Anna was lying on her hotel bed, her eyes wide open. She should be sleeping, for it was two in the morning local time, and the next day and all those after were going to be tough, that she knew for sure. Yet, the heat, the jet-lag and the stress joined their force to keep her awake. She stared at the ceiling fan going round and round, bringing a parody of fresh air. The heat had choked her up when she had stepped out of Hyderabad airport a few hours earlier. In those last days of April, it was hotter there than it was in Yorkshire on the hottest of summer days. What was even more suffocating was the smell. After the English crew had been welcomed by Harendra Vardhan, they had been driven from the airport to the small hotel where they would be housed for the next three weeks, near the hospital. During the ride, they had passed several crematoriums, some official, some makeshift to absorb the huge amount of bodies that had to be cremated. When Harendra explained the Hindu traditions of burning the dead people's bodies outdoors with wood-logs, Anna understood the burnt smell that had assaulted her as soon as they had left the airport's air-conditioning. In the hotel, the air-conditioning had been turned off, for fear of spreading Covid from room to room through the pipes. So there was no respite from the heat. Opening the window was no relief, as it was as hot outside than it was inside, and there was smoke and noise outside. Anna turned to Gwen's bed, who seemed to be sleeping peacefully. She sighed, and wondered how her friend managed that. She was used to falling asleep and waking up quickly, thanks to years of night shifts at the hospital, where you should always take whatever sleep you can when it is available. But the heat, that she was not used to. She felt a mixture of fear and excitement thinking of the work that lay ahead of her for the next three weeks. Finally, John had asked Robert to chip in, and they had also appealed to several local and national NGOs, and so they had gathered enough funds and equipment to build a small field hospital that would be able to admit fifty critically-ill patients, and two hundred milder cases. She realized it was only a droplet in the ocean of suffering surrounding them, but it was what they could do. They were on the first rotation, so their first days would be dedicated to building up the facility, which was to be the work of the technicians and logisticians, with the local staff. Her and her fellow healthcare workers' job would be to train the local health workers to treat the patients at the best cost-efficiency balance, and to keep themselves safe. When the tents and beds were set up, they would start admitting the patients, and work hand in hand with the Indian staff. When they had arrived at the hotel earlier, the car had passed the General Hospital entrance, and what Anna had seen had made her blood turn to ice. They had had hard times in the UK in the last months, but it was nothing compared to what was waiting for them here. A more aggressive variant, a more populated area, a less healthy population, more cramped dwellings, all those things were the perfect combination for the epidemic to spread like a bushfire. There were at all times of day and night a gathering of people standing at the hospital doors, waiting to be or to have a relative admitted. Some did not make it inside, and died there on the pavement. Anna sighed again, and tried to rid her mind of those unsettling images. They were here to do what they could to relieve a small part of that suffering, and she tried to focus on that. Sleep still eluded her, so she turned away from Gwen's side, and grabbed her phone on her bedside table. She exchanged a few texts with John, eliciting empathy when she complained about the stifling heat. Then she reached for her earphones, and started playing the playlist of his own recordings John had prepared for her to take away on her trip. "Then you'll have me and our favourite tunes with you in your pocket at any time", he had told her. She smiled at the memory of him working hard on the piano and his guitar to manage recording all the songs before she left. As she slowly dozed off, she had to admit that his voice soothed her pretty well.

x x x x

The next morning, the English crew gathered with the Indian staff in one of the hospital's meeting room. From their fifth-story window, they could watch the field hospital being build on the parking lot below. It was impressive how fast people were working. Anna felt the pressure to have every health worker ready for when the facility opened. Thus they spent all day sharing their experience on ventilating Covid-patients, familiarizing their Indian colleagues with the ventilators they had brought, assessing the severity of the cases, and how they were to choose which patients could benefit from an ICU bed. Sadly, it would be a big part of their job, selecting who they were going to admit and who would not be admitted to ICU. Resources being so scarce, they had to be used wisely, and so they had to take in only the fitter patients, those who had a real chance of survival. That was one of the main principles of high-casualty medicine.

Despite the grim context, goodwill and motivation were palpable among both British and Indian workers, and the exchanges were enriching for both sides. At the end of the third day, the field hospital was ready, and patients were to be admitted from the next morning. Just as they were leaving the hospital to go back to their hotel room, for one last "quiet" night before jumping into the battle, Anna called after Harendra:

- Hey, Harendra, I've got a question for you!

Anna had tried to contact her friend Danhia to inform her that she was coming back to India, but she had found that her Facebook account had been closed. She had figured the young woman had got tired of social media, and left, as many people did. So she had tried emailing her, but there had been no answer. She had looked out for a sight of her since they had arrived, but the hospital was so vast that she had had no chance. Danhia had specialized as an OBGYN so she had no business coming to work in their field hospital.

- Yes, Anna? replied Harendra.

- I was wondering, do you know if Danhia Vikram still works in this hospital? I've been looking to contact her, but I've had no luck.

Harendra's smile fell immediately.

- Oh. Anna, I'm sorry. I… She died a few weeks ago. She was seven-months pregnant, and got infected. It took her and the baby…

Anna felt like she had received a bucket of icy water on her head.

- Fucking shit! she exclaimed, then brought her hand to her mouth. Uh, sorry, I mean… We used to be friends from when I came here on an internship. I felt bad for not having asked for news for a long time… I didn't even know she was pregnant.

Tears were threatening in her eyes, and Harendra put an empathic hand on her shoulder:

- Don't apologize. I think those were pretty much my words when I learned about it too. We've had many casualties among the staff… We don't have enough appropriate PPEs…

Anna was back in her hotel room, and wiping her tears, when her phone buzzed.

"Hey darling, are you available for a video-call? Timmy has news for you."

She smiled at the thought of her son, and answered:

"Yes, give me three minutes and I'll call you"

She put the phone down, went to the bathroom and passed some cold water on her face. Then she settled on her bed and began the video call. Her heart leapt when she saw Timmy's face smiling at her, with John standing behind him.

- Hey sweetie! How are you?

- I'm fine Mum!

- Have you been a good boy for John?

- Yes!

- And has John been good to you to? she smirked, looking discreetly to John.

- Yes, we've been to the store and we have chosen a wallpaper and a floor for my new bedroom!

- Oh, that's great! I can't wait to see it. What's it like?

- There are rocket-ships, planets and stars on it!

- Oh, I bet it will look very good!

- And Mummy, will you be back for my birthday?

- I'll be back just the next day sweet pea. We can celebrate it the following week-end.

- Ah, Anna, I think that's where I need to tell you, Mary has made a whole plan for Timmy's birthday. She wants to invite us at the Abbey, I mean, at her parents' house. She says it's no good celebrating a sixth birthday in an apartment, and since we won't be settled into our house yet, she wants to do it in Downton Park. Are you OK with that?

- Oh my, you can always count on Mary for not letting things go simple… Well, I guess I'm feeling a bit like the failing mother here, who can't even throw her own son a birthday party, but well. If Mary wants to handle that… We both know it's no use trying to tell her no. And I really don't have neither the time nor the energy to try and make her not do whatever she wants to do… So let's say I'm OK with it, and save ourselves a lot of pointless argument.

- You're pragmatic, I like that, smirked John. I tried, you know, to imply that I could organize something simple in the park, but she wouldn't hear of it. She says she's his godmother and she want to throw him a memorable sixth birthday party.

- Well then let her have fun. I'll text her later. So, Timmy, are you happy to have your birthday party at Aunt Mary's?

- Yay! She says she's going to rent a bouncy castle!

- Oh sweet lord, laughed Anna. She's crazy. It's going to be so much fun, she added to Timmy.

When the boy had had enough of video-chatting, he went back to his toys, and Anna continued the conversation with John.

- So, how are things going out there? Crushing heat notwithstanding? asked John.

- So far, so good, the field hospital's almost ready, they are finishing everything this evening, and we are admitting the first patients tomorrow morning. So it will be my baptism by fire, if I may say so.

- I'm very proud of what you're doing you know?

- Yeah. Well, it's nothing compared to the mess that's going on…

Her throat felt tight again as she thought again about Danhia.

- You remember my friend Danhia, whom I talked to you about?

- Yes?

- Well she's dead. Gone with her unborn baby.

- Oh Jesus. I'm so sorry darling.

- Yeah. Anyway, she said, her voice wavering as she was fighting against a new wave of tears. I might go out tonight and visit her brother and mother. They had invited me to dinner at their flat when I was there last time. They were so kind…

- Please, be careful, Anna. Don't put yourself at risk… he begged.

- Don't worry, I'll be. I'm sad but I'm not stupid.

- I never thought you were darling, I'm sorry if it sounded like I did.

- No, no, it's alright. Well, I have to go. Thank you for taking care of Timmy. He seems happy.

- Yes, we're having fun. We're working hard on the house.

- I can't wait to see the results. Goodnight John. I love you.

- Goodnight Anna. I love you too.

When she had hung up, Anna looked over to Gwen who had settled on her bed after having taken her shower.

- I'm going to visit Danhia's family. Are you coming with me?

- Er, do you think it's wise? Going to private apartments? How are we going to get there?

- We'll walk. It's only a few blocks away. We'll wear N95s all the time. You don't have to go if you don't want to, but I'm going. I need to see them, tell them I'm sorry.

- Alright, I'll come with you, I don't like letting you wander alone.

- Let's go then.

Half an hour later, Anna and Gwen where knocking at an apartment's door in a big apartments tower. Danhia's family were upper middle-class people, quite well-off, but her father had died two years after Anna's stay in India. So she had lived with her brother and mother, until she had married and gone to live with her husband. Danhia's mother opened the door and looked cautiously outside.

- Hello, Hafsana, do you remember me? said Anna. I'm Anna. Danhia's friend for Britain?

Recognition dawned on Hafsana's face. She was a plump middle-aged woman, wearing the traditional sari.

- Anna?! she said, puzzled. But… what are you doing here?

- I've come to help at the hospital, with my friend Gwen here, she said, gesturing to her red-haired friend who stood shyly at her side.

- Hello Madam, she said, waving her hand.

Hafsana opened the door wide and said:

- Come in!

She led the two young women inside her flat, and showed them into the living-room.

- I would offer you a drink, and something to eat, I've made ladoos, but I don't think you'll want to take off your masks, she said.

She herself went to the kitchen and came back wearing a home-made mask.

- Oh my dears, these are very sad times to meet again, she lamented in her strong Indian accent.

- I learnt about Danhia and her baby, I'm so, so sorry, Hafsana…

- Yes… Thank you, replied the grieving mother, tears coming to her eyes. Poor Danhia… Married less than a year, she was so beautiful… My dear daughter, look at her on her wedding day, she said, showing Anna and Gwen a large picture of Danhia and her husband in their ceremonial outfits, all smiles and happiness. That was just before the first wave started…

- She was very beautiful, said Gwen. And she looked very happy.

- She was. Her husband is such a nice man, poor Ashraf… Now a widower and no child too. She was admitted to the hospital you know, it was not yet as it is now, there was still some beds, but it went so fast, they didn't have time to do anything…

Hafsana sniffed and wiped her eyes.

- It's awful… We're so sorry Hafsana… You know, my best friend Mary, back in England, she went through the same thing… Luckily doctors managed to save her and the baby too.

Anna shuddered at the thought that it could have ended in the same way as for Danhia.

- I'm happy for your friend, Anna. So, you're helping at the hospital? Are you a doctor too, Miss? asked Hafsana, looking at Gwen.

- Please, call me Gwen, Madam. I'm an ICU nurse.

- Oh. That's very good. Very important job you're doing, both of you.

- We've come with a field hospital, we're opening it tomorrow. We'll work to save as much people as we can, Hafsana. We want no more Danhias.

- Thank you for coming to help us. Last year we were so confident that the pandemic wouldn't hurt us that bad. Our president said all would be fine, we were cleverer than the Europeans and the Americans. Who's laughing now, she sneered.

- No one's laughing, Hafsana. We've had some very tough times in Britain too. But it's better now. We've learned many things for the last year, and we came to share that knowledge with the Indian doctors. We'll do our best, for Dhania's memory.

- Thank you, and may the Gods bless you, my dear girls.

She got up and went to her kitchen. A few minutes later, she was back with a package.

- I can't offer you my ladoos now, but you'll take some back with you, share with the people of the hospital.

- Thank you very much Hafsana. You'll see Gwen, those are terrific, said Anna to her friend.

- I can't wait to taste them, smiled Gwen to the older lady.

They were preparing to leave, when Dhania's brother came home. He stood still, a little surprised at finding two European girls standing in his apartment, then he recognized Anna and smiled:

- Oh, you're Danhia's friend from England, he said. Hi.

- This is my son Taresh, said Hafsana. Anna came to visit, she's come with her friend Gwen, from England, to help at the hospital!

- Oh, that's so kind, said Taresh.

- Taresh is a computer engineer, said his mother proudly. He's working for Hyderabad city council.

- I'm working on the vaccination campaign right now, he said.

- Oh, good, that's very important, said Anna. We were leaving, she added, we don't want to bother you too long.

- Oh, you're not bothering, said Hafsana. I was very pleased to see you again!

- Thank you Hafsana. I was very pleased to talk with you too.

- And I was pleased to meet you, said Gwen. Goodnight.

- Goodnight my dears, said Hafsana as they left. Take care of yourselves.

Later that night, as Gwen snored lightly beside her, Anna was still contemplating the ceiling fan, searching for sleep. She had adjusted to the time zone, but the heat was still bothering her. She was dreading working in full PPE the next day and every day that would follow for two and a half week. They were supposed to wear a full protective overall, complete with a hood, on the top of the N95 mask and the goggles. She didn't know how she would survive to that in those high temperatures. She mentally braced herself, and gathered all her determination, to give her best, in memory of her departed friend. After all, it was only eighteen days, and then she would be back to Britain, home, Timmy's laugh and John's arms. Thinking of those, she turned on her side, grabbed her phone, sent one last "goodnight" text to John, and closed her eyes.