Chapter 14

As Elvis approached the medical centre, Milan was coming out. "I've just been to apologise to Georgie." Milan said. "I want to apologise to you too. It was an inexcusable invasion of privacy. I have had words with all the children this morning as well, reminding them that they must not let themselves in to anyone's living quarters. I shouldn't have followed Tara in either, I'm really sorry about that."

"Nah ya shouldn't, I'm not sure what ya were thinking mate. But... apology accepted." Elvis held out his hand to Milan who shook it, looking relieved.

"Look, I know you're only here because of Georgie but I do appreciate you volunteering. We need all the help we can get here at the moment." Milan told Elvis.

Elvis nodded in acknowledgement of Milan's appreciation and then headed inside to see Georgie.

Georgie was packing up her medical equipment when Elvis came in and handed her, her lunch. "I heard you talking to Milan outside, thanks for being civil to him." Georgie said, hungrily taking a bite of her sandwich.

Elvis looked wounded. "What d'ya mean? I'm charm personified, me." He protested.

"Yeah, only when it suits you." Georgie laughed. "He was mortified by what happened this morning. I actually felt a bit sorry for him."

"Yeah, well I don't. I might be civil but that's as far as it goes. I 'aven't forgotten that he tried to kiss you." Elvis complained.

"Yeah, about that." Georgie replied. Elvis looked at her quizzically. "It might have been partly my fault."

"How so?" Elvis asked carefully.

"Well, I hadn't actually told him I had a boyfriend, we'd been working together quite a lot and had become good friends and I obviously must have given off the wrong signals. I'm sorry." Georgie apologised.

"I suspected as much when I introduced myself to him in Kathmandu. It was obvious he didn't know about me. I don't get it George, if you and he were such good friends, how come ya hadn't mentioned me?" Elvis said, sounding hurt.

"I don't know Elvis, I was still so angry at you for disappearing without telling me, maybe it was intentional, to get back at you, I'm really not sure..." She trailed off uncomfortably.

"So are ya saying you wanted him to come on to ya then?" Elvis asked unhappily.

"No! I didn't intend to give him those signals. I really didn't. I love you so much Elvis. You know I do, I'd never have let you back in here if I didn't." She said, putting her hand over her heart. "All I'm trying to say is that it might not be all his fault, ok. So give him a break please." Georgie pleaded.

Elvis wasn't sure that her explanation of events had actually made him feel any happier about the situation but he decided to let it go for now. He nodded at Georgie in acknowledgement of her request. As he did so, he became aware that everything around him was starting to move, he could feel the ground shifting beneath his feet and Georgie was looking at him with fear in her eyes. The medical centre was a makeshift tented structure but there were quite heavy tent poles above their heads, holding the structure in place. Elvis grabbed Georgie and pulled them both under the examination table for protection, should any of the poles dislodge and come crashing down. Georgie clung on to him, he could feel her trembling. She had told him about her past experience of being trapped under debris after a previous aftershock and he wished he'd have been here for her then. He held her tight and kissed the top of her head, soothing her gently. "It's ok George, it'll pass soon." He told her. "I'm a bit disappointed though, I want to be the only one who makes the earth move for ya." He joked feebly, trying to diffuse her fear. She clung to him, resting her head against his shoulder. "I love you." She whispered.

Elvis squeezed her tight. "Yeah I know baby, I love you too."

When he was sure the tremor had passed they climbed out of their shelter and brushed themselves down. Everything had fallen from the shelves and was on the floor, they spent some time tidying it all up, before heading down to the prefab build site, checking around the camp that there were no injuries, from the aftershock, before they went.

The afternoon passed quickly with them all working hard to help get the concrete poured into the bases ready for the prefabs to be assembled over the next few days. There was a great deal of banter going on between two section and of course the morning's events were at the forefront of most of their minds. Although Elvis was there working as a volunteer for the NGO, they were not quite sure how much they could get away with. Under normal circumstances he was their commanding officer and they were fairly wary of him at the best of times. Eventually though Monk couldn't hold out any longer and felt the need to make a joke about being exposed, on the job. Elvis, being in reasonably good spirits, made the mistake of letting it go unchallenged, which then just opened the floodgates for a whole afternoon of ribbing by two section. Finally Georgie had, had enough and put them all firmly in their place. Elvis just carried on quietly working but he smiled to himself. Yeah, he thought, Georgie could definitely handle herself.

Georgie left the building site early, so she could get cleaned up to run an early evening clinic in the medical centre. Elvis came to meet her when she'd finished to walk her back. Being ravenous, she had wanted to head straight to the mess tent for their evening meal but Elvis had managed to persuade her to come back to her tent as he said he wanted to talk to her about something first.

When Elvis pushed open the tent flap, Georgie couldn't believe what she saw before her. There was a table set up in the middle of her tent with a table cloth and candles and wine and two domed plate covers, which were failing to conceal the delicious aromas that filled the tent and assaulted her nostrils as she entered. "Elvis! How did you manage this?" Georgie wanted to know, smiling with delight.

"Well, I could tell ya... but then I'd have to kill ya." He joked. "Madame..." He said, pulling out her seat for her and then pouring them some wine. He took the seat opposite her and chinked their glasses. "'appy three week anniversary!" He announced, blowing her a kiss.

"Oh wow! Is it three weeks already?" She queried.

Elvis nodded. "I got us a present." Elvis said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a handful of plastic cable ties. Georgie looked puzzled.

"A little something to assist us in continuing our marital relations." He announced smugly.

Georgie's eyes widened in shock.

"We can use them to secure the tent flap at night, so we don't get any more uninvited guests." Elvis continued.

"Oh!" Georgie exclaimed, choking on her wine.

"What did ya think they were for?" Asked Elvis.

Georgie blushed crimson.

Elvis' eyes twinkled with amusement. "Well, I'm game if you are but we definitely need to make sure we're not interrupted then." He said, raising his eyebrows suggestively. The sound of their convulsive laughter echoed all around the camp.