Okay so... I've been a bit MIA for a while. But now I'm back! Hope you guys enjoy my new story. :D
Chapter 1
February 15, 2017
"Dr. Gilbert, there's another patient waiting outside." Matt Donovan, the American born head nurse from the Peace Corps called out, peeking from between the tent flaps.
"Okay, I'll be right there." I said as I finished bandaging my current patient.
I turned to the tall, middle-aged, sunken-faced man that sat before me. He was a soldier, an expendable really, working to defend the country of Jordan from the army forces of Iraq despite the fact that the people he fought so hard to protect weren't even his own.
The man was an American soldier, deployed into Jordan to fight the invading soldiers of Iraq. The war against Iraq and Jordan had occurred three years after America had formed an alliance with the country of Jordan. The Iraqi people, who still had a bone to pick with America, decided to declare war on Jordan after hearing about the coalition of the two countries.
"You're all set." I told the man, "It was a flesh wound, nothing really serious. I recommend that you stay in bed for a few days and rest. You'll be up and running by next week."
The man smiled at me; a sad smile, a smile of memories drifting back to him. "Thank you." he said as he stood up and left the tent.
From outside I heard the sound of Matt's voice telling the next patient to come in. I heard the patient's deep set, almost melodic voice saying that he felt fine and that he just needed rest. But Matt insisted, as she always did in these circumstances, because usually the people who "felt fine and just needed rest" were the ones who actually needed to be examined by a professional.
I stood up and sighed. I walked out of the large brown tent-like room erected in the middle of the army camp for medical purposes, to try and coax the patient in as Matt wasn't having any luck.
There were only a few patients outside. They were all seated on plastic chairs; they all had the same expressions of shocked pain on their faces, all except for the man standing with his back to me and arguing with Matt.
"Excuse me," I said, interrupting their conversation, but are you going to come in?"
The man turned around and I could see that he was not any ordinary soldier. He had a five star medallion pinned on his chest and numerous badges that held no meaning to the volunteers working here. I knew though, that that many decorations on a soldier only meant that he was on top of the military food chain and when he introduced himself I knew that I wasn't wrong.
"I'm sorry doctor but there's been a mistake. There is nothing wrong with me. It's just that I'm tired and dehydrated that's all. I don't need to be here." He spoke without a hint of an accent.
"Are you sure you don't need me to make sure of that?" I asked.
"I'm sure." He smiled then. He had a beautiful smile and a penetrating gaze. He was tall and he had a light shade of brown hair. His face was perfectly structured, strong yet delicate at the same time. He had piercing green eyes.
"Okay.. umm…"
"Sergeant Stefan Salvatore at your service." he told me bowing down low like some sort of Southern gentleman.
I smiled. "Yes, Sergeant Salvatore, you can go now."
He laughed, bowing once again, before walking away.
I turned to the other people waiting on their plastic chairs. "Who's next?" A dozen hands flew up into the air. I shook my head. This is going to be a long day, I thought to myself as Matt ushered the next patient in.
It was nearing dusk when I finally finished with my last patient. My head was throbbing from the eagle-like precision of medical techniques that I had been performing the whole day. My body ached from walking around the military camp performing emergency operations that couldn't be performed at the make-shift clinic. It wasn't an easy job, volunteering in the Peace Corps to provide medical assistance in underprivileged countries. It was a very trying job. I worked for no pay 'til the wee hours of the morning and I barely got any rest after my shift was over.
I could've stayed in the comfort of my home in Mystic Falls, supervising the medical work in the Gilbert Medical Clinic, the clinic that, with my hard-earned money, I had built. I could've been sitting in my office right now, drinking a cup of coffee, but no, I'm here instead, sitting on a stiff wooden chair in a tent turned clinic in an unfamiliar country with unfamiliar people.
Sometimes, especially after a rough day, I would ask myself why I volunteered for the Peace Corps in the first place. I would ask why I hadn't even told anyone from home of my plans to work as a volunteer doctor in a foreign country. In the end though, I always came up with the same answer. I did this because I wanted to give back to the less fortunate without any praise from the people I knew.
I had enough money from the clinic I built. I didn't need any more of it. I just wanted to give back.
"Hey." I felt a soft tap on my shoulder. I turned around and saw Matt.
"The other volunteers are throwing a 'secret party'. Do you wanna come?" he asked me. Matt was one of the many people I've met at the Corps but he was the only one I considered as a very close friend. He was already, sort of, my best friend at the Corps.
"No thanks. I've got to sleep early today. I've got the morning shift tomorrow, remember?" I told him as I started fixing up the papers on my desk.
"Aww! Come on! Just for tonight." Matt grabbed my hands and pulled me away from my desk. I tried to shake him off but his grip was too strong.
"Matt." I whined struggling with him.
"I won't let go until you say yes."
"Fine, then we'll both end up falling asleep here." He laughed, knowing I could never do that.
"If you come tonight, I'll find someone to take your morning shift tomorrow." Matt coaxed and like a fish to its bait I couldn't resist agreeing to his conditions.
"Yes!" he shouted and we both ended up walking out of the tent towards the venue of the 'secret party'.
The room wasn't very large. It was just a simple room with clean white walls and clean white tiles. The room was usually used as a meeting place for the military heads or for the briefing of the new volunteers. The place was normally filled with wooden chairs propped around a large wooden table but tonight the room was covered in streamers and balloons. A long buffet table covered with white cloth was full of different varieties of food. American, European, and Asian food were placed in large plastic bowls. The walls were adorned with posters and pictures of places that took one's breath away.
One particular picture caught my attention. It wasn't predominantly noticeable because it was placed in the corner of the room but the image filled me with a sense of amazement. The sun framed the small town perfectly. It was right about sunset and the scattered white houses with their light brown roofs and breathtaking ocean brought about a sense of calm in me. The place was beautiful and I couldn't take my eyes off of it.
"Elena." Matt called, rousing me from my trance.
"Yeah?" I said turning around to look at him.
"I'll just go grab some drinks. You want one?"
"Sure. Coke."
"Okay, wait here." Dean left, his body there one minute and the next it was swallowed up by the large crowd dancing in the center of the room. I turned back to the picture I was looking at and stared at in wonder once more.
The music was blaring, a song sung by some unknown artist, people were still dancing, and the place was shaking to the beat of the constant movement within the room. A few minutes had already passed by and I was so engrossed by the picture that I didn't notice a voice calling my name until I felt someone tapping on my shoulder once again.
"Ma-" I called, but I was cut off by the sight of the person before me.
It wasn't Matt. It was the stubborn soldier back at the clinic. "Sgt. Salvatore, nice to see you again."
"Dr. Elena, it's nice to see you again too." He smiled, showing off his pearly whites. "What are you doing here? I thought someone as serious a doctor as you wouldn't be partying so late at night."
"I could ask you the same question. Isn't this a party for volunteers?"
"Touché." he laughed. I turned back to the picture. I was tired of talking. All I really wanted to do was go to sleep and the fact that I had to make small talk with someone I barely knew wasn't helping me out.
To my surprise though, instead of walking away, Sgt. Salvatore stared intently at the picture too. "Bulgaria."
"What?" I asked looking at him.
"It's a picture of Bulgaria; Sofia, specifically."
I was surprised, "How did you know that?"
"My granddad lived there. I used to visit him when I was young. That place was always so beautiful, so peaceful and calm. Plus, all the people there are very welcoming."
His face was soft, emotion filling into it. He was looking at the picture like he could actually see the memories he had of that place moving around in the image.
"Elena!" Matt called out. We both turned and I saw Matt, with two cans of Coke in his hands, staring at us with a puzzled look on his face.
"Oh, Matt, this is Sgt. Salvatore from the-"
"-from the clinic." Matt said, cutting me off, "I remember him."
Matt was looking at Sgt. Salvatore, scrutinizing him carefully.
"Umm. So I'll be going." he smiled uncomfortably, "Nice to see you two again."
After he left I elbowed Matt in the ribs. "What?" Matt asked rubbing the side of his chest.
"What was up with the protective 'who-are-you-and-what-are-you-doing-talking-to-my-bestfriend-stare'?"
"Well of course. You're my best friend. I need to do that 'who-are-you-and-what-are-you-doing-talking-to-my-bestfriend-stare' to all the guys who come up and start talking to you looking all googly-eyed."
"He wasn't 'googly-eyed. He was just telling me about this picture." I gestured to the photo on the wall.
"Whatever. All I know was he was looking at you all googly-eyed."
I elbowed him again, "Hey!" he shouted. I laughed at the expression on his face. Then he started laughing too.
"Come on. Let's just go and dance." he said pulling me to the dance floor.
I decided that Elena and Matt should be bestfriends but I'll introduce Bonnie and Caroline soon. I let Elena meet Stefan first because I have other plans for Damon but we'll be seeing him soon too. Hope you guys enjoyed reading it. :D
Reviews? Suggestions? :)