Thanks so much for the lovely reviews and the get well wishes, I'm feeling much better now. Hope you enjoy this next bit.
Chapter 14:
Eddie and Luc were relieved when Angela regained consciousness the next day and appeared to have suffered no long term damage as a result of her injuries. Larry decided to accompany Angela back to Germany for treatment and resigned from the army opting instead to look after the woman he had fallen in love with instead. Luc and Eddie were sad to see him go as he was such a lively character in the camp and had become a good friend to both of them but they understood why he had to go with her. They all bid a tearful good-bye to Larry and Angela the following day.
The next few months saw some new medical staff arrive and saw attacks on the camp's soldiers become more frequent too. Fortunately for Luc this gave him a few more opportunities to test out his new drug but he wished it didnt have to be at the expense of the pain and suffering of his patients. Luc tried to look on the positive side of this by thinking of the lives they had saved and would save with their new drug.
Today, he tried to take his mind off work by trying to work out what to do for Eddie for her birthday which was the following day. He had already arranged for Sacha to send him over a parcel of her favorite British crisps and chocolate but wanted to arrange something romantic for them to do even though they would be stuck on base for the day as they weren't due their next trip to the green zone for another 2 weeks. He decided upon a moonlight picnic at her favorite spot beside the sand dunes but needed some help from Billy to organise it. He called into Billy in the mess tent that afternoon when he knew Eddie would be busy at the hospital.
"Hello Billy, can I have a word with you?" he asked nervously.
"Hello Doc, what can I do for you?" asked Billy.
"I was hoping you could do me a favour. It's Eddie's birthday tomorrow and I'm trying to organize a surprise for her but I need your help" Luc explained.
"Sure, anything for my favourite nurse" replied Billy smiling.
"I was wondering if you could get your hands on some strawberries and ice-cream for me, its her favourite. I'm trying to organize a picnic for her" he explained.
"Sure, shouldn't be a problem, when do you need them for?" asked Billy.
"Tomorrow, about 6pm if possible" replied Luc.
"No problem, of course the strawberries we get here aren't as good as my Carol's at home, she grows all our fruit and veg at home you know, she even gets the kids to help. And they're all organic too" replied Billy smiling.
"Sounds like you've got a great woman there. I'd hang onto her if I were you" replied Luc smiling.
"You know Eddie reminds me alot of my Carol. They're both strong, fiesty, practical women that can drive you crazy but still you cant live without them" replied Billy whistfully.
"Tell me about it!" exclaimed Luc.
"You know, I could tell from the first time I saw you two together that there was something special between you two, like me and my Carol have" replied Billy.
"Thanks Billy" replied Luc slightly embarrassed.
"I'll get you the strawberries and ice-cream on one condition, that you promise me you'll look after Eddie for the rest of her life" replied Billy.
"I'll let you into a little secret Billy, that's exactly my intention" whispered Luc.
"Meet me here tomorrow at 6 pm then" replied Billy grinning.
The following evening Luc called into Eddie's tent to meet her at 7 pm, they went for dinner as usual in the mess tent but he didnt let her get desert. He told her he had a surprise for her after dinner. He told her they were going for a romantic walk and brought her to the sand dunes. There waiting for them was a blanket on the ground surrounded by candles flickering in the breeze, there was a cooler box to one side.
"What's all this?" asked Eddie smiling.
"Just a little moonlight picnic, nothing special really" replied Luc humbly. "Take a seat, birthday girl" he continued.
Eddie sat down in the middle of the blanket and Luc sat down beside her.
"Would madam like a little birthday treat?" he asked.
"Yes please" replied Eddie smiling.
Luc opened the cooler box and took out a bottle of grape juice, glasses and two portions of strawberries and ice-cream. He poured two glasses of juice and laid out the strawberries and ice-cream in front of them. They each took up a glass of juice.
"Happy birthday my love" Luc whispered as they clinked glasses. They both took a sip of the juice. Luc leaned over, put his hand under Eddie's chin and kissed her on the lips. Eddie put down her glass and put her hands each side of Luc's face.
"This is wonderful, thank you" she said before giving him a passionate kiss.
"Eat your strawberries" Luc instructed. They both tucked into the strawberries and ice-cream. When they had finished eating they laid down on the blanket together cuddling up to one another.
"That was yummy, where did you get them from?" asked Eddie.
"I had a little help from our friend Billy" admitted Luc. "He got me the strawberries and ice-cream but I had to promise him something" continued Luc.
"Oh, yeah. What was that?" she asked curious.
"Well, he made me promise to look after you for the rest of your life" replied Luc.
"What did you say?" asked Eddie.
"I told him I have every intention of doing that" replied Luc honestly.
"Really?" asked Eddie slightly shocked at Luc's honesty.
"Eddie, can I ask you something?" Luc asked as he turned over onto his side so that he could look her straight in the eyes.
"Ok" she replied nervously.
"When we get back home, will you marry me?" he asked sincerely.
Eddie raised her hand and stroked his cheek lovingly. There were tears in her eyes. She tried to think of how best to answer his question. She pulled him towards her and kissed him feverishly. She gently pulled her lips away from his and whispered "I thought you'd never ask!". They both smiled at each other. They kissed for a few minutes and laid there for a while until it got colder.
They got up off the blanket and packed up their belongings. As they were about to go back to their quarters Eddie pulled Luc to her putting her arms around his neck.
"Thank you for my lovely birthday present" she said before kissing Luc for the final time that night.