Two weeks later

Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo

The clinic lay in ruins, blown apart by an unexpected grenade attack and while several bodies of medical personnel and civilians lay in the ruins, the surviving staff and civilians were in hiding.

It was fortunate that there was an abandoned building further in the city that could serve as a temporary hospital. Thanks to Dr. Rogers, all survivors had been moved safely to that location.

Carter lay on a portable cot with his head on a ratty pillow, watching as right next to him, Dr. Rogers tended to a frightened Katie. He slowly sat up and immediately began coughing violently.

In an attempt to keep cross-contamination to a minimum, Dr. Rogers had isolated Carter and Katie in a corner of the building and had moved the rest of the patients to the other side of the building.

"John, you should be laying down," Abby said as she rushed back to the corner where Carter sat with one hand on a gauze pad that was covering a bad head wound on his forehead. "C'mon."

Carter didn't reply and Abby looked in the direction he was looking in, "I wish there was a way to contact Doctor Faith and tell her that Katie was here," he said in a weak voice. "Katie's obviously not feeling good and without treatment, she'll probably get worse...I just feel so bad."

"If you lay back down and try to rest, I'll go sit with Katie," Abby promised, her tone gentle as she stroked his sweat encrusted hair and gazed into his eyes. "You're a lot worse off than she is."

Carter sighed, which turned into a cough, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you that I wasn't feeling good sooner," he whispered in a faint voice. "Neela told me to, but I was scared...that you'd leave."

"John, I am NEVER going to leave you, ever again," Abby stated as she knelt down beside his cot and took his sweaty hand in her own. "I love you so much and I am always going to be with you."

Carter managed a small smile and suddenly began coughing again. Abby quickly pulled a bottle of water from the pack that Carter had rescued from their now destroyed home and opened it.

"Drink as much as you can," Abby said as she brought the bottle to Carter's lips. "Slowly."

Carter managed to drink about a quarter of the bottle before pushing it away, "Save it for Katie, she needs it more than I do," he croaked as he laid his head back on the pillow. "I feel terrible, Abby."

"I know," Abby replied as she squeezed his hand. "Try and get a little sleep if you can, okay?"

Carter nodded and closed his eyes. Abby watched him sleep for a moment and then, releasing his hand, she walked over to where Dr. Rogers was putting an IV in Katie's left arm.

"How's Katie doing, Doctor Rogers?" Abby asked, seeing that Katie had fallen asleep.

Dr. Rogers smiled, "I already told you, Abby, you and John can call me Maggie," she replied in a gentle tone as she finished hooking up the IV. "I gave Katie some fluids and for now, she should just rest and after I check my other patients, I'll keep an eye on her...she's too young to be alone."

"Katie told John that a bad man took her and hurt her brother," Abby explained as she reached into the bag and pulled out Katie's passport. "According to this, her last name is Romano-Kovac...I used to know a man named Luka Kovac and I wonder if Katie's mother remarried in the last few months."

Dr. Rogers pursed her lips, thinking, "There's not much we can do right now because it's so unsafe," she explained. "Maybe when the soldiers stop looking for us, we can get access to a radio."

Abby nodded silently, "Until then, we have to hope that Katie doesn't get any worse and that John can hold his own with the malaria he's got," Dr. Rogers stated. "Can you look after things here for a little while? I should go and check on the others...I'll leave you with some medication, just in case."

"Yeah, I can," Abby replied as she gazed back at the sleeping Katie and Carter. "I don't mind."

Dr. Rogers nodded and hurried across the building to where a crowd was gathered. Abby looked at the sleeping patients that were in her care and at the bag of meds that was on the floor at her feet.

Hopefully, Abby thought, both Carter and Katie would get the help they needed in time.

Kinshasa Hospital - Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Africa

Fighting the urge to growl, swear, or even look angry, as it would earn him another heavy dose of sedation administered through his many IV's, Elton looked at the rusted handcuff that was restraining him to the crappy stretcher. It hurt to lay chained to a bed, but his cries were ignored.

After his life had been saved by the surgeon who called herself Neela, the doctor called Rysta had reported his little spiel about Katie to local authorities. In response, the authorities had confiscated his passport and upon running it through the U.S. Consulate, they had discovered that it was a forgery; Elton was legally prohibited from leaving States since an incident in Grenada many years ago.

Now, while authorities worked on issuing a deportation order back to the U.S., the hospital had been ordered to keep Elton, who was recovering from a bad leg injury and chest wounds, restrained to a bed and under constant surveillance. They were doing so, albeit very reluctantly.

Every once in a while, a soldier or a poorly trained medical staffer would walk by his bed, ask if he needed anything, and tend to his needs. Elton was able to communicate with them very well because of his exemplary language skills and charisma, even when in dire circumstances.

As he lay there, resting and trying to appear a compliant patient, Elton hoped that he had ended up killing Nathan; the brat had been a thorn in his side for too long, just like Dave Malucci.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the head of the hospital, whom he knew to be a Dr. Makemba Pratt, talking with another medical worker. He could barely hear what they were saying.

"...The ambassadors from Cook County General should be here within the next week or two to escort Doctor Pratt and Doctor Rasgotra to Chicago," Elton heard Kem say. "...They won't be over there for more than a few weeks unless it becomes unsafe to return..."

People from Cook County General are coming here? Elton wondered as he silently lay there.

"...I cannot believe Doctor Romano, sending Dave Malucci to a place like this when Dave's got a son that he's raising alone," Elton heard the other doctor, whom he knew had come from Chicago years ago and probably had known Malucci at some point, say in an irritated tone. "...It's bad enough that he's sending his own daughter, who has four kids and a step-kid...this situation is so messed up."

A small grin crossed Elton's face; Dr. Romano was sending Amy and Malucci to the Congo?

There were footsteps, "I have come to check on Elton Douglas," a gruff voice, whom Elton recognized to be that of a soldier, stated in a French accent. "It is protocol that I check on him-"

"Yes, of course, this way," Elton heard Makemba say. "Last time I checked, he was resting."

Elton closed his eyes and tried to look as if he were sleeping, "Mr. Douglas?" he suddenly heard Makemba's soft voice say as footsteps neared his bed. "It's time for your daily visit-"

Faking a tired groan, Elton opened his eyes and saw an African officer and Makemba standing at his bedside, "My apologies, doctor, I must have fallen asleep," he replied in a calm tone.

"That's quite all right, your body needs rest," Kem replied. "Anyway, the officer wants to talk to you, so I'll leave him to do his job while I check on my other patients."

As Kem walked away, the officer neared the bed, "Bonjour, agent, ce que je peux faire pour vous aujourd'hui?" Elton spoke in a tired tone. "Combien de temps avant que je suis expulsé?"

The officer gave Elton a look, "The government is still working on the paperwork," he replied in a suspicious tone. "Where is the little girl you kidnapped so that she can go back to her family?"

Elton managed a shrug, "She ran away while I was unconscious," he stated in an annoyed tone.

There was a silence and then Elton sighed and, reaching into his pocket with his free hand, he pulled out a hundred dollar bill, "What would it take to get me into some nicer accommodations while I wait to be sent back to the States?" he asked in a low voice. "I'm in a lot of pain, you know."

"I'm sorry, but I cannot do anything about that," the officer replied, although he was eyeing the hundred dollar bill with great interest. "Now, where is the little girl you took?"

Recognizing the look of greed in the officer's eyes, Elton sighed, "J'ai assez d'argent pour vous garder vivant et pour un certain temps si vous m'aider à l'obtenir gratuitement et de trouver ce que je cherche." he stated in a tired voice. "Je me sens fatigués maintenant."

Looking around to make sure nobody was watching them, the officer took the money and tucked it into his pocket, "Reste pour le moment," he said in a low voice. "Je vais m'écarter maintenant et de revenir quand j'ai pris des dispositions. Je ne vous crois pas hostiles comme ils le disent."

Without saying another word, the officer walked off, leaving Elton alone with his pain.

However, Elton was rejoicing inside; his charisma and charm had worked in his favor yet again.

"Mr. Douglas, how are you feeling?" Makemba asked as she walked back over to his bedside, as she was worried about the look of pain on his face. "Can I get you something?"

Elton sighed, "I'm just in so much pain, but I don't wish to be a bother," he said in a faint tone as he saw the genuine concern in Makemba's eyes. "I don't know what I was thinking...acting this way."

"Mr. Douglas, I will do my best to help you forget your pain," Kem said, her tone sympathetic as she patted his hand. "I am a doctor, helping patients is my job...you are my patient."

Elton managed what he hoped was a weak smile, "You are so very beautiful, Doctor," he said in a gentle voice as he noticed her ring. "Yet, you look so very sad...may I ask why?"

"My husband has gone to Kisangani and is going to have to wait there for a while," Kem replied. "He and a surgeon have to wait at the hospital there for someone from a Chicago hospital to come and take him and a surgeon to the States for a few weeks," I wish he didn't have to go, honestly."

Elton remained silent, "I'm sorry, Chicago brings up a lot of bad memories," Kem stated, a smile on her lips as she opened the small pack that was in her hand. "I have food if you're hungry."

"I think I just need some more sleep," Elton replied smoothly. "I don't feel hungry right now, I'm afraid...I'm scared about losing my leg because of this injury...what are the chances of that?"

Kem sighed, "I don't think you'll lose your leg," she said in a soft tone. "You just rest, all right?"

Giving Elton's hand a reassuring pat, Kem zipped the bag back up and walked away.

Elton stared up at the ceiling; his plans of revenge were quickly forming in his corrupted mind.

Once Amy and Dave set foot in the Congo, chaos would reign supreme...as would death.

Peds Hallway - Cook County General - Chicago, Illinois

Amy looked up from the floor she had been staring at for the last half hour and smiled at seeing Jeanie standing there, "I'm glad you got my call so quickly, Jeanie, I wanted to talk to you," Amy said in a gentle tone as Jeanie sat down on the bench next to her.

Jeanie nodded, "I read about what happened to Nathan and Katie in the newspaper and I'm really sorry to hear that it happened," she replied softly. "How are you holding up?"

"My father threatened to sue the Tribune if they didn't stop hounding County for an opportunity to interview people about what happened," Amy replied with a sigh. "Luka left three days ago and didn't want anyone to go with him to the airport, including me...He thinks that he's going to find Katie."

Jeanie was silent for a moment, "Do you think Luka will find Katie?" she asked in a gentle tone.

"Honestly, Jeanie, I don't know what to think anymore," Amy replied in a tired tone. "We moved in with my father a few days ago so that Luka wouldn't have to foot the bill for a hotel room. I don't spend a lot of time there when Lucas and Erinn are at school, though. I usually bring Joe to the hospital with me and either work a per diem shift or visit Nathan...Luka and I haven't talked much-"

"-since the miscarriage," Jeanie finished in a calm voice. "When I visited with Chase the other day, he mentioned that you seemed a little sad when you visited him last week...is that why?"

Amy sighed, "Chase is so much better at picking up on people's feelings than he used to be," she replied in a tired voice. "Dave's done a good job of helping Chase over the last few years..."

Jeanie nodded, but before she could reply, the sound of a metal cane hitting the floor could be heard just down the hallway.

Amy and Jeanie turned their heads just in time to see Nathan, who was wearing slippers, sweats, a loose t-shirt, and a blue lab coat, slowly making his way down the hallway with his right hand gripping a cane that was secured around his right wrist while his left arm was secured in a sling.

Seeing the irritated expression on Nathan's face, both Amy and Jeanie were relieved to see Dave following closely behind Nathan, but leaving enough room to give him personal space.

"No more stupid questions, I just wanna go back to bed," Nathan said in a tired voice as he gazed at Amy and Jeanie. "If I have to see another rookie shrink while I'm here, just shoot me beforehand."

Gritting his teeth, Nathan continued down the hall towards his room, "DeRaad was off today so some intern tried to ask Nathan if he was okay and Nathan blew up at him," Dave explained as he followed after the weary Nathan. "I guess he's still mad about Luka going off to the Congo?"

"That and Elton almost killing him," Amy replied tonelessly. "Oh, Dave, I'm sorry...that was rude."

Dave sighed, "Amy, you're one of the few that I could never get mad at," he replied, giving her a reassuring smile as his beeper suddenly went off. "Oh, crap, the ER is paging me..."

"Adele must be waiting for you, you did ask her to come today and make sure that Daniel had a temporary guardian while you were in Africa," Amy commented. "It's okay if you need to run, Jeanie and I can help Nathan get back in bed and sit with him for a little while."

Jeanie nodded, "Go make sure that Daniel's going to be taken care of, Dave," she said with a smile. "I know that nothing is more important to you than Daniel."

"You're right, nothing is more important to me than Daniel," Dave replied, giving Amy and Jeanie a smile as he hurried off towards the elevator. "Tell Nathan to get some sleep, he looks awful."

Amy smiled as she and Jeanie walked over into Nathan's room and saw that Nathan was sitting on the hospital bed with a frustrated look on his face and still wearing the surgical coat.

"Honey, are you mad that your grandfather is sending me to Africa with Dave?" Amy asked as she walked over to the bed. "Is that why you blew up at a psych intern this morning?"

Nathan sighed, "I honestly didn't mean to do that," he said with a sigh. "I'm just tired, annoyed with Luka, and someone asking me if I'm okay...I lost my temper and I shouldn't have."

"I know," Amy replied as she gently patted Nathan's shoulder. "Do you want me and Jeanie to help you get back into bed? Dave says that you should get some more sleep."

Blinking tiredly, Nathan let out another sigh, "If someone could just push back the blanket, I can manage," he said in a tired voice. "I have to learn to get myself into bed again eventually."

Amy nodded and pushed back the blanket, "Thanks," Nathan rasped, wincing as he lifted his legs on to the bed and laid his head back on the pillow. "Mom, I'm not mad at you or Grandpa Rocket, by the way."

Amy remained silent as she covered Nathan's legs with the blanket and took the cane from his hand, "Do you want to talk about it with Jeanie or I?" she asked, giving Nathan a smile.

"No, I think I should go to sleep for a while," Nathan softly replied. "No doubt a nurse will be after me to eat lunch in a few hours and Rachel's gonna come by for a visit after school."

Jeanie grinned, "I'm guessing you and Rachel are still seeing a lot of each other?" she asked, knowing that Rachel's continued friendship and possibly love meant a lot to Nathan.

"Well, I'm not heavy into the whole relationship thing right now, but Rachel and I are still pretty good friends," Nathan replied in a tired tone. "Grandpa Rocket put my laptop on the portable table last night...he says I spend too much time working on school work and I don't rest enough."

Amy gazed over at the closed laptop, which was on the portable table, and back at Nathan, who looked ready to fall asleep, "If you want to sleep now, I'll stay with you," she promised as she sat on the edge of the oversized hospital bed. "I know you haven't been sleeping well at night."

Jeanie smiled as Nathan sighed, "Take care of yourself, Nathan," she said. "Get some rest and I'll come to visit you when you're feeling better. It was nice talking to you, Amy."

"Hey, Mom, where's Joe at?" Jeanie heard Nathan ask as she walked back towards the open door. "Even though Luka's not here, I'd still kinda like to see Joe...he makes me smile."

As Jeanie left the room, she could hear Amy chuckle, "Your grandpa's doing rounds down in the ER with some of the other doctors and he's got Joe with him," Amy's voice stated. "I just want you to sleep and I'll replace your IV's and the pulse-ox cable...just remember that you're safe."

The sound of soft breathing caused Jeanie to smile as she walked off down the hallway to the elevators. Amy was such a good mother and with Luka gone to Africa to look for Katie, she was currently dealing with a lot and it was a lot for one person to handle. Fortunately for Amy, Lucas and Erinn were in school for several more hours and then would be picked up by Rachel.

It had been a long time since Jeanie had come to County, but she felt comfortable enough to come and help what friends she had with helping patients to feel more at ease about being there.

Even though she wasn't an official PA anywhere, Jeanie knew that she could still use what compassion she had to try and make a difference; Dave had taught her that long ago.

Emergency Room - Cook County General Hospital - Chicago, Illinois

"Doctor Greene, I finished my paperwork for the day, what should I do now?" Tony, who had spent the last several hours working on medical school paperwork, asked as he came to the desk where Mark was standing, distributing books to the small batch of med-students in the midst of their ER rotation.

Mark handed out the last of the charts and gave Tony a look, "Why aren't you asking Doctor Malucci if there's anything you can do?" he asked, ignoring the curious looks he was getting from the flabbergasted med-students. "Last I checked, you were Doctor Malucci's student, not mine."

"Ah, Doctor Malucci caught me on my way to the desk and said he had to talk to some woman named Adele in the lounge," Tony replied. "He said that he'd come back to the desk when he was done."

It didn't take long for Mark to realize that Tony was referring to the social worker, Adele Newman; he was curious as to why Dave would want to talk to Adele, as he hadn't seen any Peds patients that day, according to the charts that Mark had seen with Dave's notes, diagnosis, treatment, and signatures.

"Well, why don't you check the board and work up a patient?" Mark suggested as he gazed towards the board and noticed that Frank was at the desk, getting together what looked like a basket containing books, CD's, a discman, magazines, and a binder containing what looked like an orientation packet.

Tony raised an eyebrow, "Need some help, Frank?" he asked in a confused tone.

"Nope, I'm almost done with this and then I'm going take a break," Frank replied in his usual matter-of-fact tone as he placed a bow on the basket. "Nathan hates flowers, so I thought I'd put together a basket of some things that he might like and that could cheer him up. I'm going to take this up to his room."

Mark smiled, "That's really nice of you, Frank," he commented. "Nathan will appreciate it."

"Tony, go study if you don't want to see patients right now," a tired voice suddenly spoke.

Mark turned to find Dave standing just outside the lounge with his arms crossed, "I need to talk to Doctor Romano, any idea where he is?" Dave asked in a tired voice. "I have to tell him I can't go to Africa…"

"What do you mean you can't go to Africa, Doctor Malucci?" the stern voice of Dr. Romano suddenly spoke as Dr. Romano came out from the waiting area with Joe in his arms. "Care to tell me why?"

Dave sighed, "Could we take a walk, Doctor Romano?" he asked. "Let's not talk about this here."

Dr. Romano nodded and gestured down the hall; Dave nodded and followed him away from the desk.

Mark sighed and suddenly needing coffee, he pushed open the door to the lounge and entered, only to find Adele Newman sitting in her wheelchair at the table with a stack of papers in front of her.

"Ah, Doctor Greene, how are you?" Adele asked, a smile on her face as Mark walked over to the coffee maker. "I was talking with Doctor Malucci and he suddenly left the room in a hurry…is he all right?"

Mark sighed, "He's talking with Doctor Romano for a minute," he explained. "Dave said that he couldn't go to Africa after all and Doctor Romano wanted to know why….their talk shouldn't take long."

"Well, unfortunately, since a temporary guardian for Daniel couldn't be found, Dave is legally bound to stay in Chicago," Adele gently explained. "It was part of the conditions that he agreed to years ago in order to stop Social Services from placing Daniel in state care…"

Mark frowned for a moment and thought, "What if Daniel were to come and stay with my family and I while Doctor Malucci goes to Africa?" he asked. "That way, Daniel wouldn't be placed in foster care."

Adele was silent for a moment, "I think if you and your wife were to agree to take temporary guardianship of Daniel for the duration of Doctor Malucci's trip, Social Services would be satisfied," she replied in a kind voice. "Also, you would need to clear it with Doctor Malucci….he may not like the idea."

Mark nodded and as he thought how Elizabeth would react to the idea, he suddenly heard footsteps.

"….We'll both sit down with Adele and figure something out," Mark heard Dr. Romano say. "All right?"

The lounge door opened, "Doctor Malucci, if you would just sign the papers, I can let Social Services know that Daniel will be taken care of while you are in Africa," Adele said, smiling at Dave.

Dave gave Adele a confused look, "Doctor Greene said that Daniel could stay with his family while you're away," Adele explained as she gestured to the papers. "I just need you and he to sign some papers."

Looking bewildered, Dave nodded and quickly signed the papers, "Um, it's getting close to noon, so I'm going to use my lunch break to go spend some time with Daniel at the elementary school," he said, giving Dr. Greene a nervous look. "I know I'm still on duty, but I want to make sure he's safe…"

"It's fine," Mark replied, giving Dave a nod. "I'll keep half an eye on Tony until you get back."

Dave nodded and quickly left the lounge, "You and your wife are good people, Doctor Greene," Adele explained as she gathered the papers. "Both you and Doctor Corday will need to sign the papers…"

"Take a few minutes to go upstairs and talk to Lizzie," Dr. Romano stated, knowing that Dave wanted to talk to Daniel privately about the whole arrangement. "I'll keep an eye on the cesspool down here."

Mark sighed, "Elizabeth happens to be off today and Ella is at home with a cold," he explained. "I'll take a few minutes to give her a call and I can take the papers home. I'll bring them back tomorrow."

Adele nodded and handed Mark a paper, "This just explains that you and your wife have agreed to take temporary guardianship of Daniel from the time Doctor Malucci leaves until he returns to the States," she explained as Mark skimmed through the information. "Your wife IS okay with this, right?"

"Elizabeth will be fine with it," Mark replied reassuringly, silently praying that it would be no trouble.

Dr. Romano cleared his throat, "Go call Lizzie, I need to talk with Adele for a moment," he said, giving Mark a look that told him to leave the room or suffer wrath. "I'm glad this is working out so well."

Mark nodded and silently left the lounge; he couldn't help but be concerned about Dave after this little encounter with Adele. It had become apparent that Dave had experienced problems..even more so now.

"…Wow," Nathan said in a groggy voice as Frank placed the basket full of stuff on the portable table.

Frank smiled and took a seat in one of the bedside chairs as Amy began looking through the basket, "Oh wow, Nathan, there's a lot of stuff in here that will actually help you relax," she said in an amused tone.

Nathan let out a weak chuckle, "I'm not very good at relaxing," he replied. "You didn't have to do this, Frank. I know you're busy with work. I'm sure you're using valuable time and losing pay being here..."

"Uh uh, none of that labeling yourself as a loser," Amy said in a gentle, yet very stern tone. "I don't care what Elton or any of the people at school used to say about you. You are definitely NOT worthless."

Nathan nodded, but he didn't smile, "I tried so hard to protect Katie," he whispered, gazing downward.

"I know," Amy replied as she gently stroked Nathan's hair. "Everyone in the hospital knows that, honey."

Frank sighed and rose from his chair, "Maybe sleep would do you some good," he stated in a gentle tone as he moved towards the door. "What happened to your sister is NOT your fault…you tried to stop it."

Tears rolled down Nathan's face as Frank left the room, "Mom, I'm sorry," Nathan said in a soft voice.

"Oh, sweetie, you don't need to apologize for anything," Amy replied gently as she dried his face with the sleeve of her lab coat. "I do not want you blaming yourself for something that was beyond your control."

Nathan sighed, "Maybe I should sleep for a while," he said softly. "It would probably do me good."

Unfortunately, as Nathan was about to fall asleep, there was a loud squeaking sound, "Aren't you kids supposed to be at school?" the snappish tone of Dr. Benton suddenly filtered in from the hallway.

There was silence and then Peter appeared at the door, his hands on Lucas and Erinn's shoulders, both of whom were dressed in school clothes and carrying backpacks, "Erinn, Lucas, aren't you supposed to be in school?" Amy asked, her voice surprised, but stern. "I sent you two lunches today, right?"

"We wanted to visit Nathan, but Doctor Benton caught us," Lucas confessed. "Are we in trouble?"

Nathan yawned, "I'm going to sleep, so you can visit later," he replied groggily. "Go hang out with Mom."

"Come on, Lucas and Erinn, we'll go down to the ER and you can do some schoolwork at the desk," Amy stated as she stood up. "If you don't have any to do, I'm sure I can find some cleaning that needs doing."

Peter sighed, "Actually, I have to check how you're healing up since Doctor Corday's off today," he said, his voice full of regret that he couldn't let Nathan sleep like he needed to. "Is that okay, Nathan?"

"Just make it quick and painless," Nathan replied softly. "I'll see you later, right Mom?"

Amy nodded and gently ushered Lucas and Erinn from the room so that Nathan could have privacy; his wounds were healing nicely, but when the bandages were off, they were still somewhat gruesome.

As she shepherded Lucas and Erinn down the hallway, Amy heard Dr. Benton talking to Nathan in a soft, gentle voice and Nathan responding kindly; Amy couldn't help but wonder how Dr. Benton was doing as a single father to Reese and was tempted to suggest that Dave provide pointers on how to manage it.

For now, however, Amy needed to focus on how to keep things together until Luka and Katie came back...if they ever came back alive, they would definitely need to figure things out.

Dave sighed and ignored the sudden chill in the air as he crossed the street and entered the fenced-in elementary school playground; he should have brought a jacket, but it was too late to express regret.

It wasn't quite noon yet, but Dave was fine with that and he took a seat on one of the benches near one of slides to wait; his mind was reeling with the thought of Africa and he didn't really want to leave, but Dr. Romano hadn't given him the option of staying. Besides, he wanted to see his friend, Greg Pratt, again.

When he first started working at Mercy, Dave remembered, Greg had helped him to balance a new work schedule and single parenthood. Dr. Romano had also been helpful into ensuring job security.

Despite Amy's constant insistence on helping him at work and with Daniel, Dave had wished that she wasn't so insistent all the time; she was like a sister to him, but Dave had gotten several threatening letters and phone messages from Elton on top of the occasional visit for his friendship with Amy.

Not wanting Amy to know about his continued problems with Elton, Dave had never reported Elton to the police and instead took precautions to protect Daniel. Dr. Romano had known about the harassment and was continually encouraging Dave to get a restraining order on Elton, but Dave was scared to do it.

Thanks to the phone call from Elton on Christmas Eve, most of the ER was now aware of his past problems with Elton, but Dave was grateful that nobody knew the extent of the issues…it was safer.

Maybe this time, when Elton tried to take Daniel with him and Katie, maybe I should….

The sudden ringing of the lunch hour bell and noise of the children as they began coming out of the school brought Dave back to awareness; he could think about how to handle Elton another time.

"Dad!"

Dave looked up and saw Daniel standing in front of him with a smile on his face, "Hey kiddo," Dave said, quickly rising from the bench. "I thought I'd come and take you out to lunch somewhere nearby."

Daniel nodded and clung to Dave as they left the school grounds and crossed the street, being careful not to obstruct the traffic that was beginning to build up in the school area; it was a busy noon hour.

Before Dave knew it, they were downtown and across the street from the diner where he used to work; it was open and filled with customers. A sudden panic rose in his chest and he began to remember when he worked there and every little bit of physical and verbal abuse he endured just to support Daniel.

Letting out a sigh, Dave held Daniel close and turned away from the diner, "Any idea where you want to eat, Daniel?" Dave asked, his voice strained as they continued down the sidewalk.

"Can we just get some stuff at the Jumbo Mart?" Daniel asked, knowing that there wasn't a lot of extra money for constantly going out for meals and his dad didn't want to say that. "I like their salads."

Dave smiled and nodded; the walk to the Jumbo Mart was quiet and it was easy to get a cart.

"Daniel, how about some microwave soup?" Dave asked as they pushed the cart down the aisle and Dave saw that the soup was on sale. "We can heat it up in the little café here and quickly eat."

Daniel nodded, "Doctor Malucci? Daniel?" a familiar female voice suddenly spoke from behind them.

Dave turned and saw Kerry standing there with Henry in a neck pouch and a basket in her hand, "I'm off today and I'm running errands with Henry," Kerry said, smiling at the two of them. "Aren't you on today?"

"Just using my lunch break to spend some time with Daniel, Chief," Dave replied in a worried, yet very respectful tone. "I didn't have time to make Daniel a lunch this morning before I took him to school."

Kerry was silent for a moment and smiled, "Trust me, you don't want the microwaveable soup," she replied kindly as she smiled at Daniel. "Maybe you and Daniel would like to join us for lunch?"

"Sure!" Daniel replied in an excited voice. "Dad, can we join Doctor Weaver for lunch?"

Dave nodded and abandoning his cart, he held tight to Daniel's hand as they followed Kerry and Henry over to the small in-store café; they picked a small table near the counter and Dave reached for his wallet.

"Put that wallet away," Kerry said in a gentle voice as she parked the stroller and cooed at Henry.

Dave nodded and sat at the table with Daniel, "I'll get you something to get you through the rest of your shift and Daniel through the rest of the school day," Kerry said in a kind tone. "You work a double, right?"

"I work until midnight tonight, but I'll get enough of a break to pick Daniel up after school and figure out what to do with him until I get off," Dave replied, watching as Kerry moved to the counter. "Amy's moving her kids over to Doctor Romano's tonight until she gets back from Africa. I couldn't ask her to watch him."

After that, Dave was silent and held Daniel close as he listened to Kerry order food for all of them; Dave couldn't believe that Kerry was being so nice to him now and he was truly grateful for having friends.

"Here we go," Kerry suddenly said as she came back to the table with a tray containing two small bowls of soup, three sandwiches, and three small boxes of milk and placed them on the table. "Hungry?"

Dave nodded, but instead watched as Daniel quickly polished off his bowl of soup and began eating the sandwich, "Doctor Malucci, you'll need to eat to have strength for the rest of your shift," Kerry said in a gentle voice as she fed Henry some soup and milk with a spoon. "It's not really good to waste food."

Amy and Dr. Romano would be on him later if he didn't eat, Dave reasoned as he nodded and quickly polished off the soup; there was silence as everyone ate their lunches and some more time passed.

"Okay Daniel, we should get you back to school," Dave said as he rose from his seat. "Thank you so much for lunch, Doctor Weaver. Both Daniel and I really appreciate it…don't we, kiddo?"

Daniel nodded, "Thank you," he said in a soft voice as he stood up. "Should I throw my trash away?"

"No, sweetie, I'll take care of it," Kerry replied with a smile. "You let your dad take you back to school."

Again, Daniel nodded and clung to Dave as they left the store together. Kerry watched them for a moment and began to clean the table up so that she could take Henry and get on with her day.

Just outside the supermarket, Dave had stopped, "Daniel, I should let you know that you'll be staying with Doctor Greene and his family while I'm in Africa," Dave said in a quiet tone. "Are you okay with that?"

"Yeah, I'm fine with it, Dad," Daniel replied. "Can you bring me something cool back from Africa?"

Dave nodded, "I will," he promised in a gentle tone. "Let's get you back to school, okay?"

Daniel nodded and the two walked hand in hand down the street, both of them anticipating the future. Neither knew that very soon, both would be wondering if they would see eachother again.

Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Loud yelling filled the makeshift hospital and Carter suddenly felt pain, "GET OFF HIM!" he suddenly heard Dr. Rogers yell as he opened his eyes to see her push an armed soldier away from his bed.

There was more shouting and Carter suddenly felt the stretcher he was laying on being lifted, "What's going on?" he asked, his voice weak. "Abby….where's Abby and Katie? Where am I being taken?"

"Doctor Carter, the soldiers are chasing us out," the worried voice of Neela replied. "We have to take as many patients as we can to where it's safe….Doctor Pratt managed to get a truck to take us out."

Carter swallowed hard, "Katie…where's Katie?" he asked. "She was sleeping right next to me…"

Only the sound of gunfire responded as Carter felt the stretcher being loaded into the back of a truck, "I'm going to stay behind with Doctor Pratt," he heard Abby say. "Not all of the patients are going to fit in the truck and someone has to stay and look after them until another truck can come…."

"Abby, where's Katie?" Carter asked, suddenly feeling tired again. "What's going on?"

Abby quickly hopped into the back of the truck, "John, I don't know where Katie is, but Doctor Rogers and Neela are going to take you and other patients somewhere safer," she replied softly. "There was some gunfire and the soldiers suddenly entered the hospital….they want us out of the city…"

"You're staying here?" Carter asked nervously. "Won't the soldiers kill you if you stay?"

Abby shook her head, "We've agreed to come after you when another truck becomes available," she explained, watching as Doctor Rogers got into the front passenger seat. "Neela will take care of you."

"I love you, Abby," Carter weakly said as Neela got into the back of the truck along with several injured civilians who had no stretcher to rest on. "Come back to me…..I don't know what I'd do without you."

Abby gently stroked Carter's sweaty face, "I love you too," she whispered as she got off the truck.

"We'll take care of him, Abby," Neela promised as Abby stepped away from the truck so it could leave.

As the truck drove off, Abby turned and headed back to the makeshift hospital, ready to work.

Inside, Doctor Pratt was speaking with a soldier in rapid-fire French, "The soldier says that when the gunfire started, he saw a little girl run off out of the building," Dr. Pratt explained. "It could be Katie."

"Radio Kinshasa Hospital about it," Abby stated firmly as she moved towards the patients. "Maybe they'll find her there, but she's so small...I doubt she could make it all the way there."

Dr. Pratt nodded and turned his attention back to the soldier to relay the orders Abby had given.

Hoping that John, Katie, and the others would be okay, Abby went back to being a field doctor; all she wanted to do was survive this mess and reunite with John again…even if they had to return to Chicago.

Kinshasa Airport - Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Africa

As the plane took off again, Luka looked around the semi-abandoned airport and sighed; the rebels had no doubt tried to limit travel to and from Africa…he didn't see anyone around that could help him.

There was silence and then a loud horn sounded. Luka turned his head and saw a dilapidated Humvee making its way across the airstrip towards him; the Humvee was being driven by a young woman and had a younger looking man and woman in the backseat, both of them smiling nervously.

"Are you Doctor Kovac?" Kem asked as the Humvee came to a stop and Luka approached it.

Luka nodded and slung his duffel bag over his shoulder, "You must be Doctor Pratt?" he asked as he got into the front passenger seat. "I was delayed in Paris a day because of heavy rain…I had a nice rest."

Kem nodded and Luka swallowed hard, "I actually didn't come to Africa to participate in Doctors Without Borders," he confessed as Kem started up the Humvee. "I came to look for my missing daughter."

"Katie's your daughter?" the young man in the backseat suddenly spoke up. "Oh man…."

Luka frowned and turned to the young man, "Did something happen to Katie?" Luka asked, concerned.

"Doctor Kovac, as the plane was landing, we got a radio communication from Kisangani," Kem explained as she began to drive. "There was an attack on one of the makeshift hospitals and in the chaos, Katie ran off and nobody could find her before evacuations had to start…It's absolutely chaotic in that area now."

As Kem drove, the two medical workers in the back exchanged a look; the one called Dr. Kovac had barely missed the excitement...the prisoner named Elton Douglas had been suddenly been evacuated from the hospital by soldiers, who claimed that Elton had contracted a serious, yet non-contagious infection.

None wanted to argue with the soldiers, lest they lose their lives. However, what nobody knew was that Elton was fine and he had bribed the soldiers for freedom.

Luka's heart sank as the Humvee moved along the dirt road, past empty countryside; was he doing the right thing in being here, looking for Katie and hoping for a miracle?

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