Tuesday Morning
As the sun broke through the makeshift windows, Kim rolled over, squinting into the bright light. Even through the windows and the mosquito net, she thought the sun here playing off the walls was probably one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen. But not the most. Thinking along those lines, Kim rolled over on her cot to face Kerry's bed, only to find it empty. Frowning, Kim sat up sat up a little to find the curtain wide open and a photograph lying beside her cot.
Brushing aside the curtain around her, Kim stood up, stretching slowly in the sunlight, enjoying its warming rays. After a moment, she moved around to the other side, picking up the photograph by her feet. Letting her eyes adjust, she stared hard at the woman and boy in the photograph, her mind not quite catching up with her thoughts. She could see it was Kerry but the child? Well he certainly looked a little like Kerry; pale complexion, beginnings of red hair...
"Oh," was all Kim could muster as she connected the dots. She took another moment to gaze at the photo before sliding it back under Kerry's pillow. Turning, her mind still streaming with what she had just learnt, she began to change slowly, all of a sudden nervous at the day ahead.
...
By the time Kim made it into the clinic, Kerry was standing beside a family, listening to them intently as they spoke in French, explaining their teenage son's symptoms. She paused a while, watching the redhead work.
Kerry stepped forward and pressed her stethoscope against the boys back, listening to the sounds as her eyes met Kim's. They lingered for just a moment before Kerry removed the stethoscope and addressed the nurse beside her in English. "There's Rhonci and retractions, my guess would be pneumonia. Start him on IV ampicillin." The nurse nodded, turning to the family and explaining what they were going to do.
Stepping forward, Kerry met Kim by the entrance; her eyes looked red and sore. "Kerry are-"
"Yeah I'm fine," Kerry smiled off the concern, "Emergency in the night. FAC soldier. Still alive just." Her reply was short, as she rubbed her eyes, losing her balance momentarily. Kim reached out an arm, helping Kerry stand.
"Perhaps you should go and get some sleep. I'm sure we can keep this place going." Kim smiled, her eyes filled with concern.
Kerry regained her own balance, lowering her crutch to the ground. "It's okay; I don't really sleep that well out here anyway. Did you get a good night?"
Pausing for a second, Kim debated whether to bring up the photograph she had found when she had woken up, but Kerry looked too worn out to get into a subject so heavy for the both of them. Smiling whimsically, Kim replied, "Fine, was different to what I'm used to but I managed."
"I forgot how you liked your space in bed," Kerry found herself speaking before she knew it and she looked shocked at her words. Kim could only laugh, remembering back to the fights they had had over the bed.
"Hey it wasn't just me!" She defended herself, trying to break the tension. "I had to freeze to death before you gave me any covers!"
Kerry began to laugh at this, her uneasiness quickly fading as they both settled back into their 'old' routine. They had had a lot of fun together, it wasn't all heartache, Kerry reminded herself, watching the blonde in front of her grinning, her blue eyes sparkling. This trip was meant to help her find her closure to a life she had once led and to the life she would be returning to and whether she liked it or not, she felt Kim would be helping her.
As if sensing Kerry's thoughts, Kim reached out and brushed Kerry's arm. "I've missed this." Kim found herself almost whispering to Kerry, her eyes gazing at the people around her, seeing if anyone could hear them.
Kerry sighed loudly, her eyes gazing at her ring, but instead of lamenting on Sandy and feeling guilty, she replied, "Me too."
Kim was surprised at the reply but kept it well hidden. They both stood like this, gazing at one another until Gillian appeared beside them, a small smile on her lips. "I don't suppose I can borrow Kim for a moment Kerry? I have a patient she might like to talk to."
Looking at the small French woman, Kerry broke the gaze replying, "Sure, that's fine. Perhaps I'll catch up with you later?"
"Yeah, how about you treat me to lunch?" Kim began to walk away, stifling a laugh.
"I wouldn't count on it Legaspi!" Kerry called out, feeling the first genuine smile she had felt in a while.
Lunch
Sitting beside one another, Kim prodded her food around the plate slowly, the meal not exactly what she had expected. "Erm, what is this?" She asked Kerry who ate another mouthful.
"I tend not to ask, I just eat it, and you need to keep your energy up out here." Kerry finished off the last of her meal; her eyes watching Kim push around the food. "How fussy can you be?" She asked with a laugh, receiving a hurt look from Kim.
"Hey! I bet it took you a little while to adjust." Kim shot back, a smile showing she was only half joking.
"Well yeah but not wanting to be hooked up to an IV in that clinic scared my straight."
"Touché." Kim smiled, testing a small forkful. She pulled a face, lowering the fork. "Let's just give it a moment." Kerry laughed at her friend, remembering how fussy she had been when she had cooked for Kim.
"Okay. So, whilst we're taking a break from eating, what did you get up to in San Francisco?" Kerry asked, realising that she had no clue what had led Kim here in the last five years.
"Well, when I first got there I stayed with an old friend from college, she offered me a job in her private clinic she was running just outside of the city. The weather was hot, damp and I thought I was happy." Kim explained shortly, not wanting to delve too much into what had kept her occupied for the past five years, most of it had been short relationships, long hours of work and ugly break-ups.
"So you weren't happy?" Kerry picked up on the last thing she had said, her eyes curious.
Kim pushed her plate away from her and rested her arms on the table, levelling Kerry with a serious gaze. "To be honest, leaving Chicago was one of the worst things I have ever done. It was too big a decision to do on a whim and I just felt so trapped..." she let her eyes wander to the ring on Kerry's finger, smiling gently, "And I missed out on so much."
Kerry watched Kim's eyes studying the ring on her hand and she instinctively removed it. The look of shock on Kim's face was apparent and Kerry quickly explained; "I came here for closure. After you left, I felt so alone, so vulnerable and Sandy helped me close that chapter in my life. She outed me," Kim's eyes lit up, knowing she would have to ask about that story another time, "And I was happy again. I had a family and friends and I felt so complete and now there's another chapter of my life I need to close." She sighed heavily, turning the ring over in her hand. It was a plain gold band with Sandy's name engraved on the inside. She smiled, remembering the day they had gone to pick them out at the Jewellers and the look of shock on the gentleman's face serving them. Then her mind went to the memory of burying Sandy with her engraved ring. "And this ring keeps stopping me."
Kim had no idea what to say, so she just watched the redhead staring at the ring. So much had changed in five years she thought sadly. Kerry had grown into her new life and Kim had fallen out of it. They were both so different to the people they had been when they had first started their relationship and it scared Kim. She had known when she volunteered for the Congo that Kerry was going to be there and she needed closure too, but this woman in front of her was so different that all of a sudden she felt not the urge to close the door but to open it and see where it lead.
"I think..." Kim began slowly, gauging her words reaction on Kerry, "That we both came here for something different to our own lives and seeing you again... Well something is finally starting to feel right."
Turning the ring over once more, Kerry placed it in her shirt pocket, close to her heart. It wasn't a decision she had taken lightly, spending most of the night contemplating it over and over, but when Henry was old enough, he would have a reminder of his mother. Looking up, she met Kim's eyes imploring her to say something. She could see the worry etched on Kim's face and suddenly she was back in the doctor's lounge, rambling on as Kim was desperate for an answer. Impatient as always, Kim reached across and took Kerry's hand that the ring had been sitting in only moments earlier. She turned the palm up and brought it to her lips, her eyes never leaving Kerry's. She placed a small kiss on the palm and kept it close to her mouth, enjoying the scent she had missed for so long.
Kerry's eyes flashed several different emotions at once but she finally settled on one; happiness. "Another one of your guerrilla kisses?" She asked, remembering that split second moment when Kim had kissed her in the lounge and she kissed her back.
Kim's eyes creased up at the remark and she lowered the hand, revealing a huge grin. "You didn't complain."
"I think I did," Kerry shot back, resuming their earlier ease, "but then I changed my mind."
"I see," Kim stroked the hand in front of her, tracing the lines on the palm, "Well I think perhaps we should continue this conversation later. We have some lives to save." Kim became serious all of a sudden but the soft smile on her lips remained.
They both stood up and made their way to the doors, stepping out into the sunshine. Kerry made to step in front of Kim, facing her and taking the blonde's hands in her own. "I'm glad you're here Kim."
"Me too Kerry, I-" Kim began, rubbing the worn hands in front of her but the sound of a loud engine revving towards them broke her line of thought. Before they knew it the truck had driven into camp, the tyres kicking up dirt and stones into the air. It spun around and bullets fired out at the clinic and mess hall, the men on top emptying their weapons into the buildings.
As quickly as they had arrived they were gone and Gillian came running out of the clinic, blood on her hands and a wild look in her eyes. "Mai Mai," she shouted across to Kim and Kerry who had both ducked down in the hail of bullets. "Must have heard we had an FAC soldier here. Are you two ok? We need some help in here!"
"Yeah, we're fine," Kim replied as she helped Kerry stand up, leaning her against herself. "Kerry?"
Kerry swayed back for a moment, touching her stomach gingerly, she gasped with pain and pulled her hand away, seeing the blood on her hands and feeling its warmth flow down her legs. She fell forwards suddenly into Kim who helped her to the ground, pressing her hands to Kerry's stomach and screaming for help.
A/N – Okay... I know, not the nicest thing to do to them but I'm pretty sure I know where I'm going with this. Again, any good things or bad things then let me know.