The Promise of Sunrise

By Susan Guerin-Tiffany

Set in the Maasai Mara plains of Western Kenya, a team of healthcare professionals from California returned to begin their sixth mobile clinic among the Maasai tribes. Jenny Lawton and Darcy Webb are two nurses who, with their multidisciplinary team, met the formidable challenges of rural clinic life in a third world country.  The eighteen dedicated individuals were a rich blend of professional excellence and distinctive personalities. Their differences were their strength as they negotiated their shared gauntlet of drama, intrigue, romance and tragedy, in an ancient land of majestic beauty and inherent dangers.

In the atmosphere of political unrest within the country, the team became an unwitting pawn in an international counter intelligence operation. The team mates were propelled into a life threatening event requiring them to share their resourcefulness and determination. They discovered their capacities to love, endure, forgive and survive. The trajectory of their lives was forever changed.

The British and American covert intelligence project in the Maasai Mara was reconstructed, enhanced and implemented. Foreign espionage and intrigue embroiled young CIA agent Jason Matthews in danger, drama, and passion—testing his inner strength and courage.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Abbott Press
• Release date: Sep 17, 2018
• ISBN: 9781458222022

Susan Guerin-Tiffany

Susan Tiffany has enjoyed a richly diverse professional career in nursing for forty eight years. In addition to teaching, lecturing, and nursing practice she has been a member of mobile medical teams internationally. Now retired, she is able to share her lifelong experiences through her propensity for writing. She lives in McMinnville, Oregon with her canine “child” Annie.

Book preview

PROLOGUE

The red glow of an effusive dawn pushes the night across the African landscape. The plain of the Maasai Mara of Western Kenya that lays in the arms of the Great Rift Valley and is outlined by the shadow of majestic Mount Kilimanjaro is, unto itself, a portal into the history of humankind. As the darkness becomes gray, the sharp thorn and leafy acacia trees that dot the landscape reflect the beauty and inherent dangers which begin to define the character of an ancient land.

The symphony of a new day begins with the deep grumbles of yawning hippopotamus and the water snorting of hungry crocodiles. Squeals of rambunctious monkeys join the choir of a fleeting cloud of starling from the trees they shared for the night. Groans of seemingly grumpy wild boar punctuated by the snuffing sounds of awakening rhinoceros contribute their chords.

The patriarch of a great elephant herd trumpets his call for all to greet a new day. The maestro is without a doubt his majesty, the king himself, the lion. Even from a far distance, one can hear his low, vibrating, throaty growl that slowly rolls from his chest through his throat and is projected as a massive roar expelled in a gust of breath. He delivers his powerful order which gives the day permission to begin. Reigning over his kingdom, he stands atop a dry grassy knoll and shakes shreds of his night’s bed from his great disheveled mane. The feline in him wipes the dust of sleep from his eyes and nose with a gentle touch of his great golden paw. Each sunrise announces a new orchestration of nature’s symphony. Each voice in the animal kingdom becomes a living part of a masterpiece.

CHAPTER 1

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B ounding through the surgical department double doors Jenny Lawton quickly navigated the hallway obstacle course of gurneys, wheelchairs and visitors like the well practiced nursing professional she was. Her friend and colleague Darcy Webb would be punching out at the emergency room time clock when Jenny turned into the hallway leading to the hospital’s employee exit. Like a well practiced routine, they met up at the hospital employees’ exit door. Juggling jackets, purses and plastic water bottles, the two hustled to Jenny’s bright shiny red SUV. They pushed their belongings onto the back seat, slid into the front seats, and gave each other a high five with an exhaling hoot, We made it! The two nurses had been fast friends and colleagues since their first day together in nursing school. Together, they began their first jobs as registered nurses at the University Hospital in Davis, California ten years before. They had both matured professionally, honing their skills to a level no less than excellent, that was not missed by the colleagues and physicians with whom they worked. They were enjoying the daily challenges of their jobs as well as the great satisfaction in caring for their patients.

Jenny and Darcy were remarkably like sisters physically from the sparkling deep blue eyes to the delicate oval faces framed by shoulder-length auburn hair glistening with natural golden highlights. They enjoyed bicycling and learning their new interest in yoga in an ongoing effort to maintain their trim and healthy bodies. They would joke about watching each other’s weight so as to be able to raid each other’s clothes closet when the need arose. Exploring boutique stores at beach or mountain venues was a regular pastime. Tasting their way through unique restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area or wine sampling in Napa Valley were adventures they also enjoyed. The pair would laugh that they worked to play. They were both only children, so each set of parents claimed one daughter as theirs and the other adopted. They enjoyed double-dating on occasion and would support each other during the undulating emotions of male relationships. Their personalities actually complemented each other as Jenny was the more serious planner of the two. Darcy infused the relationship with enough energy and enthusiasm for both. As much as they enjoyed having a sister, they each had their own homes and respected each other’s time and space.

Jenny and Darcy were anxious to plow through the thirty minutes of traffic as they were attending a planning meeting of their mobile medical team. This was the session which validated that in a month, they would be embarking upon their sixth mobile clinic trip to the Maasai Mara in Western Kenya.

This evening’s gathering was at the home of their director and team leader, Dr. Evan Procter and his wife, Anna. It was six years before when Dr. Procter had first asked them if they would be interested in joining his mobile medical team for a clinic in Kenya. They did not hesitate to answer. Although they were excited about their new adventure to a distant third world country, they felt that traveling together would give them a sense of security and safety that their concerned parents also appreciated. Of more importance to them was that they would be sharing their new experiences under the guidance of Dr. Evan Procter.

Jenny and Darcy had spent many anxious hours in both the emergency and surgery rooms with Dr. Procter over several years prior to his retirement. They had the greatest respect for him as a physician and surgeon. Jenny would say that there were many doctors in the world but few real physicians—and he was a true physician. Darcy would tease him about the fact that his biggest patient load was made up of the hospital’s nurses and their families. The two of them knew that having the nursing staff entrust their loved ones into his care was probably the best reflection of respect and confidence a physician could earn.

Evan Procter had a reputation for being meticulous, thorough and discerning as a physician. These attributes served him well in his search for candidates who could form a solid foundation for the project. He handpicked them for their professional excellence, positive attitudes and energy. He appreciated the importance of having a group with the ability to blend personalities. Flexibility and resiliency were also important attributes in a situation where the unexpected was routine. He felt grateful and fortunate to have been able to successfully assemble a dynamic group of professionals who had developed into a truly collaborative and cohesive team.

The home of Evan and Anna Procter was located in Davis, California. It was a convenient central location for those members of their team who would be driving an hour from Sacramento or Oakland. While Evan and Anna Procter were waiting for his team to arrive, they were relaxing, sipping their glasses of wine and enjoyed perusing through a picture journal of the past five trips they had taken with his team. It was going to be difficult, but he would have to tell the team that Anna, and he would not be joining them on this trip. Evan had a great amount of respect for each of them professionally, and he cherished the deep friendships that had developed over the years from their shared achievements and challenges.

On the first page of the journal was the original letter he had received seven years earlier. A service organization had asked him if he would be able to assist them in constructing a multidisciplinary healthcare team that would provide care for native people in Western Kenya. The project would be funded by an international service organization and the Christian ministry that sponsored the mission community. The Mara Mission would be the site of the mobile clinic. The services they were requesting were general medicine with surgical capabilities if needed, general dentistry, including denture repair and fabrication, ophthalmology with cataract removal and lens-implant surgical procedures, and optometry.

Evan would not have considered attempting to tackle such a monumental project without the blessing and assistance of his wife Anna, who was a registered nurse. They met with experienced mobile medical team directors to find out what specific services were needed and what equipment was going to be required. Evan knew the key to the success of such an enormous project would be the acquisition of the right team members. It was going to be an adventure for everyone involved.

Evan began to make a list of possible candidates. After six months of searching for available volunteers, Evan and Anna were excited and pleased with the results of their hard work. The creation of a team of eighteen volunteers for the first trip of Team Procter was a success.

Mike Larson was a medical school classmate of Evan who chose ophthalmology as a field choice. Mike was married and established his home and practice in San Francisco. They had stayed friends through their more than twenty years in practice, at times calling on each other for professional care. When Evan approached him about the project, Mike and his wife Sandy, a nurse, were both on board. Mike even suggested a colleague of his, Arnold Crawford, who practiced in Oakland and had previously done volunteer work in Mexico as a possible team member. Arnie and his wife Kathy, an experienced nurse, agreed to join the effort.

Tom and George Harper were brothers and partners in their optometry practice. They opened an office in Sacramento and had been involved with a project that collected and refurbished used glasses for donation to a service organization in their area. Evan, Anna and their three children had been clients of Tom Harper for years. Tom was a definite yes right away. George required more convincing from his brother and Evan, but he eventually agreed to sign up. Since their office would be closed for the six-week obligation, they had invited their two office assistants, Eric Olsen and Emma Acardi, to join them. The optometry department services would be the busiest in the clinic.

Harry Morgon DDS was the Crawford family dentist and his wife Celia was the dental hygienist for the practice. The Procter and Morgon children shared their school years and often summer vacations together. The four parents appreciated that the processes of watching their offspring grow into young adulthood had brought them together as close friends. Harry and Celia agreed that the trip would be a great travel opportunity for the couples to share. A classmate from Celia’s hygienist training was also married to a dentist. They had previously gone to the Philippines on a mobile clinic with a similar organization. Anthony (Tony) and Elizabeth Bowton worked and made their home in Stockton, California. They were experienced in the process of organizing mobile clinics and turned out to be willing volunteers with invaluable experience to contribute.

Evan knew the two nurses he wanted to try to convince to join them in the process of planning for and participating in the project. Jenny Lawton, RN and Darcy Webb, RN had worked with him for several years, and he knew how incredibly proficient and knowledgeable both nurses were in the emergency department and the operating room. When he had a difficult surgical case or was called for an emergency, he was always relieved when he saw that one, or if lucky, both were on duty. If he could convince them to join the group, he knew they would be a tremendous asset to the entire team. In addition, they both had personalities that would add youthful energy to the group.

Darcy had only taken a couple of breaths to say yes and had volunteered Jenny before even speaking with her. The two had concerns that they would not be able to both have six weeks off. Unknown to them, Evan had introduced the project to their supervisor and hospital administrator. He highlighted what great professional assets Jenny and Darcy were for the team. Evan suggested that it would be a wonderful public relations opportunity for the hospital to send their nurses and donate some supplies. Evan felt a slight amount of guilt, but the strategy was effective.

Emergency room staff became very familiar with the police officers who brought in patients on a fairly regular basis to the hospital due to accidents or 911 calls. Darcy and Jenny knew them all after awhile, but the one who stood out was the ever effusive and always a source of good humor, Officer Antonio Garcia of the Davis Police Department. He did not hide his good looks that he said were the best of an Italian mother and Mexican father. Antonio was well respected and a decorated law enforcement professional. He had served in the army as a medic deployed in the Middle East. When he returned, he decided to go into law enforcement and would say he did so for the great uniform and because he wanted to drive fast. In a quieter discussion, he would admit that as a medic he saw too much suffering as a result of war.

Darcy and Jenny cornered him one evening and told him about the mobile medical clinic and how Evan was looking for two guys who could assist with logistics and security for the group. They introduced him to Evan, and they both agreed that it was a great match.

Antonio told Evan about his best friend who enlisted in the service with him after high school graduation.

Don Freeman and Antonio became medics and saw the violence of war together. Don used his army medic training to become a paramedic in Davis until he completed his training as a firefighter with the Davis Fire Department. Subsequently, the cop and the firefighter each tackled the challenges of their chosen professions with enthusiasm and dedication. Together, they harnessed their experiences of battle by developing an appreciation for the joys of life. In addition, they each possessed the attributes of generous hearts which influenced their approach to those with whom they served, and their sense of responsibility to and respect for humanity. Their infectious laughter and engaging smiles were evidence of the sincere generosity which lay within them both. They were easily identified by their respective peers as two of the really good guys.

Evan met with Antonio and Don to discuss the details of the mobile clinic process. Evan was impressed with the two of them, confident they would be a dynamic pair.

Evan and Anna found that one of the topics most often addressed by the experienced mobile clinic participants was safe meal preparation for the staff. They strongly suggested that a team include a proficient chef who was knowledgeable about food handling and hygiene. They emphasized that protecting the team from illness due to contaminated food preparation was a priority.

For Evan and Anna, the first individual on their list was their good friend and recent widow, Sadie Walker. She was a retired high school teacher who, with her late husband, had successfully raised four sons into outstanding young men. Sadie, at seventy years of age, was an enthusiastic and vivacious participant in church functions and community events. She had the reputation at home and with her church socials as a being a fantastic cook. Sadie had been what she called a professional volunteer since her retirement. She was a driven perfectionist with any task undertaken and always seemed to become the chairman of any church or school committee. Her enthusiasm for life had diminished while attempting to find her place in the world without her loving husband of fifty years. Evan had felt confident that both the team and Sadie would benefit from the project. Sadie wanted to take on the job, and her four sons were supportive of this opportunity to see their mother engaged in the world again.

As Evan and Anna looked at the photograph of the group on their first trip, they were proud of this handpicked team of professionals. Because of the efforts of everyone involved, Evan referred to his crew as a well-oiled machine.

The long clinic days went at a nonstop pace, but none of the participants would have given up one day of the six weeks. They appreciated and were humbled by the great numbers of individuals who would sometimes walk for miles with their babies or aged in tow to obtain care. Although it was exhausting, there was an energizing satisfaction knowing that these hardworking and proud people were genuinely thankful for the care they were provided. All of the services were free, provided by dedicated volunteers who were exceptional not only as professionals but also as individuals. Each member of the team was aware that it was very easy to overwork due to the desire to provide care to everyone. Therefore, they tried to keep the workdays as close to eight hours as possible, and that everyone had their evenings and weekends to rest and relax. They became a close knit family of individuals who supported each other in reaching their goal.

Evan and Anna started to hear the sounds of car doors closing and friendly car honks of greeting. They closed their album of memories and left it where the team could also enjoy perusing the past. The inevitable flurry of arriving teammates sharing greetings and hugs was something everyone enjoyed. It was a time to reconnect with members they had not seen for a year. Last but not least, Jenny and Darcy’s effusive entrance infused the mood with enthusiasm. As the group was grazing on the delightful buffet Anna always prepared for such meetings the group was quieting down into a relaxed level of conversation.

When Evan felt the time had arrived, he stood and waved for the group to pay attention. He was more somber than his usual jovial self on this night because he had a serious announcement. His thirty-year old son had been recently diagnosed with cancer and would be undergoing surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Evan and Anna would be staying with their son Jacob, his wife, Emily and three young children at their home in Silicon Valley.

Jacob had graduated from the University of San Francisco with a degree in high-tech engineering and had a bright future. At a time when they should be enjoying life, Jacob and Emily would be meeting some serious challenges. Evan and Anna wanted to support them through that difficult time.

The few moments of quiet were followed by a flurry of genuine concern for Evan and his family. The ramifications of his announcement for the project started to resonate throughout the room. Knowing the concerns the team would have, Evan told them that he had already made arrangements for his replacement as the medical /surgical physician on the team. He told them that he was very pleased and relieved that Dr. James Michael Mullin, MD would be joining them. Dr. Mullin had worked with him during his residency in general medicine. He joined Evan’s practice for a year, assisting him in surgery and participating in the care of his patient load. Dr. Mullin was a graduate of Stanford University and completed his residencies in medicine and surgery at Oregon Health Science University and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He was boarded in both surgery and internal medicine. After completing his studies in rural medical practice at Iowa University, he began his current practice in Alaska. He was a flying doctor and worked in partnership with two other pilot-physicians.

Dr. Mullin and his partners had developed a plan to establish health clinic facilities in strategic locations in the more isolated communities in the state. They trained designated local community members in basic first aid and emergency care. They set up telemedicine communication, which they monitored between their scheduled clinic visits. Their services were integrated with the emergency air-transport system throughout Alaska. The state was so impressed with the project that they contributed partial funding and facilitated federal grants.

Dr. Parker was more than confident that Dr. Mullin would be a valued and well received asset to their team. He directed his attention to Don and Antonio and mentioned that Jim was also an army veteran. Don and Antonio gave out a holler of approval and the group cheered. He let them know that Dr. Mullin would be connecting with them during their layover in New York and join them for the flights to London and Nairobi.

Sandy and Mike Larson had agreed to take over the responsibilities of leading the team in addition to their eye clinic work. Evan assured them that he would be as close as their laptop. Grinning, he