Once upon a desert - completed

Chapter Six

Something was wrong; Megan could feel it in her bones.

Rasheed always checked in to see if everything was alright before he retired and yet no sign of him. She checked on Vivian to find her sound asleep, she will sleep the night out to drop the curtain that divided the tent into the bedroom. She slipped on her sandals and left their tent to cross over the sandy desert floor towards the tent which hosted Rasheed. She called his name softly, receiving nothing back, edging the opening back, and peered in to find a dimly lit room, gasping at the sight of a slumped figure in the low divan.

        "Rasheed!" She flew across to drop at his side to shake his shoulder. "Rasheed!" She shook him harder when he didn't respond. Trembling, she felt for a pulse and to her relief found one to take a calming breath, noticing his shallow breathing. She clutched at his hand, which was cold and clammy to squeeze tightly and bring to her pounding heart, searching his pale features. "Who would do this?" She asked desperately to herself, dreading the answer.

        "What is the meaning of this?!"

        Startled, she spun around wide-eyed, pale herself, tears glistering. "Ali, help him, please." Frowning, he crossed over to kneel, and pull back closed eyelids, then felt for a pulse.

        "Drugged. You did this?!" Ali accused.

        She shook her head in denial. "No! I was concerned since Rasheed hadn't checked up on us as he always did. What can we do?"

        "Nothing, he will have to sleep it off."

        "Perhaps we should move Rasheed to his bed otherwise he will be stiff tomorrow if he remains here." Agreeing, he reached down, placing an arm around his neck, and gathered Rasheed to his feet, Megan went to his other side to help and he was no lightweight.

Together they carried him to his sleeping quarters, feet dragging, head lolled forward, and laid him down when she was told to leave while Ali saw to putting him to bed while she waited on the other side her mind racing in all directions, not understanding why this had happened to grab Ali's arm as he joined her, letting the curtain fall back into place.

        "We can't leave him, Ali, someone did this to him and his life could be in danger."

        "Or your own," he corrected to make her frown.

        "What?" She shook her head, "No, that doesn't make sense, who am I? Vivian!" she gasped. "Stay here!" She took off before he could argue to run back to their tent, throwing back the curtains and across to throw back the other curtain to find a still, sleeping, unaware Vivian. Relieved, she dropped the curtain to step back and turned around to cry out, hand to her mouth, heart pounding at the sight of an armed guard.  Ali entered behind.

        "Sayyid will see to Mrs Vivian's and your welfare, there is a guard outside the tent also."

        "Thank you, Ali, however, I'm not leaving Rasheed's side, make sure there is a guard outside his tent. I will stay at his side and I want one of those," she pointed at the curved dagger the guard possessed.

She walked out without a backward glance determined; no one was going to keep her from Rasheed's side. He had been so kind and so tolerant of her never-ending questions about his homeland. She couldn't let anything happen to him or leave him so vulnerable to pass the guard who didn't even try to stop her, unaware of Ali's nodding approval. She entered to go into his sleeping quarters, finding him on his side sleeping, covered by light sheets. She eased behind him between the tent walls and sit down at his side, watching over him and resisting the urge to touch him, though nearly jumped out of her skin as the curtain pulled back.