The next morning Michelle wakes up from another restful night of sleep upon opening her eyes, she sees my face mere inches from hers. Our bodies sought out each other and became entangled together sometime in the night. When her first thought isn't to untangle herself and get as far away as possible she smiles to herself.
"God, I want him to kiss me again," She thinks as she takes several moments studying my face. "No Michelle, talk first. We have to talk first about what happened and then... then I want him to kiss me. Jesus, I sound like a twelve year old with her first crush. Snap out of it, you're a twenty seven year old woman with a doctorate for God's sake. Still, it feels really nice being held like this by him wonder if he'd feel the same way though?"
Gradually the pain in my wound shoulder grows enough to wake me up. I open my eyes and am surprised that Michelle's so close. She smiles and whispers.
"Morning."
"Uh... good morning?" I ask not moving.
"I think so," She answers also not moving. "How do you feel?"
"Great. Uh, I mean my shoulder's sore but I'm really great right now."
"Me too... I mean my shoulder isn't hurting but I feel great too. I guess I should have a look at your shoulder huh?"
"That can wait a few more minutes right?"
She smiles. "Maybe just a few," She closes her eyes and snuggles her head right under my chin. We lay here like this for several minutes just enjoying the closeness of each other before she raises her head.
"I think I should check that shoulder now Kenny."
"Do you really have to do that now?" I ask.
"Yep, I really do."
Reluctantly I extract myself from this beautiful woman and sit up on the bed. A glance down and I can see why she makes her abrupt departure because the sheet is tenting over my lower half. She climbs out of the bed and relights the bedside lamp so she can see better.
"Oh god, I'm so sorry! It's not what you think, I mean it is what you think obviously, but it's not because of you," I tell her bundling the sheet over me so my erection doesn't look so pronounced.
"It's not huh? Way to make a girl feel wanted Kenny," She says laughing.
"That's not what I meant Michelle," I respond flustered.
"It happens, I know that. Don't worry about it," She tells me hiding her smile.
"I am sorry though."
"Apology accepted from the both of you. That is if he plans on going back down anytime soon."
I glance down and see the sheet is still tented. "Just give him a second and he'll get the memo I'm sure."
"He will once I start checking out your wound this morning, unless you're into pain for some reason."
"Not into pain in the least," I assure her. Just thinking about it my little soldier begins to deflate.
Michelle notices and smiles. "See you later big guy," She almost says aloud but then thinks better of it and asks instead. "Which side hurts or is it both?" She asks.
"My left on hurts all over and my right one's kind of numb but that's probably from...," I let the statement die there but we both look at the pillows.
"From me using it as a pillow? I'm sorry about that Kenny. I shouldn't have done that."
"I'm the one that should be apologizing Michelle. I promise no groping and you wake with me draped all over you not mention a certain appendage of mine poking you not so politely."
"I liked it," She interrupts me as she peels off my bandages.
"You liked it?" I ask.
"The erection was a little much to deal with but being close to you was nice. There are plenty of worse ways to wake up, believe me."
I nod. "I guess there are."
"I hope we are not disturbing you," Rhadi says as she enters the hut.
"No Rhadi, everything's... fine now," Michelle tells her peeking down to the sheet that's covering my privates it's tenting no longer able to be seen. "We were just talking about the past."
"If you live in the past, you will miss the now," Rhadi says. "Sorry, it's an old saying that my father used to tell me when I was younger."
"Your father sounds like a smart man Rhadi," I tell her.
"Thank you, he was. He even had a gift that he passed on to Yacine."
"She sees the future," Michelle explains and then adds when she sees my disbelieving face. "I doubted it too but she said that Mr. Death was going to come and rescue me. Here you are."
"Mr. Death?"
"I said the Right Arm of Death not Mr. Death," Yacine says as she enters. She walks over and taps my Eddie tattoo. "See, Death on his right arm."
"Wow, okay. That's sort of neat and unnerving at the same time," I tell her.
"Why unnerving?" She asks me as Michelle continues to probe around my wounds.
"Some people don't want to know what's coming Yacine. They prefer to live life as it comes to them and not know what's around the next corner," Rhadi explains.
Yacine nods. "I am sorry if I offended you Mr. Kenny."
"I wasn't offended little one just tell me one thing."
"Of course."
"Do I get this one home safe and sound?" I ask nodding towards Michelle.
Yacine closes her eyes and seems to be concentrating for a moment then slowly opens her eyes.
"I see Miss Michelle on a beach in a beautiful white gown. She is so happy and feels so loved by all of those around her. Before that however," She states.
"Stop right there little one, if I get her home safe then that's all I need to know. The rest I'll take on as it comes. We should probably be getting on the move if we want to catch our ride home."
"Ever since you mentioned home, I can't imagine what mom and dad must be going through right now. The way we lost dad and now this, then there's Bryce, I don't think he's ever lost anyone he was close to."
"He still hasn't and as soon as we get someplace safe you'll call them and let them know. If all goes right, I should be getting you home in the next couple of days or so." I tell her.
She eyes me skeptically for a moment. "You call getting shot and the Aid station blowing up going right?"
"All part of the plan," I tell her.
She pauses then breaks into laughter and I join her.
"That is one elaborate plan Kenny," She tells me after she finishes laughing.
"Well I never was one to do anything half assed," I tell her getting her to grin.
"Thank you. I haven't laughed like that in a while."
"You have a great laugh. It is good to hear it from you," Rhadi says.
"This one brings it out in me," She tells them. "He's always been able to make me smile."
"You have a great smile, I've told you that."
"She does. I am going to miss it when you leave us," Yacine says.
"I've got to get home to my family sweetie," Michelle says hugging her. Yacine hugs her back tightly and I can see the tears welling up in Michelle's eyes. "I'll miss you so much Yacine."
"I will miss you too Miss Michelle but... I know that I will see you again," She says.
"The spirits again," Michelle asks and she nods. "I'll trust them to be right, okay?"
"Okay," She says and turns to me. "You take care of Miss Michelle, she is very special."
"I will little one. She's very special to me as well," I tell her.
She hugs me and whispers in my ear. "You will make her very happy, I have seen this."
"I'll do my best," I tell her and Michelle and I get to our feet.
Michelle hugs Rhadi and tells her. "Thank you for everything. We wouldn't have made it without your help or your family."
"Yes we're indebted to you for all that you did to help us," I add shaking Demba's hand.
"You have helped us when we were sick." She says to Michelle. "And freed us from the devil Ballo," She says to me. "Our village and we did only what we could to provide you with help and healing as a small token of friendship and of our thanks to you both."
"We thank you for all that you, your family and your village has done for us," I tell Rhadi and she translates. "We are humbled by your kindness and hospitality."
"Thank you so much," Michelle tells him as she hugs him. "I wish we could do more."
"You must go home," Rhadi says. "Like he says, your family must miss you very much."
Michelle nods. "I know."
She turns to me. "Shall we?"
I nod and go gather my gear from the hut. Once I return it seems the entire village has come out to see us off. I lose count of how many people Michelle hugs but I think that it's every single person that lives here. Finally, we're able to wave goodbye before heading out into the jungle towards the dock and to where I hope our boat will be waiting.
Progress is slow because I choose not to use the paths for fear that the guys that showed up at the village might still be out here looking for us. The vegetation is thick and the ground is covered in gnarled roots making walking treacherous. I've been nearly tripped up a dozen or so times and from the sounds behind me, Michelle's faring just as well. A sound off to our right causes me to stop, too bad Michelle doesn't and tumbles right into me. Without thinking I reach out with my wounded arm and grab a nearby tree to keep us from falling.
"Damn..." I start to say aloud then remember the noise and shut my mouth.
She begins to apologize but I shush her and point to the right. Her eyes follow my finger while her head gives a subtle nod. We wait but the only sound that we hear are the birds overhead calling out. I wait another few minutes then try to head out but she reaches out and stops me.
"You need to rest for a minute," She says pulling me towards a fallen tree.
"Nah, I'm good," I tell her as I wipe the sweat from my brow, which was a mistake because I used my bad arm to do it causing even more pain. "Son of a bitch."
"Your shoulder?"
"It's nothing, I used it to catch us and now I tried to lift it. That was a bad idea but there's supposed to be some kind of root out here that I can use as pain relief," I begin to say when I hear the unmistakable sound of a shaking pill bottle.
"You could just use these." I turn and see her holding up a Tylenol bottle. "I came prepared Kenny so just sit and take a breather," She says making damn sure; I know that it isn't a suggestion.
I relent and take a seat while she rummages through the pack for the bottled waters Yacine packed for us. She hands me one and I down half the bottle in my first drink.
"Take three of these before you drink all the water," She tells me.
I pop the pills finishing off the bottle as I do. "Do you want another one?"
