A/N – Thanks for the reviews, in this chapter you'll find scenes from 'Kisangani', obviously minus Carter but add Kerry and Kim. Tried to get it as similar to the episode as I could so it sounded somewhat realistic but do let me know what you all think, good or bad. Thanks for reading!

Monday Afternoon

"Ok so when you run out of people to analyse, " Kerry gave a small smile over her shoulder, "You can fall back on your basic medical skills. So a fever and a cough is usually pneumonia and we'd treat it with cotrimoxazole. A fever and watery diarrhoea is probably cholera so we would use doxy and rehydrate also." Kerry made her way slowly through the ward, nodding at several patients as she went, pointing out examples to her cases, "Chances are if they come in with recurrent infections and are beginning to waste away; AIDS. Best thing to do to help is to prepare the family for death. We also use Fansidar here to treat Malaria, patient may show up with a fever but no sores. Any questions?" She turned on her heel abruptly to face Kim, who almost walked into her. She reached her arms out momentarily to steady herself, touching Kerry's shoulders briefly.

Kim smiled quickly and laughed off the gesture, lowering her arms, "Not that I can think of. Do I get my own stethoscope?"

"Of course," Kerry beckoned a nurse over, asking her something in French before the nurse nodded, walking away.

"I didn't know you spoke French." Kim curiously stated.

"Some, I did grow up here remember." Kerry's gaze was drawn to a gentleman who was clutching a young boy to his chest protectively, the child's head lolling on his broad shoulders. Moving past Kim, Kerry approached the man, signalling for him to lay his son down on the wooden table beside them.

Kim turned to watch, being momentarily distracted by the nurse she had seen speaking to Kerry handing her a stethoscope. She took it and wrapped it around her neck, "Merci." She said to the nurse before joining Kerry beside the table.

Looking up, Kerry saw Kim approach, "This is Saida, dad says he's struggling with urination, fever and a cough."

Stepping closer to the child, Kim reached out and tenderley used her hands to press on the boys abdomen. "Bladder's enlarged," Kim muttered to Kerry who was busy taking the childs temperatue.

"And a mild fever. Hold on a second." Kerry reached under the boy and lifted his back gently off of the table. The child's dad stepped forward to help but Kim stopped him, holding up her hand.

The boys arms hung at his side loosely as did his head, rolling backwards and exposing his neck. Kerry lowered the child slowly, cradling his head. Pausing a moment, she repeated the movement, getting the same results. Lowering him finally, Kerry stated sadly ,"Poliomyelitis." Brushing strands of her hair off of her face, she continued, "Tripod sign and bladder paresis diagnoses it out here."

"Polio?" The man asked in English, tears beginning to brim in his eyes.

"Oui, polio." Kerry nodded solemnly, helping to lift the child back up and towards his father. The boy resumed his earlier position on his father, as Kerry spoke to them both in French. The father nodded and took his son into the triage ward where he sat down.

Kim stood a little dumbstruck at what had just occured. "So what happens now?" Kerry sighed at her question, leaning her back against the wall.

"I'll get the nurse to discuss options with them. No matter how many times you do this it'll never get easier." She leaned her head back, looking at the dank ceiling above. Kim swore she could see Kerry's eyes beginnning to water but before she could ask if she was ok, Kerry cut in. "Makes you appreciate the facilities we have. Anyway, I better go find that nurse." She lowered her head and gave Kim a weak smile before walking away.

Left alone, Kim watched the father and son holding eachother gently, the father beginning to cry. She knew that the small family would need someone to talk to so she made her way slowly over to them. They acknowledged her with a quick glance as she took a seat beside them and, as they waited for the nurse, the each sat in silence, contemplating many different things.

Monday Evening

Kerry laid her crutch down beside her, taking a seat on an upturned crate. Letting her head drop forward, she exhaled slowly, feeling her neck click as the tension left it. The muscles felt knotted so she reached up with a hand, only to feel another press lightly on her neck. Jumping slightly, she turned to see Kim, hand on her neck and two bottles of beer in the other.

"Beer?" Kerry asked, momentarily ignoring the feel of Kim's hand on the base of her neck and reaching for one of the bottles. "How presumptious of you to assume that I drink beer."

"But you do though right?"

"Well yeah but that's not the point." Kerry laughed as she twisted the cap off and taking a long sip. Kim gently rubbed at her neck, attempting to relieve the tension. Kerry let her continue for a moment before beckoning to Kim to join her in sitting. She obliged, pulling up a crate opposite Kerry before uncapping her own beer.

"What a first day huh?" Kerry asked, her hands cupping the cool bottle, listening to the ring clink against the glass. Kim's eyes followed the noise and settled on the ring as she took a sip from the bottle. Catching her stare, Kerry offered. "My wife."

"Sorry what?" Kim loooked up, half feigning ignorance and half surprised.

"Her name was Sandy. A firefighter." Kerry smiled, her eyes on the ground in front of her.

"Kerry I'm-" Kim tried to offer her apologies, her words cut off by a raised hand.

"It's okay. It's been a couple of years now." She looked up at Kim, her smile now fading. Before Kim could ask the next question, Kerry intervened. "It was a building collapse. No one was in there to save but they wanted to stop it spreading. She was so stupid going in there." She laughed shortly, knowing that if Sandy had known she'd called her stupid she would have a dead arm.

Kim paused a moment before adding, "Or brave."

"Or brave." Kerry echoed, taking another sip. They both fell silent for a moment, listening to the sounds of the Congo around them. Kim watched as Kerry began to tear up, reaching out a reassuring hand.

"If you ever need to talk. I'm here." Kerry brushed Kim's fingers gently. They were longer than Sandys, the nails neat and manicured even after their days efforts. She could feel the bones shifting beneath the skin as Kim gripped her fingers loosely before removing her hand, breaking the contact too soon.

Looking up into Kim's eyes, Kerry nodded solemnly. "Thank you, perhaps more another time, but I think I should be getting to bed. Beer goes straight to my head." She gave a small laugh as she stood up, trying to shake off the earlier mood. "I know what you're thinking, I know. I make a bad lesbian stereotype."

Kim picked up Kerry's crutch, lacing her arm through the cuff and brushing her hand momentarily. "I know, first no U-Hauling and now this? Quit the team." Kim laughed before adding, "But that's not what I was thinking."

Kerry looked as if she was going to say something, but then shut her mouth, as if realising she didn't need to, Kim's eyes said it all. "Well, night." Kerry exhaled finally, turning slowly towards their sleeping quarters.

Watching her walk away, Kim called out, "Night," before settling back down onto the box and finishing off her remaining beer. Leaning back, she looked up at the stars, her eyes closed, the bottle hanging loosely in her hands. After several minutes, she stood and stretched, feeling her back pop in many places. She headed for bed and when she reached the doorway, she paused mometarily to see Kerry behind her mosquito net, staring at a faded photograph. Watching for several seconds, Kim felt her eyes brim suddenly, surprising even herself. She waited until Kerry finally lay back, clutching the picture before she made her way to her bed.