**AUTHOR'S NOTE**
Sorry I took so long to update. Please forgive a busy girl. I'll try to
make the next chapter come more quickly, but no promises. I'm anxious to
get to the "good stuff" too. Oh, you all know what I mean...
Disclaimer: This chapter title was stolen, err, borrowed from the Martina McBride song "Blessed."
Chapter 2: Across a Crowded Room
"Gillian... Gillian!" Abby desperately tried to shake Gillian awake. Finally, she heard annoyed grumblings erupt from her throat.
"What is it?" She asked, irritated at having her precious sleep interrupted.
"Did you hear gunfire?"
"What gunfire?" Gillian asked, eyes still closed.
"Listen..." The sound of gunfire was just barely audible.
"It's at least ten miles away. Wake me when it's outside the tent," she groaned as she rolled over and fell back asleep.
At first Abby thought she was kidding, but when she didn't get up and Abby saw that no one else seemed concerned, she slowly crawled back into bed. She lay for a while studying the mosquito netting draped over her bed and wondering what exactly she had gotten herself into.
* * *
Andrew was laughing uncontrollably at Abby's expense.
"What's so funny?" Abby asked.
"You woke Gillian up in the middle of the night because you heard gunfire?"
"Yeah, so?" Andrew continued laughing at her.
"Did she slug you?"
"No, but I wanted to..." Gillian popped her head into the room where Abby was assisting Andrew in suturing a deep gash on a young man's leg. Abby changed from nurse to doctor hourly, depending on which was most needed at the moment. Gillian grabbed something out of a drawer and left smiling.
"Did someone mention to you that there's a war going on over here?"
"Sort of, but I figured..." Abby stammered, not really enjoying being the scared and naïve one in the group. "Excuse me! I grew up in Minnesota. I'm not exactly used to being woken up in the middle of the night by the sound of gunfire."
Noticing the serious tone in her voice, Andrew changed his own. "I'm sorry... It's just that we all have sort of learned to tune it out unless it gets close. Otherwise, the worrying would drive us all crazy and no one would ever come back here..." His voice trailed off. He finished his last stitch and removed his gloves. "Tell him it's finished."
"C'est fini."
"Merci, docteurs," the man thanked them both.
"De rien," Abby replied, following Andrew out.
"You're cute when you speak French," he said with a smirk.
"What, are you trying to butter me up after making fun of me all afternoon?"
"Is it working?"
Abby smiled, but quickly and forcibly tried to make herself look angry. "No, it's not."
"Well, then you leave me no choice."
"What?"
"I'll just have to woo you with dancing tonight."
"I cannot be wooed."
"You'll see. No one can resist the Thompson charm, not even the formidable Dr. Lockhart," he teased with a wink.
* * *
Inside the local club and bar, a hang-out for the volunteer medical staff and natives alike, Abby and Andrew sat with a group of fellow volunteers. Andrew and Gillian were introducing Abby and, of course, made sure to tell everyone about Abby's moment of panic the night before. Now Abby had an entire group of people laughing at her, but she took it all in stride.
"Okay, I'm an idiot," Abby admitted. "You can all talk about something else now."
"Awww," a few teased as Andrew took her hand and kissed it sweetly.
"We tease you, because we like you," Gui said from across the table. "If we didn't like you, we would ignore you."
"You're just lucky you've never experienced the real thing—" someone added before abruptly stopping himself. Everyone knocked on the wooden table. Gui shot the man a dirty look. There were a few moments of awkward silence before Gui proposed a toast.
"That she never does experience the real thing," he said while raising his bottle. They all followed suit and took a drink.
"Are you sure I can't get you a beer?" Andrew whispered to Abby, who was the only one without one.
"No thanks," Abby replied quickly. A new song began to play, which was slow and quieted the mood down a bit.
"How about that dance?" Andrew asked, offering his hand. Abby obliged. They slowly made their way to the dance area. Andrew gently took her in his arms, and they began to quietly move together to the music.
"So, what do you think?" Andrew asked.
"I told you I can't be wooed," she said, holding back a smile.
"No," he laughed slightly, "I mean about Kisangani."
"Oh, I don't know. It's a lot to take in...but I'm glad I came."
"Me too," he replied, locking his eyes with hers. He leaned in to kiss her.
Just as Abby was about to close her eyes and kiss Andrew, a familiar face made her step back in shock.
Across the crowded room, the face of John Carter was staring back at her.
Disclaimer: This chapter title was stolen, err, borrowed from the Martina McBride song "Blessed."
Chapter 2: Across a Crowded Room
"Gillian... Gillian!" Abby desperately tried to shake Gillian awake. Finally, she heard annoyed grumblings erupt from her throat.
"What is it?" She asked, irritated at having her precious sleep interrupted.
"Did you hear gunfire?"
"What gunfire?" Gillian asked, eyes still closed.
"Listen..." The sound of gunfire was just barely audible.
"It's at least ten miles away. Wake me when it's outside the tent," she groaned as she rolled over and fell back asleep.
At first Abby thought she was kidding, but when she didn't get up and Abby saw that no one else seemed concerned, she slowly crawled back into bed. She lay for a while studying the mosquito netting draped over her bed and wondering what exactly she had gotten herself into.
* * *
Andrew was laughing uncontrollably at Abby's expense.
"What's so funny?" Abby asked.
"You woke Gillian up in the middle of the night because you heard gunfire?"
"Yeah, so?" Andrew continued laughing at her.
"Did she slug you?"
"No, but I wanted to..." Gillian popped her head into the room where Abby was assisting Andrew in suturing a deep gash on a young man's leg. Abby changed from nurse to doctor hourly, depending on which was most needed at the moment. Gillian grabbed something out of a drawer and left smiling.
"Did someone mention to you that there's a war going on over here?"
"Sort of, but I figured..." Abby stammered, not really enjoying being the scared and naïve one in the group. "Excuse me! I grew up in Minnesota. I'm not exactly used to being woken up in the middle of the night by the sound of gunfire."
Noticing the serious tone in her voice, Andrew changed his own. "I'm sorry... It's just that we all have sort of learned to tune it out unless it gets close. Otherwise, the worrying would drive us all crazy and no one would ever come back here..." His voice trailed off. He finished his last stitch and removed his gloves. "Tell him it's finished."
"C'est fini."
"Merci, docteurs," the man thanked them both.
"De rien," Abby replied, following Andrew out.
"You're cute when you speak French," he said with a smirk.
"What, are you trying to butter me up after making fun of me all afternoon?"
"Is it working?"
Abby smiled, but quickly and forcibly tried to make herself look angry. "No, it's not."
"Well, then you leave me no choice."
"What?"
"I'll just have to woo you with dancing tonight."
"I cannot be wooed."
"You'll see. No one can resist the Thompson charm, not even the formidable Dr. Lockhart," he teased with a wink.
* * *
Inside the local club and bar, a hang-out for the volunteer medical staff and natives alike, Abby and Andrew sat with a group of fellow volunteers. Andrew and Gillian were introducing Abby and, of course, made sure to tell everyone about Abby's moment of panic the night before. Now Abby had an entire group of people laughing at her, but she took it all in stride.
"Okay, I'm an idiot," Abby admitted. "You can all talk about something else now."
"Awww," a few teased as Andrew took her hand and kissed it sweetly.
"We tease you, because we like you," Gui said from across the table. "If we didn't like you, we would ignore you."
"You're just lucky you've never experienced the real thing—" someone added before abruptly stopping himself. Everyone knocked on the wooden table. Gui shot the man a dirty look. There were a few moments of awkward silence before Gui proposed a toast.
"That she never does experience the real thing," he said while raising his bottle. They all followed suit and took a drink.
"Are you sure I can't get you a beer?" Andrew whispered to Abby, who was the only one without one.
"No thanks," Abby replied quickly. A new song began to play, which was slow and quieted the mood down a bit.
"How about that dance?" Andrew asked, offering his hand. Abby obliged. They slowly made their way to the dance area. Andrew gently took her in his arms, and they began to quietly move together to the music.
"So, what do you think?" Andrew asked.
"I told you I can't be wooed," she said, holding back a smile.
"No," he laughed slightly, "I mean about Kisangani."
"Oh, I don't know. It's a lot to take in...but I'm glad I came."
"Me too," he replied, locking his eyes with hers. He leaned in to kiss her.
Just as Abby was about to close her eyes and kiss Andrew, a familiar face made her step back in shock.
Across the crowded room, the face of John Carter was staring back at her.