"Now are you sure you have everything, dear?" Cora asked in Sybil's ear as she squeezed her close.
"Muuum," Sybil groaned. Rolling her eyes playfully, she glanced at the clock on the wall. She should really head to security right now.
Her dad chuckled as Sybil finally managed to pry herself away from her mum. "You know your mother, ever the worrier."
She laughed as Cora glared at her father. "Forgive me Robert, but our baby girl is going to be gone for three months in a foreign country! I think I'm allowed to worry." Turning around to Sybil, Cora cupped her face in her hands. "Oh Sybil, are you sure you want to do this? Guatemala is awfully far away and I'm sure they will understand if you change your mind-"
She groaned ready to explain to her mother again that she wanted to do this when she her sisters Mary and Edith walked over. "Sorry we're late. You know how things are," Mary said as she covered her mobile with her other hand. "No, Mr. Bellasis. I'm telling you as your attorney that it is in your best interest to wait a few days before talking to the media."
Edith rolled her eyes as Mary went back to her call. Pulling Sybil into a quick hug, she released her before going on. "I'm glad we made it, I told her we were going to miss you, but you know Mary. She just had to squeeze in a meeting right before I was supposed to get her."
Hanging up the phone, Mary pushed her hair off her face, glaring at Edith before kissing Sybil on the cheek.
Sybil couldn't help but grin at her sisters' antics, pulling both of them into an embrace. Sybil closed her eyes and breathed them in, knowing that she'd miss her sisters terribly.
The clock struck seven causing Sybil to sigh. "I have to go or I'll miss my flight." Moving over to kiss both her parents on the cheek, Cora pulled her into another hug.
Cora kissed her on the head, before reminding her to call her both at her layover and when she got off her flight.
She walked over to the back of the queue. Waiting for her turn, she couldn't help but think about the two crazy weeks that lead her to this flight.
Sybil walked into her flat after lunch with her sisters. Picking up her mail, she mumbled to herself, "Bill, bill, coupon, bill, St. Thomas Hospital, bill-" Her hand froze as she looked at the envelope from St. Thomas Hospital.
She was both terrified and excited as she looked at the envelope. She had ended her residency three months ago and had been interviewing ever since. They interviewed her ages ago and while they liked her, they had said they didn't have any openings at the time.
Taking a deep breath, Sybil opened the letter and screamed. Pulling out her phone, she called her best friend Gwen. "Gwen! I did it! I got a job at St. Thomas Hospital!"
Passing through the metal detection Sybil turned back and waved her family goodbye, feeling the excitement build as she walked forward.
Sybil sighed happily as she relaxed into her first class seat, immensely glad that her father and Mary had talked her out of coach. A seventeen hour flight in coach would not be fun.
Buckling her seatbelt, she closed her eyes and thought about the crazy two weeks that led to her getting this flight as the pilot announced it was time for lift-off.
Her family smiled and grinned at her as she told them her exciting news. "Darling, that's wonderful," Mary said, squeezing her hand.
"How wonderful, dear!" Cora said, smiling politely. Robert smiled weakly, "Congrats Sybil."
Sybil smiled. She knew her parents didn't understand why she chose to be a doctor. It wasn't anything personal. It just wasn't what they thought a lady should do. They understood Mary being a lawyer and Edith being a novelist, but being a doctor was somehow out of their reach. Despite their reservations on her occupation, they had always tried to be supportive.
"When do you start?" Edith asked.
Sybil sighed. "Unfortunately, not until the fall. They just found out that someone's moving to the States and they immediately thought of me, so I suppose that's a good thing." Shaking her head, she said, "Now I have to find something to do for the summer until I start at St. Thomas'."
"Why not take a holiday? I mean how often in the adult world do you get to enjoy the whole summer off like when we were children?" her brother-in-law Matthew stated.
She supposed it was true, but still what would she do for a whole summer?
Mary laughed. "Honey, you're forgetting who you're talking to. This is the girl growing up who tried to volunteer at a homeless shelter when she was eight."
"Well, Sybil has always been a restless soul," Granny announced with a small smile.
Laughing, they all continued to eat when suddenly Matthew's mother Isobel spoke up. "Sybil, have you ever thought about Doctors Without Borders?"
Sybil nodded. "I've always wanted to do it, but it's just never worked out and it's too late to apply now. Why?"
Isobel nodded in understanding. Pursing her lips, she said, "Well, you see I have a friend who works there. We had lunch today when she got a phone call about someone dropping out at the last second."
"Really?"
Isobel smiled. "Really. They would probably need you to come as soon as possible. Do you think you could be ready in a week or so?"
"Absolutely!" Sybil said eagerly.
By the end of the week, she had all her shots and paperwork filled out and was interviewing people to sublet her flat to for the summer.
Stepping out of La Aurora International Airport, Sybil stared out at the night sky. It was seven forty and she felt wide awake after sleeping all those hours on the plane.
The skyline looked so different from the London skyline, she couldn't help finding it beautiful.
Walking to the curb, Sybil found herself an available taxi and gave them the address of the hotel she would be staying in for the next three months.
Sybil stared out the window and watched as the view turned from the countryside to a cityscape. For the millionth time she couldn't help but be astounded by the difference between here and home. In some ways it reminded her of Seville, yet it truly was a city of its own.
Taking out her camera from her purse, she began snapping photos. Looking over the pictures on the screen, she laughed at the photo she took with her sisters as they helped her pack.
"What about this?" Edith asked, pulling out a dark blue strapless dress from her closet.
Sybil scrunched up her face. "When would I wear it?"
Edith shrugged her shoulders. "You never know, Sybil."
"For once I agree with Edith," Mary said from her spot on the bed. Walking to the closet, Mary browsed through her clothes pulling out a few dresses and pushed them into Sybil's arms. "Take a few, darling. After all, you never know."
Sybil sighed, but nodded. She doubted she'd need any, but she supposed she could throw a few in if she had the space.
Fluttering around the room, Sybil grabbed this and that and piled it into the suitcase with Mary immediately taking the clothes out and folding them for her.
"Sybil, do want to borrow some of my suitcases? If you're going for three months, you'll need to bring more clothes than just this." Edith looked around the room before spotting another suitcase. "There's one."
Edith pulled at and was surprised by how heavy it was. "Good lord Sybil! What do you have in here?"
She giggled at her sister and a blush crossed her cheeks as she admitted, "Medical books."
Mary and Edith laughed. "Of course you do!" Edith said as she shook her head.
"I know you're going there to help save the world darling, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy yourself," her eldest sister said as she tugged her short hair behind her ears. "You're going to be living in a foreign country for the next few months, enjoy yourself. Go dancing, drink wine, eat good food, be a tourist, take lots of pictures, climb a mountain…"
"You want her to climb a mountain?" Edith asked, frowning.
Mary rolled her eyes. "My point is while you're there you should let yourself go. Relax and live a little."
Sybil shook her head and smirked. "I make no promises, Mary." Reaching over to her desk, she grabbed her camera.
Edith suddenly grinned as an idea popped into her head. "Why don't we take a picture?"
"Yes, so you won't forget us," Mary teased.
Sybil laughed. Sitting in between her two sisters, she laughed as Edith held up the camera.
Looking at the shaky camera frame, Sybil couldn't help but grin.
Sybil paid the taxi driver and somehow managed to move all cases into the hotel on her own.
"Welcome, señorita!"
Carefully maneuvering her cases over to check-in desk, she replied, "Hola! Right, um…hice una-"
The man smiled, humoring her. "Senorita, I speak English."
Sybil laughed. "Oh good! Now you won't have to listen to my rusty Spanish."
"What can I do for you?"
Sybil told him her information and a minute later she had her key, with the receptionist was running off to solve a problem.
Blowing a stray hair off her face, Sybil tried to climb the stairs carrying her many bags. She was about five steps up when she felt herself wavering. She could feel herself falling back and closed her eyes when she felt herself lean back onto a very firm wall.
"Easy there," a voice said from behind her and into her right ear.
Tilting her head, she was surprise to find a head and the most stunning pair of blue eyes she'd ever seen attached to the wall- which she now realized was a very broad and muscular chest.
Blushing as she realized his hand was on her waist, she pushed herself off him and gave him her thanks.
The Irishman grinned. "No thanks needed. Couldn't let you fall to your death now, could I?"
Sybil grinned back and said, "Regardless, thanks. I hate to be the girl who was killed by luggage."
"Well in that case, may I help you carry your bags?"
Sybil nodded, passing him the several cases she had tried to carry in her left hand before splitting the luggage in her right hand between her left.
They walked in comfortable silence up the flight of stairs. "What room are you in?" he asked as they began walking through the hall.
"Um…room number 217," Sybil said as she glanced at the doors. He chuckled.
"What?" Sybil asked curiously.
Grinning at her, he put her cases down in front of her door before walking two doors down and tapping at the door. "Howdy neighbor," he said in his awful attempt at an American accent.
Sybil bit her lip as she tried not to laugh.
Putting her key into the door, she opened the door when she realized something. Turning back to the Irishman, she said, "I didn't catch your name."
"It's Tom, Tom Branson. And yours?"
"Sybil Crawley."
"Well Sybil Crawley it was a pleasure to meet you. I hope I see you around."
Looking into his eyes, she could hear Mary's voice whispering in her ear. "I know you're going there to help save the world darling, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy yourself."
"Yeah, you too," Sybil said, smiling softly before opening the door.
