Broken Road
by Rusty Nail

Chapter Four
Pastures New

The isolation of the village of Dabana didn't seem to bother any member of the team, not even Carter, as the days flew by. A routine was easily settled into with an early rise, breakfast and then the morning spent cleaning and sterilizing the clinic as well as it could be. After lunch on the third day Audrey announced that they were ready to see patients.

For some reason Carter expected them to be inundated with illness off the bat but they were not. People trickled in with mild illnesses here and there. Sean explained that they were still new to the people in the village; their presence was more of a curiosity than anything else.

"It'll pick up soon." He said simply.

He was right. By the fifth day they had a steady intake of patients. A few had severe dysentery and were set up in the ward but most were complaining of aches and pains. After a few lessons in how to ration the equipment Carter found that he didn't even think twice about it anymore.

In fact he and Luka had been approached by Audrey who told them that if they were interested in more of the same sort of work, a small 'Hospital' in Mbandza to the north was in need of new staff. She offered to put in a good word with AMI regarding their familiarity with the procedures and their dedication to Dabana. They accepted whole heartedly.

On the seventh day Carter stood in the scrubby, knee length grass behind the Clinic, staring out into the jungle. He and Luka were due to leave for Mbandza and he wanted a few minutes to take in the surroundings, to commit them to his memory before they left. There was a breeze to the back of his T-shirt which was a pleasant relief. He heard footsteps and turned to look over his shoulder. It was Luka,

"The Land Rover is ready to leave when we are." He said.

"Things still quiet?"

Luka nodded, taking a position next to Carter, "Pretty much. I decided I needed to get out for a minute when Sean and Audrey started sterilizing the equipment together. Three's a crowd after all..."

Carter laughed, "Well, they seem very happy." He said, accenting his point with a nod or two. Kovac laughed as well, slapping the back of his neck and crushing another black fly beneath his fingers.

"Sickening isn't it?"

"A little."

Luka paused for a moment. The air between them was always full of questions, over the past week they had worked together and actually managed to trade fairly civil words, the productivity of the clinic and the way Lewa, Kasim, Audrey and Sean made them feel welcome had had a huge effect on their relationship, but it didn't answer the questions. Luka continued to rub the back of his neck, casting furtive glances at Carter. It wasn't long before he noticed.

"Do I have something on me?" Carter asked, looking at his shoulders and dusting them off.

"Uh, no." Luka sighed, "I was just going to say that… that was how I thought of you and Abby."

Of all the reactions he was expecting, a punch to the face, a stream of swear words, the sight of Carter's back as he turned away and refused to answer, laughter was not one of them. Yet there John stood laughing, all be it rather resentfully.

"Sickening?" he asked, hands on his hips as he looked out into the underbrush once more, squinting against the rays of sunlight that fought their way through the trees.

"No. Happy."

Carter looked seriously at Luka, frowning deeply as if considering very carefully how to answer that question or weighing up how truthful he thought Luka was really being. It had been complicated for all of them, confusing and sorting out his own feelings remained a task he usually didn't bother with, especially when Abby was concerned. He ran a hand over his hair, back and forth,

"Happy was one thing I could never have been with Abby." He said, "Not in the long term…not that I realised that when we were together…"

The sound of an angry French voice shattered the moment. Luka and Carter exchanged glances before averting their eyes and moving through the fronds of yellow grass to the front of the Clinic. Audrey and the driver of their Land Rover were arguing, she was gesturing wildly and spouting French at top speed. After a moment they both seemed to realise Carter and Luka had arrived. Audrey broke into one of her smiles again.

"I guess it's time for us to go." Carter said, watching the driver light a cigarette then turning to Audrey and Sean who had stepped forwards.

"Well, the driver, Jord, says he is leaving in five minutes with or without you." Sean said, shaking Luka's hand and exchanging words with him.

Audrey hugged them both tightly, repeatedly telling them to be careful, to keep in touch and that she was going to miss them, "You've both been a huge help here. Thank you so much." She finished with.

The rain started just as they clambered into the Land Rover, Jord was muttering in French already. Audrey pulled Sean up the steps and onto the front porch of the Clinic and turned to wave as the white vehicle pulled away. The last image Carter and Luka took with them was of the pair of them waving from the steps, Sean had his arm around Audrey's shoulders and she leant her head against his chest, smiling the whole time.

"Sweetheart. They will be fine." Sean said, closing the cabinet and locking it. He took the key on its chain and put it around his neck. Audrey had a replica of the key around her own neck and she shrugged as she crossed the suture room with a stack of blank, rusted charts in her hands. She set them down.

"I'm just saying it's a long drive, I'm not worried."

Evening had descended a few hours ago and it was getting late in Dabana. Audrey had been thinking about Carter and Luka the whole day, in between treating patients and meeting the locals in an attempt to forge a friendship with them. It was going well. They were friendly and warm once Audrey started speaking to them, most managed French easily, some had smatterings of English as well.

They were due to radio in once they reached Mbandza which they should have reached at about 21:00. Audrey looked at her watch again. It was two hours past that time. She sighed openly.

Sean slipped his arms around her waist, "You said yourself that they are perfect for Mbandza. The rain probably held them up."

As if on cue Lewa came in and informed them Dr. Luka was on the radio, Audrey walked with her through the clinic and into the kitchen of their building where the radio lived.

"Luka? This is Audrey." She said, as Lewa bade her goodnight and disappeared into her room again.

"Hey. This is Carter. Luka's unloading the Land Rover."

"How was your journey?"

"Long." Carter replied, "Over nine hours. We hit trouble about three hours in, a bridge washed out and we had to go around. How is everything back at the ranch?"

Audrey smiled, "Great, nice to have some peace and quiet around here."

"Oh I'll bet." There was laughter in Carter's voice too, "I better get back, still have bags to grab from the Rover. I figured we should check in first though."

"All right. Don't work too hard." Audrey said, "Remember-"

"Keep in touch. Gotcha." They exchanged goodbyes and signed off.

Audrey stretched and pulled the hair elastic out of her blonde locks; they fell across her shoulders in an unkempt looking mass; hair care was bottom of the to-do list in the Congo. She had been working there on and off for three years now, maybe it was coming up on four, travelling here and there. Mainly she worked through Couvette-Ouest, Emergency Aid had always been her speciality, following straight after her mother in that respect.

As her thoughts turned to her Mother Audrey released a sigh. There was something she didn't even get into with Sean beyond the basic outline of the story. Mother and Father divorce. Mother remarries in Africa. Daughter idealizes Mother, and is disappointed when she finally meets the woman. The last argument she had had with her mother rang through her ears. Patricia didn't want her daughter taking newbies out into the field on something as important as Dabana, naturally

Audrey rubbed her eyes, pacing into the Clinic again. Sean was out front, leaning on the railing of the porch.

"They got to Mbandza. You were right, the rain washed out-Sean?" He was shaking and when he turned his face to her he looked pale in the moonlight.

"Audrey…"

"You threw up?"

He nodded to her and Audrey slipped her shoulders under his arm, helping him into the clinic and the exam rooms. He got onto one of the bed and the blonde doctor urged him to lie back, donning sterile gloves as she did so.

"You didn't tell me you were feeling sick..."

"Aud, it's nothing. I think I just ate something."

Audrey rolled her eyes, "Men. You know I have to check you out. The AMI are cautious enough about us being here. Your stomach is rigid." She said, pressing her gloved hands onto Sean's abdomen, "Have you been having cramps?"

"A few but I just-" he didn't get to finish his reply.

The sound of an engine roaring through the village was unmistakeable and Audrey felt instantly that something was wrong. She stripped her gloves from her hands and left the exam room. Before she got very far three men rushed in, carrying a forth. They were dressed in black and green army fatigues, the sleeves cut off, bandanas tied around their heads.

Audrey froze; her breath caught in her throat as one of the men broke off and turned to her, he had a green beret on his head, cocked to the side and he started talking in French, very fast and angrily. Audrey's lips moved but she made no sound, shock freezing her body in place as the two remaining men supported the wounded between them

"Vous êtes un docteur?" Green Beret growled at her. He was carrying a gun, the shoulder strap pulling his jacket taught and he was evidently in charge.

Sean appeared in the doorway behind her, "Audrey?"

"…Oui… oui je suis un docteur…" Audrey stammered, her arm was suddenly locked in a vice like grip and she was dragged forwards slightly so that she could see the wound in the injured man's chest. He had been shot in the abdomen; blood was already all over the floor though they had blatantly attempted to stem the bleeding with a rag. Sean moved forwards to protest; Audrey turned and looked over her shoulder,

"Sean, glove up and start normal saline and O Neg IV's wide open." She turned to Green Beret, "Dans ici. Suivez-moi." She said, gesturing to the suture room.

They carried the man in and set him on the table as per Audrey's instructions, he was writhing and gesturing to his chest with bloodied hands, Audrey moved to the bloodied rag, swatting his hands away repeatedly as Sean began attempting to start intravenous fluids. These men were part of the PRF; Audrey recognised the customary red strip of cloth tied around the guns that she now realised they were all carrying.

"Ten of morphine in." Sean announced.

Even as Audrey heard him disgust ran up her spine. They were wasting their medicine on a murderer and a thief. She moved the rag away from the wound and blood welled up across the men's belly instantly. With Sean's help they rolled him sideways.

"Oh Jesus." Audrey pressed the cloth back down, "The goddamn bullet's still in there. No exit wound."

Sean looked up and their eyes connected over the man. They were fighting a losing battle and they were both aware of it. The man was already sluggish and pale, loss of blood wassapping his strength and his consciousness would follow soon. Audrey turned around and crossed to the cabinet. She pulled out stainless steel tools and set them down next to the injured man. They needed to treat him, do what they could and get the Adem out of the clinic and out of Dabana as fast as possible, whether he lived or not.

"This man; he is our doctor." The man in the Green Beret said forcefully, and in French, as if the fact made a massive impact upon Audrey and Sean's effort.

Sean took the bandage and pulled it away. Audrey slapped her palm down on the wound. The man on the table gave a cry of pain which Audrey ignored stoically. She bent forwards; the light was poor and the bullet was jammed in against a rib. She picked up a pair of bullet forceps, the thin curved blades with toothed, grasping edges glinting in the dim light. She inserted them directly into the wound.

Their patient groaned groggily, the morphine was taking fast effect but the bullet was proving hard to get a grip on. Sean was swiping the blood away from the area as Audrey worked.

"His BP's dropping Aud…" he said, "Second blood bag's dry too…"

"I know… I know…" Audrey said desperately. Suddenly the bullet forceps got a grip around the bullet and Audrey yanked it out, followed by a fresh wave of blood. His heart stopped, Audrey intubated him, Sean started chest compressions, and the Adem watched them with blank expressions. It was pointless and they both knew it, the moment this man had been shot he had been as good as dead.

Audrey looked up at the man in the Green Beret, her eyes said it all. He was gone.

Sean stopped chest compressions and looked up. Silence engulfed the room for a fraction of a second before the man in the green beret gestured to the two fellow Adem, they moved forwards and grabbed Sean in a ferocious grip.

"What are you doing?" Audrey shouted, pushing away from the table with wide eyes.

She watched Sean struggle against their grip as they attempted to take him from the room, Audrey started forwards and a gun was levelled at her. All she could hear was the rush of blood against her eardrums as she realised just exactly what was happening. At the same moment it seemed that Sean did too, he re-doubled his efforts to break there hold on him and Audrey started pleading in French, gesturing with her arms, the leader shouted back at her, in turn motioning to the dead man on the table with his gun. The shouting grew in intensity until one of the men used the butt of his rifle to render Sean unconscious.

Audrey's legs felt numb as she rushed forwards, calling out to Sean. She didn't even see the punch coming, it connected with her jaw, sending her reeling backwards into the tray of tools she had used to remove the bullet and she fell to the floor, clutching her face as the world swam around her.

A voice called her name, somewhere from behind and Audrey blinked trying to get her eyes to see straight again. It was Kasim, he came in with Lewa and they tried to help Audrey to her feet, the men had already take Sean outside and she shoved the nurse's away desperately, feeling tears flowing down her cheeks and pulling herself up on her own.

She ran outside, pitching and tossing from side to side as the impact of her head on the ground continued to affect her vision. She grabbed the railing and leant forwards to see them unceremoniously dumping Sean into the back of their truck and heard the engine start.

It was as if she was in limbo, the truck started to drive away and she stood frozen, knowing there was nothing she could do. Lewa was crying, she could hear her sharp intakes of breath and muffled confused questions. Kasim's arm came around her shoulders but she still couldn't move, she stared until the Adem's truck disappeared into the darkness.

Taking Sean with it.