wrath of the Sea Queen (69 page)

"
You two go on inside.  See if you can find Apela and a quiet place to talk.  We
wi
ll be along in a
few
minute
s
,
"
Vin said.

Salma closed the door the rest of the way, and C
a
eli moved back into her seat, closing the passenger's door.

"
What was that all about?
"
  Salma asked Ben as she wheeled him through the arena door.

"
It's a p
ersonal matter,
Love
.  Sometimes a man needs a few minutes alone with his wife.
"

They took a moment to look around and ask a few questions.  There was a semblance of order to the proceedings.  With only a few people to process from the plane crash, the guardsmen were
already
gearing up to deal with the dam
age caused by the recent storms and preparations for the larger storm yet to
come
.
 

Salma spotted Apela
in the middle of
the arena talking to a group of volunteers who were being registered for the relief efforts.  There was no clear way to move through the arena with a wheelchair, so Ben decided to wait off to the left of the door where it was quiet and very few people were milling about.  Salma worked her way over and engaged Apela in conversation.

"
Dr. Salma.  It's good to see you again.  I was worried when I did not see you or C
a
eli at the check in line. 
Max was very upset.  He thought you got taken away. 
It took me a good while to convince him otherwise and calm him down. 
I figured the two of you probably went off with your husbands.  Are they here with you?
"
  Apela impulsively reached out and hugged Salma
, looking around for C
a
eli and the guys
. 

"
Ben is over by the door.  We were actually looking for you.  Do you have a minute to talk
with
us
privately
?
"
  Salma asked in a quieter voice.

"
Sure, let me….
"

"
Dr. Erickson, what a pleasant surprise,
"
said the red-haired, young man who approached from the far side of the arena.  He was the same redhead from the airport who
she now knew as
Dr. Jacobs' nephew.

"
Scott, how are you?
"
  Salma asked.

"
Fine
;
I heard a rumor that your husband
had been
injured. 
I noticed his wheelchair w
hen you c
a
me in
and
wanted to make sure everything was all right.
"
  Scott seemed genuinely concerned
,
a complete change from his earlier behavior.

"
We had a little trouble.  Now that you mention it, I w
anted to know
if there was a medic station set up here. 
Ben
does need a few stitches.
"

"
Of course.  My Uncle is over there now.  There were some minor injuries amongst the guardsmen that needed attention.  I'm not sure if we have the materials or a decent enough space for you to do stitches, but we can ask.
"

"
That would be great.  I thought your uncle would have left with the ship
.  Isn't he
off to the next port
by now?
"

"
No.  We were scheduled to attend the conference this week, remember?
"
 

"
Oh, that's right.  With everything else, I forgot
all about that
.  Well, I'm glad you are both here,
"
Salma said.

"
Come on.  I'll take you over to him,
"
Scott offered.

"
Give me a minute.  Let me go and get Ben.  He's over…
,
"
Salma glanced toward the door as she spoke.

"
Dr. Salma,
"
Apela interrupted
.

"
Why don't I go and talk with Ben while you see if the other doctor has the
supplies
you need?
"
  Apela
caught
the fleeting look that crossed Scott's face when
Salma mentioned Ben.

"
Yes. 
Let's
do that,
"
Scott eagerly agreed.  He ushered Salma across the arena to an area cordoned off by a
set of nearly sheer curtains.

Apela turned and immediately went to the door and located Ben sitting off to the s
ide, reading a
recently acquired newspaper
.

"
Mr. Erickson?  Ben?
"

"
Yes.
"
  Ben lowered the paper and saw Apela standing in front of him. 

"
Apela, from the ship
; r
emember?
"

"
Yes. 
When you were
talking with Salma
, did
she get a chance to
explain our situation
before Scott whisked her away?
"

A momentary shock registered on Apela's face. 

"
No.  I offered to come and talk to you while she checked on medical supplies.  You were watching?
"

"
Of course
;
I keep a close eye on her whenever I can.  Apela,
could
I
impose on you
?
  We are trying to keep a low profile.  Your son, Max,
is a
great kid,
but he
has a rather boisterous personality.  Do you think it's possible to find some way to keep him from shouting out when he sees us?
"

"
Sure.  I can go and talk to him, but he's sleeping right now.  Is there something else?  Can I help you in some way?
"

"
As a matter of fact, you can.  I would rather wait until everyone is here to discuss it.  Vin and C
a
eli are outside.  They should be along
shortly
.  If you could go
get
Max
and bring him
here, that would be great.  Let him know how important it is to keep quiet.  I'll wait here for everyone else to return.
"

Apela left Ben reading his paper for a few minutes. 
When he
returned
, Apela
carri
ed
a small, child-sized bundle wrapped in a blanket.  Max poked his sleepy head out and said hello to Ben in a drowsy, but quiet, voice.  Ben offered to let Max ride on his wheelchair if he promised to sit still and continue to be real quiet when Salma and C
a
eli arrived.  Max readily agreed,
and
then promptly fell asleep again.  Ben and Apela moved a few feet further into the corner of the arena, out of the direct sight of the main crowd, and waited patiently.  They talked of the strange weather and of Apela's hotel.
 
Ben asked one
question
that
he
was particularly hoping
Apela could
answer
.

"
How common is the name Maku among islanders?
"

"
Not very.  In fact, I only know one person with that name.  I've never met a second,
"
Apela answered.

That
was
exactly what Ben
wa
nted
to hear.

Salma waited at the side of the curtain while Scott walked over and whispered in his uncle's ear.  Dr. Jacobs looked up and noticed her standing there.  He nodded to her with a smile on his face.  Scott returned and informed her that his uncle was finishing up with a sprained wrist on the current patient and would come talk to her as soon as he was done.  Salma did not mind waiting, though she was anxious to find out if the supplies she needed for Ben would be here or not.  The more she thought about what C
a
eli said earlier, the less she liked the idea of doing the work with Scott hanging around; but it couldn't be helped.  One good jolt could start Ben hemorrhaging again, and it would not take long for him to be in serious trouble after all the blood he lost earlier.  With C
a
eli in bad shape, Salma did
n
o
t want to take the chance that she might not be able to help
Ben
a second time.

Finally, Dr. Jacobs completed his work and joined Salma and Scott. 
Scott excused himself and went to help out a young, dark-haired nurse tending the next patient, a blonde woman around C
a
eli's age. 
Dr. Jacobs located a bench where he and Salma could sit and talk.

"
I'm sorry.  We have antibiotics, bandages, and a limited supply of pain medicine
s
.  We don't have a
ny surgical needles or
thread.  I'm afraid you'll have to take him to the hospital.
"

"
That's what I was afraid you were going to say.  This day couldn't get much worse,
"
Salma did not have to feign her disappointment.