If necessity is the mother of invention, boredom must be its father. This parentage was displayed in the E.R. at Al Wadi during slow nights when Declan was on duty. Boredom set in quickly as the days after the invasion passed slowly. There was no clear political or military direction. The expectation that U.S. troops would arrive provided some comfort but came with a growing fear that war was inevitable. Declan's natural creativity blossomed in this vacuum as Nick was about to discover. But first, Declan was to learn about a new conspiracy theory.
Declan encountered Marwan, the hospital's only X-ray technician, on his way to work. Marwan was a Palestinian who had grown up in the refugee camps in Lebanon and usually carried a huge chip on his stocky shoulders. Marwan stopped him before Declan could reach the E.R.
"Wallah, Mr. Declan, I just heard something that I think you should know. I know you are from Ireland, and I knew you would understand what it is like to have your homeland taken over."
Declan was wary of Marwan but also curious about what he had to say. Declan could not know that Marwan had just heard the real reason that Saddam invaded Kuwait. It turns out that the invasion was part of a grand scheme to conquer Saudi Arabia.
Marwan said,
'My friend, I just heard from one of my sources that there is a plan to attack Saudi Arabia and overthrow the royal family."
They stood outside the E.R. while Marwan explained the conspiracy he believed was unfolding.
Marwan began explaining the plot.
"Yanni, Saddam has a grand plan, like Nasser before him. He plans to unite the Arabs to defeat the Americans and Zionists and remove control of the oil from the Saudis. At last, we will have 'Arab Oil,' just like Nasser promised us. Saddam will have the PLO, Jordan, and Yemen attack the Saudis from different directions. The Sudanese might even join in to help him. The Iraqis will move in from Kuwait and take over the Eastern Province and oil. The PLO already runs the banks in Kuwait and will send money to help the Arabs win. King Hussein of Jordan will invade from the West and take back the Hijaz (Western Saudi Arabia) that his family ruled before the Saudis took it. Then, the Yemenis will move up from the South to take back the Asir (Southwest Saudi Arabia), which the Saudis stole from Yemen. My source claims that Saddam even gave planes to Yemen and missiles to Sudan to bomb the Saudis."
Marwan stopped momentarily, looking around, then went on.
"Wallah, it is done; no more Saudis, and all the money goes back to the Arabs."
Declan grinned and asked.
"So, what would happen now? You know, once the war starts?
Marwan took the bait and continued, lost in his illusion of Arab grandeur.
"But, Yanni, you see, this is not over yet. When Saddam attacks, he will crush the Americans; you watch, this will happen. The Jordanians and Yemenis will come in and take back their land. The Arab army will crush the Crusaders and then bomb Israel. The PLO will take back our homeland after Saddam smashes the Americans."
Marwan had managed to work himself up into a frenzy; his fantasy of past Arab glory and the prospect of conquering Israel once and for all intoxicated him. Unfortunately, it made him go a little further than was safe.
Marwan took a step closer to Declan and spoke.
"We, the Arabs, will be in charge again, just like Nasser wanted. Saddam will bring together all the Arab peoples and kill the Zionists. Saddam will send the Crusaders home in body bags, so many that they couldn't be counted. Yanni, he will avenge our honor."
Declan smiled as he was used to the bluster from his time in Northern Ireland and wasn't in the least bit intimidated. He confronted Marwan with an uncomfortable truth about Saddam's capabilities.
"Well, my friend, Saddam couldn't beat the Iranians and their excuse for an army, now could he? He will find that the 'crusaders,' as you call them, will squash him like a bug. Why the Brits could do it alone without the Americans, but it helps to have the Yanks for support."
Marwan now realized he should back away from the conversation, realizing he may have gone too far already. If one of Captain Salim's secret informers heard him, he could be in real trouble. Marwan looked around quickly to see if anyone was within earshot and took his leave, satisfied that no one had overheard. Unfortunately, in his haste, he hadn't seen that one of the Indian maintenance men was bent over behind a nearby bush checking an electrical connection. He had remained hidden to hear the whole conversation. Once Marwan was out of sight, the Indian slowly rose, gave me a quick smile at Declan, and then disappeared. He was eager to report all he had heard to Captain Salim and would undoubtedly receive an exquisite 'gift' for this little tidbit."
Declan then made his way into the building to begin his shift
Nick decided that night to visit the E.R. and check on the staff. Unfortunately, he was lost in thought as he approached the automatic doors, didn't realize they failed to open, and ran into the glass.
He shouted out.
"What's wrong? Why didn't the doors open?"
He could see Declan jump up and do something under the desk, and a few seconds later, the glass doors slid open, admitting Nick into the E.R.
Declan's face was flushed as he apologized profusely to Nick, who quickly walked over to the desk, demanding an answer.
"What was that about? Were the doors broken?'
Declan looked sheepish as he explained the real cause of the malfunction.
"On nights like these, the slow ones, when I had to sit and wait and wait some more, I came up with a game I call "Open Sesame."
Nick relaxed a little, becoming somewhat interested in the explanation. It wasn't the first time he had encountered strange, dark behavior in E.R. personnel, so he let Declan continue.
"Go on, tell me about this game."
Declan continued with his explanation.
"I got one of the maintenance guys to disable the all-seeing electric eye on the automatic sliding door leading into the E.R. and rig a switch that I could flip on and off from the main desk. But to be a game, it has to have its rules, like tennis or golf."
Nick interrupted.
"Rules? What sort of rules would this game have?"
"First, it is only for males in the local population. Second, the participants must be at least eighteen; the older, the better for this game. Third, the participant has to walk independently and not show any outward signs of trauma, such as bleeding. The game begins when I see a qualified contestant approaching the E.R. I reach down and flip off the electric eye. The unsuspecting player walks toward the door, expecting it to open automatically. If he doesn't stop and runs into the door, like you almost did, I get 10 points. If he knocks on the door, five points; if he pushes on the door, another 10 points. If he walks away, I lose my points, and the local man wins. But this rarely happens. Most of them stand in front of the door with a puzzled look. They have now made it to the 'bonus round.' In the bonus round, if the guy reaches down with his hand and grabs or fondles himself, I flip the switch on, and the door slides back – Open Sesame."
Nick stopped him.
"So, this is the magic spell that opens the entrance to the hospital, a simple grope of one's genitalia."
Declan nodded.
"Yes, it is that simple. But Khalil helps, too. His role in the game is to ascertain from the 'winners' who opened the door what their background was; a few vital statistics. Then, once the winner passes through the door, Khalil conducts a brief interview, recording the relevant data. One day, we may compile this data into a set of findings and identify some unsuspecting medical journal willing to publish this and become famous."
Khalil had remained silent while Declan was relating the game to Nick, unsure about the doctor's reaction. He now spoke up.
"We were sure DeSousa would tell you about this. Unfortunately, we can only play a 'lightning' round whenever she is on duty before she can catch us. She had complained several times about the switch and once managed to have it removed. She vowed to see Colonel Khalid about this but never quite got around to carrying out the threat."
Nick now took charge.
"OK, I understand the game's boredom and cleverness, but it stops now. We may be at war soon. We have to focus all our energy on preparations. It's time to start thinking through what might be coming, and I will need your help."
Declan jumped at the new opportunity, somewhat relieved at avoiding any punishment for the game.
"You know I worked in Belfast for a while, so I've treated some pretty horrific things. So I think I can help.
Nick then looked at the interpreter. He said nothing further.
Nick thought he might know what the problem could be.
"Khalil, I am going to need your help more than ever. First, you'll need to learn more about the medical terms concerning battlefield wounds. Can you do that?"
Khalil didn't answer immediately. A tension within him had been growing since the invasion. He didn't know if he could trust these foreigners with his secret. Nick sensed his fear and pursued it gently.
"What is it, Khalil? There is something you need to tell us?"
Khalil again hesitated but finally revealed the root of his fear.
"Yanni, my uncle, is an officer in the PLO, and my brother fights in the Intifada. They are going to be unhappy if they find this out. They hate Americans and think everyone should. So they are happy about Saddam and hope he can finally destroy the Israelis."
Nick paused a moment to let the tension ease.
"Khalil, what matters is what you believe and what you feel. I am careful who I trust and who I don't. I trust you, and I think you want to be part of this treatment effort, not the destructive part. But if you want to leave, I will understand. But I am not worried about you."
"Thank you. This is where I belong."
Khalil sighed, concerned that the Westerners didn't understand the pressure he felt.
At this point, one of the Filipina nurses called Khalil over to interpret for a local patient who entered while they were talking.
Nick turned to Declan and said.
"Thank you for explaining the game. I assume you will cease playing with the doors. I will be back to check on this." Declan laughed and bid Nick goodbye.
As Nick left the E.R., he saw Gemma leaving by one of the other doors. He hurried over to join her.
"I'm glad to see you. You're working late."
Gemma responded politely.
"We had a last-minute case that took a while to finish. What brings you out so late?"
Nick replied.
"I thought I would check up on things on the night shift, and I am happy I did."
Gemma asked.
"Oh, why is that?"
"I learned about the game they play with automatic doors."
Gemma grinned and added.
"I've heard rumors of that game but never saw it for myself."
They walked on toward Gemma's dorm, but Nick stopped them.
"I'm glad I ran into you. I wanted to ask if you would like to join me for brunch in Riyadh next Friday. It might allow us time to talk over things in a pleasant setting."
Gemma looked at him and replied.
"I think I am ready for that. I've been feeling better over the last few days and want to see you."
Nick responded quickly.
"Wonderful, I will pick you up at 8 am, and if you want, we can go shopping afterward."
They parted, both in better spirits.
Author's Note – This is the 'Plot' referred to in the excerpt from James Adkin at the beginning of Chapter 24. I retain a copy of this 'Plot' which I found on the fax machine in Fall 1990.
Thank you for the comment. You are right, Marwan is a new character but he will play an important role in the story in just a few more chapters. Declan was introduced in an early chapter when Nick met with his staff. But this is one of the problems with serialized fiction - it can be hard to remember what has gone on in early chapters. It is something I have wrestled with in trying to keep up with the cast.
I've noticed this part of the novel is including more perspectives than Nick, like the chapter from the captain's POV. Makes for a more of a difference between the parts, I like it. I don't remember Marwan from earlier chapters, or Declan.