Connor, Arnold, and Nabulungi were crowded around Kevin's bed, as Gotswana examined him.
"Ah, Elder Price. You have appendicitis," Gotswana announced to the group.
"Oh, That! My cousin had That last Christmas. He had to go to the hospital to get surgery," Arnold commented.
"I knew it! I knew it was appendicitis," Connor exclaimed.
"What? No, you didn't," Kevin scoffed.
"Uh huh, I totally did," Connor smirked at Kevin, before turning to Gotswana, "you can fix it right? At your clinic?"
"I'm afraid I cannot, Elder McKinley. I do not have any anaesthetic gas in my clinic," Gotswana shook his head, "Elder Price, you have to go to one of the hospitals in Kitgum."
—
Connor realised that all eyes were on him. They were waiting for his plan.
Occasionally, the Elders would take a bus to Kitgum for supplies. It was the one of the cheapest ways to get around Uganda. However, Connor was reluctant to subject Kevin to the agonising three hour ride on a dilapidated bus.
"Umm, I guess we could uh…we could-"
"We could take the bus there, like we always do," Kevin answered for him.
"Are you sure? You know how buses are like here," Connor frowned.
"Do I have a choice?"
"I can follow you boys there, in case you need any help," Nabulungi offered.
Connor felt himself getting increasingly flustered. This was so not on his to-do list! He had not made any plans for this yet! Should he be accompanying Kevin to the hospital? He should, right? After all, he was still in charge of all the missionaries here at district nine. What if Kevin didn't want him to come with?
"Should I come along too, Kev?" Arnold asked softly, sitting on Kevin's bed.
"It's fine, Arnold. I'm sure McKinley and Nabulungi can handle it, right?" Kevin directed his gaze at Connor.
Connor let out a breath of relief, "Right. Yeah, don't worry Elder Cunningham, we've got this. You stay here, and help me make sure that the others don't slack off on their duties. Especially Elder Church. He's taking over Kevin's English class with the kids today; make sure he doesn't kill the children, or himself."
Kevin chuckled, and than groaned.
"Alright, let's get going then. The next bus to Kitgum should be here at noon. What do we need to bring along with us?" Connor pondered aloud.
—
Noon had come and gone, and the bus was still not here yet. Kevin, Nabulungi, and Connor were huddled under the shade of a small tree beside the bus stop, seeking respite from the burning hot sun.
"Have I told you how much this fucking sucks?"
Kevin was currently curled up on the ground with his head pillowed on Connor's thighs. Nabulungi was on the other side of Connor with her head resting on his shoulders. Both Connor and Kevin had changed out of their usual missionary uniforms, into more comfortable clothing they had bought during their last excursion to Kitgum.
"No, I think I missed the first twenty times you mentioned it," Connor checked his watch again, "the bus is late."
"What else is new," Kevin sighed.
"I have to say, you're taking this a whole lot better than I thought you would," Connor tried to rub soothing circles on Kevin's back when Connor felt his body tense up in pain.
"How did you think I was going to react, hmm?"
"Oh, I don't know? Cry about why do bad things always happen to the awesome Kevin Price, and demand to be airlifted back to America," Connor smirked.
"Is that what you think of me? Fuck you," Kevin punched Connor in his leg, hard.
"Ouch, violent much? If you don't recall, that was exactly what you did on your first week here in Uganda."
"It was a rough week, okay? I had someone's brain matter on my face. Besides, if you haven't noticed, I'm not the same person as I was before," Kevin scowled at the ground.
"Of course I noticed," Connor smiled, "in fact, I think I like the new Kevin Price a lot more than the old one. His potty mouth notwithstanding."
Kevin turned around and held Connor's gaze at his admission.
"Good."
Nabulungi lifted her head from Connor's shoulders, "Look, Elders! The bus is here!"
"Does that mean I have to move?" Kevin moaned.
—
They were only thirty minutes into their journey towards Kitgum, and Connor was already regretting taking the bus. The three of them were squished into a tiny seat meant for two people: with Kevin on the inside, Nabulungi between the both of them, and Connor on the outside. The crowded bus did not have any air-conditioning, of course not, and the warm wind coming through the half-opened bus windows did nothing to help.
Their sitting arrangement was also garnering increasing amounts of attention from the locals, with some of them outright staring at the three of them. Connor was trying to avoid all the curious gazes, Nabulungi was staring back at them nonchalantly, and Kevin was feeling too awful to care.
Just because the universe hated them that much, the bus driver seemed to be on a mission to hit every single pothole on the road. Connor winced when the bus jerked violently as it hit the biggest pothole yet. It felt like his internal organs were being knocked around in his body cavity. Connor heard Kevin's stifled sob, his head swivelling around immediately towards the sound of distress. Kevin had one hand covering his mouth, and the other gripping his knee so tightly, Connor was sure it was going to leave bruises.
"Oh no," Nabulungi stretched her arm and pushed the bus window open all the way. Just in time too, for Kevin to stick his head out slightly and retch. Connor felt horrible, listening to Kevin dry heave out the bus window, it sounded really painful. Nabulungi held onto Kevin, while rubbing circles on his back. She turned back and exchanged worried glances with Connor.
Kevin was finally done after a good five minutes. He was practically translucent when he pulled his head back into the bus, tears running down his cheeks.
"Do you have the water, Elder McKinley?" Nabulungi asked, continuing to rub soothing circles on Kevin's back as he slumped against the side of the bus looking like death.
Connor fished the water bottle out from the bag he had packed for their stay in Kitgum. The water was now disgustingly warm, even though he had filled it with ice cubes right before they left the mission hut. Nabulungi was about to uncap the bottle when the bus hit another pothole. Kevin let out a strangled cry, biting onto his bottom lip so hard it was starting to bleed. He folded into himself, his head resting on his knees.
"Kevin-," Connor felt like crying. He hated feeling so helpless.
Connor suddenly had an idea. With Nabulungi's help, Kevin was now reclining over both of their legs, which seemed like a much more comfortable position.
"I mean, I don't know a lot of Disney songs- Okay, who am I kidding, I know all of them. Who doesn't, right? So here goes."
Kevin tilted his head slightly to acknowledge that he was listening.
Connor started off with singing Hercules. Singing in public was definitely not something he did, ever. But if it was going to distract Kevin from the agony he must be feeling, Connor would gladly sing with all his might. Nabulungi joined in and they sang a duet from Beauty and the Beast next. Almost everyone was turning around to peer at them now, but Connor doesn't- as Kevin would put it- give a fuck anymore.