head was throbbing again. “I can’t just lie around. It would drive me crazy. I always feel better if I’m working.”
“I’m not arguing with you. I’m on your side. But I can’t be the one to force the issue this time. I’ll just tell you that when I get you to Robaku, I’ll take care of you, and you’ll be better off.” He got to his feet. “Now the first one to see you will be Dr. Jeremy Santiago. He’ll be comforting and reassuring but will tell you that you should rest here for a few days and let the ambassador send you home to the U.S. for a longer rest. When you refuse, you may even get a visit from Ambassador Sandow himself. The message will be the same. And that may only be the beginning. Your phone is on that nightstand. When you get through running the gauntlet they set for you, give me a call, and I’ll whisk you out of here.” He touched her hand gently. “I’m sorry, Eve. I wish I could do more for you, but that’s not possible right now.”
“It’s okay.” She only wanted to close her eyes and rest. “You didn’t cook that damn coq au vin. But you should really hire a different chef for that fancy hotel.”
“I’ll try to do that.” He was on his way toward the door. “As soon as I locate him. He seems to have disappeared…”
Disappeared. That sounded all wrong, she thought wearily. But she was too tired to work out why right now. She’d get a little rest, then she’d think about it.
“Ms. Duncan, how glad I am that we were able to help you. I’m Dr. Santiago.” A tall, plump man in a white coat was entering the room. “You were a very sick woman.” He was beaming at her. “But you’re going to be fine, and we’re going to make you comfortable for the rest of the time you’re in Maldara. But we do have to talk about plans for your recovery…”
* * *
“Get me out of here, Gideon,” Eve said in exasperation when he answered the phone two hours later. “I can’t take much more of this. I’ve talked to two doctors, the head nurse, and I just had a telephone call from the ambassador. They want to keep me in this hospital for another week, then send me back to Atlanta.”
“Told you so,” Gideon said. “I’m just surprised the ambassador didn’t visit you in person. Did you feel slighted?”
“Stop it. No one is listening to me. I tried to explain that I’m fine and need to get back to work, but they said they don’t want to take the responsibility for my recovery since the attack was so severe.”
“It was very bad, Eve,” he said soberly. “You have to know that was true.”
“Get me out of here.” She pronounced every word with emphasis. “Everyone agrees I’m not on the critical list. There’s no reason why I can’t go back to work.”
“You’re certain that’s what you want to do? I don’t mind persuading you, but I won’t coerce you.”
“You listen to me, Gideon. The last thing the ambassador said when I turned him down was that he thought it might be a good idea if I talk to President Kiyani, who had expressed concern I’d become this ill in her country. My head is already aching. I won’t sit here and get a migraine from having to deal with her.”
“I’ll be there in thirty minutes.” He cut the connection.
Eve put down her phone, leaned back on her pillows, and closed her eyes. She felt totally exhausted. She should probably have told him to bring her something to wear, she thought wearily. The clothes she had worn when the ambulance had brought her here must have been a total disaster. Oh, well, let Gideon worry about it. She had found him quite capable of producing anything she wanted while she was here in Maldara. Except maybe that coq au vin, she thought wryly. He hadn’t done such a great job at that particular—
There was some sort of bustle in the hall…
Oh, shit.
Her door was being ceremoniously opened by the same uniformed guard she had seen at Robaku yesterday.
Zahra Kiyani entered the next moment. “What a terrible thing to have happened to you,” she said sweetly. She motioned to the leather chair beside Eve’s bed. “Dalai, do something with that chair. You know how careful I have to be to avoid germs in places