s answer made Dart’s jaw clench. He straightened slowly.
‘What did he say?’ Emmy asked, picking up on the tension radiating from Dart.
‘He said that a village not too far from here was under attack. Rebels came not too long ago, right through the village. Many are dead. A lot are injured. Just as these men were leaving to come here, one of the huts caught fire. He’s not sure how. His hand got burnt from a hot ember.’
After finishing his explanation, Dart turned on his heel and stalked out of the tent to go and speak to the village headman. If another village was in trouble, they would need to provide whatever support they could. Such was the way of these people.
It didn’t take long to gather a team together, Tarvon and a few other PMA personnel staying behind to provide any necessary medical treatment for those already headed here.
‘The rest of us, grab whatever supplies you can and bring a bucket,’ Dart said. ‘We’ll no doubt meet casualties along the route but if the fires aren’t yet out, we’ll need all the buckets we can find.’ He turned to Emmy as everyone went off to get ready. ‘I want you to stay here,’ he said. ‘Help Tarvon with any of the emergencies.’
‘No. I’m coming with you. Tarvon has enough help.’
‘Emmy. I need to know you’re safe.’
‘I will be safe and I’ll also be by your side because that is the safest place for me.’
Dart’s frustration instantly rose. ‘I can’t guarantee your safety when there’s a jungle full of rebels and a village in need of attention.’
‘I’m not asking for that type of protection, Dart. My crew and I will be there, filming and helping. That’s what we’ve come here to do.’
‘Ugh. Emmy.’ He raked a hand through his hair. ‘You are so frustrating at times. I can’t concentrate properly if I know you’re—’
‘We’re wasting time arguing,’ she said, and started to head off, but he caught her arm, turning her to face him before pressing his mouth to hers, hard and furious.
‘Promise me you’ll stay safe. Promise me, Em,’ he ground out, his voice laced with a need she’d never heard before. When she looked into his eyes, she couldn’t believe the urgency reflected there. Urgency and…something else.
Emmy swallowed. ‘I promise, but I’m still coming with you.’
He closed his eyes for a split second, as though accepting her resolve. ‘You are so stubborn sometimes,’ he murmured, before bringing his mouth to hers once more. After a few incredible seconds he put his arms on her shoulders and put her from him. ‘Let’s get ready.’ He pushed all his emotional, irrational thoughts to the back of his mind. If he was going to be of any help to the villagers, to these wonderful Tarparniians, he needed to be one hundred per cent focused.
It wasn’t too much longer until they were ready to leave, walking in a group towards the next village. If there were any rebels hiding in the leafy green scrub of the jungle, they weren’t aware of them. Emmy walked beside Dart, feeling strong and empowered at the thought of helping these good people.
She’d been raised to be a figurehead, to listen and to help people. That hadn’t been enough for her so she’d decided to study medicine. Even then, while she’d enjoyed helping people out in a more functional capacity, things still hadn’t felt quite right. Going into the media had given her the opportunity to combine her philanthropic upbringing and her medical training.
Being here, though, walking through the jungles of Tarparnii, a backpack filled with supplies on her back and an empty wooden bucket in each hand, Emmy realised she was doing something she’d never really done before—she was giving with her heart. Here, she was able to use all of her skills and her deep-seated need to really help others. Here, she could make a massive difference and that was a powerful motivator, her mind already starting to whirl with different possibilities of how PMA could use more funds to help improve the life of the average Tarparniian.
It was a strange time to have such a revelation, just as she was about to walk into a potentially dangerous situation, but she wasn’t scared, she wasn’t worried. Looking up at Dart striding purposefully next to her enhanced her feelings and she couldn’t believe how right everything felt.
As they neared the village, the smell of smoke filled the air and everyone quickened their pace. They’d met a few people along the way, either one or two of the PMA medics stopping to help or to encourage them to continue towards waiting medical help. When they came out into the village clearing, Emmy felt as though she’d stepped into an enormous accident scene.
There were people lying on the ground, crying; others were lying still, not moving. Women and children were huddled together, others were wailing. There was a long line of people creating a chain from the well in the centre of the village to the fire. It was chaos and for a split second Emmy had no idea where to help first. She didn’t have to wonder long as Dart started calling instructions.
‘Emmy, work triage with Gloria. Rick and Sue, first aid. Set up tables, and use the supplies sparingly because they’re all we’ve got. If any patients can be sent through to Tarvon, send them on their way. The fewer people we have milling around, the better.’ Dart
then went forward with the rest of the village men, walking into the fray. Even though it was the middle of the day, the smoke had turned the area dark and inhospitable.
Emmy couldn’t help but watch him go, her heart pounding with a mixture of apprehension and adrenalin, the smell of smoke filling her senses. Work. Job. Professional. She and the others took off their packs, offered their empty buckets for the villagers to use and started to assess their patients. Emmy glanced over towards the well and could just make out Dart’s tall, powerful frame as he talked to one of the village elders as they filled buckets with water.
A loud cry, a scream of anguish, rang out into the air and Emmy’s heart almost stopped beating. What was that? She must have spoken out loud as Gloria translated.
‘Someone is asking for help. They can’t find their child.’
Emmy swallowed, her throat dry. ‘How old is the child?’
Gloria listened for a moment as she and Emmy continued bandaging up a burn on a man’s arm. ‘Er…about five.’
‘Wait here,’ she said, and ignoring other cries headed towards Dart. Another loud cry went up and a woman was pointing towards the hut that was on fire, her words rapid and urgent.
‘QaH! QaH!’ the woman called, pointing urgently. Emmy had heard that word enough during her time here. It meant ‘help’.
Then, before she could call out to Dart, ask him what was going on, she watched in horror as he took off, heading directly towards the building that was ablaze.
‘No!’ The word was wrenched from her and as though in slow motion she saw Dart drape himself with a wet blanket and head into the heat. She took a few steps after him but was restrained by one of the men. She turned. ‘What’s he doing? Where’s he going?’
‘A child. Trapped,’ the village headman said. ‘Dart rescue.’
Emmy couldn’t believe it. Dart might die. No. She couldn’t even begin to think like that and as Gloria called for her, Emmy couldn’t believe how torn she was. She wanted to stand there and wait for Dart, to make sure he came out, that he was OK, but at the same time she had a job to do.
‘Emmy.’ There was urgency in Gloria’s tone. ‘This woman’s baby’s head is crowning.’
‘What?’ Emmy clenched her teeth, turned away from the burning building and stalked back to where Gloria was madly trying to prepare for an impromptu birth.
‘The baby’s small. The woman said she has another moon cycle to go before the baby is ready.’
‘Is this her first?’ Emmy pulled on a pair of gloves and crouched down on the grass beside the birthing mother. Gloria asked the question.
‘No. It’s her fifth.’
‘It’s going to be quick,’ she murmured as she felt the top of the baby’s head. The birthing woman was panting and moaning, saying a lot of words. ‘Translate, please?’
‘She says she doesn’t want this to happen,’ Gloria said as she did the mother’s observations. ‘She says she does not have her daughters and cousins around her, that there should not be men near.’
‘The head is out,’ Emmy announced, then looked at Gloria, thinking quickly. ‘Tell her we are sorry and respect her customs but this baby is eager to meet her, wants to be held in her arms and suckled at her breast.’
Gloria nodded and translated quickly. The woman moaned and groaned again, pushing hard as the next contraction came.
‘You’re doing an excellent job,’ Emmy praised, working hard to keep her mind focused even though her stomach was in knots with fear for Dart. Had he come out? Had he found the child? Was he all right? ‘Shoulders have rotated,’ she announced. ‘Gloria, this is going to be quick. Do we have forceps? String? Something to tie the umbilical cord with?’
Gloria shifted around to crouch next to Emmy and produced a clean sheet, locking forceps and scissors. ‘Everything you need, Doctor.’
As Emmy had predicted, within the next few contractions the baby was born, four weeks early but with a healthy set of lungs, the impatient cries filling the night. ‘A baby boy,’ she said, and after Gloria had assisted her in clamping and cutting the cord, she loosely wrapped the baby and placed him in his mother’s arms. Gloria translated her words as she continued to speak to the mother. ‘He was born on a night when the men needed help. He will be a strong man, a man who will always help,’ she told the mother with a smile.
The mother grasped her new babe to her and just as quickly put him to the breast, where he started to feed. After they delivered the afterbirth, Emmy left the new mother in Gloria’s capable hands and pulled off her gloves.
‘Nicely done,’ a deep voice said from behind her, and Emmy spun around so fast she almost cricked her neck.
‘Dart!’ She stared at him, quite unable to believe he was before her, but a second later she put her hands around his neck and brought his mouth to hers. ‘You’re OK. You’re fine.’
‘Yes. Was that the first baby you’ve delivered, Dr Jofille?’
‘Yes. What about the boy? Did you find him? Was he—?’
Dart raised a tired arm and pointed to where a woman was cradling her child, Sue making sure both mother and son were fine. ‘Smoke inhalation. He’ll be fine. Wanted to prove to his brothers that he was old enough to help put the fire out.’ Dart turned his attention back to look at Emerson. ‘And you? Delivering a baby. Taking the lead in a medical emergency like you’ve been in Tarparnii for years.’
She dropped her hands and waved away his words. ‘I’m more concerned about you. Did you suffer smoke inhalation?’ she asked.
‘I’m fine.’
‘Dart.’ Her voice changed to one of annoyed concern. ‘You could have been killed.’
‘Nah.’ There was a smile in his voice.
‘Don’t you go all cute and gorgeous on me, Dartagnan Freeman. I’m very cross.’ As she spoke, Emmy could feel a shift in the breeze, the air around them starting to cool very slightly.
Dart looked up and smiled. ‘Weather’s changing.’ He couldn’t believe how exhausted he felt. The flames from the fire had been so hot that his eyes had stung as he’d looked for the young boy.
‘Don’t change the subject. Why did you go in? Don’t you know it’s dangerous to go into a burning building?’
‘I knew what I was doing, Emmy.’ His tone had tightened a little. ‘It’s not the first time I’ve had to run into a burning building.’
She stopped, her anger dissipating quickly. ‘Oh?’
‘I wasn’t going to lose that little boy to those flames. Or myself, for that matter. I’ve already lost far too many people in circumstances like this and I wasn’t going to lose anyone else.’
And there it was. The words were almost choked from his mouth, as though his throat was not only constricting from the smoke but also because he’d lost people he’d loved to fire. His parents? Someone else? Someone very important to him. She recalled Meeree saying that Dart was alone, had a large void of loneliness in his life, and while his giving might cover over the hole, it didn’t fill it.
Could she fill it? Was there the possibility that this love she felt for him could turn into something more? She wasn’t naïve enough to think that simply because she loved Dart their lives would end happily ever after. She knew, after her upbringing, that even if someone said they loved you, it didn’t necessarily mean that things would turn out right.
As she looked at him, trying to figure out what to say next without sounding as though she was prying into his past, the first few raindrops fell onto the top of her head. She didn’t move, her gaze still fixed on Dart’s.
A loud cheer went up as the rain continued to fall in its usual steady rhythm. The people around them were hugging and clapping and cheering and laughing, their dark-skinned faces beaming brightly. The rain had come. The rain would help put out the fire. They were saved.
‘We’d better finish treating these people and get back to the village. The rain will take care of the fire.’
Just like that, he shut her out. It was as though he’d slammed a d
oor in her face and Emmy visibly winced.
Chapter Eleven
FOR the rest of the day, they attended to a few people who required medical treatment. Afterwards, they changed their clothes, had something to eat and packed up their things, ready to head to the next village—J’tagnan’s village.
Throughout it all Emmy tried to behave as normally as she could. She’d become an expert at hiding her true feelings—from everyone—in the past and she had hoped that Dart was the one person she wouldn’t need to hide them from, that around him she could be one hundred per cent herself. Apparently not.
On the truck, as they headed to the next village, he made a point of sitting next to her. His attitude only made Emmy even more confused than she’d been before. It was as though he’d pigeonholed what had happened after the fire. She felt he’d been on the brink of opening up to her, of telling her about his past, when he’d clammed up tight.
When the truck started to slow, Emmy looked out at the scenery, noticing that they were still on the main track. She’d learned by now that the villages were all tucked away in the countryside, away from the main thoroughfares, near the streams and waterholes where water could be provided. The slowing down of the truck probably meant another checkpoint. She swallowed, her throat instantly going dry because she knew that a checkpoint meant soldiers with guns.
‘Are you OK?’ Dart asked, turning to look at her.
‘What? Uh…I’m fine.’ She forced a smile but even she could tell she wasn’t selling it. Not to him. Not now that they’d spent so much time together.
‘Emmy, you’re squeezing my hand.’ His free hand reached out to turn her chin so she was facing him, concern instantly marring his brow. ‘And you’ve gone pale. What’s wrong, Em?’
The truck had almost come to a stop and her breathing had increased slightly, even though she was trying to control it.
‘Guns.’ She pursed her lips together and shrugged quickly, swallowing again, her mouth still dry. ‘I have a…a…thing about guns.’
Dart continued to stare deeply into her eyes for another long moment and she wondered just what he saw. ‘Something happened to you. Long ago,’ he murmured as the truck’s brakes brought the vehicle to a halt. He nodded then leaned forward and pressed a firm but reassuring kiss to her lips. ‘Don’t you worry, Emmy. I’ll protect you.’ His words were direct, forceful and she believed him, one hundred per cent.