by V. K. Powell
“Lion.”
“She’s bleeding so much. Is that why she’s unconscious?” The sickly metallic odor of blood was overpowering and Sara suppressed an urge to gag.
“Hit her head. Ebony will wake.” He spoke as if it were a statement of fact.
“Shouldn’t we try to stop the bleeding?” Sara felt helpless as Zak lay so still, her body slowly draining of color and life.
“I called Imani. Told her to come quick. She is a nurse. We leave the cloth on until she comes. It stops some of the bleeding.”
“How could this happen?” She looked at Ben, desperate for answers but not really expecting any. “Didn’t either of you have a gun?” This was one time when violence seemed completely justified. The thought was sobering. Zak had been injured by a wild animal, not another person with evil intentions. Suddenly the idea of doing bodily harm to someone who hurt a loved one didn’t seem so far-fetched.
“Ebony would only let me scare it away.” Ben opened the first-aid kit and looked from Zak to the items inside. He seemed confused about what to do next. The rattle of an approaching vehicle drew their attention to a stream of dust moving toward the camp. “Imani.” The relief on his face was obvious.
A few minutes later Imani was at Zak’s side with a knapsack full of medical supplies. She took one look at Zak and spoke to Ben in Swahili in a tone laced with irritation. They would probably both be distraught if it hadn’t been for Imani’s professional training. Fortunately, she shifted into automatic pilot and started assessing the injuries.
“How long has she been unconscious?” she asked while checking Zak’s pupils with a small penlight.
“Ten, fifteen minutes maybe,” Ben answered. In response to another scathing look from his sister, he continued. “I carried her from the bush.” His answer seemed to satisfy her.
Imani felt Zak’s head and checked for external trauma. “No blood from the head. This is good.” She unwound the garment from Zak’s waist and Sara gasped. Her T-shirt was ripped on both sides and plastered to her body. At Imani’s nod, Ben pulled his knife from its sheath, sliced the shirt up the middle, and peeled it away from her injuries. Two distinct sets of claw marks raked Zak’s sides along her rib cage just below her breasts. Torn skin hung loose and revealed irritated red flesh underneath. Imani swabbed the wounds with an antiseptic that elicited a low moan from Zak. “No damage to the muscle. This is also good,” Imani announced.
The stingy antiseptic smell, blood-soaked materials, and Imani’s skilled hands transformed the natural African environment into a third-world triage center. Sara tried to detach from the fact that Imani was treating Zak but couldn’t. The clean gashes were even more frightening, deeper toward her back and tapering at the front as if she’d been clawed while pulling away. Sara’s eyes stung with tears. No human body should be exposed to such trauma, especially not this one, not the smooth, alabaster skin of the woman she loved. Sara grabbed her stomach as it lurched in objection to the sight.
“Sara, would you wait outside?” Imani asked. She continued to flush the wounds and Zak stirred with obvious discomfort. “The suturing will take a while.”
“I’d rather be with her. Maybe I can help.” She didn’t want to leave Zak’s side for an instant, afraid she’d wake up but more terrified she might not. What if the time they’d spent together was all they had? The thought sent shivers down her spine and she clung to the table for support.
“You look pale. I cannot handle two patients at once. Please.”
Sara touched Zak’s moist forehead. “Call me the minute she wakes up.” When she turned to leave, Imani was aiming a syringe at Zak’s side. She flinched and stepped outside into the cool morning air. Pacing back and forth, Sara felt the minutes crawl in direct opposition to her wishes. She wanted Zak awake, healthy, and in her arms, but none of that would happen soon, if at all. Their conversation yesterday about Zak’s job seemed inconsequential. She’d gladly make a deal with any devil to have her safe and unharmed again. Even sharing a life of secrets and absence was more appealing than a life without Zak.
Morning turned to midmorning and early afternoon before Imani and Ben emerged from the canvas hut turned emergency room. “How is she? Is she awake?”
Imani looked exhausted and slouched into a chair beside the fire pit. “She woke briefly. I had to sedate her to finish the suturing. She did not like it.”
“What do you mean? Doesn’t she need the pain medicine?” Sara wanted to make sense of what she was being told but it wasn’t registering.
“She has a head injury and should stay awake. I can not tell the extent of any damage if she remains medicated. She knows this and resists the drugs which make her sleep. She will be in much pain. Perhaps you can talk to her when she wakes.”
Sara started toward the tent but heard Imani ask Ben, “Tell me what happened.” She stood by the entrance and waited for the answer.
“Ebony was on watch. The lion came toward camp. He was dazed, injured on his side from a spear or prod. We herded him back toward the reserve, following his blood trail until we lost it in the rocks. We found pieces of fresh meat along the way. Ebony used one to lure the lion but he lunged. She dodged but he struck her. If not for his injury, she would be—” Ben hung his head and dropped into a chair beside his sister.
“You had a rifle,” Imani accused.
“She would not let me kill him.”
Sara’s heart ached for Ben. He had to watch his friend being mauled by a lion and blamed himself for not doing more. She walked into the tent and stood beside Zak. Her body was wrapped in gauze dressing from just below her breasts to her waistline. The pallor of her skin, the result of too much blood loss, matched the stark white bandages. She took Zak’s hand and raised it to her lips. “Why do you have to be such a damn hero?”
“My job.”
Zak’s answer sounded dry and brittle as it swished softly across parched lips.
“You’re awake. Oh, my God, how do you feel? Don’t talk. I’m so glad to see you—” She almost said alive. Zak’s normally blue-gray eyes were the color of old cement, and in their depths she saw only pain and fatigue. She looked around as if trying to decide where she was and how she got here. Ben and Imani rushed in and hovered at her side like concerned parents.
“Do not talk or move,” Imani ordered. “You need to go to hospital for fluids and observation for the head injury.”
Zak shook her head vigorously but stopped as her chest heaved. “No hospital.”
“I can not give you an IV, and you need fluids. You lost a lot of blood. This is why you feel nauseous and dehydrated. Let us take you, Ebony.”
“No. Water and rest. For a while.”
Ben looked at Zak with wide eyes. “No, Ebony. You cannot go after him again. It is too dangerous. Even injured, he is stronger. We must wait for help.”
“What are you talking about?” Sara wanted to know.
“She is thinking of going after the lion, trying to find out why he left the reserve.”
“Absolutely not!” Sara stared at Zak, unable to believe she was considering such an insane idea. “You were almost killed. You’ll rest even if I have to knock you out myself.”
A smile tugged at the corners of Zak’s mouth. “Yes, ma’am.”
*
Zak opened her eyes and squinted in the dull morning light filtering through the sides of the woven enclosure. She tried to move, but her spine felt fused and her midsection ached with every breath. A lion. The confrontation flashed through her mind but not much after that, beyond an occasional glimpse of Sara standing nearby offering water and soft words of encouragement. She raised her head to look around and a dull ache throbbed behind her eyes. “Jesus.”
Sara was immediately at her side. “Zak, lie still. You shouldn’t move so quickly.”
“How long have I been out?”
“Two days, more or less.”
“I have to get up.” She slowly rose and propped herself up on her elbows.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Things to do. Get Ben.”
“I’m here.” Ben stepped inside the tent, followed by Imani. “You should rest, Ebony.”
“It’s been too long. The trail may already be covered. We have to find out if the lion was purposely led to our campsite.”
“You’re the most stubborn, single-minded woman I’ve ever known,” Sara said. “In case your memory has been affected, you’re injured and shouldn’t go anywhere for a few more days. Tell her, Imani.”
Placing a hand on Zak’s chest, Imani eased her back down on the makeshift bed. “Let me look at you.” She checked her pupils, vision, and reflexes, then helped her sit up. “Do you feel sick? How bad is your headache?”
“No, I don’t feel sick and the headache is bearable. My sides hurt like a bitch but I can move. Please, I need to go back out there. It’s important.”
Sara moved closer and stroked the side of her face with a lingering touch. “Nothing is more important than your life. Please don’t do this.”
Imani gave Sara a look of resignation that Zak recognized from years of experience and turned back to her. “If you can walk without head pain, I will not stop you. But you must promise only short treks, no day-long hunts.”
Sara turned away from them. “If the injuries don’t kill you, this country certainly will.” She walked out shaking her head.
“Sara, wait,” Zak called, but she closed the flap behind her. With Ben and Imani’s help, Zak rose from the bench and walked a few steps, the pain in her sides reminding her to move slowly. Her head ached mildly but the stabbing jolts of the past two days were absent. “I’ll be fine,” she said to Imani. Then she turned to Ben. “Can we leave now before it gets too hot?”
Imani said, “Sara has been at your side for days. She would not sleep or eat until she knew you would live. If you must do this thing, promise to use great care and come back soon. If you do not, Sara and I will come for you.”
“Agreed.” Zak stepped outside. Sara was by the river staring off into the desert like she might find a more agreeable solution there. She approached Sara and touched her arm. “Thank you for taking care of me.” They stood in silence for several minutes before Zak found the courage to speak again. “I have to do this, but I’ll be careful.”
Sara turned and looked at her, and the pain in her deep brown eyes was almost too much to bear. “I almost lost you, Zak. It made me realize that nothing else really matters. Your job, whatever it is, will never keep me from you, if you want me. I’ve made my decision. You need to make yours.”
“Sara, I—”
“Just go. Do whatever it is you have to, but get back here safely.”
Zak hugged Sara gingerly, inhaling the freshly washed fragrance of her hair and skin. Sara’s love, in spite of the uncertainty surrounding her profession, touched her deeply. She wanted to tell Sara how much it meant to her, how much she cared, but something stopped her. “Thank you.” She released her and walked toward Ben, who waited at the edge of the camp.
Soon she and Ben picked up the trail of the wounded lion. Bloody remnants of butchered game led them in a circuitous path from their site toward the reserve. A dark patch of earth beside a badly mangled guinea fowl marked the spot where the lion had been injured. His blood trail led back to the starting point just outside their barricade. It appeared as if someone had deliberately baited a track directly to them. Ben confirmed her suspicions.
“No animal hunts in a pattern and leaves its prey. Only man kills for no purpose.”
“There was a reason, Ben. Someone wanted to lead the lion to our camp. And they injured him to make sure he was angry when he found us.”
“Who would do such a thing?”
“Someone who wants to scare us off.”
By the time they reached the edge of the game reserve, Zak’s sides ached with each step. Heat waves bounced off the savannah like spear-toting warriors, and her stomach churned from the pain, temperature, and lack of food. She kept her head soaked with water so the pounding was minor, but she was ready to be horizontal again. They’d seen no signs of the injured lion so she suggested they head back to camp.
As they walked, Zak considered her suspects for this latest scare tactic. Wachira, as usual, topped the list. He’d even referred to it in his clandestine meeting with the minister of education. Their plot to reclaim the school property and build a new resort was certainly motivation enough. She had audio and photographic evidence of that scheme, and now was the time to put it to use. Even if her mother’s reports were accurate, all they showed was that Wachira wasn’t a cold-blooded killer. Her facts proved he was still a lying, corrupt cop who disgraced his uniform and his people.
Her hatred for Wachira still burned in her chest, but it had begun to seem more manageable. It no longer required a piece of her soul to be quenched. She didn’t have to abandon her values by killing him and try to justify it for the rest of her life. Making him pay for his crimes was a simple matter of presenting the evidence to the right person: President Kibaki. At the least, Wachira would be disgraced and kicked out of public service. The best-case scenario, he would be imprisoned for malfeasance. She took a deep breath that shot stabbing pains through her injured sides while simultaneously relieving a huge weight that had rested in her chest for years.
Her thoughts shifted to Sara and their conversation before she left camp. Sara had once again professed her love for Zak, exposed her heart, and let her walk away. And Zak had once again been a coward. She wanted to talk to her, to say out loud what she’d known for days—that she loved Sara. Instead, she’d chosen to track an injured lion rather than admit the feelings that could potentially change her life.
In the past several days with Sara, Zak had learned a very important fact about herself. She wanted to love and be loved by someone. Her job offered only limited satisfaction and no opportunity to share her frustrations or successes. Shutting down her feelings for the sake of work suddenly seemed too high a price to pay. And it had taken Sara to bring her to that realization. Sara’s willingness to be intimate and emotionally available had initially been a source of irritation, a constant reminder of what Zak had given up. As they spent more time together, Zak craved their connection and the revitalization of emotions buried under a façade of distance and bravado. She wanted Sara more than she’d ever wanted anything or anyone. But would she be able to let go of life as she knew it for love? The question tormented Zak, as did each step she took back to camp.
“Ebony, look.” Ben pointed to the circling vultures ahead of them.
As they got closer, Zak saw the carcass of the injured lion. His throat had been slit so he would bleed out and attract the scavengers more quickly. “Compliments of the most evolved species,” she muttered under her breath. Titus Wachira would pay for his crimes. It was time to put her plan into motion.
“Ben, if anything happens to me, promise you’ll deliver the items I gave you last night to the president. No one but him.”
“President Kibaki?”
“I know it’ll be hard to get to him, but you must do it. Trust no one else.”
Ben nodded. “I will do this. Now you rest. You do not look good.”
Zak was starting to feel weak and unstable. She could see the tents ahead and tried to walk faster but stumbled. Sara and Imani ran toward her, draping her arms around their shoulders and practically carrying her back to the improvised hospital bed in the mess tent. “You are too pale,” Imani said. “Bring water,” she instructed Sara.
Zak drank and poured the remainder over her head and face. “I have more to do.”
“No.” The volume and force of Sara’s tone drew everyone’s attention. “You are not going anywhere else, at least until you rest for a while.”
Ben and Imani voiced their agreement and Zak finally acquiesced. “I’ll rest for now.” Imani checked her stitches and replaced the dressings that were soiled from the leakage caused by so much a
ctivity. When Imani and Ben left, Zak took Sara’s hand and pulled her nearer the bed. “We need to talk, or I guess I need to talk. There are things I have to say to you.”
“It can wait.” Sara kissed her with a tenderness that promised more, and Zak drifted into restful sleep full of images of their future together.
The sun was setting when Zak opened her eyes again. Sara sat beside her reading a book, and Ben and Imani whispered outside as they prepared the evening meal. She started to get up and Sara rushed to her. Together they swung her legs off the side of the bed and Zak stood. She felt stronger than she had in days and hungry for the first time. She inhaled the aroma of meat and vegetables, and a loud growl sounded from her stomach.
As they stepped outside, Imani was filling bowls with stew. “You look much better. It is my excellent nursing skills. Come and eat.”
Zak said to Sara, “I forgot to tell you that Imani is not only a highly sought-after nurse in the district but a licensed teacher as well.”
“Impressive,” Sara replied. “And thank you for being here. I’m not sure what would have happened if you hadn’t come.”
“That’s behind us now.” Zak wanted to change the subject and erase the concern in Sara’s eyes. “Let’s talk about something more productive.”
They sat by the fire and discussed the next week and plans for continuing the school construction. Ben would be responsible for contacting Joey and the other men and informing them that the lion was no longer a threat. Imani would stay until the end of the week to make sure Zak’s injuries didn’t become infected, to administer antibiotics, and to periodically change the bandages. Sara was to revisit the Land Development Office and check on the status of her original permits.
“And I need to run an errand tonight.” Zak finished her second bowl of stew and started toward the truck. “I have to talk with Wachira.” The looks on the faces of her friends made it clear they didn’t think this was a good idea, tonight or any other time. Sara seemed to be the only one willing to voice her concerns.