11
After dinner, Christian’s back was so bad that he could barely get up from the battered sofa. With Mama Odette’s guidance, Zoe had raced to a local pharmacy and then dosed Christian with prescription strength codeine, which apparently didn’t require a prescription in Senegal.
“Sure! Anything you need: Schedule II narcotics, Cipro antibiotic, cough drops. No problem. All at the pharmacy. Doctors in Senegal are only for when you break something. You go to the hospital if your only other option is dying, otherwise we don’t waste the time. And most times, if it is time to die, people just do that rather than fighting it. Let’s go! I’ll race you back, dearest Zoe. This time I will drive.”
“Christian. Your back?”
“Pfft!” he waved his hand airily as if dismissing the concern. Then he tripp
