The Lioness Read online

  Ty scooped her up and ran her to the bathroom. The door was closed. Ty knocked, shifting Rose in his arms. A reply came. Then the door opened. One of the men took one look at Rose in Ty’s arms and took in the whole situation real fast. He moved to the side and then ran off down the hall yelling telling everyone that Little Sister was sick.

  Ty placed Rose down and she ran in the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. “I’ll stay right here,” he said to the door.

  Noori came running up, Samid close on his heels. “Can we do anything?”

  “No, I don’t think you can help with this. She needs a bathroom that she can get to and we have just the one, and she’s down the hall.”

  Samid looked at Noori and then ran off down the hall. He came back with two other men. “We will take and move out the stuff from this room next to the bathroom, then we’ll make a hole so she can have privacy. Ty was floored. Here were men who were constantly putting their life on the line to drive the invaders out. He and Rose were in a male dominated society, where a woman still rode in the trunk of a car. He and Noori acted as her male relatives even though Noori would laugh and say, ‘I don’t think you could pass as her relative, unless you were her husband.’

  Now the men were waiting with their heads bowed, waiting for Rose to come out of the bathroom so they could go in and break down a wall, so she could have privacy.

  She came out and leaned against the door jam and Ty was at her side scooping her up. The men moved in one accord as soon as he had her out of the way.

  “What are they doing?” Rose asked as she laid her head against Ty’s chest. It felt so good to have this contact. She felt like such a baby, she should try and get up, try to move around but her legs felt like rubber.

  “The men are going to make a door in the bathroom and then I’m going to move you into the other room that is next to it. It was Samid who came up with that idea.”

  Rose tried to sit up but her head swam. She felt so weak. “Maybe I should try that tea now. I feel like a rag, a very limp rag.”

  Ty handed her the mug. It was a lot cooler but maybe it was better this way. He sure wished his mother was here. He would call her later on the satellite phone and talk to her. She would know or could find out what was needed for Rose. She was a retired nurse and also did natural stuff like herbs.

  “Rose, I’m going to call my Mom later, ask her if there is anything we should be doing for this.”

  “But we haven’t got anything here....”

  “Maybe something can be found, it’s worth a try. You can’t keep this up at this rate.”He tucked her in again and refilled her mug. Noori came to the door which Ty had left open. “You wouldn’t believe how fast they had that hole done. I’m going to find a broom and then a mop. I know you will want a clean room.”

  “I can’t believe the men are going to all this trouble. They really shouldn’t have. I should be fine….”

  Suddenly Rose bent over and was gripped by a pain that she thought would tear her whole insides apart. “I need to....” She moved to get out of the bed but then she felt it happening. Her world’s worst nightmare, she looked at Ty and then Noori. Of all times, why couldn’t she have been alone? She saw Ty’s face and he understood. God, she couldn’t have him helping her. This was so embarrassing, “Ty….”

  “I know baby, it’s okay.”

  Noori looked at Ty who gave him a look. “Do you need anything?”

  “Get some water and maybe one of the wives to help. Rose is not going to need a bunch of men around.”

  “Ty....”

  She moved and then her face went white. Noori ran out to get help. Rose broke down. “Ty I can’t have someone helping, I can’t have you helping. This is so embarrassing.”

  Ty got down on his knees right in front of her. “Honey, you mean the world to me. You’re my best friend. Best friends are there for everything, even this.”

  Noori came back with Samid’s wife. She looked all of twenty but she was a happy woman despite the fact she had lost two children to a simple sickness. Something, that if they had been anywhere else, the children would have lived.

  She spoke to Noori and he said something back. Ty got the gist. He watched as she took the bucket of water and then, looking at the two of them she put her hands up, shooing them out. Ty looked at Rose, who had a pained look. “I’ll be right out here. Tell her to let me in right after.”

  Ty and Noori went out and stood against the wall. “She’ll be okay, just a little bug...” He was saying that to assure himself more than he was trying to assure Noori. He was trying to believe what he said but she was losing every little bit she put into her system.

  He was there when Samid’s wife opened the door. “I’ll go make tea. She wants you, Ty.”

  He all but ran in past Samid’s wife and knelt by Rose. Pushing her hair back he saw her try and smile. “How you doing, baby?”

  Rose tried to smile but she didn’t even have the strength for that. “I don’t know, I feel so weak. I feel sleepy.”

  Ty felt so scared when she said that. “I’m going to get you some broth and tea. We’re going to give you little sips. You have to keep something down in you.”

  Rose tried to reach for Ty but she felt weakened by that little movement. He took her hand and kissed her palm. “I’ll be right here. I also want to call my Mom. Can I use your phone?”

  “You don’t have to ask me Ty, ever.”

  “Well, let me get it and see if I can hook up with my Mom. She’s good with this stuff.”

  Noori knocked and peeked in. “Can I help?”

  “Yeah, go see about some kind of broth and help Samid’s wife with the tea. We have to keep Rose hydrated, I know that much.”

  “I’ll be right back.” He no sooner left when five of the other men came in.

  “Do you want us to move her things, Ty? We can get her all moved, that way she is closer to the bathroom.”

  Ty looked at Rose then at the men. Seeing her nod, “Yes, that would be great.”

  **********

  Ty looked over at Rose. She was sound asleep. They had moved her into the other room adjacent to the bathroom. The rest of them would now use the outhouse so that Rose would have more privacy. He got up and tucked the blanket around her chin. She had kept down her tea and a bit of broth and then fallen asleep. If she could just keep it down. It had been ten minutes by his watch. Welcome to the world of a foreign correspondent. You not only got to get stories but you got shot at, had the risk of the roadside bombs, the constant threat of kidnapping, and then there was the sickness. If they could just get out of here and get her back to where she could be hooked up to an IV, it wouldn’t be so bad. Samid’s wife had said their children had died of dysentery. They lost too much too quickly.

  Ty picked up Rose’s satellite phone and dialed to reach his Mom. He needed to hear her voice. What would she suggest?

  “Hello...”

  “Mom, this is Ty, Everything is okay, well I’m okay. It’s Rose.”

  “What’s the matter son? What’s happened?”

  She’s sick and we’re up in the northern part of Afghanistan, with troops, Afghanis. We think she has dysentery.”

  “Does she have a fever, any blood in her stool?”

  “I don’t know about blood but no fever.”

  “Well if she has no control….”

  “No, she doesn’t and she’s having a fit, but she’s so weak. She’s also throwing up.”

  “She’s not pregnant, is she?”

  “No. She hasn’t had a boyfriend for almost a year now….”

  “Till you?”

  “Mm, till me. Mom....”

  “Talk to me, Ty.”

  “I’m worried about her. It scares me, she’s so tiny as it is and she’s losing everything, though she’s sleeping now, maybe twenty minutes by my watch.”

  “Are you there at her side?”

  “I couldn’t be anywhere else. I stayed by her side after she was wound
ed. Now this. I wish I could get her out of here, bring her back to where it’s safe.”

  “Would she want that?”

  “I don’t know. It’s what I want.”

  Have you talked about it? Or are you at that stage yet?”

  “I’d like us to be. I think we can be, given a little more time. She’s so sweet, she means everything to me already. I’d do anything for her.”

  “Listen, when she gets better you two need to talk. In the meantime, I assume you can’t get lab tests done on her?”

  “No, we don’t have anything really but bandages, no “No, we don’t have anything really but bandages, no doctors are around. If the sand would lay low long enough the men would fly us out. You should see these guys. They’re soldiers of the late General Masood. They put a hole through the wall from an extra room to the one and only bathroom so she would have privacy. Then they cleaned it and moved her things in. One of the men has a young wife here who is keeping broth going for her. Her two children died of the same thing.” He felt his chest get tight after saying those last words.

  “Ty don’t think like that. It will be okay, she’s strong. Those babies probably never stood a chance because they were so poorly nourished in the first place. I’m going to email you info so you’ll have it on hand. The longer she can keep something in her the better, anything after fifteen minutes she’s absorbed the most of it. So have that be your goal.”

  “Thank you, Mom. As soon as she gets better we’re coming back to the states so we can relax and have some normal time together.”

  “Where will you settle?”

  “It doesn’t matter at this point as long as we are together.”

  “Okay son. I’ll email you. Please keep me posted and call me if you want to talk.”

  “I will Mom. Mom?”

  “Yes, Ty?”

  “I love you Mom. Thanks for being there.”

  Ty watched as Rose sat and sipped her tea. It had been a quiet night. He had slept in the chair next to her and she had only got up twice. Now she sat sipping the tea like a little bird. They both sat there so still, hoping she could keep what little bit she took in, actually in.

  Rose sat back and closed her eyes. She had slept the night but she felt like she could sleep a couple more before she ever felt rested. “I feel so tired Ty. I feel like I could go right back to sleep and sleep another whole night.”

  “Well then you sleep. My Mom said that’s what would help you since we couldn’t keep you on an IV. If you sleep you’re still.” He watched her movements, she seemed slow. He knew he wouldn’t sleep till they got her out of Afghanistan. She needed to get back home. He knew their time in Afghanistan was over, at least for now. He loved working here, loved the people, but he loved Rose more and he wanted her safe and healthy.

  Samid had come in and said so far it didn’t look good for today either to lift her out so they stayed. He’d give anything for a clear day. He closed his eyes but all of a sudden the air was rent by Rose coughing. His head shot up. Where in the world had that come from? It didn’t sound good either. Their eyes met.

  “Have you felt a cold coming on?” He got up and felt her forehead and found it was getting hot. Looking in her eyes he knew that she had known but hadn’t said anything.

  “Do you have anything for this?”

  Rose felt so tired, so weak. She saw the fear in Ty’s eyes and she felt it too. They were stuck here. He was stuck here with her. He should be out doing his job and instead he was playing nursemaid, he wasn’t here for this. He would end up resenting her and she didn’t want that. They had become so close till now. Now he probably would be so glad to get rid of her.

  “You can check my bag. I tried to think of things like this but obviously I didn’t take into account the dysentery.”

  “Well my Mom said if you had blood with fever then it was more than likely amoebic dysentery. What we have to worry about is an abscess. Now with this cough we have to worry about the abscess.” He went into her big pack and started going through her personal things. Looking back at Rose, “I’m sorry, I hate having to go through your things.”

  Rose tried to sit up but a knife pain hit her. She knew she had a matter of seconds. She got up and slid her legs off the bed. Then a cough overtook her. She managed to get up but Ty was right there. “It’s okay, I’m here, will always be here for you.”

  He could hear her start to sob. “I’m so sorry it’s like this Ty, you having to take care of me…. You know....” She bent, the pain was back. She bolted and got in, slamming the door to the bathroom.

  Ty stood there and could hear her sobs. He had to tell her how he felt. She probably thought he was going to hate her. On the contrary, he was seeing a side of their relationship that many didn’t see for years to come. He being a caregiver. She didn’t like it, though. She probably felt he resented her for it. Some men might have, but he had been brought up right and his feelings had been strong for her before this, now it only magnified how he felt.

  Rose came out and Ty glanced over to her. He was over to her side in a step. Scooping her up, he kissed her face. “Get the thoughts out of your head, Rose. You’re sick and need help. What better person to give it than a friend, someone who really cares.”

  Rose let her head go to his chest as he carried her back to the bed. “It’s just so humiliating to have you see me sick like this... and you can’t be out doing what you’re here for.”

  Ty put her down and tucked her in. “So what am I here for? You know life’s not all mountaintops. It’s gonna be valleys too, sickness. Look at Samid and his wife. He’s young compared to most husbands. Their match was an unusual one in that she didn’t get a much older man. He’s only ten years older and he loves her. Don’t you think he’d like an easy life with her? I see the pain he carries for the death of their children and the pain he sees his wife in. They both wonder, is it worth it to try for another child and risk losing that one, too? He told me that. He told me he loves his wife so much he’d go without any more children. He said he was blessed with a good wife. She’s quiet and obedient but happy. She does little things every day to try and make his life easier. She could nag but she doesn’t. She could wallow in the misery but she doesn’t. She loves him back and told him just the other day she wants another baby, even if it means the child might die. They would have it for a season to love.”

  He took Rose’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “I guess what I’m trying to say is, don’t worry about being sick. It shows the both of us another side of our relationship. You see if I’m real and I see a woman I want to take care of and protect. I would do anything for you, anything. So would the men here, but their feelings don’t run deep like mine.” He picked up her hand and kissed it. “So don’t worry we’ll get you out of here and our lives will be richer for what we’ve shared.”

  “But you’ve taken care of me twice since we’ve been here in Afghanistan...”

  “So, I’m not keeping track, I never will. You mean far too much to me for that.”

  He got up, “I’m going to get you some more tea and see how the morning broth is coming. You lay still and rest. If you fall asleep, well that’s okay. I’ll look for cough medicine when I come back.”

  Rose tried to smile, she knew it came out lopsided, but it made Ty laugh. “That’s it, get those muscles working again. That smile is worth a million bucks to me. And remember this is just a season, a small season in our life. It will get better, I promise.”

  **********

  Ty woke with a start. He looked over at Rose. She was sound asleep, all tucked in like he had left her. He laid next to her last night, holding her, the first time in nights. He had sung her to sleep, enjoying her warmth. She had been a bit cooler but that was just because it was nighttime. By noon each day her fever spiked and she was very uncomfortable.

  What had woken him? He sat there and then he realized it was the quiet, no sound, no wind howling. Maybe it was clear. He got up took a look to make sure Rose
was covered and walked out into the hallway. He heard a commotion in the common room. Walking down the hall he was met by Noori and Samid on his heels. Noori looked excited and Samid started shouting, like he couldn’t hear.

  “The sky is clear, we can get Rose out of here today, no sand storm.” Ty looked at Noori. “Can you get a call into your Aunt?”

  Noori nodded his head. “I’ll call her right away.”

  “Good, explain what’s happened, tell her to get to the market and get the items I write down. We will see her at the airport.”

  “Samid, can you have your wife come to help dress and wash Rose up? She will have a fit if she has to travel looking the way she is, even though....”

  “I understand. Jamil said he could have you up and out of here in thirty minutes, he’s getting everything ready.”

  “Tell him to make sure everything is okay on the copter. I don’t want Rose up, if there is the slightest risk of a problem.”

  “He’s the best for miles around. He’s been keeping those birds flying since the ‘80s. There’s not a better pilot in these parts. He fought with the General against the Russians. You all are in good hands.”

  Ty turned and started walking back to Rose’s room. She was awake and Samid’s wife was already there helping her to get up. Rose’s eyes were big. “It’s okay baby, the sky is clear. Noori is going to contact his Aunt. We’ll be up within the hour and on our way to Kabul. I’m going to pack up my things.”

  “Ty?”

  Ty turned and looked at Rose and saw her eyes. They were filled with tears. “It’s okay honey, we’re going to get you out of here and then when you’re strong enough we’re going back to the states.”

  “Ty, you don’t have to go, that is... you have work to do still.”

  Ty was over to her side. Samid’s wife moved away and started packing up Rose’s clothes, leaving out her jeans and coat and head scarf. “I have nothing that is as important as you right at the moment. We’re a team. I’m not working solo, remember?”

  Rose put her head down. She was so filled with emotions, so many crowding in, but the one that kept getting to the top was a growing love for Ty. She had to prove that she could carry her weight in this relationship and their work. Twice already he had taken care of her. She was going to get better and show him he wouldn’t have to care for her all the time.