12
But this hospitalwasn’t like any of the ones Caroline had experienced back in Washington, D.C. Stains smudged down the hallways on the walls and floors. The low ceiling hung with intermittent lighting that blinked on and off, casting eerie shadows every few feet. It was as if the entire place was a warning to stay away. And if there’d been any other option, that’s exactly what she would’ve done.
Desperate times called for equally desperate measures.
“In here.” Reaper’s large hand pointed over at a doorway to his left. The metal door screeched open, and she nearly curled into a ball on her knees right then and there, sure the guards would come running with the machine guns firing. No one even poked their head out of a nearby room to investigate the sound. Just like the children in the streets hadn’t flinched at the gunfire.
Reaper didn’t hesitate. He crossed to the nearest cabinet and began yanking out drawers. “I need you to find a scalpel, some forceps, anything that looks like a disinfectant and clean bandages. If you find an IV bag, we’ll count this as our lucky day.”
“Oh—okay.” Caroline began yanking out drawers on her own, trying to follow his instructions despite being totally uncertain of what she was seeking. She should be able to spot an IV bag, but forceps? She had no idea what they would look like—giant tweezers?—but at least she knew scalpels were blades. She got lucky though, and found a handful of scalpels in the third drawer she yanked. They had pale green handles, plastic, not the stainless steel kind she’d expected, but the ends were covered in sealed sheaths that indicated they were (hopefully) sterile. She snatched up the entire bunch and lifted her fist triumphantly into the air. “Found the scalpels!”
Reaper turned, his arms full of thick plastic-wrapped rolls of gauze and other silver instruments she couldn’t name. “There’s a drawer full of IV bags behind me. Grab as many as you can. They won’t keep the sharps in the same room. We’ll have to look for those somewhere else.”
“Sharps?” She asked as she gathered the clear bags of fluid into her arms.
“Needles. They can’t keep needles in the exam rooms. Too many drug users. They’d be stolen and the hospital can’t afford to replace them.” By the time he finished speaking, he was already at the door. Even injured, he was surefooted. Caroline firmed up her chin and rushed after him, clutching the supplies to her chest with a death grip.
“But if we keep pressing our luck, someone’s going to spot us.”
Reaper cast a long glance over his shoulder. This one made her slam her mouth shut on any further objections.
“If we don’t find those antibiotics, neither one of us is likely to make it out of this town alive.”
The finality of his words sank in deep and fast, sending a shudder straight through her skin and into her bones. Every harsh word he said was true, but it scared the living daylights out of her just the same. “Don’t we need to tuck in close together, like before?”
If he didn’t stop staring at her without speaking, she was going to lose her ever-loving mind. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of silence and studying, he nodded. “Yes, come on. Try to hide the supplies under your clothes and stay close.”
Juggling both her and his handful of equipment, Reaper reached for the door. Before he could open it, a young woman pulled it wide from the other side. For a moment, the woman stood there in shock, obviously the room was occupied.
The first thing Caroline saw was the hideous spider web of scars running down the left side of her face, pulling her eyes and mouth into a grotesque angle. She was wearing a white uniform in the shape of the robe Caroline had on. It hung loose on her frame and covered her from neck to feet. Her headscarf was wrapped tightly around her neck and hair, revealing only her scarred face.
At once her gaze turned suspicious, but the tone of her voice was nonthreatening when she asked them something in the local language. A language Caroline had no hope of ever deciphering.
Reaper grunted and swayed on his feet and Caroline immediately made a grab for his chest to keep him from falling.
Her unconscious movement sent the IV bags and scalpels crashing to the ground and any hesitancy in the woman’s expression disappeared. Caroline’s heart squeezed up into her throat as she stared wordlessly at the woman.
“We mean you no harm. We were attacked and we are only seeking supplies.” Reaper’s cracked voice barely registered on Caroline. It felt like her whole world was about to come crashing down around her. All this woman had to do was scream or yell or make any type of noise to alert the guards outside. But the young woman held silent and her gaze shifted from Reaper to Caroline.
“You speak English?” she said in near-perfect dialect.
Too scared to help, Caroline said hesitantly, “Yes. We were attacked and we just need medical attention. I swear, we’re not trying to steal from you.” It was on the tip of her tongue to tell the woman that her father would cover any expenses, but something told her not to go there. The poverty in this place would make a decent person desperate.
The woman entered the room, pulling the door squeakily shut behind her. Her dark brown gaze reflected more wisdom and experience than was normal for someone her age. “No, you’re not trying to steal drugs. I can spot those animals from miles away. Are you aid workers or reporters?”
Caroline shot Reaper a scathing glance, but he answered before she could open her mouth and say something along the lines ofI tried to tell him that. “Aid workers and there are people who would wish us great harm and we did not want to risk the innocents in his hospital if we didn’t have to.”
Seeming a bit bolder, the woman pushed farther into the room, forcing Caroline and Reaper to either back up or bump into her. Her back was turned when she said, “I might be young, but I’m not a fool. You’re sneaking around because you don’t want to be caught by the guards.”
She probably should’ve kept her mouth shut, but Caroline sensed the young woman was searching for something from her, some sign that she and Reaper were not a threat. It could be a total trap, of course, and Caroline could be completely misreading the situation. Lord knew she had never had to rely on her instincts like she was doing now. Up until the day she’d run from her own wedding, her entire life had been handed to her on a silver platter. Literally. Still, something about this woman put Caroline at ease, and she trusted her judgment enough to make the decision to speak out.
“You’re right. The guards are the ones who want to hurt us.”
The young woman stepped under the single light in the room, throwing her scars into such stark contrast Caroline almost flinched. But not from disgust, from recognizing the kind of pain the woman must’ve suffered.
As if reading her mind, the woman touched her face, almost absentmindedly. “Those animals are not good. They destroy anyone and anything that they want without consequence.”
Caroline thought back to that heaping pile of bodies and the rotting stench. “They are the ones responsible for the bodies in that building, aren’t they?” she asked without thinking.
