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“I will introduce you to the lab staff and let you get started. I will then go and see how the opening of the clinic is progressing. Zara and Roji are to come in for his checkup.”
Laurel hadn’t even thought to ask about Roji this morning. “If you don’t mind, I would like to examine him as well.”
Nasser already had her door open. As she slid out and stood Tariq stated, “You must remember he is a little boy, not some test subject.”
Laurel was caught off guard by how much Tariq’s remark hurt. “Has anything I’ve done indicated that I would treat him like one?”
CHAPTER FIVE
TARIQ COULD NOT believe that not once but twice Laurel had put him in his place. First about their kiss and now about her handling of Roji. He did not like it, and more than that he did not appreciate her being right. Which she was. “No.”
“Thank you. Just so you know, I’ve no intention of starting to now.”
“I didn’t think you would.”
“That’s not what you implied.” Laurel walked ahead of him into the building.
He went after her, touching her elbow to get her attention and then letting his hand fall away. She was rightly angry with him. “We will go to Security first and get your badge so you can open the doors.”
Minutes later they were on their way to the lab and Laurel’s card was in her hand. Over the next hour he introduced her to all six of the lab techs. They each congratulated Laurel and Tariq on their marriage. He placed a reassuring hand at her waist but she said all the right words, keeping the conversations short, before she asked them about their work. With that done, he escorted her to the clinic.
Laurel stepped to the window of the reception area. “Wow, look at all these people. I can’t believe it.”
It always amazed him as well. From old thin men who could hardly walk to infants in their mother’s arms they were lined up out the clinic door. It was already hot outside and they would wait all day to see a doctor. “Now you can see why we need a clinic so desperately. What we have been doing in the past has not been enough.”
“You have done a good thing here.” She gave him an admiring look.
Tariq did not think himself overly proud but Laurel’s affirmation of his work made him hold his head higher. It shocked him that her positive appraisal mattered as much as it did. He had never felt the need for a woman’s support. They had always just been a pleasurable pastime.
Laurel walked toward the door and looked down the awning-covered walk where people sat, stood and leaned in a ragged line. “Will it be like this every day?”
Tariq stepped beside her. “I hope it will ease with time. That people will learn they can come when they first need to and not wait until the problem is bad. Our country has too few doctors and clinics. I am working to change that. In the past we have not had a central facility in the city so now all of the doctors and people are coming here. We are also in the process of building satellite clinics throughout the country. I travel regularly to check on those. Until recently we have been very backward in some ways. The King and I are trying hard to change that. This clinic and its satellites is the first big step.”
Laurel said with what sounded like conviction, “I’m sure it will be a success.”
Her words of confidence bolstered him. “Many of our citizens are not comfortable with Western medicine. We must change that for the health of the country. Today, unfortunately, I cannot lend my medical services to the clinic because I have other state obligations that will not wait.”
Laurel looked out the window once more then back at the waiting room, where people filled the chairs and the floor. “Then I will take your place.”
Tariq studied her in disbelief. “Why? I know you are anxious to get to your research.”
“Because I can’t imagine what it must be like to wait so long for your sick baby or elderly mother to be seen by a doctor. I’ll help get this under control then I can work in my lab tonight.”
“I understood you do not like to do clinical work.” He did not understand this woman.
“I don’t, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know how. Now introduce me to the director so I can get started.”
Tariq located the director and made the introductions.
As Laurel shook hands with the man she said, “I see you are busy today. How can I help?”
The director looked like he might fall at her feet with appreciation. “Your Highness, I will be delighted to see that you have an exam room.” With a nod to Tariq he said, “When you are ready.”
“I’m ready,” Laurel assured him. “Please, call me Laurel. You may send me the first patient now.”
The man pointed to a room on the left and walked away with a smile on his face.
Tariq watched in amazement. This was yet another facet of Laurel he had not anticipated. “Thank you for this. I know it is not what we agreed on.”
“No, but my parents taught me to do what has to be done.” She entered the room and looked around.
He followed her. “I would like to meet them one day.”
“I’m sure they would like to meet you as well,” she said off-handedly, frowning. “Excuse me, I must borrow a stethoscope.” She started to leave.
He stopped her with a hand on her arm. “Laurel, do you know how to get to your lab from here?”
“Yes. Thanks for asking but this building is not quite as intimidating as the palace.”
“You will learn your way around there soon, I’m sure.”
“Maybe, if I’m here long enough.”
He wanted her to stop saying that. Again her focus was not on him. He watched her stop at the reception desk and start talking to one of the employees. Thankfully it was someone who spoke English.
Thirty minutes later he left Laurel busy seeing patients and oblivious to his presence. Was this the same doctor who had stated so emphatically she wasn’t coming to Zentar and she didn’t see patients? Zentar needed Laurel and, for some unknown reason, he believed Laurel might need Zentar. Or was it just him wishing she needed him?
* * *
Laurel had little time to think about Tariq during the day. It seemed like the patients would never stop coming. She only had one brief break when someone brought her bread, fruit and cheese for a very late lunch. As she ate, she pondered the personal burden Tariq carried for his family and the even heavier one he had voluntarily assumed for his country. Clearly there was more to His Highness then the regal manner, domineering ways and sexy exterior.
Her unexpected husband was revealing charms she wasn’t immune to and that frightened her. She tried to resist him but the longer she was around Tariq, the more she liked him. He loved his family deeply, had a heart for his people, took pride in being honorable and more than once had honestly apologized to her when he had been in the wrong.
The more she learned about him the more difficult it was to believe Tariq was anything like Larry. That Tariq was someone who would, if given half a chance, callously use and discard her, not caring one bit for her fate once he was done with her. Did she dare let her guard down?
What confounded her even more was what to do about her physical reaction to Tariq. The best solution she could come up with was staying out of his way. The other was to find funding as soon as possible and return to America. She wasn’t sure being thousands of miles away would dampen her wayward feelings for the Prince, but it would eliminate the temptation to act on them. Larry had traumatically taught her the difference between sexual attraction and love. She was too practical to waste time dreaming that anything other than lust could develop from her sham marriage to Tariq.
Not long after she’d finished her meal one of the nurses stuck her head into her exam room and said that Princess Zara and Prince Roji had arrived and were asking for her.
“Please send them in next.” Laurel returned to caring for t
he patient she was seeing.
A few minutes later the same nurse escorted Zara and Roji into the room. Zara looked as elegant as ever with her dark hair flowing around her shoulders and her vivid yellow dress. Roji was bright-eyed and looked the picture of health.
“Hello, there,” she said to Roji. “How are you doing after your tumble?”
Zara, with a hand to his back, nudged him toward Laurel. She bent to the boy’s level. He watched her closely. “How’re you feeling, Roji?”
He shrugged his shoulders.
“He is acting normally,” Zara offered.
“Do you hurt anywhere?” Laurel asked the boy.
He shook his head.
“Can you do this?” Laurel rolled her shoulders.
Roji did the same.
“That’s good. Now, can you do this?” She turned her head to one side and then the other.
This time he did it with a smile on his face.
Laurel stood. “Good. Now, can I look in your eyes and ears? And listen to you?”
Roji said, “Yes.”
Zara joined them. “Come on, Roji. I will help you up onto the table.”
The boy lifted his arms and his mother sat him on the examination table.
“He seems to have recovered nicely.” Laurel smiled at Zara.
“Thanks to you.” Zara held Roji in place as the boy squirmed.
Laurel prepared to look into Roji’s ears. “I didn’t do much.”
