Friday Evening
Lifting herself up slowly, Kerry moved her legs over the edge of the bed, wincing at the dull throbbing pain in her stomach. Placing her feet gently onto the floor beneath her, she reached over and retrieved her crutch, using it to pull herself up. She wobbled for a moment before managing to steady herself, smiling for her small victory in the dim room.
"And what do you think you are doing out of bed?" Kim stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame with her eyebrows raised, a small smile revealing the humour in her words.
"I was starting to get stiff, and you know I'm a bad patient." Kerry replied, taking small steps towards the blonde woman, who met her half way in the room, wrapping a guiding arm around the smaller woman's frame. "Is this how you treat all of your patients?" She looked up into Kim's face, her eyes glinting with mischief.
Grinning, Kim leant down and whispered in Kerry's ear, "Only the ones I'm in love with."
"I see…" They both began to move towards the doorway, Kerry's eyes now watching her feet make the small steps, "And exactly how many people is that?"
Kim laughed shortly, surprised at Kerry's sense of humour, "Just the one I'll have you know and does it really take getting shot to lighten you up?" She shot back playfully, enjoying the banter.
"Yes I suppose but let's not make a habit of it. This is bad enough." Kerry inhaled sharply as a pain shot through her stomach, making her legs weaken momentarily. Kim held the small woman against her, careful not to press too hard.
"Kerry are you sure you don't want to get back into bed?" Kim asked concerned. She brushed hair off of Kerry's forehead and saw a small tear run down the redheads cheek.
Kerry reached up and wiped it away quickly, not wanting Kim to see her even weaker than the woman thought already. Man up, she thought to herself, you've suffered years with the hip pain and now a little bullet wound is going to make you cry? "No I'm fine, really. You're not getting me into bed that easy Legaspi."
"A girl can dream huh." Kim kissed Kerry's head gently, before moving them both further forward and out of the room.
After several more steps and stops they made it into the mess hall where the doctors were finishing up their day with a hot meal and a well deserved drink of water. Gillian sat alone at a table, picking at the half eaten food in front of her. Spotting the two women making their way towards her, she stood up, a broad smile on her face.
"It is so good to see you up Kerry, you had me worried for a while." The French woman reached forward, helping Kim to lower her onto a seat before resuming her own, pushing the plate away to lean her arms on the table. "How are you feeling?"
"Not too bad," Kerry winced as she took her arm out of the crutch, resting it beside her. "How are the patients in the clinic?"
"They're fine, some have scrapes and bruises but no bullets. We got off lightly. I've heard of the Mai Mai torching clinics that were known to house government soldiers."
The three fell into a silence, each contemplating how bad the situation could have been for them all. After several moments Kim broke their thoughts. "I should grab us a couple of plates, you must be starving." She directed her comment at Kerry, who nodded weakly in reply. Gillian watched as the blonde stood up and walked away, but not before squeezing Kerry's shoulder reassuringly.
"So…" Gillian let her word trail off, her eyes studying Kerry who was staring at the empty space on her finger.
Realising Gillian was looking for the ring, Kerry quickly replied, "Must have taken it off me when they were operating." She knew it was a lie and knew that Gillian had probably been in the room as they had operated on her but didn't quite feel in the spirits to explain her new found relationship with Kim.
"I think she loves you." Gillian felt the need to add. She could sense Kerry was uncomfortable with publicly acknowledging what everyone at the clinic knew. They only had to take one look at the two doctors to realise something was going on.
Sighing, Kerry asked, "Do you think it's too soon?"
"Does it matter what I think?"
"Well it did a moment ago," Kerry laughed but then becoming serious once more. "There's so much we still don't know about each other and in a couple of days I'll be back home and who knows what will happen."
"You know she sat by you, the whole time you were in surgery. Had to fight her hand out of yours to treat you." Kerry smiled at the image, remembering how protective Kim could be over her. "She's devoted, any of us can see that Kerry and you would be a fool to let that pass you up again."
Sitting back in her seat, Kerry glanced over at the blonde woman heading towards them, two full plates in her hands. Her eyes wandered between the two women who sat still at the table, small smiles of secrecy on both of their lips. "Why do I feel like I'm interrupting something?" She asked curiously, placing a plate in front of Kerry before settling herself down.
"You're not," Gillian smiled at Kim, before exaggerating a stretch and yawn. "Sorry, long day. I had better be heading off. Have a good evening you two and it was great to see you up and about Kerry." She stood, patting Kerry's shoulder as she passed the woman, heading for the bedrooms.
Kerry picked up her fork and began to eat slowly, chewing her food with effort and swallowing it gently. This was the first solid food she had eaten since the shooting and she was surprised to find for a change that it tasted good. "Wow, absence does make the heart grow fonder." She said, eating another mouthful.
"Me or the food?" Kim asked, her eyes glistening in the soft lighting of the room. Joking aside now, Kim reached across and rested her hand on Kerry's arm, feeling the muscles tense up momentarily then relax.
"Do you really think we will work this time?" Kerry suddenly felt a wave of unease and insecurity and kept her eyes down, answering Kim with another question.
Tightening her grip on the pale arm, Kim let her thumb caress the soft skin, tracing the freckles beneath. "More than anything Kerry."
Nodding slowly, Kerry looked up into the deep blue eyes and knew that this woman could see right through her; a psych gift or a lover's gift Kerry couldn't tell but she knew in that instant that everything would be alright, so before she could stop herself, she brushed the blonde's lips with her own, answering Kim's question.
….
Laying back into the pillow, Kim took the crutch off of Kerry's arm, resting it on the wooden nightstand beside her within reach. Sighing heavily, Kim took a seat on the bed beside Kerry, whose eyes were beginning to droop. "You're leaving soon aren't you?"
Kerry murmured something before opening her eyes wider, forcing herself to remain awake for a little while longer. "Sunday probably, when do you leave?"
"I have another week." Kim traced her fingers lightly up down Kerry's arm until she came to the bandages wrapped tightly around her waist. She played with them mindlessly for a moment, before looking into the green eyes locked onto her own. "I'm going to miss this."
"I'm going to miss you." Kerry replied, her eyes beginning to close more firmly.
"I shouldn't be keeping you up, go to sleep Kerry." Kim cooed gently, brushing Kerry's cheek lightly. Thinking back to the first night she had been here with Kerry, she asked "Do you want me to get your picture?"
Opening her eyes again momentarily, Kerry thought back to her sons picture beneath her pillow in her other cot. Had Kim found it? Brushing this thought aside, Kerry moved herself over in the bed, ignoring the pain that throbbed in her side. "Not tonight. Will you lay here with me instead?"
"Of course," Kim swung her legs up onto the bed, tucking herself against Kerry's body. She felt an arm slip over her and around her waist, holding her body closer. "Be careful, I don't want to hurt you Kerry."
"It's fine, really." Kerry breathed onto Kim's neck, her eyes slipping shut for the final time that night. "I love you." She managed to murmur into Kim's hair before sleep took her.
Shutting her own eyes, Kim smiled to herself, reaching up and holding onto the arm that was holding her so close. "I love you too."
A/N - More of a filler at the moment as I head towards the end. Please let me know what you think, should I perhaps do a follow up where they're both back? See where this leads? I have no idea so any suggestions are greatly received! Thank you.