badtiming9

CHAPTER 9: A Second Chance

Their first day in the Med-jai Village came to an end as the heat of the day was replaced by the welcome cold of the night. The healer, Sekhemre-heruhirmaet, had seen Heidi, and though it had been a challenge they had managed to get her to drink all of the special tea that he prescribed for her. Twice more Heidi drank the tea, coughing and gagging at the bitter taste. Now in the small hut they were staying in, Heidi slept on a pallet made up of several soft blankets, while both of her parents sat close by talking quietly while sitting at a small circular wooden table.

As they talked, Rick noticed the dark circles under his wife�s eyes and reached out taking both of her hands in his. �Why don�t you go rest with Heidi?� he said, knowing that both of them needed to do that.

Evelyn offered her husband a tired smile before standing up. She stretched then moved the few steps to his side. After sharing a gentle kiss, she walked over to her daughter�s bed, and lay beside her, gently easing her fevered body against her own as she shut her tired eyes.

For a few minutes Rick watched over his two most precious gifts, then remembered that he hadn�t spent much time with Alex. Hoping they would not miss him, Rick left their small hut and walked the short distance to a tent where Jonathan and Alex were staying. He could see light coming from within and called out to his son.

When his dad came into the tent, Alex sat up eager to see him. �Is Heidi getting better now?� he asked as his dad settled next to him.

�I don�t know yet. It will take time to tell if the herbs they are giving to her will do the trick. How have you been doing?� Rick asked as he leaned back against the blankets Alex was using as pillows.

Alex hesitated for a moment then leaned back, resting next to his dad, glad to have him there. �Good. I met some of the boys, and they showed me how to fight with wooden simtars. They don�t get to use real Simtars until they are older,� Alex explained.

Rick had his eyes closed, but was still awake, listening as Alex told him about his day spent with the young Med-jai boys.

~*~

Not long after Rick arrived at their tent, Jonathan heard him talking to Alex, and decided to go have a look in on his sister and his niece. He entered the hut to find Evie awake placing cold compresses against Heidi�s forehead. �Should I go and fetch Rick?�

Evelyn had awoken to Heidi�s restless movements, and when she discovered that Rick was gone, she guessed he was with Alex. �No, will you take that bowl and bring more cold water?� Evelyn asked as she began to wipe another cloth over Heidi�s arms.

Not far from the hut his sister was staying in, Jonathan found a small reservoir and dipped the bowl in that, then returned to the hut, finding that his niece was once again resting peacefully, as well as she could. He put the bowl down on the table then walked over to his sister and knelt behind her. �Do you want to take a walk?� he asked, though he knew that she likely would not.

�I don�t want to be away from her, but thank you for asking,� Evelyn said as she turned to face him. She saw the sad look in his eyes and gave him a hug. �You know that none of this is your fault,� she said as they parted.

Logically he did know that was true. There was nothing he could have done to prevent Heidi from getting so sick, but in the back of his mind Jonathan felt he could have done something, anything that would have kept her from going through all of this. �I know, but I think back on it every now and again, and I keep wondering if I would have been more attentive, then she would be well, playing with her dolls, laughing, instead of crying.�

Again Evelyn hugged her brother, then watched as he left, wishing she could make him feel better. Once he was gone she took her place next to her baby, and soon fell asleep.

~*~

Commotion outside the tent Rick had fallen asleep in woke him, and leaving Alex still sleeping behind, he walked out finding Ardeth, and several more Med-jai standing outside of the hut Heidi was in. Before he could ask them what was happening, the door opened and Jonathan walked out with Evelyn, who was crying uncontrollably, fighting him. He ran to them and took her into his arms as she continued to cry, looking at his brother-in-law for answers as the door shut.

�She started to convulse,� Jonathan said over his sister�s cries as he leaned against the right wall of the stone hut, saying a silent prayer for Heidi and for all of them. When he opened his eyes he saw Alex approaching, and went to him. �Hey there partner, lets head back to our tent.

�But mum,� Alex started to say in protest as Jonathan gently but firmly guided him away, not willing to let him see his mum in such pain, or for that matter his dad.

After what seemed like hours instead of minutes, Evelyn�s cries subsided, and when she lifted her head from his chest to look at him, Rick leaned slightly forward and kissed away her tears. �She is in good hands,� he said, finally believing that with all of his heart.

�We were asleep, then she started to shake uncontrollably. Her eyes rolled back into her head, and she was burning hot to the touch. I don�t know what to think now Rick. I should have listened to you, and we should have let the doctors in London help her,� Evelyn said, as he sat down and pulled her down to sit in his lap.

�No, the doctors in London were ready to give up on her, and you were right. Bringing her here has helped. I think that...� before he could say anything else the door to the hut opened and Sekhemre-heruhirmaet walked out followed by two women.

Ardeth came over to them, and listened as their healer spoke, then nodded his head and watched as he walked away. �He says that Heidi is resting now. He also asks that you continue to wipe her body with the cool cloths, to get her fever down. Tommorow he thinks it best that she be bathed in the hot springs.�

�Thank you,� Rick said as Evelyn left him to return to their daughter.

Ardeth nodded his head. �We will do all we can to make your little one well,� he said, then left to return to his wife.

~*~

A few huts away from the one the O�Connells were staying in, Eshe Bey sat in a carved wooden chair waiting for her husband to return. Only the Healer and his helpers were allowed near the child, while the rest of their village remained away from there, to make sure that they didn�t get pneumonia.

As she was about to get up and heat some water for tea, the door to their hut opened and her husband walked in. �How is the child?� she asked as she walked to him.

Watching as the healer calmed Heidi�s fitful movements, Ardeth wondered how much more of this illness the small child could take. �She fights despite how much this illness has ravaged her body.�

Eshe led him into their sleeping room knowing how much he wanted to help their friends. She too wanted to help, but she had a responsibility to their son, who slept close by on his own pallet. Hasif was a year younger than Heidi, and a handful as well as a joy.

Needing to see his son, Ardeth led Eshe over to where he slept. �Sometimes I wonder why it is, that the gods place so much pain into their lives,� he whispered.

�Everyone has a difficult time. Do you forget our own trials, the loss of three children before Hasif came to us?� she asked.

Their first child was stillborn, and would have been a year older than the O�Connells eldest. Their other children never made it past five months of pregnancy. Ardeth turned, and gathered Eshe into his arms. �I have not forgotten,� he said as she lifted her head, and he lowered his until their lips met. Their kisses led to more passionate gestures before Ardeth lifted his wife into his arms, and carried her to their pallet, his intentions evident as he laid her down and started to undress.

~*~

Morning�s first light brought the end of a long night for Rick and Evelyn. Heidi�s fever finally broke, and after Sekhemre-heruhirmaet saw her, they wrapped her up in clean blankets, and followed him the short distance to the springs, which was enclosed in another building.

As soon as they walked into the building, the first thing Rick and Evelyn noticed was the heat, and the steam which came from the springs. The village was right next to a small oasis, and it wasn�t so unusual to find springs such as they one they were about to use.

Rick removed his shirt and stepped into the waters, then reached out for Heidi as Evelyn unwrapped her from the blankets. Holding her gently against his chest he sat down on a wooden bench which went all around the large pool.

Moments later Evelyn joined them. After cupping her hands she began to pour the warm waters over her daughter�s body, realizing that the steam would likely open up her lungs so that she could breath better.

Heidi coughed, and Rick could feel her chest rattle as she did. He also felt her try to lift her head, and carefully moved her so that she was settled on his lap, cradled against his chest. When she coughed again he leaned her forward rubbing her back, while Evelyn talked to her reassuring her that everything would be all right.

~*~

While his parents tended to his sister, Alex lay in his tent looking up at the top of it. A few of the boys had been mean to him, and with everything his family was going through, Alex wasn�t able to just brush off what they had said to him. The other thing he didn�t like was not being able to be around Heidi. As long as she had a fever, he was at risk as was the rest of them of getting her pneumonia, and his parents were not willing to take a chance. He looked up as the right flap of his tent was lifted, and Ardeth himself came inside.

�I heard what the young boys said to you, and they will not do that any more,� he reassured.

Alex continued to look at the top of his tent, wishing his mum would come see him. �It wasn�t anything bad,� he said, not wanting Ardeth to see him when he was feeling so sad.

Ardeth walked over to Alex and sat down. �Making fun of you because you cannot be a warrior is not something they should be doing Alex.�

�I wish I could help them,� Alex said, thinking of his parents and his sister.

Knowing the them of whom Alex was speaking, Ardeth nodded his head. �Why don�t you come with me. Eshe hasn�t seen you in a long time, and we have a son a year younger than Heidi,� he said, hoping to get Alex away from his sad thoughts.

For a moment Alex hesitated, then decided that he wasn�t doing himself any good to sit around and mope. Following Ardeth out of the tent he saw the three boys who had been doing the name calling, and smiled at them, knowing that it was likely making them jealous that he was getting their leaders attention.

~*~

Clean, and dressed in a soft cotton gown, Heidi was back in the hut with her parents, asleep in Evelyn�s arms as they rocked in the chair Eshe had sent to them. Her breathing wasn�t as labored, and for the first time in a long time she was awake more often, though in short spurts of time. Her fever was gone, and Evelyn hoped that with nights approach it would not return.

After a few more minutes of rocking Heidi, Evelyn stood up and carried her over to her pallet. While they were at the springs, some of the other Med-jai women had taken away the blankets she had been using and replaced them with clean blankets.

Heidi was so tired and weak, that she didn�t notice her mum put her down, and continued to sleep.

As Evelyn was straightening up she turned and smiled as her son walked in. She gathered him into a much needed hug, then walked with him over to the table as Rick put the food down there so they could have a family dinner. �I�ve missed you,� Evelyn said as they all sat down.

�I�ve really missed you. Some of the boys were not nice to me, but I got to go see Hasif, and he is really funny, like Heidi is,� Alex said as he began to eat the rice his father put on his plate.

Evelyn looked at her husband, not sure of who Hasif was.

�Ardeth and Eshe have a son who is a year younger than Heidi,� Rick explained.

Evelyn smiled, glad that they finally had a child of their own. She knew that they had lost a child at birth, and had always hoped that one day they would be able to have children. �Perhaps when this is behind us, Heidi will have a new friend,� Evelyn said hoping that their baby would get better soon.

After dinner she went with Alex to his tent, and waited outside while he dressed in one of the gowns Ardeth had brought for him. When he called out to her, Evelyn walked inside and settled down next to him.

�Mum? Is it possible for you and dad to have another baby?� Alex asked. As much as he loved his sister, he really enjoyed the rough play he and Hasif had enjoyed; play that Heidi wasn�t all that fond of.

�I think we have our hands full with both of you,� she said as she pulled a soft blanket over his body. �Get some sleep.�

Alex turned over to his left side, and found that this night it was easy to get to sleep. He didn�t even notice the feather soft kiss his mum gave him, nor when his uncle came in and his mum left.