Tortuga by Rudolfo Anaya Page A

across the sky, winter thunder full of an eerie green light, but Tortuga remained fastened to the earth, sleeping its winter sleep. I looked at it for a long time, then I slept again … saw the ring of girls dancing by the lime green of the river, felt Ismelda take my hand … gave myself again to the illusion which had become as real as the pain of the bed.
    I slept a long time, then a voice whispered my name and I opened my eyes. I blinked, looked sideways and saw Mike sitting by the side of the bed.
    â€œI’m sorry, Tortuga,” he whispered, “dammit I’m sorry—”
    â€œIt wasn’t your fault,” I answered. It hurt to talk. My lips were cracked and blistered and my tongue felt like a swollen wad of dry cotton. The door was open and I could hear shouting in the hall and the sound of running feet.
    â€œI should have known better!” he cursed. “It’s just that I thought they had kept you up front in one of the isolation rooms. Sometimes they keep new arrivals up there, for observation, then this morning on my way to therapy I passed Dr. Steel and asked about you and he said you were in the ward … Everybody knows what happens in this ward, so I knew you were lost … I came as fast as I could. The nurses are coming, and Steel’s on his way too—”
    â€œDo me a favor,” I answered, “my legs feel like they’re broken off … Can you rub them a little.”
    He nodded and pulled the sheet back. The stench made him wince. “God,” he groaned, “it’s a mess! A goddamned mess. You’re bleeding—Nurse!” he shouted over his shoulder and began massaging. Reviving the circulation sent stabs of sharp pain through my numb legs.
    â€œComing! Coming!” someone shouted. The room began to fill with kids. Ismelda appeared behind Mike’s shoulder. She looked at me and at Mike rubbing furiously while he cursed the nurses and she shook her head. Her eyes told me she felt my pain. She helped Mike massage my legs, working slowly to get the blood going, saying nothing.
    â€œOh my God!” exclaimed the first nurse to enter the room.
    â€œThe shit’s going to hit the fan now!” Mike swore.
    â€œThey never checked him in! I swear they never checked him in!” she cried. Other nurses and aides and kids followed. One of the nurses stuck a thermometer in my mouth. I spit it out and asked for water.
    â€œHe needs a drink! Not a gaddamned thermometer!” Mike shouted. His curses made them panic. One of them pulled out the dirty sheet beneath me and tossed it aside. Then she began making the bed. A straw touched my lips and I sucked warm orange juice which turned to acid in my stomach. Around me the room continued to fill with kids, all asking questions. Dr. Steel pushed his way through them, a worried look wrinkling his brow. He put his thermometer on my chest, calmly gave the nurses orders, asked, “How do you feel, Tortuga?”
    â€œHe could’ve died!” Mike cursed. The other kids picked up the refrain. “He could’ve died!” “They tried to kill him!” “Damn, just wait until the committee hears about this!” “Yeah, they can’t kill Tortuga and get away with it.” “Oh my …”
    â€œOkay …” I answered as the thermometer reappeared and rested on my swollen tongue. I tried to push it away, but the nurse held it. I looked at Mike and Ismelda massaging my legs and tried to get their attention. “Looka mah toez,” I mumbled.
    â€œNurse, get the kids outa here!” Steel snapped.
    â€œEverybody out! Everybody out!” the nurse shouted. Nobody left, the confusion was great. A couple of kids had put bedpans on their heads, another one beat a urinal, all complained that the committee would hear about this, that a report would be made and the nurses fired. I didn’t know what the hell committee they were