Ardeth walked into the tent behind Shamara, and slowly walked over to Frank, not wanting the injured man to think he was a threat. He saw that Frank's eyes were closed, but he opened them slightly when Ardeth knelt next to him.
Frank looked at him with glassy eyes. He made no indication that he saw how much they looked alike, and Ardeth attributed it to grogginess from Shamara's medicine.
"My name is Ardeth Bay," he said. "You need not fear me, I am a friend."
Frank just blinked at him, saying nothing.
"You are at my campsite, in the middle of the Sahara desert. Do you remember what happened?"
Frank said nothing, and it took a few seconds for what Ardeth said to get through to him. He frowned. "My…team?" he asked.
Ardeth smiled inwardly. It seemed that he and Frank were very much alike. "They are safe, uninjured."
Frank was relieved. "Where…are we?"
"In the middle of the Sahara desert," Ardeth repeated, watching the puzzled look on Frank's face deepen.
Shamara continued to wet a cloth and place it on Frank's forehead. "His fever has risen," she said, softly.
Ardeth sighed. Between the pain, blood loss, medicine, and fever, Frank was quite incapable of comprehending the situation. He suddenly had a thought, and took the amulet out of his pocket, holding it in front of Frank's face.
Frank looked like he was having a hard time focusing on it, but he stared at it nonetheless.
"An old man gave this to you," Ardeth said, slowly. "Do you remember?" He expected Frank to not react, so he was surprised when Frank slowly shook his head.
At least he understood my question, Ardeth thought. Or did he? "What is your name?" he asked, trying to gauge Frank's coherency.
It was a long moment before Frank answered. "Frank," he paused. "Donovan."
Ardeth nodded. Perhaps Donovan's mind was clearing. "Yes," he said. "An old man gave you this amulet; it made you travel back in time to 1934. There were words written on the back of it, and I need to know what they were."
That question proved to be too much for Frank, and he said nothing, shaking his head slowly, as if telling Ardeth he didn't know.
Ardeth sighed noiselessly. He watched as Frank's eyes slowly closed, as he either fell asleep or lost consciousness.
"Shamara?" Ardeth said.
The healer knew what he was asking. "I fear that he will grow worse before better."
********************
Shamara was right. Frank's fever spiked, and he was delirious all night.
The team was in a frenzy, as they sat by him, trying to calm him through nightmares and hallucinations.
Shamara and her helpers tried everything they could to bring his temperature down, but nothing helped.
Safti was beside himself with worry, knowing that if Frank died, Ardeth probably would also, if Frank was no longer there to prevent his death, however he was supposed to do it.
Ardeth also seemed nervous, pacing in the tent.
Alex O'Connell was upset, hoping his quest had not been for nothing.
It was nearly dawn the next morning when Frank calmed, so suddenly, that both Alex and Monica gasped, thinking he'd died. "Frank?!"
Jake checked him for a pulse, and found it still there. "He's alive," he said, his voice sounding strangely shaky.
"Asleep," said Shamara.
"Has his fever lowered, or has he succumbed to exhaustion?" Ardeth asked her.
Shamara felt Frank's forehead. "Exhaustion."
The tension in the air thickened as everyone exchanged fretful glances.
Alex O'Connell began to mutter incoherently, starting to pace, while Ardeth finally stopped pacing, and sighed. He looked at Safti, and could see the fear in his friend's eyes, for his safety. That scared him more than Alex's earlier words had. He'd rarely seen that kind of fear in his friend's eyes.
Shamara sighed, looking up at Ardeth. "There is little more than can be done for him. His body must rest, if it is to recover."
He nodded.
Behind him, Safti sighed, exasperated. "We must solve this puzzle without him. I will not allow your death, my friend!"
Ardeth put a hand on Safti's arm, concerned for his state of anxiety. "Safti…" He sighed, not able to think of anything to say. He frowned when Safti abruptly rushed from the tent.
"Send someone to find me if he awakens again," Ardeth instructed Shamara, not even realizing he'd said 'if' instead of 'when'.
Shamara nodded, and Ardeth left the tent, where he found Safti standing not far away, facing north, looking at the stars.
"Safti?"
Safti sighed, and turned to face him. "Ardeth, you are my dearest friend. We have been since before we were able to walk."
Ardeth nodded, thinking back to when they were children.
"To think that you are supposed to die…" he paused, as if unable to say it. "We think ourselves as immortal, in life. We are faced with death time and time again, yet we always survive. But this time, you didn't."
Ardeth sighed, saying nothing.
"I could not handle that, sadiqi," Safti whispered.
Ardeth said nothing for a minute, understanding his friend's torment. The two of them were closer then brothers; he could not live without Safti either.
"You would be Leader," Ardeth said.
Safti's eyes grew, at his words. Ardeth as of yet had no heir, and Safti was his second in command. Due to the turmoil of the situation, he had forgotten. "Now we must stop this event from occurring," Safti said.
Ardeth caught the slight smile, and smiled back.
"I do not wish to lead," Safti told him. "I would rather be at your side."
Ardeth nodded. "Yes. When I can not make a decision, you make it for me."
Safti smiled again. "What is a Second for?" His smile left, as he again grew serious. "I will not let you die, Ardeth. Even if I have to die in your place."
Now it was Ardeth's turn to get upset, at that thought. "Let us not talk of dying, my friend. I am still here, and I plan on remaining."
Safti nodded. "As do I."
'sadiqi' Arabic for 'my friend'