Connor followed the dirt road, but he didn't dare to walk on the path itself.

Just in case.

"Almost there, we're almost home."

Kevin was a dead weight on Connor's back, the metallic smell of blood was overwhelming.

One foot in front of the other.

Okay, he could do this. One foot in front of the other.

"Almost home."

Connor has never felt so scared in his life. The night with the lion was nothing, compared to this. Coming out to his parents was nothing, compared to this.

Connor finally spotted the mission hut looming in the distance, and it gave him the boost he needed to run all the way back.

None of the lights were on, so Connor left them switched off. He didn't want the lights to be a beacon, announcing their location to whoever might be searching for them.

Connor gently let Kevin down onto the couch. Kevin made a small noise, but didn't wake up. Connor picked up the phone, his hands still sticky with dried blood. With a finger, he traced the emergency phone numbers pasted on the wall beside the phone as he dialled.

"Hi, you've reached-"

"Please, I need help. We need help!" Connor rushed out, "My name is Connor McKinley. I'm- uh, We're Mormon missionaries from Utah. We are- Umm," Connor couldn't think.

Calm down, Connor.

He took a deep breath, "We're in a small village north of Kitgum. There's this- uh, man. He's terrorising the village. They have guns. They- they'll kill us. They were going to kill us. Kevin's hurt. My other friends could be hurt. We need help."

"Okay, Connor, my name is Alicia, with the US embassy, and I'm here to help you. I need you to stay calm, alright? Do you know your exact location?"

"Umm," Connor closed his eyes, "Coordinates! I can give you the coordinates of our mission hut."

Connor recited the string of numbers which put their mission hut on the map.

"That's very good, Connor. Are you safe? Are you hurt? How many people are hurt? How badly hurt are they?"

"I think Kevin and I are safe. For now. I'm okay, but I don't know how the others are, we were having a party, and the two of us left to get something. Umm…Kevin's bleeding. He was hit on the head with a gun."

"Is your friend conscious? Are you close to any hospitals or clinics?"

"Kevin's my boyfriend," Connor blurted out.

Connor could punch himself. Why was he wasting precious time?!

"Oh, okay? So do you have access to medical facilities?"

"No. The nearest hospital is in Kitgum. Hold on, let me check on Kevin," Connor put down the receiver and crossed the living room to Kevin's side.

"Kevin," Connor tapped on his cheek.

Kevin turned away from the disturbance.

That was good. Responsiveness was good.

Connor returned to the phone, "Sorry, I'm back."

"Is Kevin doing alright?"

"He's not in a coma," Connor laughs nervously, "There's that."

"I know this must be scary for you, Connor. I'm looking at the map, and I don't think a road ambulance can reach you in good time. I can call for an air ambulance, but you will be the one to bear the expenses. Are all of you insured?"

Connor was sure that his parents had taken care of all of that for him, but what about Kevin?

"Yes, yes. My parents can pay for it."

"Your parents? How old are you, Connor?"

"I turned 23 today. It was my birthday party. Kevin's 19."

"Just to make sure I didn't miss anything: You were attacked by armed men, north of Kitgum, there are possibly multiple American casualties, but there is no safe way for you to know for sure."

"Yes, yes. Please just send help," Connor begged.

"Do you want me to call your parents? Kevin's parents?"

"My parents. Please call my mom."

—

Connor has never been on a helicopter before. It was louder than he thought it would be.

The land beneath them was mostly pitch black, dotted with lighted huts whenever they flew passed small villages. There wasn't much of a view to enjoy, not that Connor would be able to enjoy it even if there were.

Kevin was stable, at the moment.

He was still bad off, but he wasn't going to die or anything.

The same couldn't be said for everyone else left in the village.

What if... what if he went back and everyone was-

"I'm sorry?" Connor whipped his head around.

"We are reaching in 10 minutes."

"Yeah, okay," Connor wiped a tear off his cheek.

They were brought to Kampala. Connor wasn't complaining, the hospitals in the capital were in much better shape than the one in Kitgum.

Alicia was there when they arrived.

Connor broke down when he saw her. He just dissolved into a puddle of sobs and tears in the middle of the hallway.

He was sure that people were staring, but he more than deserved a cry. It was turning out to be the worst day of his life.

—

Alicia handed him a phone, and the first number he dialled was the mission hut.

Nobody was picking up.

Maybe that didn't mean anything.

Or maybe it meant something really, really bad.

"Connor?"

"Huh?" Connor ended the call.

"Your mother has asked that you call her as soon as possible."

"Oh. Right," Connor immediately called his mom back.

Unlike the phone at the mission hut, his call was picked up almost immediately.

"Connor! Is that you?!"

"Yeah, yeah. Mom, it's me," Connor sighed, "I'm fine. I'm not hurt. We're safe now, at the hospital."

"Oh thank God. I'm at the airport. I'll be in Uganda tomorrow."

"Wait, what?!" Connor sniffed, "Mom."

"Be careful, Connor. I have to go check in. I'll see you soon. Love ya, hon."

"I love you too."

Connor didn't know how much he needed to see his mother, until now.

She'll be here soon. And Connor couldn't wait.

He went back to wringing his hands as they waited for news.

Alicia spoke again, "Can you give me the names of all the Mormon missionaries? So that I can contact their families."

"Oh, yeah. Sure," Connor started writing, "We uh, we're actually not Mormon missionaries anymore."

"What?"

"Long story," Connor gave a grim smile, "Have you heard back from the village?"

"Nothing yet, I'll keep you informed," Alicia gave a polite nod.

Connor sank back in his chair, "Thanks."

Was this how survivor's guilt felt like? Because Connor sure was feeling all kinds of guilty for leaving his Elders behind to fend for themselves.

The long night stretched into an even longer morning. Alicia had gone back to her office, leaving Connor feeling incredibly alone in the packed waiting room.

He tried to call the mission hut again, and again.

Still nothing.

It was five in the morning when someone came looking for him.

"Kevin Price?"

Connor jumped out of his seat, "How is he?"

"He is awake, a little confused, but that is alright."

How on earth was that alright?!

"He has a concussion," the doctor pointed to his own eyebrow, "And a tiny cut. Nothing to worry about. Only ten stitches."

What in the world-

"Ah, his clavicle. It is a bit of a problem," the doctor tapped on his chin with a finger.

"He broke it two weeks ago," Connor supplied.

"I see now, yes. It is broken again."

"He said that he couldn't feel his fingers."

"Ah yes, sometimes it can affect the nerves, by injuring them or putting pressure on them," the doctor nodded, "I have arranged for a surgery to fix it. In three weeks."

Connor's eyes widened, "Three weeks?!"

"I am afraid we are very busy."

"He said that he couldn't feel his fingers," Connor repeated, "Why isn't this treated as an emergency? What if this leads to nerve damage or whatever?"

"It is possible, yes. A delay in treatment can lead to permanent nerve damage. Sometimes."

Connor was about to blow up. And he had a dang good reason to do so.

He took a deep breath, "So why are you making him wait for three weeks?"

"We are booked fully, until-," the doctor checked the calendar, "Three weeks from now."

"Okay, okay, can we go somewhere else? Another hospital maybe?"

"It is possible, yes. But Mulago is already the biggest hospital in the country."

"Oh em gosh," Connor groaned in frustration, "Please just help us get an earlier date. Please! That's his dominant hand. Kevin needs his fingers. He's going to be a doctor, for gosh sake. You're a doctor, you know how it is. Can he be a doctor if he doesn't have use of his hand?!"

The doctor frowned, "Ah. That can be a little bit of a problem."

Kevin would have said 'no shit' to that. Connor just glared.

"I will see what I can do," The doctor promised, while looking like he was not actually going to 'see what he can do'.

Connor threw his hands in the air. He was too tired to start a fight.

Now what? Was he supposed to look for Kevin by himself?

A passing nurse finally took pity on his disheveled appearance and showed him the way. Connor made his way through the dark ward quietly. Almost everyone was fast asleep. Almost. Everyone except Kevin. He was staring intently at the wall beside him.

"Hey," Connor perched himself on the corner of the bed.

Kevin turned his head, "Hey."

"How are you feeling?" Connor patted on Kevin knee.

"I don't know."

"You don't know how you're feeling?" Connor teased.

"Where are we?"

"Kampala."

"Why?"

"Why are we here? Because you're hurt."

"Oh," Kevin frowned, "Is that why everything's kinda spinning?"

"It is? Do you feel sick?"

"I think…I think I forgot something. Connor, I forgot something. But I forgot what I forgot," Kevin looked thoroughly miserable.

The doctor wasn't kidding about Kevin being confused. Connor just hoped that Kevin really was alright like the doctor had said, and not slowly bleeding to death in his brain.

"Hey no," Connor caught Kevin's hand when he reached for his eyebrow, "Why don't you get some rest, huh?"

"Okay," Kevin went back to staring hard at the wall.

Connor sighed, "Kev."

"Hmm?" He turned to Connor again.

"You have to close your eyes first."

"Connor? Where is everyone? Where's Arnold?"

"They're back at the village. They'll be fine," Connor lied, "Now, Sleep."

It wasn't like Kevin was going to remember this conversation when he wakes up.

"I was waiting for you."

"I'm here now. I'm not going anywhere, alright?"

"Okay," Kevin's eyes finally fluttered close.

Connor watched Kevin sleep for a while, before he started dozing off himself.

He was jolted awake by a hand on his shoulder.

"Alicia," Connor rubbed at his eyes, "You're back."

"I have news about your friends."