by Emma Nichols
‘The hospital!’ Iman repeated, two fine lines appearing between her eyes.
‘Yes. The doctor who treated Craig, she’s French.’
Iman twitched at the mention of the engineer’s name. ‘How can Niomi see her?’ She was shaking her head, unable to see a way to get to the hospital doctor. This situation wasn’t technically an emergency.
‘I’ll go. I’ll find a way to be seen by her and say it’s me that needs the help. Maybe she can give me something.’
Iman’s eyes widened, and her lips parted. Just the thought of Ash having had sex with a man filled her with an uncomfortable feeling that caused her to shudder. Her eyes dropped to the floor; this wasn’t about Ash and Craig. Niomi needed this help and Ash was willing to expose herself to save her friend. Her watering eyes lifted and locked onto Ash. Ash was staring straight at her; through her, and she froze. Could she tell? Had Ash seen the truth? Her breath caught, and her heart thumped.
Ash took a step forward, placed a hand on Iman’s shoulder and encouraged her to lean into her chest. Ignoring the disconcerting sensations radiating through her, she held Iman’s rocking body until she calmed. ‘It’s okay. I’ll get it sorted Iman. Please don’t worry,’ she said softly. The intensity of the burning sensation in her chest and throat had consumed her entirely before Iman eased out of the embrace, and she moved away swiftly, scalded, almost throwing Iman off her. Her pupils conveyed the fire that fuelled the temptation of something far more alluring and she couldn’t breathe. ‘I need to get over to the hospital,’ she said, averting Iman’s gaze.
The feel of Ash’s warm chest, against her face, had dried the tears and comforted her. The delicate-woody-scent though, flooding her senses, and causing unimaginable discomfort. Worry? She couldn’t even think! Niomi’s problem had faded, in that short embrace. Her heart was racing, and it was making it difficult to focus on anything but the woman holding her. And then, Ash had abruptly moved away, leaving her bare and exposed. She shivered at the chill created by the lack of contact. Ash was walking, talking, and wouldn’t look at her. ‘Sorry?’ she asked.
Ash turned to face her and coughed to clear her throat. ‘I need to get over to the hospital,’ she repeated.
‘Yes, yes, of course,’ Iman stuttered, brushing her hands down the front of her uniform and turning towards the door.
‘I’ll be back as soon as possible,’ Ash added, but Iman had already darted out the front door. Ash blew out the air that had lodged itself in her chest and stopped her mind from working. Hospital! She rubbed her hands up and down her cheeks and her fingers into and around her eyes. Focus! She puffed out again and headed for the door. Craig!
*
‘What?’ Craig grumped.
‘I need you to come to the hospital with me,’ Ash repeated. ‘I need to speak to Giselle, the doctor that treated you,’ she added with urgency.
Craig’s eyebrows rose in his head and a slight chuckle formed on his lips.
‘Uh huh,’ he responded, his grin widening by the second.
She slapped him on the arm. ‘Fuck off,’ she teased. ‘Niomi needs help,’ she said, more seriously.
‘Why can’t she go then?’ he asked, shrugging his shoulders. ‘We’ve got a raft t’ be fixin’.’
‘Not right now we haven’t. Niomi could be pregnant.’
‘Shoot!’
‘I know. And, worse still.’ Her brows rose.
Craig rolled his eyes. ‘Fuckin’ Zack, dumber than a box of hammers.’
‘Yeah, not the smartest move.’ She tilted her head back and forth. ‘But, in fairness, they do seem pretty into each other.’
‘Clearly.’ Craig sucked hard on the cigarette in his hand. ‘He’s still a dick.’
‘Clearly,’ Ashley repeated, with a wry smile.
‘We ain’t all dicks,’ he defended.
She slapped him on the arm. ‘Come on bud let’s go. You need to be in a lot of pain, got it? You think you can do that?’
‘I did actin’ at school,’ he said with a wink, heading out the door.
*
Ashley climbed into the driver’s seat and took the offered cigarette. ‘Right, start groaning,’ she said.
Craig laughed.
‘Not very convincing,’ she teased, putting her foot down hard on the accelerator.
‘Ahhhh!’ he groaned, his body shifting unexpectedly with the movement of the vehicle.
‘That’s better,’ she chuckled.
The route through the city centre was slower than usual, the horns louder, and the heat hotter. Ashley wound her window up, switched on the air conditioning, and eased back into the seat, her eyes locking onto the souk as they passed. The bright coloured garments caused an involuntary twinge between her legs and a soft groan escaped her lips.
Craig looked across at her. ‘Ya okay?’ he asked.
‘Umm,’ she mumbled. ‘Yeah, sorry, just thinking aloud?’
Craig frowned, stared out the window, then focused back on her. ‘Ya keep doin’ that a lot.’
‘What?’
‘Groaning.’ He smiled. ‘It’s new,’ he added. ‘Cute as a Possum,’ he chuckled.
She rolled her eyes and wriggled in her seat. The pulsing sensations were pleasantly distracting, but if they continued she would need to do something about them, and there was only one person she could get that type of satisfaction from. Kate! An altogether different feeling diffused from her stomach, and she grunted. ‘Fucking traffic,’ she retorted.
*
Craig hobbled out the car door, moaning. ‘There’s nothing wrong with your leg,’ Ashley remarked, frowning at his random display of inappropriate pain.
‘Ahhhh, it hurts!’ he groaned more loudly, holding his arm out in front of him. Even his eyes were half shut and his face contorted perfectly.
‘Well done,’ she whispered, pulling open the doors and heading to the reception desk. She puffed out a loud sigh as the same dark-haired man, with the same dark eyes, and the same insolent attitude looked up from behind the computer, ignored her, and focused his eyes on Craig.
‘Name,’ he asked.
Craig motioned to Ashley to sit, but she hovered by the junction to the corridor monitoring the doctors and nurses as they worked. ‘Go ’n’ sit,’ he insisted.
‘I’ll wait for you,’ she retorted, her attention with the movement around the treatment room.
He tapped her on the shoulder. ‘I’ve asked t’ see Dr Benoit,’ he said. ‘He wasn’t happy,’ he said, nodding towards the administrator, ‘’n’ it means we might need t’ wait a bit longer.’ He pulled her towards a waiting room seat. ‘So, wanna get some coffee?’
‘Sure,’ she said. ‘Save that one for me.’ She pointed at the seat with a view down the corridor to the treatment room.
‘Ahhh,’ Craig moaned again for all to hear, taking his seat.
‘I’ll be right back,’ she said, heading to the cafeteria.
*
He was resting his arm on his chest when she returned, his long legs sticking out in front of him, his good arm resting on the empty seat next to him. His eyes remained shut, and he was snuffling through his nose. She sat softly, avoiding his hand, perching on the end of the seat, and sipped at the coffee.
‘Where’s mine,’ he said, without opening his eyes.
Ashley jolted, just barely avoiding a spillage, the hot drink splashing from her cup to the floor. ‘Thanks,’ she said, sarcastically.
He slid up in the chair, stretched out his good arm and took the offered drink. The waiting room was still full. Ashley finished her coffee, slouched back in the chair and started picking at her fingers. She sighed and began to fidget, sat up, then slumped again. If the clock made a noise, it couldn’t be heard over the din and general clanging sounds emanating from the clinical rooms lining the corridor. She watched the second hand click its way around the Roman numerals on its face. How slowly time moved! She sighed and tried focusing on something else, but her eyes kept drawing back to th
e clock. Ten minutes turned into an hour, and an hour into four.
‘Fucking hell,’ she mumbled, for Craig’s ears. ‘You hungry?’
‘Could do with a smoke,’ he said, pulling his eyes from the Arabic newspaper he’d been studying. There weren’t enough pictures to keep him entertained for very long. He huffed.
‘You can’t, just in case we get called,’ she said. ‘I’ll go and get us a snack.’ Craig huffed again and folded the paper. Ashley stood and stretched.
‘Craig Johnson please.’ The name caused them both to come to attention.
Craig stood enthusiastically, then remembering himself, groaned out in pain. Pairs of eyes locked onto him from around the room and he hobbled down the corridor, following the nurse into a treatment bay. Ashley held her head in her hand and walked a pace behind him, trying not to smile.
‘I didn’t expect to see you again.’ Giselle’s chirpy voice broke the silence between them, as she closed the curtain behind her and eyed Craig carefully. ‘So, what seems to be the problem?’ she asked. She followed Craig’s gaze and turned her attention to Ashley.
Ashley fiddled her hands in her pockets, her eyes failing to focus. She hadn’t thought through the plan any further than getting to see the doctor. She hesitated. ‘Umm.’
Giselle frowned, looked at the notes in her hand and shrugged her shoulders. ‘Is there something I’m missing?’ she asked, with genuine concern.
‘I need to ask a favour,’ Ashley said, through a shaky voice.
Giselle recoiled a fraction, her brows rising as she processed Ashley’s words. ‘A favour,’ she repeated. ‘This is an emergency department,’ she said.
‘What are you doing here?’ She eyed Craig again, puzzled by his treated hand and smiling face.
‘I might be pregnant,’ Ashley said.
Craig’s eyes popped out of his head, and his jaw dropped.
‘Oh!’ Giselle assessed her momentarily then lowered her gaze to the notes in her hand, but she wasn’t reading them. ‘You could see your local doctor for that,’ she said, looking up, her eyes probing further.
‘Well, it’s complicated,’ Ashley continued, many thoughts rushing through her mind and none of them helpful.
Giselle frowned and tilted her head. ‘I’m sure it is,’ she said in a softer, quizzical tone. She studied Ashley again, settling on her shifty eyes. ‘Who exactly is pregnant?’ she asked.
Ashley’s mouth opened, but nothing came out. Craig buried his head in his hands, stifling a laugh, and Ashley closed her mouth.
Giselle’s smile broadened. ‘Whom are we talking about here?’ she asked, putting down the clipboard. She perched on the window ledge and crossed her arms, waiting for a response.
‘A friend of a friend,’ Ashley answered, her eyes slowly meeting Giselle’s gaze. ‘She’s a local, and she slept with one of our technicians.’ She faltered. ‘Unprotected,’ she added with a cough. ‘I was hoping we could help them.’
Giselle held Ashley’s eyes. ‘When did intercourse take place?’ she asked.
Ash flushed. ‘This morning, I think. Or maybe last night.’ She cursed to herself. It hadn’t even occurred to her to ask the question.
Giselle nodded. ‘I can organise a prescription for the morning after pill,’ she offered. ‘I’ll need to use your details though,’ she said, staring at Ashley
Ashley shrugged and nodded, a smile forming as the words registered. ‘Thank you so much.’
Giselle took down the details, pulled back the curtain and exited the cubicle, returning moments later with a piece of paper in her hand. ‘Here, take this to the pharmacy. Your friend needs to take it immediately. The medication will bring on a bleed, so she needs to be prepared for that. If you have any concerns, please bring her here and ask to see me.’
Ashley nodded at the instructions. ‘I can’t tell you…’
‘It’s okay, I understand,’ Giselle said, her dark-brown eyes holding a pain of their own.
Craig set off, hobbling his way back through the reception.
Ashley stopped, turned, and faced the gaze that had fixed on her back. ‘Can I take you out for a drink sometime. To say thank you?’ she asked.
Giselle smiled. ‘Maybe. If you call the hospital, my extension is 3467,’ she said. Her smile was kind and reassuring.
‘Thank you,’ Ashley said again, holding out her hand.
Giselle shook it firmly. ‘You’re welcome.’
*
Ashley stepped out of the 4x4 and walked around the back of the hotel to the kitchen’s main entrance. She stopped on the step, the slight aroma of food waste emanating from the industrial size bins causing her nose to twitch. She knocked on the door, opened it, entered, and halted. The long wavy brown hair caused her breath to hitch and the pleasant aroma of spices, almond and cinnamon instantly seduced her senses. ‘Hi,’ she said, reaching into her pocket for the small paper bag. She held out the drug, her hand shaking.
‘Ash!’ Iman stood still. She stared at the small bag, a wave of relief relaxing the tension she had carried all afternoon, and smiled warmly.
Ash traced the long pale dress sweeping down to just short of her exposed ankles. She swallowed hard. ‘You look… nice,’ she said, cringing. Nice sounded so lame and didn’t represent what she wanted to say, but that was the word that had popped out. She lowered her eyes.
‘Thank you.’ Iman didn’t move.
Ash stepped towards her and placed the drug on the worktop. ‘Hmm, Niomi needs to take this straight away,’ she said. ‘It’s going to make her have a bleed, like a period,’ she continued. ‘How is she?’ she asked.
Iman raised her chin a little and breathed in deeply. ‘Distraught.’ Ash nodded, fiddling with her fingers. Iman closed the gap between them and reached out her arms, pulling Ash into a full embrace. ‘Thank you so much,’ she said. When she eased back, an errant tear had slipped onto her cheek.
Ash reached up and wiped it away, the feel Iman’s soft skin drying her mouth, stealing her words. ‘I’m glad I could help,’ she said eventually, releasing the cook and taking a pace backwards. She turned before the door. ‘I’m guessing she’ll be needing you tomorrow,’ she said.
Iman nodded, her eyes failing to connect fully with Ash’s.
‘That’s okay. We’ve got a raft to finish building, and we can always go when I get back from the rig,’ she offered, trying to sound upbeat and feeling quite the opposite.
‘I’d like that,’ Iman responded, confused by the burning in her heart and the wet, throbbing sensation between her legs.
‘See you at breakfast then.’ Ash said. She stopped her hand on the handle and looked over her shoulder. ‘There’s a leaving party tonight at Craig’s house. You’re more than welcome to come along; Niomi too if she’s up to it,’ she added.
Iman’s face remained tense at the mention of Craig, and the smile wouldn’t come. ‘Thanks,’ she said. ‘I’ll let her know.’
Stepping out into the heat, the smell of the bins hit the back of Ashley’s nostrils and clung to her throat. She moved swiftly crossed the road and stepped through her front door, her heart racing. She needed a cold shower.
Iman stood staring at the small bag; her head swimming with ideological possibilities, wanting to believe her feelings meant something, that Ash felt something for her, and that Craig was just a friend. Sighing deeply, she glanced around the room. Maybe she should think more seriously about training to be a chef. She could go away for a bit. Another country, meet other women; women like her! Surely the pain of not seeing Ash couldn’t be as punishing as the turmoil she was experiencing right now. Is that what this was? A heart breaking! One minute feeling elated at the thought that Ash was attracted to her, the next fighting the misery, loneliness and desolation at the idea of Ash and Craig being intimate together. She clung to her waist, squeezing at the ache gripping her gut, screaming silently until the tears had stopped falling. She wiped at her damp eyes and picked up the medication; closed the door behin
d her and climbed into her car.
11.
Craig put his foot on the barrel to brace the row of six, even though they were welded together and unlikely to move, his good hand fully occupied by the beer in his hand. ‘So, party tonight.’ he said.
His excitement didn’t lift Ashley, her thoughts consumed by the shift in Iman’s interaction with her. Iman had seemed distant, evasive, in a way that was out of character for her. Maybe it was to do with Niomi. ‘Sure,’ she said, pulling herself from her thoughts and heaving the wooden slatted structure into place on top of the barrels, her tone lacking in enthusiasm. ‘I’ve invited Niomi,’ she added.
Craig flinched. ‘What for?’ He threw his bandaged hand into the air for dramatic effect.
She landed the planks into place and stood up straight, puffing in the stifling air, sweat trickling down her brow, wiping her arm across her face before the salty liquid burned her eyes. ‘I figured if they want to be a couple we should at least give them the chance to have time together, without doing something stupid.’ She shrugged her shoulders.
‘Her parents won’t let her near the place on her own,’ he said, drawing down on his cigarette and puffing out small rings.
‘That’s why I asked Iman to come with her, and I’m guessing Tarek will come too,’ she continued before he could comment.
‘Ah huh,’ he said, but Ash’s features remained unmoved. He continued to stare, assessing her.
In the absence of any further comment from him, she reached for the bolts and started to connect the planks to the barrels.
‘Here, I’ll do that,’ he said, wiping at his brow. ‘Ya ’ll need to screw the nuts on though ‘n’ I’ll tighten ‘em when we get back from the rig,’
‘Fuck off,’ she said, digging him in the ribs. There wouldn’t be any turn in those nuts by the time she’d finished with them. ‘Go get me a beer,’ she said, indicating to the cool-box on the bench.
The cold bottle in her hand, Ash followed Craig outside and slumped onto a makeshift bench-seat at the back of the workshop. Taking advantage of the shade and uncharacteristic quiet in a place that was usually humming with noise and activity, she sipped at the cold beer and stretched her legs out in front of her. ‘How’s the hand?’ she asked.