A/N: Thank you for your kind reviews. They make this maddening process all worth it and remind me that I still have to finish the story!
Chapter Two
Same day
Ruth was trying to distract herself with a magazine from the waiting room when she heard her name called. Looking up she saw George walking towards her quickly.
'I'm so glad you are here. I need your help, please.'
'What is the matter? Are you hurt?' he said as he looked her over for any evidence of injury.
She shook her head. 'I'm fine, but a friend of mine is hurt. I don't know what's wrong with him but he's quite badly off.'
'Who is this? What happened to him?'
'His name is Jamal but I don't know what happened to him. I haven't seen him since I left Britain. I went to the market and someone called for help. I ran over and there was a man passed out on the ground and it was him! I don't know why he's here, but he looked terrible and so sick. Please, George, please help him.'
George had never heard the normally calm Ruth so panicked, and he wondered what her relationship was with this man.
'Okay, I'll go and see what I can do to help and I'll let you know more but it may be a while. Why don't you go home…'
'No. I'm not leaving until I know what's wrong with him. I'll wait here; I'll be fine. Thank you,' she said before reaching up and kissing him on the cheek. She'd seen the unasked question in his eyes about her relationship with Zaf but she wanted him to focus on Zaf now.
'Okay, I'll let you know something as soon as possible.'
Ruth nodded before returning to the waiting room chair in which she'd been previously sitting.
An hour passed before Ruth saw him again. A nurse had collected Ruth and taken her to George's office where he joined her moments later.
'How's Jamal? Is he going to be okay?' she asked as soon as George entered the room.
He took the seat next to her and reached for her hand. 'Your friend is quite ill. We're still running tests but it appears that he had abdominal surgery recently and the incision is infected. He's also got some sort of respiratory infection so we've started him on a strong antibiotic to try and knock those out. He's very weak and dehydrated, so he's been started on fluids. He was drifting in and out of consciousness as we examined him and he said your name a few times.' George watched Ruth for her reaction.
She nodded. 'He was awake briefly after I went over to help. I didn't even recognize him until he opened his eyes. He recognized me though; he said, 'Hello, pretty woman' before he passed out again. It was a joke between us, one he made right before I left.' Ruth wiped a tear from her cheek. 'Will he be okay?'
'He's sick but with medical treatment he should be fine.' George's update was interrupted by a ringing phone. 'Hold on a moment,' he said as he answered.
Ruth listened to George's side of the conversation but didn't learn anything new. Thankfully the call was short.
'That was the lab. I've ordered a blood transfusion to boost his blood counts and somehow we don't have any of his blood type available so I have to order some from Limassol or Paphos.' George stood from the chair.
'What's his blood type?' Ruth had a vague memory that she and Zaf were the same blood type but trying to explain to George why she would know that would be too difficult.
'He's B Negative, why?
Ruth stood as well. 'I'm B Negative, too. Can I donate to him?'
George simply nodded. 'Well that's lucky. Come with me to the lab. We need to verify your type and run our standard tests before you can donate. It's quick and he'll still get the blood sooner than if we were to order it from another hospital.'
The day passed slowly for Ruth. The vial of blood they'd taken was tested and found to be compatible to Zaf's so shortly thereafter she found herself with a needle in her arm watching the deep red liquid flow through a tube into a bag hanging nearby. Once this was finished she was finally allowed to sit at Zaf's bedside as her blood became his.
Taking in his appearance, he really did look terrible. From the matted hair to unkempt facial hair, she hardly recognized her friend. Her mind raced as she wondered how he ended up in Cyprus with his injuries. She thought about how to contact the Grid but was hesitant; she had hoped that Zaf would come around long enough for her to ask him a few questions, but so far he'd not woken. She wet a flannel and washed off his face and neck, then rinsed the cloth before wiping down his arms and hands. She found a comb in the bedside drawer and did her best to work through his hair, recognizing that a scissors would be more productive at this point.
Satisfied that she'd done what she could, she sat back down next to Zaf's bed and took his hand in hers. If he woke up she wanted him to know that someone who cared about him was there.
'Hey, wake up. You drifted off,' George's voice brought Ruth back to consciousness.
'Oh, I didn't mean to do that,' she said through a yawn.
'It's all right. Your friend is holding steady; his vital signs are slowly improving,' George commented as he looked at the various machines around the room.
'That's wonderful. When do you think he'll wake up?'
'Hard to say. His body is hard at work fighting the infection and he was suffering from dehydration, so he needs time to heal. We don't know anything about what he was doing or why he suddenly turned up here, but it's a good thing he turned up when he did.'
'I have no idea either why he would be here, looking like this. Jamal was always very clean cut when I worked with him; I've never seen him so scruffy.'
'Well, it's likely to be some time before he wakes up so why don't we go and get something to eat? Aside from your friend here it's a busy day at the hospital and I have a few other patients to get back to.'
'I'm so sorry to have interrupted your day off,' Ruth said as they left Zaf's room.
George reached down and grasped Ruth's hand in his own. 'It's all right. As I said, it's a busy day and I would have been called in anyway.'
As they looked over the lunch offerings, George asked Ruth if she wanted the fish.
'Oh my gosh, I completely forgot that I bought sea bass this morning and left it with Kostas.'
'You bought sea bass?'
'I was going to make it for dinner this evening with a nice salad. I thought it would be good after a warm day.'
'It would have been delicious, but I don't think I'll be able to convince you to come home with me tonight, will I?'
Ruth shook her head. 'No, I want to stay here in case he wakes up. I can't imagine why he's here but I think seeing a friendly face would be good for him.'
After they sat down to eat, George voiced a question that had been on his mind all day. 'Ruth, do you have any idea why your friend is here in Polis, and why he's in such a terrible condition? Something just doesn't seem right.'
Ruth knew she had to tread carefully, especially until she had the chance to speak with Zaf. Best to stay as close to the truth as possible, she thought to herself.
'Honestly, I have no idea why he's here or why he looks like he does. Jamal mentioned once he has family in Pakistan but I don't think I ever heard him mention Cyprus. I haven't had contact with him or anyone else in Britain since I left. As outrageous as it sounds, I think it's all a coincidence that he's here.'
'Did he know your ex? Do you think he's tracked you down somehow?'
Ruth took a deep breath. Her story for why she suddenly turned up in Cyprus to start a new life was that her ex-partner had been manipulative and controlling. Most people didn't ask too many questions and it explained her not wanting to share details about her life in London.
'No, Jamal was one of the people I turned to when I needed to get out of that situation and he went out on a limb to help me leave the country. As I've said, I haven't had any contact with him since then.'
Conversation then shifted to Nico and what he was doing in school before George announced he needed to get back to check on a few patients. He told Ruth he would stop by to see her and Jamal again once he'd finished with the others then kissed her before walking away.
In the short time since Zaf reappeared in her life, Ruth felt the emotions she'd worked hard to put behind her come rushing back. The wonder if she would see Harry again, her anxiety about being discovered alive, and the questions about what Zaf was involved in were almost overwhelming. One thing at a time, she told herself. She needed to be there when Zaf awoke so she could ask him what was going on.
Heading back towards Zaf's room, she walked past the front reception desk.
'Ruth, can you help me for a moment, please?' asked Anastasia, who was working at the desk.
'What do you need?'
'I need to go to the lavatory and then grab a sandwich from the café but there's no one available to help. Just five minutes, I promise.'
Ruth took pity on the young woman and nodded her assent. Anastasia jumped up from her chair and walked around to the door that provided access to the area behind the reception desk. Ruth entered and as Anastasia walked out she promised once again to be back quickly.
Ruth settled herself in the office chair and waited. Her first job at the hospital was in this exact position, which she did for a little over a month, until it was discovered that she had a talent for languages and numbers and she was moved to the accounting department.
She'd only been sitting at the desk for a minute when two disheveled men walked in the door and approached the desk and asked for help.
'What do you need help with?' she asked.
'We are looking for a friend of ours. We were near the market this morning and were separated. He was not feeling well and now we can't find him. Can you check if he is here?' the taller of the two men asked as the other surveyed the waiting room nearby.
Something in their manner put Ruth on edge but she smiled at the men anyway. 'What is your friend's name?'
'Zafar Younis, but he has been sick for some time and may not remember his name. He has dark hair and brown eyes. We've been travelling for many days so his clothing is dirty.'
Harry had once called her a 'born spook' and she needed every ounce of that ability to get her through the next few minutes. Zaf's life likely depended upon her not giving away that she knew of his whereabouts.
'Just a moment, I'll check the records to see if anyone with that name or description has been admitted,' she said, grateful for the opportunity to move her eyes away from the man in front of her. Zaf had been admitted under the name Jamal Davi, which was the name she had given to the hospital when they arrived. She didn't know why Zaf was in Cyprus, but based on his physical condition she knew it wasn't for holiday and she made the split second decision to use Zaf's legend from Operation Waterfall rather than his real name.
She entered the name into the search field and pressed enter, knowing it wouldn't find the name. 'I'm sorry, no one by that name has been admitted to the hospital in the last 24 hours and there doesn't appear to be any unidentified males admitted either,' she added.
Anger flared in the man's eyes. 'Are you sure? He must be here!'
Ruth played along and acted intimidated. 'I'm sure, Sir, but I will call casualty and check for you. Just a moment.' She dialed her own office extension and asked a few questions of her voice mail before replacing the receiver.
'Sorry, no one by that name or description has been seen. Have you checked with the police?' she asked, encouraging the men to leave before Anastasia returned.
The man looked at Ruth, presumably hoping to see evidence of deception in her face. After a few moments he turned and looked at his companion, nodding towards the door before they left the building.
Ruth let out her breath. Turning to the computer she pulled up Zaf's record and made a few changes, including changing his admission date to two days earlier, hoping it would throw off other searches for information. As she finished, Anastasia returned and thanked Ruth for her help.
As Ruth made her way up to Zaf's room, she started formulating a plan to get him out of the hospital as soon as possible, knowing that it wouldn't be long before the men would be back and asking more questions.
A/N: According to The Personnel Files, Zaf and Ruth do have the same blood type.
