preparations for the night.
But instead of stopping at one of the huts, the woman led them through the village and back into the darkness. Cassie had a moment’s doubt. This was a poor country and it was possible that the woman was leading them into a trap. But they couldn’t turn away now.
The thought clearly hadn’t crossed Leith’s mind as his footsteps never faltered. About two kilometres further on, with the village left far behind them, the woman stopped. At first Cassie could see nothing but then, as the woman pointed, she could make out a small hut in the shadows. This was unexpected. The villagers lived in close proximity to one another. Who could be living so far away from the comfort and help of others?
Precious led them inside. A young woman was crouched over a small fire, mixing a pot of mielie meal with a stick while a small child, no more than two, sat on the bed, watching her.
‘This is Maria,’ Precious said, before turning back to the woman and speaking rapidly in the vernacular.
Cassie couldn’t understand a word but it sounded reassuring. When Precious had finished talking, the mother looked at them with a mixture of hope and despair.
‘Maria has been sent away from the village.’ Precious said.
‘Why?’ Cassie asked.
When Precious hesitated, Leith’s brow knotted. ‘I suspect I know the reason.’ He turned to their guide. ‘Has Maria been wetting herself?
‘Will she allow me to examine her?’ Leith asked.
Precious translated and, blushing deeply, Maria lay down on top of the bed after lifting the child and placing him on a rush mat. He stared silently with big, brown eyes.
‘I will go and fetch some water,’ Precious said, and slipped outside.
In the silence the little boy continued to watch them. Then he slid off the mat and toddled over to Cassie, lifting his hands. Instinctively Cassie reached down and picked him up. The child snuggled into her, peeping out at his mother.
‘Seems he’s taken a liking to you,’ Leith said with a smile.
‘Children seem to like me—which is an advantage given my line of work,’ she responded lightly. Without warning an image flashed into her head. She couldn’t have been very much older than this child—perhaps three or four. She’d fallen over and scraped her knee and had gone crying to her mother and held up her hands, wanting to be lifted, to have her hurt made better.
To her bewilderment her mother had turned away, saying it was only a scrape and not to make a fuss. But before she’d turned away, Cassie had seen something in her eyes that had made her forget about the pain in her knee and feel pain in her chest instead. Later she’d come to realise it had been dislike she’d seen.
When the time had come to choose which medical speciality to pursue, she’d been drawn to paediatrics. Perhaps because she wanted to rescue all the little Cassies out there. But she would never risk becoming a mother herself—experience had taught her that too often the worst parents were those who had been badly, or inadequately, parented themselves. Nevertheless, just because she wasn’t going to have children herself, it didn’t mean she didn’t love having them as her patients.
‘Cassie? You okay?’ Leith’s voice pulled her back to the present. She forced a smile and tightened her hold on the little boy in her arms. ‘Sure. A little hot—that’s all.’
Looking puzzled, Leith continued to hold her gaze, but when she returned his stare steadily he gave his head a little shake and focussed his attention back on Maria.
Leith examined the woman discreetly and gently, before straightening. ‘As I thought, she has a fistula from her bowel into her vagina, which has led to her being incontinent. I’ve treated a few women with this condition since I’ve been here. They tend to be ostracised by their fellow villagers and rarely come for help, although I suspect that finally word is getting around that we can often do something for them.’
‘Poor thing,’ Cassie said. ‘And can you? Help her?’
He smiled. ‘Yes, I’m confident I can fix her problem.’ He turned to Precious. ‘She must come to the hospital ship. Tomorrow. Tell her I will have to operate, but it is a simple procedure and after she will be much better.’
Precious broke into a wide smile. ‘She will be so happy. It has been hard for her here, all alone with her child. I can only help a little—I have my own family to care for.’ She turned to her sister and spoke rapidly. With tears in her eyes, Maria reached out for Cassie’s hand and said something Cassie couldn’t understand.
‘She asks if you will be there. She says you have a kind face. Like the other doctor.’ Precious glanced at Leith and smiled shyly. ‘But she will feel better if there is another woman.’
Cassie thought rapidly. She had a full clinic in the morning and was scheduled to assist with a couple of operations before then. Then she looked at the small child and the mother and knew that, whatever it took, she would find a way to be present. How could she deny Maria this one small thing?
Precious led them back to the village but once there Leith assured her that he and Cassie would find their own way back to the ship. Cassie wasn’t so sure. The night was dark beyond the village and without so much as a torch to light their way it would be difficult to find the path. But as Precious clearly wanted to return to her sister, Cassie swallowed her anxiety and followed Leith. As he strode confidently into the bush, it seemed as if he had no problem seeing in the dark.
She kept her eyes on his broad back, pausing when he did and stepping over the roots of trees that he pointed out. They must have been almost halfway back to where the ship was docked when suddenly Leith stood stock still as if listening for something. Then he let out a yell and hit something from the back of his neck. It fell to the ground and Cassie heard the rustle of leaves as it scuttled away.
‘God! What the hell was that?’ Leith said, his face pale in the light of the moon.
‘A bird or a spider, I suspect,’ she said, trying not to laugh.
‘If it was a spider it must have been a bloody huge one.’
‘Whatever it was, it’s gone. You’re safe now. I promise I won’t let that horrible beastie get you.’
He must have heard the amusement in her voice as he looked sheepish. ‘Not very macho, was it? Jumping four feet in the air.’ He grinned, his teeth flashing whitely in the dark. ‘Spiders and I don’t go together very well.’
Cassie smiled back. ‘Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me. I won’t tell anyone.’ And then, just like that, she knew that whatever she’d been telling herself about staying away from this man, it was too late.
CHAPTER TWO
AS SHE PROMISED, the next day Cassie joined Leith in Theatre once her own session had finished. His patient hadn’t been put under yet so Cassie went over to her and squeezed her hand. Maria smiled tremulously.
‘It’s going to be okay,’ Cassie whispered, knowing that the woman probably couldn’t understand her but hoping she found her tone reassuring.
She stood back while Leith repaired the tear, which, judging by the image on the monitor, was significant. Happily, the Mercy Ship had many generous donors and was equipped with the best and latest high-tech equipment.
‘She must have torn during labour—I’m pretty sure it must have been a breech delivery, ‘Leith said as he worked. ‘She’s probably lucky to have survived. I’m guessing there was a great deal of bleeding.’
Cassie admired his surgical technique. He wasted no time and his stitching was neat. As he operated he explained to the nurses what he was doing. When he’d finished he looked up with a satisfied smile. ‘I don’t think she’ll have any more problems.’ He peeled off his gloves and chucked them in the bin. ‘She’ll need to stay in for a few days.’
Cassie