24 Hours Later

Matenda Clinic

A small curtained off corner of the clinic was all that Carter could call home at present; he was without friends, family, and quickly losing his health in the bowels of war-torn Africa…he was full of fear.

"No, no, don't make me eat," Carter protested in a weak voice as Neela tried to give him a spoonful of poorly mixed soup from a thermos taken from the supply box. "I just want to sleep…"

Neela sighed, "Doctor Carter, you have to eat," she said in a gentle yet worried tone. "Otherwise—"

"Don't give me any IV's," Carter replied, cutting her off in a faint tone. "Save them for the patients."

Before Neela could reply, a lot of frantic talking could be heard and the sound of tires could be heard coming from outside, "Are there more soldiers?" Carter asked; his voice weak. "Do we have to go?"

Suddenly, Dr. Rogers came into the curtained off area, "Neela, the rest of the Kisangani group arrived and they have brought medical help," she said in a relieved tone. "Go and assist with unloading…"

Neela nodded and moved out of the curtained area, "How many are still alive?" Carter asked, knowing that a few had died from stretched resources. "Am I going to be next on the list…with this malaria?"

Dr. Rogers sighed, "Don't give up hope, John," she replied. "That's all I can say to you at this point."

Carter nodded and coughed, "…John!" a frantic, yet very familiar voice suddenly said.

There were footsteps and Abby suddenly came running into the room; she knelt down and threw her arms around Carter, "I've missed you," she said as she kissed Carter's face. "How are you feeling?"

"Bad," Carter replied softly, annoyed that he didn't have enough strength to hold his loving wife.

Dr. Rogers folded her arms, "Abby, go help Neela unload patients and get them situated in the clinic so they're remotely comfortable," she ordered. "John, if you can't eat, I HAVE to give you another IV."

"We're running low," Carter protested in a weak voice. "Don't waste them…."

Dr. Rogers scoffed and turned, "Abby, send that male doctor back here to help me!" she shouted, her tone full of annoyance. "Your husband is very, very stubborn about things, even when he's sick!"

There were footsteps and Dave appeared, "Dave?" Carter asked in a weak voice; he was surprised to see Dave Malucci in Africa of all people to be there. "What are you doing in Matenda?"

"Doctor Romano sent Amy and I to bring Doctor Pratt and Doctor Rasgotra to Chicago," Dave replied as he moved closer to the stretcher. "Abby mentioned that you had malaria-"

Carter nodded and began coughing, "Doctor-" Dr. Rogers began, gazing at Dave questioningly.

"I'm Doctor Dave Malucci," Dave replied in a polite tone, his concerned gaze on Carter.

Dr. Rogers nodded, "John, Doctor Malucci will give you another IV so you can rest," she said in a tone that dared Dave to argue with her. "When you're done, Doctor Malucci, you can assist us out here."

Without waiting for a reply, Dr. Rogers turned and walked out of the curtained area, "Wow, she's a bit abrupt," Dave commented as he rummaged through the supply box in the corner and pulled out an IV bag. "How did you and Abby get along with Doctor Rogers when you first met her, Carter?"

"I got sick pretty quickly after we got here," Carter replied weakly. "She's been a great help to me."

Dave nodded and quickly, but gently put the IV in Carter's arm, "Do you want a blanket so you're more comfortable?" he asked, seeing a blanket in the supply box. "How about some water?"

"No, I just want to rest," Carter replied weakly. "You'd better go help Doctor Rogers."

Despite being uncomfortable with leaving Carter alone, Dave nodded and moved out of the curtained area to help with the other patients; Dave also hoped that this experience would be short and sweet.

Kinshasa

"…You need to be taken back to the hospital for treatment," the solder said, promptly confiscating the weapon as the truck moved along. "Just relax…nobody will hurt you, so I will take this gun."

Elton remained silent, but inside he was fuming; he had been on his way to the nearest clinic and had been caught by soldiers. The soldiers had mistaken him for a scared civilian and were 'helping' him.

Gritting his teeth, Elton sighed; he had been loaded into a truck that was being used to transport soldiers and after a long drive, being given some food and water rations, and a blanket, the truck was pulling up outside the Kinshasa hospital. The soldiers were all shouting in rapid-fire French.

Suddenly, Elton felt himself being unloaded and carried into the clinic, "You monster, where is Katie?" a foreign accent suddenly shouted as Elton saw Luka come into view. "Doctor Pratt, come here!"

Luka followed the soldiers as they carried Elton over to an empty bed in the farthest corner of the hospital, "Le nom de cet homme est Elton Douglas et il a enlevé une de mes filles de Chicago," Luka said in an angry voice, unaware that Kem had followed after him. "You monster, where is my Katie?"

"Katie has already been sold into slavery," Elton lied; a smirk on his face. "Good riddance to her."

Luka growled and raised his fist, but Kem pulled him away, "Doctor Kovac-"she said softly.

"Je le veux arrêté, traité et ai envoyé en arrière pour pourrir dans une prison américaine," Luka growled, his eyes blazing with anger as he watched the soldiers restrain Elton to the bed. "I have to find Katie."

Kem sighed, "I will look after Mr. Douglas," she said softly. "See if you can go on the truck with them."

"Je veux aller à Kisangani chercher ma fille, puis-je recevoir un trajet avec vous et les autres soldats dans votre camion?" Luka asked in a clear voice as he gazed at one of the soldiers. "Il y a un hôpital là et peut-être quelqu'un sera en mesure de m'aider à trouver ma fille auparavant c'est trop tard."

The soldier shook his head, "L'hôpital à Kinshasa a été évacué il y a deux jours parce que les hôpitaux ont été bombardés par les rebelles," he explained in a thick accent. "Tout le personnel médical là a pris leurs patients et a fui sur un camion civil à la clinique dans Matenda."

Luka sighed, "Can I come with you to Matenda then?" he asked, desperate to find Katie alive.

For a moment, the soldier was silent, "Yes," he replied in the same thick accent. "We will finish with Mr. Douglas here and we will take you to Matenda. I hope that you find your daughter alive, Doctor Luka."

Luka nodded and watched the soldiers restrain Elton and sighed; hopefully Katie could be found soon.

Matenda Clinic - Midday

"….Doctor Malucci?"

Feeling someone shaking his shoulder, Dave opened his eyes and saw Dr. Rogers standing over him; he was embarrassed to realize that he had fallen asleep while sitting in his sleep area, writing a letter to Daniel that he wanted to send at the earliest opportunity. Fortunately, Dr. Rogers was smiling.

"Sorry, I was just writing a letter to my son," Dave said in an apologetic tone as he sat up, put the pen and small notebook back in his shoulder bag, and got to his feet. "I guess I got tired…."

Dr. Rogers nodded, her smile fading a bit, "The heat gets to everyone sooner or later," she replied gently as she moved closer to him. "Just keep hydrated and you should be fine. Would you join me, please?"

Dave nodded and followed Dr. Rogers into the patient area; he could see Abby and Amy helping a dark-skinned pregnant woman who was in a long green dress with a bandana over her hair lay on a bed in the far corner of the room, closest to the door. Dave also noticed that the woman was very pregnant.

"My name is Dalynia," the woman said in a soft French accent as Dr. Rogers and Dave approached the bed. "I am supposed to have my baby any day now, but my husband is a soldier and he told me to come some place safe to have the baby. I have AIDS and just want my baby to be safe from the fighting."

Dr. Rogers nodded and pulled several pairs of rubber gloves from her pockets, "Abby, I think you and I can handle this," she said, tossing some gloves to Abby. "Doctor Malucci, go and check on Doctor Carter; make him eat or drink something. Doctor Kovac, why don't you sit down for a moment over there?"

Amy reluctantly nodded and sat on a nearby unoccupied cot; she looked pale and very tired, "Doctor Malucci, there are food and medical supplies outside with Doctor Pratt," Dr. Rogers said gently. "Go and get some rations from him and use them to take care of Doctor Carter; he needs a lot of care."

Dave nodded and quickly walked outside, "How far along are you, Doctor Kovac?" Dalynia asked, smiling at Amy as Abby began checking her vitals. "You have to remember to drink and eat enough."

"I'm not pregnant," Amy replied in a soft voice as she lay down on the cot. "It's just the heat…"

Abby looked at Dr. Rogers, "Vitals are normal," she replied. "I, uh, used to be an OB nurse…"

"Abby, take care of Doctor Kovac, will you?" Dr. Rogers replied, smiling. "I can help Dalynia."

Amy sighed as Abby walked over to her bedside, "If you're uncomfortable around me because of our mutual connection to Luka, you don't have to do this," Amy stated. "I don't want to force you…"

"I'm just happy that Luka has a caring wife and Joe has a caring mother and siblings," Abby replied gently, feeling that Amy was the best match for Luka. "So…tell me why you might be pregnant."

Amy sighed, "The symptoms and the fact that Luka and I shared an intimate moment right before he left for Africa," she replied softly. "He was packing and we sort of just needed each other for a moment."

Despite the fact that Abby was horrified that Luka was in Africa yet again, Abby pushed her fear aside for Amy's sake, "All right, I'll get some vitals and we'll go from there," Abby said in a reassuring tone.

Amy nodded and tried desperately to relax; first Africa and now she might be pregnant again.

In the back of the clinic, Carter coughed himself awake and saw Dave hovering over him with a small plastic bag, "You gotta eat and/or drink something," Dave said in a firm tone. "Doctor's orders."

Carter sighed, "I'm feeling worse," he replied weakly. "I can't move without feeling terrible…"

"I'll help you eat and drink," Dave promised as he helped Carter sit up. "Wanna try some water?"

Despite not wanting to, Carter nodded and felt so relieved when Dave very carefully helped him to drink a full bottle of water, "Thank you," Carter whispered as he began to feel tired. "How's the IV?"

"It's dry, but I can change it," Dave said in a reassuring tone. "Do you need to relieve yourself at all?"

Carter sighed and coughed, "I haven't been able to for almost a day," he replied faintly. "Dave, if I end up dying, I want Abby to go back to the States…I left her all of my money and everything in my will."

Before Dave could tell Carter not to give up, there was a crash, "If you'll excuse me!" Amy's angry voice suddenly snapped as footsteps headed outside. "….Stubborn, crass doctor if I ever saw one!"

There was silence and then Dr. Rogers came into view, "I only asked Doctor Kovac what she was doing in the Congo if she's pregnant," she said in a cautious voice. "I guess that upset her a little bit."

Carter merely sighed and fell back asleep, "You got him to drink a full bottle of water?" Dr. Rogers asked in an impressed tone as she and Dave left Carter to sleep. "Anything concerning I should know?"

"Carter mentioned that he hasn't been able to urinate in about a day," Dave replied in a concerned tone as he saw Abby making Dalynia comfortable with fluids and food. "Do you wanna talk for a minute?"

Dr. Rogers sighed and looked around; the clinic wasn't nearly as busy as it was hours ago, "Abby, come get me if we have any more patients," she said in a tired voice. "I'm going outside for a few minutes."

Abby nodded and looked rather thoughtful as Dave and Dr. Rogers left the clinic.

"I'm tempted to go and apologize to Doctor Kovac," Dr. Rogers said, watching as several yards away, Amy talked with Dr. Pratt and Neela whilst drinking some water. "I can be a little rude sometimes, I guess…I've been told that it's a flaw in my personality that I need to work on a bit."

Dave sighed and sat on the front steps, "Amy's like my sister and I'll advise you to let her have some space for a little while before you approach her," he stated gently. "Sit down and relax for a minute."

"Honestly, Carter belongs in a hospital," Dr. Rogers said with a sigh as she sat next to Dave. "I want to send him back to Kinshasa and put him on a plane to Chicago at the next available opportunity."

Dave looked inside and watched Abby finish with Dalynia and move back towards the area where Carter was resting; Abby pushed the curtain open and, sitting down, she took his hand in her own.

"Have you talked to Abby about that?" Dave asked, looking back at Dr. Rogers. "She'll be upset."

Dr. Rogers sighed, "You know, I understand how she feels about having to make difficult decisions about loved ones," Dave stated softly. "I had to leave my son with friends in order to come to Africa."

"You have a son?" Dr. Rogers asked, intrigued. "I'd say you're braver than most…being here."

Dave nodded and extracted his wallet, "Here's a photo of Daniel and I," he said, pulling a photo from his wallet that was taken at Christmastime by Dr. Romano and showing it to Dr. Rogers. "He's eight."

Dr. Rogers smiled faintly as she looked at the picture, "To answer your question, a love of children is a major reason why Amy is out here," Dave explained. "Amy's ex-husband broke into her house, almost killed her eldest son, and kidnapped her youngest daughter…..I hope Katie can be found; if she's not found, it will destroy Amy's spirit. She and Luka only married on Valentine's Day…."

"I may act like a heartless shrew, but I'm really not one," Dr. Rogers replied softly. "I would have loved children, but my fiancé was killed by a drunk driver in London five years ago. I never wanted to marry anyone else, so I decided to take a job in Africa as a head physician for Doctors Without Borders."

Dave nodded, "You're certainly dedicated," he replied. "I couldn't do this full time."

"Well, someone needs to be dedicated out here," Dr. Rogers replied in a soft tone. "Doctor Malucci, when we're off-duty, we can be on a more personal basis…you can call me Magdalynn then, okay?"

Swallowing hard, Dave rose from the steps; he found himself becoming attracted to Dr. Rogers, but the memory of Dana was still so fresh and the panic of possibly losing someone else was haunting him.

"Uh, I'm gonna do rounds," Dave said in a weak voice as he moved back inside. "See you later."

Dr. Rogers remained silent and watched as Dave moved through the clinic; she couldn't help but be concerned about him and she made a mental note to talk to him during their evening gathering.

Also during the evening gathering, Dr. Rogers knew that she would need to pull Doctor Kovac aside and apologize for their tense moment; nobody should have to lose a child to a vicious ex-spouse.

Dr. Rogers watched Dr. Kovac chat with Neela and Dr. Pratt; Dr. Rogers knew that Carter would have to be moved in the next day or so in order for him to have a fighting chance. Someone would have to be sent out to either request a plane for transport or take Carter to Kinshasa for a trip back to the States.

For now, however, Dr. Rogers decided to enjoy her break and the quietness while it lasted.

Ignoring the gunshots in the distance, Luka rose through the battered sunroof and gazed around the desolate jungles, ignoring the dilapidated road that was making vehicular travel difficult.

Elton was back at the clinic in Kinshasa, restrained, heavily medicated, and awaiting the arrival of Federal Marshals to escort him back to the U.S. on a plane; he was facing multiple charges including attempted murder, falsifying legal documents, and child abduction…he was going to do hard time. Kem was keeping a close eye on Elton with the assistance of three armed guards.

Of course, Elton doing hard time for his crimes was Luka's hope; it might not actually come to pass because of various reasons and the charges might change if Katie was found dead or dismembered.

The soldiers were extending him a great courtesy by allowing him to ride with them while he looked for Katie, but Luka was smart enough to know that once they reached Matenda, he was on his own.

Hopefully, Luka silently thought, he would find Katie alive during the journey to Matenda.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the middle of the danger-filled Congo wilderness, Katie coughed as she moved through the tall grass with nothing but pink pajamas and frayed socks covering her thin body; her blonde hair was dirty and cascaded down to her shoulder while her face was pale and dirty.

When she had first arrived in Africa, there had been an explosion and the bad man who had kidnapped her was injured; she ran away so that the man wouldn't hurt her like he hurt Nathan back home.

For a while, she had stayed with a man named Doctor Carter and some other doctors at a place for sick people in a place called Kisangani, but someone had blown the place up and she had run away scared.

Now, extremely scared of all the shooting she could hear and feeling as if she were going to die if she fell asleep, Katie kept moving; she wanted to go home to her mom, Luka, her siblings, and her friends.

Katie's body was slowly wearing down and after coughing several times, she collapsed in a patch of grass that was near enough to the road; unfortunately, there was nobody around to see her and help her.

As she passed out, Katie silently prayed like her mom had taught her to; she prayed that someone who loved her would find her before she joined the angels in heaven….she didn't want to die that day.