was shot in the leg.”
Ellen stood, letting Chance come behind her. Their bodies bumped in the close quarters. Minutes later, they had what they thought they might need. She left the van first, with him right behind.
“Hand me that backpack,” he ordered.
“I can carry it.” Ellen offered him his to-go bag instead.
Chance glared at her. “You’re not going. Ricco and I will handle this.”
“Ricco has medical experience now? How’s he supposed to handle a gun at the same time he’s helping you? I’m going.” Ellen watched his mouth form a tight line. He wasn’t going to agree.
“Peter or Karen—”
Ellen huffed. “Karen couldn’t keep up the pace and Peter is needed here. We can stand around and argue about this while a man is dying or we can get going.” She turned to leave the tent.
He grabbed her under the arm, jerking her round to face him. “You can go only if you agree to follow my orders to the letter. No arguments. No going rogue. Either you agree or you stay here. This is still my clinic and my call.”
She glared at him and said through her teeth, “I promise to do as you say.”
Chance searched her face. “Okay, let’s go take care of this patient.”
Ellen had no doubt that he didn’t like the idea of her going but he recognized he clearly needed her help. She adjusted the pack on her back as he slung the strap of his bag across his chest. At a lope he crossed the clearing and Ellen followed close behind.
“You ready?” Chance asked Ricco, who nodded. “Ellen, I want you between Ricco and me.”
She moved into position.
To the boy Chance said, “Take us to your father.”
The boy dipped his head under a large leaf and moved into the jungle. Chance followed with Ellen and seconds behind her Ricco. The path was little more than a foot wide. She wouldn’t have even said there was one if she hadn’t been behind Chance. As they walked he held leaves and vines back. She accepted them and did the same for Ricco.
“Stay close and don’t speak unless necessary,” Chance hissed over his shoulder.
Underfoot was dark packed dirt crisscrossed with roots. Her boots were so new they didn’t make the best hiking wear. A couple of times she caught a toe on a root but righted herself before she tripped. Once Ricco caught her arm before she fell.
Another time Chance stopped and she bumped into his back. He cautiously looked around. The boy was standing a few feet in front of him, looking down the path. They waited then moved forward at a slower pace. Finally, they broke out of the jungle into an open space next to a creek with five small huts. The roofs were pieces of tin or plastic tarps peaked just enough for rain to roll off. The walls were little more than uneven boards wired together to form a square. The boy led them through knee-high grass to one of the stacks closest to the water.
He stepped through an opening into a hut that had no door. Chance and she followed. Ricco stayed on guard outside. The sun was almost over the horizon, making it dark inside. The boy told a woman there that he had brought the doctors.
Ellen could make out someone lying on an old mattress on the dirt floor across the room. Chance was already stepping that way and Ellen joined him.
“We have to have some light here.” He sounded exasperated as he went down on his knees to speak to the barely conscious man.
Ellen pulled off the backpack, opened it and removed a flashlight. Clicking it on, she held it over Chance’s head.
He glanced up. “Well done, Ellen. I should have known you’d consider the details.”
She couldn’t help but be pleased with his praise.
“Can you point the light toward the left some?”
Ellen did as he requested. From her vantage point she could see the dark-skinned man was maybe thirty, dressed in a torn shirt with baggy shorts. One leg of the pants was pulled high on his leg. Below that on his thigh were two dirty rags covered in blood. Even if they could help him, fighting infection would be the larger battle.
“Look at this,” Chance said with revulsion in his words.
She understood his feelings. “Two shots. He really needs to be in a hospital.”
“Agreed, but that would be in a perfect world and this isn’t one. Nearest hospital is too far away and he would never make it, even if he would allow us to take him.”
Ellen leaned closer for a better look. “He’s lost a lot of blood. He needs a transfusion.”
“I’m O. Have you ever done a transfusion outside a hospital?”
“No.”
“Then I’ll set that up and you can take care of the wounds while I’m giving blood. Ever removed a bullet?”
She gave him a wry smile. “I saw it done during emergency rotation.”
“Can you handle it?”
“Sure I can. So if I understand this right, you’re going to lie around while I do all the work?”
“Funny lady.” Chance reached for his pack.
She came down on her knees beside him.
Chance called to the boy to come and hold the flashlight and asked the woman to get them some hot water. He then prepared a syringe of antibiotic and injected it into the man’s arm. “It’ll be too little, too late, but it’s better than nothing.”
Ellen could identify with his frustration. She pulled the saline bottles out of the backpack as Chance removed supplies from his bag. Slipping on gloves, she lifted the bandage off the upper hole in the man’s leg. It was still oozing. She opened up some four-by-fours and placed them over it, then gave the same attention to the other one. As Ellen worked Chance was busy setting up an IV line. With efficiency and precision that she admired, he’d already inserted the needle into the man’s arm.
Chance spoke to the boy again and he dashed out the door. The woman arrived with the water. Ellen continued to clean around the first wound. The boy returned with a wooden chair that had seen better days and a lantern. Chance placed the chair close to the mattress. Ellen took the lantern, situating it so she could get the most out of its light.
“I’m ready for you to finish this IV,” Chance said.
“Let me change gloves.” Ellen stripped off the ones she’d been wearing and pulled on clean ones. She moved close to Chance. Taking his arm under hers, she held his steady and began pressing on the bend in his elbow for a good vein. She was close enough to catch the natural scent of him.
“You know, you really are beautiful.”
She glanced up then down again. “You’re not already light-headed, are you?” With a firm, steady push she inserted the large IV needle into his arm. “Hand me one of those tape strips.”
“No, just speaking the truth.” He handed her a strip from the ones he’d placed on the backpack. “This isn’t your first stick. Nicely done.”
“Thank you. Yes, I’ve done a few in my time.” She looked him straight in the eyes. “But I’m always open to a first time in other areas.” His eyes widened slightly before he started pumping his fist and blood flowed to their patient.
“You’d better get busy on those holes or you’ll be wasting my blood.”
“I’m on it.” She removed her gloves and replaced them with clean ones again. “I’ll have them taken care of and get back to you in a minute.”
Ellen carefully cleaned around the surface of the first wound. She was going to have to remove the bullet and not damage the nearby artery while doing it. Even in the best