The doctor is in

Eva's medical training amounts to a first aid course. Just the same, she was quickly designated ''Trek Doctor''

It started with Morris needing the stitches removed from his knee. He'd fallen over a wall in the dark in an earlier stage of his Africa trip, and it was time to remove them. Doug said he had ''a really big knife'' and that he would be happy to remove the stitches as long as Ruben could spare some of his whiskey (For Doug, not for Morris).

Prudently, Morris selected Eva for the procedure, and Dr. Eva removed the stitches with no hitches.

From there, it was a short way to massages and physiotherapy for Pia's hurt back, ministering to Milton's cold, and dispensing malaria medication to Doug.

Ruben, a young whippersnapper, has proved too healthy to need treatment, although we can always hope.

D&E