A/N: There is an extensive conversation that should not be in English in this chapter, but for the sake of continuity, I have opted for leaving out the Swahili and written only the English translation (in italics).
It had been a fairly slow day at the clinic. The most devastating injury that she had dealt with was a dislocated shoulder, which she easily popped back into place. The mundane work environment gave her time to think, time to consider the huge step she was planning to take when she was finally back in the Seattle rain.
I'm going to marry Calliope.
Marriage had never been something she saw herself submitting to. Chaining herself down to one woman for the rest of her life? White picket fences, in-laws, big poofy dresses, and babies? None of it had been a part of her carefree dream. She had wanted adventure, travel, sangria, foreign beaches, and smoking hot women in bikinis. Now, she only wanted one smoking hot woman in a bikini and she had a pretty good feeling that woman wanted only her, too. There was no way to put to words to the sense of euphoria that flowed through every vein of her body when she thought about marrying the love of her life. Thankfully she still had a little more than two years to plan the perfect proposal…
A romantic dinner, candlelight illuminating their smiles as they sat surrounded by the night… violins playing in the distance. Oh God, that was so cliché! Moans and whispered words of love. Sweat gliding down their heated flesh. A cloud of bliss and in that moment, an uttered question for a life together. Maybe… No, she wouldn't plan this so far in advance. She would let the moment grab hold of her. Though the down side of that was having to carry a ring in her pocket every day so she wouldn't miss that perfect moment. A small price to pay for the beautiful smile she knew it would bring to Callie's face.
Azibo watched the PEDs surgeon as she happily danced from one patient to the next. It warmed his heart to see the sudden change in her spirit. A shadow had followed her in the days trailing Chisulo's death; most had not noticed her subdued enthusiasm, but he had seen it clearly. She had willingly swallowed her own pain in order to keep her partner from falling apart. It had been a noble deed and one that assured the tribal man that the two women were very much in love. That simply made this sudden change so much more miraculous… a morning with the woman she loved had been enough to erase the darkness in her eyes.
His reflection was cut short by the sudden slamming of the clinic door against the wall. A man staggered inside, his head bowed, shoulders slumped, and blood dripped down his face. The native doctor turned to Arizona, catching her alarmed gaze. He noticed the young child in her care and signaled for her to keep working before he rushed to his new patient. The man fell to his knees as soon as Azibo reached him, uttering a string of curses he could hardly make out.
With Chiwa's help, he managed to get the older man to an empty bed. They worked quickly, checking his blood pressure, heartbeat, and obvious wounds. His knuckles were bloodied, the flesh torn from a fight, and strands of long black hair were laced between some of his fingers. Most alarming was the wound on the side of his face, but not because of how deep it was or the wooden splinters caught in it… no, it was the fact that observing the wound meant Azibo gazed upon the victim's face and immediately recognized him.
"Dulani… Ni nini kilichotokea na wewe? (Dulani… What happened to you?)"
"Mimi kujaribu kunyamazisha shetani na shahidi mmoja amesimama katika njia yangu ni mwana wangu. (I try to silence the devil and the martyr standing in my way is my son.)"
Azibo paused, his hand stilled against the bandage he was placing against the man's face. Devil? He had heard him say this once before… it had been months ago when they had first started to build their water filter… and Callie had been at his side.
"Kile shetani? (What devil?)" The doctor silently signaled for Chiwa to take over for him.
The older man spat on the ground before them. "Wewe kucheza bubu ... labda yeye imenipatia na wewe. (You play dumb... perhaps she has gotten to you.)"
No!
He moved swiftly to Arizona's side, grabbing her by the elbow. Her wide, blue eyes met his piercing gaze and though he had yet to speak, she had a feeling she would not like hearing what he had to say. Something about the man who had come in had rattled the doctor; his usually calm disposition was hanging on by a thread. She turned to the helper she had been training, explaining to him the steps for applying the bandage she had prepared, and then followed her friend out of the clinic with only a passing glance to the bloodied man on the gurney staring her down.
"Azibo, what's going on?" She tried to fall into step with him as he took long strides away from the building.
"We need to get back."
"Back where? Who was that guy?"
He did not stop. "Banishing a devil…"
"Devil?"
He wouldn't believe it… not yet. "…must be wrong…"
"Azibo! What…"
Whatever other words she had planned to utter died on her lips as she collided with the man before her when he suddenly stopped his movements. And then she saw it. The home she shared with Callie stood before them in ruin. The door was broken, hanging on by just one hinge, and she could see some of the overturned furniture that littered the floor.
"Calliope…"
She rushed ahead, her legs carrying her into the wreckage though they threatened to buckle when her eyes took in the devastating sight. Plates, cups, chairs, tables… all broken. A pool of blood to her right. Sheets strewn across the floor. Where was she?
"Callie!"
She moved frantically until she heard a moan. Behind the table! Rushing around the wooden slab she found her lover on her back, face twisted in pain. There were cuts across her face, blood dripped down from a gash on her forehead, a shoulder that looked deformed… Arizona fell to her knees. She sat shell shocked until Azibo rushed in and she saw Callie cringe at the sight of his silhouette. Swallowing the bile that threatened to creep up her throat, she crawled over to the Latina's side and brushed her hair back gently.
"Calliope, it's okay." She placed a kiss against her cheek. "I'm here, baby. It's me… it's me."
"Ari…zona." The younger woman grimaced as the words left her cracked lips.
Her blue eyes silently begged for Azibo's help. He ran to the bed where he knew they kept a modest medical kit and brought it over, kneeling beside her so that Callie could see his familiar face. Bandages and sterile wipes were all he had to work with, but he immediately began to dab at the gash on her forehead while the blonde surgeon held her hand and inspected her shoulder.
"We need to pop this back in. Can you help me sit her up?"
They held her back gingerly, Azibo remaining behind her so that the injured woman wouldn't collapse back to the floor. Arizona placed a calming hand on her lover's cheek, willing herself to swallow the anxiety flooding her mind. Callie needed her. She needed a strong, mentally able doctor, friend, partner… allowing herself to be beaten down by grief would not do her any good. A doctor… yes, that's what she had to be.
"This is going to hurt, but I'll make it quick, okay?" She waited for the subdued woman to nod before placing her hands on the dislocated shoulder. "One… two…"
Pop!
Her scream was muffled against Arizona's chest as she collapsed into her, the pain radiated swiftly from her shoulder and dissipating moments later. She remained there, the sound of her girlfriend's heartbeat soothing her, reminding her that she was enveloped by a loving sanctuary. Was this real? The last time she had been awake, fear had threatened to destroy her and yet now, she was in the warmest embrace she had ever known. She could vaguely register that someone was wrapping a makeshift sling out of an ace bandage around her arm, but she didn't care. All she wanted to do was lie there, her ear being filled with the sweet sound of a beating heart and her senses overloaded by the calming smell of the woman who meant everything to her.
"Sweetheart," a gentle hand threaded through her hair. "Who did this to you?"
She could only breathe out one word. "Taxi…"
Arizona paused, waiting for the word to register in her mind. When it didn't, she titled her gaze to Azibo in the hopes that he knew something she didn't. The grim look that came over his face made her suddenly wish she hadn't looked.
"The man who brought you to the village… Dulani." The tribal man swallowed noticeably. "He is Chisulo's father."
Her blood ran cold and the gentle grip she had on Callie tightened in a subconscious display of protection. She didn't remember what the cab driver had looked like… it had been so long ago. Could he have been the man she noticed at the funeral? Was he the person Azibo had been treating at the clinic? Why would he hurt Callie? Her mind overloaded with questions and the subtle nod of her friend's head, affirming her suspicions of the man's identity threatened to deafen her, but all grew silent at the sounding of a pained whimper from the woman in her arms.
"Calliope, what did he do to you?" She shifted them so she could gently rest the back of her lover's head against the crook of her arm and lock eyes with the injured woman.
"I tried to get away…" Her eyes grew heavy with the memory of her attack. "They hit me… broke things… pinned me to the ground."
They?
"Callie, who else was here?" Azibo's voice was chocked by grief.
"Ka… Kapeni…"
…The martyr standing in my way is my son…
The tribal doctor had been expecting the answer, but it did not lessen the pain of the revelation. He chanced a passing glance at Arizona and felt his resolve crumble at the sight of the tears streaming down her pale cheeks as she caressed Callie's face with a gentleness borne out of aged love. The air caught in his throat as he witnessed her lean forward and press a nearly reverent kiss to the broken woman's forehead. In any other context, it was an image that would have warmed his heart, but now it simply brought him to his knees in sympathy.
"You have to keep talking, baby." Arizona's voice was wrought with anguish. "I can't help you unless I know what's wrong…"
"I tried to get away…" The tears poured from brown eyes and her lover reacted out of reflex, drawing her tanned face against her chest.
"Shhh… it's okay, sweetheart. I've got you." The gentle words were the only comfort she could offer.
"They held me down and he… the taxi… he tried to…"
She couldn't breathe. She pulled Callie only far enough away from her chest so she could gaze down at her lap. The tattered state of her clothing finally sunk in – there were buttons missing from her shirt and the zipper of her jeans was broken open. How had she missed that before?
"Oh God..." Her eyes shifted back to the frightened ones of the Latina in her arms. "Did he… did he?"
Callie held her gaze. "I don't know. I kicked him, but he… he got back up and picked up the chair."
Arizona followed the younger surgeon's eyes as they focused on the offending piece of furniture beside them that sat in shambles, smattered with blood. Every second she remained staring at the chair was like a blow to her stomach, knocking the air from her lungs and threatening to overtake her. Her instinct was to wrap Callie securely in her embrace, allowing the tears wetting tanned cheeks to soak into her scrub top as she prayed to whatever God was up there to not let this be real.
"It doesn't hurt."
Callie's voice captured her attention once more. "What?"
"I-I don't think he did." She sniffed loudly before meeting the confused expression on her girlfriend's face. "It doesn't hurt."
Relief washed over her as she pressed Callie against her again and kissed the top of her head. "Thank God… do you feel dizzy or nauseous at all?"
The orthopedic surgeon shook her head. "Just dizzy… tired."
Azibo placed a calming hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Concussion?"
"After getting hit with a chair, I would think so." The bite in her tone was something he easily forgave her for. "Can you help me get her to the bed?"
They moved carefully, supporting Callie on both sides as they made a slow trek to the other end of the room. Arizona sat on the mattress first and helped Azibo guide her lover down across her lap so that she was cradling the Latina's head by her heart. He reached over and draped a discarded blanket over them, smiling sadly at the PEDs surgeon as he combed a hand through her golden hair.
"I am going to return to the clinic to bring her a proper sling and something for the pain." He reached down and picked up another blanket. "I will hang this in the doorway to give you what little privacy I can offer. Do you need anything else?"
Arizona shook her head. "Thank you, Azibo."
She waited until he had left before returning her attention to the woman she held like a lifeline. Callie had grown quiet with near sleep, but she jostled her from the tempting hold of slumber by a light shaking of the woman's good shoulder.
"Stay awake, Calliope." Her voice was only as strong as a whisper. "You can't fall asleep on me, alright?"
Callie grunted. "Can we go home?"
The questioned threatened to crush Arizona with its weight, but she was quick to respond with simplicity. "Yes."
"I'm sorry."
That was not the response she had been expecting.
"Don't you ever say that." She pressed a kiss above the bandage on the Latina's forehead. "This wasn't your fault. Do you hear me? None of this was your fault."
A shaking hand reached up to caress the pale arm wrapped around her. "You, too. It's not your fault."
Arizona closed her eyes, swallowing her rebuttal and opting for a desperate plea. "I need you to hang in there. It's all going to be okay."
Callie turned her head to nuzzle further into the older woman's chest. With images of Dulani and Kapeni rushing through her mind, she wasn't sure if she could believe the reassuring words she was hearing. How would it all be okay? How would anything ever be okay again?
"Do you know how I know that?" Arizona had apparently read her mind. "Because we're going to get out of here and when I take you home, I'm gonna marry you."
Air caught in her throat and she grasped at the blonde's scrub top.
"That's right – I'm going to ask you to marry me." Tears made her soft voice crack. "So you have to keep smiling, okay? Because I need you smiling when I ask you and I need you smiling when you're walking down the aisle in a gorgeous white, poofy dress. And then we're gonna buy a house together somewhere really nice with an amazing view and the kitchen you've always dreamed of. It'll be big enough for a whole family because we're going to raise the most amazing kids. It's going to be the house we grow old in together, okay? So you hang in there because we're going to spend the rest of our lives together and I can't do that without seeing your beautiful smile every day."
A cold nose pressed against her neck as tears wetted her skin. Callie shifted, grasping at her in an attempt to bring them as close together as her injured shoulder would allow. The tears were rampant, forcing vocalized sobs from her lips as she shook in her lover's embrace. There was a difference to these tears, though. They were not just of fear and pain – there was a subtle sense of hope in each drop of water that became clearer with the broken words that escaped her lips as they were mouthed against pale skin.
"I love you."
Azibo moved swiftly out of the clinic, his hands full of the supplies he had promised Arizona. Thankfully, he had managed to sneak in and out without being noticed by Dulani who had been resting on a gurney in the far corner of the room. As his feet carried him back to his friends' dwelling, his eyes wandered around the village. Men, women, and children went about their day as if nothing had happened. No one was willing to get involved and while normally he appreciated the disinterest in gossip amongst his peers, he found himself growing angry at the thought. No one had stepped in to help… except one person. His gaze fell upon a long figure standing by the lake, looking out across the barren plains.
Kapeni.
Without truly being conscious of his actions, the tribal doctor found himself within feet of the lost man. From the way Kapeni's shoulders had slowly tensed, he knew his presence had not gone unnoticed and yet he stood in silence. There were too many questions running through his head, but they all condensed to one curiosity at the sight of bloodied knuckles and a deformed wrist.
"Since you stand calmly, I take it she is well?"
Azibo took a step back, startled by the sudden remark. "I assume you already know the answer to that."
"I can feel your judgment; it weighs heavily upon my shoulders."
There was a moment of silence that passed between them while the doctor placed the medical supplies he had been carrying on the ground. Kapeni still stood with his back turned, but it was not a stance of defense or defiance… to Azibo, it looked more like defeat. That only made his curiosity boil over.
"You stopped him."
The answer was as simple as the question. "I did."
"Why?"
A fist clenched and unclenched rapidly. "Because I remembered what she did…"
"Kapeni, Chisulo's death was not-"
"I remembered the days she gave him." Azibo was stunned. "I saw his face, heard his laughter, remembered how he would talk of her as if she was his savior. If she had not been there when he fell, I would have lost my brother that day, but she was there and he lived. I lost sight of that and my father convinced me I had been right in my anger, but he was not here. He did not witness the miracle. He was not here to experience the fear of losing him and the joy of having him back."
The pieces began to fall into place. "I trust Dulani did not see things as clearly as you did in the end?"
"No." Kapeni drew his injured hand to his chest, cradling it near his heart. "I asked him to stop after he had struck her and she lay before us, motionless."
"The chair?"
"Yes." A regretful sigh escaped his lips. "He would not hear me even when I reasoned with him. He told me I was weak, that I had let myself fall victim to the devil that had killed my brother… he said it was my weakness that led to his fate… and then I lost control."
"You struck him with a piece of wood?"
Kapeni turned to face him with wide eyes. "How do you know this?"
"Your father came to the clinic."
"You treated him?"
Azibo shook his head. "He spoke of a devil and a martyr who blocked his path – I had heard him spin such hate months before. It did not take long to make sense of his riddle. What happened next, Kapeni?"
"He recovered and lunged for me. I fought back until I was able to drive him from their dwelling – I assume that is when he came to you. I thought of helping her, but I was too ashamed."
"You left her."
"I am not proud of my actions." The younger man's gaze fell to the boxes at the doctor's feet. "Those supplies are for her?"
"Yes and I must return." His tone had grown cold.
"Azibo, please!" The desperate call stalled the doctor in his retreat. "I accept my banishment. I have caused this village pain and cost it a doctor-"
"Two. You know that they will not stay."
Kapeni lowered his gaze to his feet. "I know. I will leave immediately to spare them from confronting me, but please… please tell her that I am sorry."
Azibo sighed, softened as he gazed at the man's distraught face. "No, boy, I will not. If you wish to apologize, you will do so on your own. I will not send you away from the only place you can pay respect to your brother – I am not so cold. If you leave it is because you choose to do so."
Kindness was not what he had been expecting from his companion. "Why show me mercy?"
"Because I share part of the blame." The guilt clouded Azibo's eyes as he fought against each word that spilled from his lips. "I may not have held her down when she screamed for mercy, but I was foolish enough to let your father back into this village long enough to have the opportunity. He is meant to be only a delivery boy to our people now and I let my compassion blind me in one regretful moment. I failed to learn from his violent acts years ago and now a dear friend has suffered for my naïveté."
"You banished him for strangling my mother and yet you let me roam free after what I have done?" He could hardly make sense of what he was hearing. Surely there would be retribution. Surely he would punished.
"I have faith you can change, Kapeni. You stopped his acts of cruelty. That does not forgive your role in this, but I sense you will punish yourself more than I ever could."
There were no words left to speak. No apology would be accepted and no amount of warmth could melt the ice that had formed between them. They were at a stalemate – one sought a lashing to relieve him of his guilt and the other would not yield. Sensing that he had made his point clear, Azibo turned to make his way back to his injured friend. He had only gone a few steps when something urged him to slow his retreat and send one last thought to the lost soul behind him.
"You are not him. Your guilt separates you from his actions, so never lose sight of that. There is still hope for you, Kapeni, though there never will be for my brother."
Sorry I left you guys hanging last time! I tried getting this written sooner, but life got in the way. This chapter was a monster! I definitely didn't mean for it to be so long and since I still didn't get to where I thought I was going to by the end, I've decided to add another chapter to the story - there will be 11 in total. Anyway, thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter - your reactions to the ending are what motivated me to find the time to write this new installment. I hope you enjoyed it!