‘No, I’m just your standard everyday nurse.’ Megan leaned over the boy, touching his forehead. She didn’t need temperature charts or monitors to tell that he was better, he was much quieter and the delirium that had tainted his sleep yesterday had abated.
‘I was hoping you might be.’ Jaye’s voice came from behind her. When Megan turned he seemed to be watching her every move, and she shivered. She turned back to little Ashan and smiled at his mother to show that she too was pleased with his progress.
Five precious minutes, watching the boy sleep. Jaye had mercifully left her to it, but when she tore herself away from the child, he was waiting outside the room.
‘Walk with me.’
He led her out of the clinic building and into the compound, stopping under a massive mahogany tree and leaning against its trunk.
‘I’ve decided where my office is going to be.’
Megan looked around. She didn’t see an office anywhere. ‘I thought you’d take Dr Clarke’s office.’
‘No, that’s going to be for Dr Stone when he arrives. My office will be here.’
‘Under a tree?’ Actually, the idea wasn’t a bad one. He was visible here, and approachable. It was exactly what the clinic needed, transparent and open leadership.
‘Yes. The open air’s nice, don’t you think?’
‘You’ll be getting a bit wet. The rainy season will be here any day.’
‘Dinesh is going to put some duckboards down and string up an awning. In fact, rain’s part of the plan. I get people in here and they can’t leave without getting soaked.’
‘They can’t slam the door either.’ Megan smiled up at him. Even her bad behaviour didn’t seem so bad that she couldn’t joke about it now.
Jaye chuckled quietly. ‘So you like it?’
‘I think it’ll do very nicely. I’ll come and see you here when you have a moment.’
‘If you don’t, I’ll find you.’
Megan felt herself redden a little. There were some aspects of yesterday that she couldn’t bring herself to joke about. ‘I won’t make that mistake again.’
‘No. Neither will I.’
‘Okay. Just to make things easy, you’ll probably find me in the stock cupboard for the next couple of days.’ Megan quite liked the idea that Jaye might come to her.
‘Noted. First place I’ll look.’
* * *
It was as if a well-mannered hurricane had hit the clinic, eating up the atmosphere of discord and leaving calm in its wake. Jaye started out by talking with everyone and listening to what they had to say. Even that made a difference, as the absentee level dropped suddenly and there was no more wondering who was going to turn up to work and who wasn’t. And when he was done with talking, he started to make things happen.
Now that the many other worries had been lifted from her shoulders, Megan worked with a will, finishing the stock-take and disposing of anything that was out of date. After two more days closeted in the drugs cupboard, she emerged to find the clinic a very different place from the one where she’d arrived a month ago.
The atmosphere felt quieter, more peaceful somehow. Everyone knew exactly what they were supposed to do, and the daily grumbles that Megan had heard amongst the staff were beginning to subside. Ranjini’s smile was far more in evidence.
She walked across the compound towards the tree. There had been some improvements. Dinesh had strung up a tarpaulin and a mosquito net for the evenings. There were two wicker chairs and a low table, and Jaye was sitting in one of the chairs.
Since he didn’t have a door, she knocked on the trunk of the tree. Jaye looked up from the papers that he was reading and smiled.
‘I came... I heard that you’re making some changes. I’d like you to fill me in on the ones that might affect me.’
‘Of course.’ Jaye rose, waving her to the empty chair. He seemed pleased to see her, and Megan wondered whether he’d been waiting for her to come. Waiting for her to keep her promise, so that he could keep his.
‘Would you like some iced tea?’ He reached under the table, inspecting the contents of an ice bucket.
‘No, thanks. Don’t let me stop you, though.’