Elder McKinley was holding Kevin's hand under a stream of cold water. With a cotton bud and some antiseptic he began to dab at the areas of Kevin's skin where it had been rubbed raw, the worst areas around the knuckles of his index and middle finger.

"I still don't understand how you managed it," Elder McKinley tutted as he shook his head.

"It was an accident."

"Yes, you said."

Elder McKinley held Kevin's wrist firmly as he wrapped a compression bandage around his fingers. Kevin held his hand up to look at the district leader's work, then let his hand fall limply back down. He hadn't even winced once as the alcohol based disinfectant had stung, or even when Elder McKinley had first noticed the sore redness on the back of his hand.

"Stung. Some African plant. I think. Maybe. I can't remember I must have brushed against something."

And then Elder McKinley, being the man that he was, had insisted that he clean and take care of it. Kevin admired this caring nature, but every moment in the bathroom while Elder McKinley tended to him had made him hate it. Nothing slipped past him, the good or the bad.

"I'll ask Mafala if he's seen it, he might know if it's poisonous."

"No it's ok."

"Not if someone else catches themselves on it, one injured elder at a time please, I can't handle more than one." Elder McKinley laughed and took Kevin's took hand from where it was dangling by his side.

He gave the palm a small, reassuring squeeze and smiled at his handiwork. "Hopefully it will all be better soon. I'll warn everyone else to keep an eye out so no one else gets into this mess."

"You don't have to."

"Kevin, I do."

"Please don't."

Elder McKinley sighed, and tried to decipher Kevin's expression.

"Kevin? Are you awake?"

Kevin was staring at the ceiling, unable to make out anything in the dark, but his eyes were open all the same.

He always thought it was strange, that even without moving a single muscle, Connor could still tell when he wasn't asleep.

"Mmm," He replied.

He felt a hand slide across his stomach and Connor draw himself in close, a pair of knees curled up against the side of his body. He knew what this meant. They were about to have; A Talk.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"You haven't been sleeping."

"How do you even know that?"

"I always know when you're awake, because when you're asleep darling, you snore."

Kevin rolled his eyes and wrapped his arm around Connor's shoulders, glad to have a warm body pressed in close to his.

"I was just thinking about some of those photos, and remembering...things."
"It was a long time ago." Connor's tone that had been concerned, but almost playful, had changed. It sounded anxious, serious, wanting to steer Kevin away from remembering the things that he'd clearly chosen to remember at this moment.

"You tried so hard to care for me." Kevin's voice cracked in the darkness and instantly Connor was holding him tighter. "Even when you had no idea what was going on, why?"

"I figured you'd let me know in your own time what was wrong. In the meantime it was just my job to take care of you, so I did, no questions asked."

'Tell him.'

The voice in his head just wasn't going away this time. Pacing the floor up and down, Elder McKinley just metres away in the next room, the other elders out proselytizing, it would be so easy just to take a few moments to explain.

He dug his nails into his palms, bit his lip until it was sore, blinked until frustrated tears came out. Still he hadn't moved from his room, the sky outside had turned orange, and it was the end of another day and the opportunity had gone.

The kitchen was full of elders, hungry after a whole day's proselytizing.

"Want me to make you something Kevin?" Arnold asked eagerly, keen to show off any new skill that Elder McKinley had taught him.

"No thanks, I ate earlier." Kevin smiled at his companion, who didn't appear too crestfallen, then went into the living room to find Elder McKinley.

"Elder McKinley I just-..."

"Ah Elder Price! Just who I wanted to see."

Kevin bit his lip.

"I was going to ask you earlier, but I've been so busy." Hand on one hip, the other running through his hair, he looked the definition of flustered. "There's a hole in the roof and there's something beginning to make a nest in it. I've only just managed to catch it. I'd do it myself, but you know, I'm a bit scared of heights."

"No problem."

"Would you be able to do it now? Before the sun sets maybe?"

"Sure."

Ten minutes later and Kevin was using the last of the sun to nail some planks across the whole in the roof. It wasn't hard work. After ejecting the jumping spider and cleaning up its home the rest had been simple.

"Elder Price?"

Kevin looked down over the ledge to see Elder McKinley looking up at him. "Almost done?"

"Almost." Kevin nodded. "Come have a look."

"No thanks, I'll take your word for it."

"Heights?"

"Heights."

There was a pause, the silence broken only the crickets and the soft wind brushing through the dry reeds.

"I bought you some water, in case you were thirsty."

"Well, you'd better come up here and give it to me."

Elder McKinley raised an unamused eyebrow.

"Go on, try, it's not that high."

Elder McKinley put a tentative foot on the first rung of the ladder propped against the building. Gripping tightly he made it up three rungs before stopping and deciding it was too high. He was about to climb the three rungs back down again when a hand appeared in his line of vision.

"Come on, I'll help you up."

Elder McKinley took it and was surprised that Kevin could pretty much lift him the rest of the way onto the roof.

"Don't worry I've got you."

Elder McKinley stumbled as soon as he stood upright and let out a terrified gasp, but Kevin quickly reached out to grab his waist and pull him back. Once he felt safe and secure, comfortable that Kevin was there holding onto him, he looked out across the village.

"Oh my gosh, it's so beautiful."

It was just the right time to watch the sun set over the lake, orange glows cast across the waters and on their faces. Then, the light was gone.

"If you wait, you'll start to see the stars."

Kevin was right. In the middle of this African village in the middle of nowhere the sky was so clear and every star was vivid and bright.

They probably stood there for too long for it not to seem suspicious to the other elders below, but for both of them it was impossible to move while pinioned down to the rooftop by the stars.