WRECKED 28 27

There was panic when Laraba fainted during an afternoon walk with Hauwa. Hauwa screamed for help and Laraba was immediately whisked to her bedroom. By evening, her skin was burning hot.

In her fever, the women came to her. They lifted her trembling body from the twisted sheets and lowered her into a warm bath. Her eyes rolled wildly; her breaths came is gulping bursts. Then the chills came, and their strong hands held her.
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After a long time, they roughly towelled her naked body, dressed her again, and took her up the stairs to Anaya's room.

She was never alone, never without a woman's hand on her arm or her forehead. They held her hand and kept vigil waiting for the fever to break. She could hear their quiet voices, but as though from far away. She was very ill.

Anaya fussed. Hauwa prayed. Eni watched.

Their fingers touched her. Their fingers lifted her hair back from her eyes, held her when she coughed into the handkerchief they held gently against her mouth. They heard her groans.

In her fever, so many lives moved around her. Her mother and her father. Her sister. Her brother. Her granny. In her fever, they all touched her. Their touch both burned and cooled her. She felt Anaya lay beside her as she shivered. Anaya held her close until the warmth of her body passed to hers and the chill had passed. When the chill had passed and Laraba slept peacefully again, Anaya sat in a chair until dawn, feeling a cold she thought would never pass, shivering, staring silently in the dark, waiting for Dr. Judd to arrive.

The doctor arrived before seven. Anaya met him at the head of the stairs. "Good morning, Doctor," she exclaimed, and added, "Thank you for coming."

Dr. Judd nodded as he was led into the room. When they entered, Eni and Hauwa, politely curtsied, and then stepped away from Laraba's bedside.

"She's got a fever and a terrible cough. Earlier, there were flecks of blood in her handkerchief. As you can imagine, Doctor, I'm extremely worried." She continued, brushing away the tears that threatened to fall, "although the coughing seems to have abated since Eni managed to spoon down a herbal mixture and some honey," Anaya explained, as she pointed out Eni.

The doctor glanced at Eni and nodded. "Well done. It's often those old-fashioned remedies that work best, you know." As he spoke, he took a stethoscope out of his medical bag and bent over Laraba, noting at once that the girl was feverish and had a glazed look. He listened to her chest, then put a thermometer in her mouth.

After reading the temperature, he said, "Her temperature is a bit high indeed."

The doctor gently turned the girl on her side, lifted her nightgown, careful not to wince when he saw her scars and bruises and put the stethoscope on various parts of her body.

Finally, straightening and turning to Anaya, he said, "I will have to take some blood samples to run a few tests. I can't be sure till the test results are back. But there is no need to panic."

"You're certain?"

"I am, Mrs Rufai. I'm going to call the pharmacist and prescribe medications that will help bring down the fever and the cough."

"Thank you, doctor. What else can we do for her?"

"Keep her warm but not hot. Aim for an even temperature and let her rest quietly. Give her plenty of liquids, particularly milk. Warm liquids are best," the doctor explained.

Eni cleared her throat, looked over the doctor and said, "What about food? What should we feed her?"

"I don't think she's going to feel very hungry, my dear, but if she is, you should give her very light things, fruits, rice, custard, bread and egg, things like that, which are easily digested." After glancing again at Laraba, the doctor picked up his medical bag and led Anaya out of the room.

"I think the girls should stay with Laraba to tend to her needs," he now informed her. "I know you would prefer to be there yourself, Mrs Rufai, but frankly you are extremely pale and appear over-tired to me. You need a rest, you know. We can't be having you sick. The ladies in there appear rather efficient to me."

Anaya nodded. "They are. They can manage on their own, I'm sure of that." Anaya smiled for the first time that day as she added, "Almost like big sisters keeping an eye on their little sister. I will rest, doctor."

"Excellent. Now, why don't we go and see how the other girls are doing?"

Chapter end