Their move took them deeper into Taliban held territory. The breaking down and setting up had become an art form and in no time they were ready for business. Once more Qader Hotaki headed into the village to spread the word that Doctors Without Borders had set up base not far away and Dr. Julien and Klara also taking the down time to disappear. Flavia and Butter taking inventory and arranging the medical supplies, Eyal lending a hand couldn't help to start asking questions.
"Notice anything about our missing team members."
"What do you mean?" Butter asking but already knowing what he was driving at and it wasn't their sexual encounters he was talking about.
"Their behavior."
"I've been meaning to come to you about that." Flavia putting some bandages in proper boxes to seal from dirt. "I've seen it before when working with addicts. Especially heroin addicts."
"You think they are using?"
Eyal checking the narcotics locker against the log. "All accounted for here." He relocking the case, "Yes I do think they are using and I have a good idea the source, but before we accuse them of using we need to find the source and drug. Make sure we are on solid ground before we act."
Flavia finding an empty crate and turn in on its end, sat down. "If we report this it will shut down our work for sure. Our resupply truck should be here tomorrow and I for one would like to keep on for the rest of our allotted time. I feel very strongly about reaching as many children as we can."
"Not much of a choice Flavia. If we do nothing they will become a liability and could do damage in treatment of or patients. Neither one has performed up to par anyway." Butter leaning against one of the selves.
Eyal also finding a crate to sit, he knew what had to be done but wanted the backing of both women. "So tell me Butter, if you had a choice and it could be feasible, what would be your vote. Report with the high probability our mission to immunize and tread abused children will be terminated or keep them with us in hopes nothing critical happens."
"An either or is not a good choice. There has to be another way. I really want to continue with our work but I don't want them around. The three of us have already been carrying most of the work load so we know their being here isn't needed."
Eyal with his half smirk, "A little food poisoning can send them home on the supply truck and no one will be the wiser."
"Dr. Christen will know it as food poisoning and will want to stay as it will soon pass." Flavia liked the idea but throwing out the pit fall.
"Of course he would but we'll start an IV saline solution to prevent dehydration with a little something added to the drip for a nice long nap."
"Like your way of thinking Dr. George. I'm for it, how about you Butter?"
"I'm good to go also. Question, we all eat the same thing at dinner how do the three of us not get sick?"
"Leave that to me. Butter you are coming down with a fever and confined to your tent. Flavia you have a grave dislike for meat with mushroom gravy and excuse yourself to look in on Butter offering to take your plate of food to her."
"By the time the supply truck arrives we'll have two sick puppies on our hands." Butter laughing at the idea.
That evening all went as plan as Eyal pulled cooking duty and being Eyal, the meal was tasty even for prepackaged dehydrated just add water type of food. About an hour later both Julien and Klara were in excruciating pain and terrible cramping, nausea with vomiting and fever. Eyal started the IV drip and after the worse was over, something else added to the drip and soon both were asleep.
Flavia report that Dr. Julien Christen and his assigned nurse, Klara Hofmann had taken ill and being transported back via the returning supply truck. Early the next morning the supply truck with two armed jeep escorts arrived after traveling under the cover of night.
Butter and Flavia checking in the medical replacement supplies while Qader and his two drivers unload the other supplies, food and needed necessities. Eyal review the paper work and sign the medical order to take Dr. Julien and Klara back to Pakistan for rest and recovery.
"Excuse me. Are you Dr. George Scopello?" A man dressed dress in camouflage and wearing keffiyeh approached him.
"Yes I am and are you the lead here?"
"Yes and I understand we'll be taking two ill people back with us."
"Food poisoning, nothing life threatening and they will be sedated for the trip." Eyal signing off on some paper work for the delivery.
"Winter should be headed this way soon and heavy snow. Hope you have some reading material, may I suggest 'Knights of the Round Table: Gawain'.
"Thanks but I prefer 'Magic of Excalibur'.
"For you sir with King Arthur's blessing." The man handed Eyal a flash drive in a cloth bag to protect it from any moisture and quickly returned to attend to the loading of their passages for the return trip.
Eyal administered another dose to their sleeping beauties that would last for six to eight more hours, and each resting peacefully in the back of two different jeeps. Much warmer than riding in the back of an empty truck. They were on their way.
"Ok we are good for business. Let's see if we have any takers." Eyal sliding the flash drive in his pocket to view later.
Butter came out of the supply tent with a cardboard box in her hands. "Look what they sent us, Christmas decorations."
"I'll hold down the fort and you two go find a Christmas tree." Flavia giving orders and Eyal with a side way nodded in concurrence.
Off in search of the perfect tree or bush, Eyal speaking to Butter, "I received a message from Arthur but don't know as yet what. I need time by myself to review what he sent so if you will be that erratic little southern belle and get Flavia to help you decorate the tent without me around, you know surprise me."
"Erratic! Come on George. It's more like a sweet southern bubbly personally. I've worked hard to create it."
"Whatever works." Eyal spotting a large bush, "There is our Christmas tree." And with an ax he made short order to chopping down the bush. Dragging it back to camp, they both noticed Qader Hotaki with their two drivers headed to the village, an unscheduled side trip.
"Here Butter, you take the bush back to camp I'm going to tail."
"What if they split up, I should go along."
"Ok, I've got Qader and you take his two cronies." Eyal pull the bush to the side of a large tree and taking notice of the location.
Tailing them was easy, very inexperience in counter surveillance, in fact they never look over their shoulders. Not far from the village they meet with two men waiting beside an older military type vehicle. "An old Russian ZiL troop carrier perhaps abandon when the Russians pulled out."
"The Taliban?"
"Would think so. Our supplies are their target not us. Come on Butter I've seen enough. We need to be back to camp with our brush before our double-dealing Qader returns." Eyal taking her arm and both swiftly walking away.
Butter quickly switching into her Georgia Peach act when reaching camp about decorating the tent and Christmas bush. Flavia seems happy with the idea and both women pushing Eyal out until they had finished. In the warmth and solitude the medical tent, Eyal opened his laptop, inserted the flash drive and bingo, the latest intel on the whereabouts of Yasin al-Hashem his target, due north a tad over a two-hour trip. More intel underscored he would be there for the next three weeks and with the harshness of winter fast approaching Eyal made his plan. There was close up images of the compound where he was staying. Lack of heavy guards gave all indications he felt secure in his hideaway. There was another Taliban insurgent leader travel to the location within the next two days. ETA time sometime late December 26 or early on the 27th. Eyal though it he could get two for one surely would warrant the risk, decided he would move on the 27th.
More studying of the intel and laying out his route and exit plan when he heard two female voices giggling, quickly removing the flash drive and closing the lap top expecting to see Butter and Flavia come to get him. Entering the triage area of the tent he found three teenage girls, and one in hard labor. With what he could understand the young girl had been in labor for three days. Eyal picking up his walkie-talkie calling for assistance, this was going to be a tricky deliver if not by C-section.
Once Butter and Flavia scrubbed with Eyal and giving the girl an examination, the baby was breech. A Caesarean section was the only way to save both the mother and child. This would be Eyal first, he had watched several times in his medical training. The mother's heart was racing almost out of control and then her blood pressure took a dive, she lost consciousness. Time to act and Eyal with the precision of a doctor whom had practice in the field of obstetrics for years performed the C-section to save both mother and baby. A second problem, the cord was wrapped around the baby's neck if removing the almost born child from the womb without detaching the cord would surly spell death. All was done, perhaps not by the text-book but both mother and her new born daughter were going to live.
Eyal finish closing the young girl, he guessing she could be no more the fourteen years old, too young to be having a child as her body hadn't matured completely. Such a cruel environment for the life of women here. Marrying before they had time reach puberty and becoming mothers soon afterwards. He then went about examining the child while Flavia finished with the teenager.
"We have a problem here Dr. George." Flavia found leakage from the vagina.
"What now."
"An obstetric vaginal fistula with the rectum."
"I've got the baby, go do your thing." Butter taking the baby from Eyal.
"Ok time for us to scrub again, it's got to be fix. Damn I hate this unhealthy environment." Eyal removing his gloves only to scrub and go back into surgery.
Child marriage and early pregnancy and hard labor contributes to this condition. It's a preventable childbirth injury in which prolonged labor creates a hole in the birth canal. Untreated will result in social ostracism and even death. Flavia seemed to take it all in stride but not Eyal, his heart ache for the pain and suffering of women and children in the region and little he could do to fix it.
The next morning was Christmas Day and Eyal checking on his patient. He found them resting well, a young man sitting with mother and child, maybe a brother or husband but the teenager's male guardian. Eyal taking a look at the baby and find her to be healthy with a strong heartbeat he decided to let them leave. There was no way he would examine the mother, a strange male could not touch or much less see a muslin woman without clothes. Not much else he could do but send them home and pray.
Walking back to his living quarters he had mixed emotions, it was because of him two lives were saved, yes saved to return to an eternal life of cruelty and hardships. Men of this area were ruthless harden inhabitants of a harsh land with no respect for women or children. Growing of poppies and smoking of opium was their life and easy picking for the Taliban to enlist.
"Merry Christmas George."
"And a very Merry Christmas to you ladies." Eyal forcing a smile for the benefit of Flavia and Butter.
The women had the Christmas bush decorated and a sign hung between poles 'Happy Holiday' and Butter with a clear mezzo-soprano started singing 'It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas' and Eyal by pure luck also knew the tune and words join in. Next Flavia sang in French 'Mon Beau Sapin (O Christmas Tree) and next was Eyal's turn. With a broad smile and his baritone voice he started singing in Italian 'Auguri di bouon Natale' (Merry Christmas) with Flavia also joining in. Three songs was it with Eyal rummaging around in his pack, brought out a fine bottle of wine he had stored away. Eyal and Flavia did cooking duty for their Christmas meal of roast beef, fried apples, Brussels sprouts with cheese sauce and glazed carrots. All topped off with Italian bread and German pastries.
That night Eyal laying in his bunk in a sectioned off part of the living tent he muse about the Christmas Day he had spent, the morning was enjoyable with Flavia and Butter and the afternoon was hell with once more stitching and patching of a young boy that tried to refuse an elder for trying to have sex with him. Eyal guessed the boy to about nine or ten years old. Doctors Without Borders project of Global Vaccine Community had turned into treating the abused. He could see the depraved side beginning to affect Butter and her mercy side, also touching him too, his heart aching for the women and children. Retribution would be his customary reaction but he held his temper, vengeance would blow his cover and how he hated the inability to act.
Even if Christmas wasn't part of his belief but his respect for those around him felt sadness, being away from home, love ones and dealing with the suffering of others. His mind turned to Annie and hoping her Christmas had been a happy one.
"We Wish You A Merry Christmas" all together singing at a gathering Joan and Arthur had for several people from Langley. Joan was full term now but that didn't stop her from giving back to her employees in DPD and several folks that worked directly for Arthur. Light hearted and fun party when close to the end and several people had already left, Joan grabbed Arthur's arm, "It's time we go to the hospital." Merry Christmas to Joan and Arthur with the arrival of Mackenzie Campbell, a healthy baby boy.
An early morning to visit the new mother and little Mackenzie Campbell, Annie being delighted for the new arrival. "We are calling him Mac for short." Arthur standing at the glass window with Annie looking at all the newborns. Such a proud father and Joan beaming with her beautiful smile but looked tired. Seven hours of labor and natural child birth, all Joan wanted to do was sleep so Annie didn't stay but a few minutes, besides she had to get back home to change, not wanting Joan or Arthur to know how she was going to spend the day, she had dress in her usual sporty modish outfit for the brief visit.
It is Christmas Day and Annie dressing in comfortable clothes, jeans, Christmas theme sweatshirt and heading to the inter city of Washington and Saint Joseph's Refuge Center serving turkey dinners and wishing down-and-outs a Merry Christmas, not much could be very merry for them. After six hours of feeding the homeless and back to her empty apartment and frozen lasagna for her Christmas dinner she cried. Lonely and missing Eyal she called Danielle to wish them a Merry Christmas. That call while a happy one didn't cheer her up but made her Christmas the worse she has ever had, missing the ones she love the most in her life, truly a Blue Christmas.
Back at work the day after Christmas and news spreading fast about the new little Campbell. Arrangements had been made for Auggie to fill in as DPD head while Joan took several weeks off.
Auggie stopping by Annie's desk and with his sneer of a grin, "Pack your swim suit and summer outfits. You are heading to Buenos Aires for a few weeks."