HEATHROW, England — It’s been a long few months — from the war in Georgia to a plane crash in Spain, a visit to Syria and then a tour of Iraq — I’ve been on the road. For me, it’s the attraction and dream of working for CNN. But, a bit of bad luck has crept up on me: one morning in Baghdad I awoke, my face swollen and my head in incredible pain. Sometimes, you can’t help but laugh at the pain, as an impacted, infected wisdom tooth has crept into your life — at the most inopportune time.Off to the combat hospital I went. Normally I would not worry so much, but I was, and still am running a pretty high fever.

The U.S. Combat Hospital in Baghdad is one of the best medical facilities in the world. CNN has spent some time there: we reported on the advances they’ve made in battlefield medicine. They, in typical military fashion x-rayed my entire head then sat me down.

“It’s just no good,” said the captain. “It’s infected, it’s impacted, and it’s deep. You need to see a surgeon in the U.S. quickly — and get that pulled.” He then proceeded to give me two buckets of pills and a bottle of some liquid. “This one for the infection,” he said. “This one for the pain,” he said. “And this needle goes into this bucket of fluid — you inject it into the back of your mouth.”

Fantastic, I thought.

No problem Sir, I’ll just shove that thing right back there. I mean, I am tough – but who’s shoving a needle into the back of their swollen mouth?

“That fever gets any worse — you come back here — and we’re going to have to fly you out. Otherwise, get yourself home.” he said.

So, back to the bureau I went — fever, pills, weird looking needle and all, to plot my way home. After three days of resting and struggling to learn the effects of the various crazy medications he had put me on, I was off to Baghdad’s International Airport.

Booked on Iraqi Airways to Beirut — it was my quickest route to the U.S., home for surgery. Luckily for me, I had one of our local producers with me — to make sure I got checked in and into the waiting area OK. For someone as well traveled as I am — I was still so very happy to have him. When you’re running a fever of 101 degrees and are on various medications, it’s easy to get confused. Especially in Iraq, where nothing goes as planned.

Which brings us to the “your life has entered the twilight zone” section of the piece. As I was waiting to board the plane the public announcement said “please proceed to gate 45 for Iraqi Airlines flight 131 to Beirut.” So, I went to the gate, handed my ticket to the woman from Iraqi airlines and she said, “it’s now Basra-Beirut.”

Basra-Beirut? Did she just say Basra? Basra? Like, the southern Iraqi port city of …

“Basra?” I asked.

Although with a puffy face it came out more something like “Bassswrwa?”

“I’m sorrwy,” I slurred. “We’re stopping in Baswwra?”

“Inshallah,” she answered.

Inshallah, literally translated from Arabic means “God willing.” But it’s a term that is used with such repetition; it can also mean, “We hope,” “probably,” “think so,” “most likely,” and in some cases, “yes.”

Now — for an American boarding a plane to Beirut, a stop in Basra can be a bit off putting — especially when you’re struggling to focus on anything due to a fever and a bucket of pills that Captain America has given you three days earlier.

“Do I change plawwnes in Basswwra — or is it the same one?” I drooled in her direction.

“Same plane — Inshallah,” she said.

I called the bureau — to let them know I was flying to Basra. I said to our Bureau Chief, Ingrid, who has had more of these strange moments than I think anyone else in the business that I was worried about being “strwwanded in Baswwra.”

She understood, we talked it over, security is always a concern — but I am sick — have to get out.

So, on the plane I went. As it turned out — it was a code-share flight between Iraqi Airlines and “Flying Carpet.”

After an hour, we landed in Basra. Three people got off. We waited about 40 minutes, and the same three people got on. My Arabic is not even close to fluent, but people were making phone calls to Beirut — letting folks know — we’ve made a random stop. I figure we stopped so three people could have a meeting! But, who knows for sure – and there was no “dental, English-Arabic” producer on board, so my questions would have only been confusing.

Without re-fueling, we took off again, and over two hours later, we landed in Beirut.

Now in Heathrow Airport in London, I’ll soon board a flight to Washington. Should be there in about 8 hours if United does not decided to make a random stop in Sweden.
Inshallah.