Stop. Don’t do that. Don’t dwell on it.
She’d go crazy if she did. Things were what they were. She had known what to expect before she’d come here.
They had at least been able to save Shima’s life—and insert an IUD. When her mother-in-law had stepped out of the room, the poor girl had begged Jenna for contraception, something her husband wouldn’t discover. Jenna had taken the unusual extra step of trimming the strings to be safe.
That was all she’d been able to do for Shima.
Jenna finished her shower and dried off. She didn’t feel more awake, but at least she was clean. She hurried back down the hallway to her room, put her hair into a ponytail, and dressed—long underwear, turtleneck, blue scrubs, a long white coat, and, of course, her headscarf. Though the hospital was heated, it never felt warm.
In the small kitchen, she found Delara making tea for everyone. Though a small all-woman kitchen staff made food for the patients, the midwives and students cooked for themselves.
“Good morning.” It had been Delara’s turn to take the night shift.
“How was it?”
“Quiet.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
A loaf ofroht, a kind of sweet bread, sat on the table. Together with tea and the occasional egg, that was breakfast.
Delara handed Jenna a cup of tea, then sat and took a piece ofroht, whispering a prayer before eating. “Bismillahi wa 'ala baraka-tillah.”In the name of God and with God’s blessing.
Jenna sat, too, and drank. The tea was hot and sweet, bringing her back to life.
One by one, the student midwives drifted in, books under their arms—Guli, Nahal, Chehrah, Lailoma, Mahnaz and her sister Mina, Zari, Ruhkshana, and Parwana. They talked about their lessons, asking questions.
Nahal looked down the length of the table to Jenna. “Who was that strange man last night, the one who came into the dormitory?”
The kitchen fell silent.
Oh, God.
Jenna had forgotten about Derek Tower. “I apologize for that. He is my half-brother. My father sent him to talk me into coming home. He didn’t know that he couldn’t follow me inside.”
He almost certainlydidknow, but it hadn’t stopped him.
Now all of the women were staring at her.
Delara’s eyes had gone wide. “You are leaving us?”
Jenna gave Delara’s hand a squeeze. “No, I’m not. He’s leaving. I’m staying.”
Smiles of relief.
Jenna finished her breakfast and decided it was time to send Derek on his way. She put on her winter coat, adjusted her headscarf, and went out the back entrance. She found him carrying gear from his Land Cruiser to the men’s dormitory outside the concrete walls that surrounded the hospital and women’s dorm.
Was he moving in?
She called to him in English. “I thought you would be on your way by now.”
He stopped, turned toward her, those blue eyes seeming to pierce her. “I’m not leaving without you, sister dear.”
Was he crazy?
“Just so you know, I signed on for two years, and I’ve been here for six months. I hope you like lamb kebabs and naan because you’ve got a long wait.”
“Then I guess the two of us will get to spend some time together.” With that, he turned and walked away, giving Jenna a view of his backside.