It was late evening when we finally made it to our hotel after arriving in Bangkok yesterday. Although we both slept well on the flight, we still opted to order room service and call it an early night.

Of course, that meant that I was woken up at the crack of dawn this morning by a medical examiner who was practically bubbling out of her skin with excitement.

She'd been to the city a handful of times for various functions and, of course, had done extensive research on the metropolitan area. I bet she knows more about it than a lot of the locals.

So, for the last nine hours, I have had my own personal tour guide leading me around.

We've visited; The Temple of Dawn, the Grand Palace, and a very large temple complex called Wat Pho. The last on this list being my favorite.

It housed an incredible collection of murals, inscriptions, and sculptures which covered numerous topics including warfare, astronomy, and archeology. To top it all off, the grounds are home to the College of Traditional Medicine.

Although amazing, none of these things were the reason I enjoyed the location so much.

It was Maura's reaction to it all.

The doctor had been there before; she told me she went every time she visited Bangkok. However, that didn't detract from her enjoyment of the trip. To witness the incredible enthusiasm she expressed while talking about all of the artifacts we looked at as we walked through the complex, you'd think it was her first time seeing them.

She has such a genuine awe of the world around her, it enchants me. I followed her all day and listened attentively as she shared her vast wealth of knowledge; only a fraction of which I can even hope to remember. I would do it all again tomorrow...and the next day.

And the next.

And the next.

Just when I think I am incapable of loving this woman any more, it happens. I reach a new level of adoration. My need for her is growing.

I'm not sure how much longer I can contain it. I'm not sure how much longer I'll want to. It scares me.

And it frustrates me.

I have enjoyed every aspect of being by my friend's side today. However...this city isn't really agreeing with me. I wasn't sure why, but I had been on pins and needles since we departed our room.

We ended the day's adventures at a market. Well...calling it a mere market would be like calling an ocean a puddle. I could barely wrap my mind around the size of the event. Maura informed me that it covered a thirty-five acre area and contained over eight-thousand vendor stalls.

We spent nearly three hours shopping and both picked up a few souvenirs for people back home. Maura bought several items for herself, but I became too agitated to purchase anything further.

The source of my agitation? People.

There were people everywhere; all packed into the relatively small aisles like sardines.

My skin began to crawl and I broke out in a nervous sweat. Anxiety became a fog that settled around me like a vaporous lead.

That's when I was first hit with the stark realization.

There are too many people in this city.

It's nice that everything is new and doesn't even remotely remind me of what I'm trying to escape from back home. But when I thought about getting away, I pictured less of a crowd.

When I thought about getting away with Maura, I pictured a lot less of a crowd.

The fact is, my head is messed up. It's the reason we left Boston. I'm broken and I'm trying to figure out how to function again. The sounds, sights, smells, and shear volume of population here are too distracting. I can hardly hear myself think, much less try and analyze the inner turmoil that came incredibly close to robbing me of my sanity.

The longer we are engulfed in the constant swarm of people that seem to cover every inch of Bangkok, the higher my tension level rises.

It's frustrating.

Yet, I keep my inner struggle to myself. Maura is having so much fun and I won't ruin it for her. She dropped everything in her life to whisk me away to a foreign land with the intention of mending my broken spirit. I owe her so much.

I owe her everything.

So, I do my best to breath through my worry and silently hope that our travels eventually lead us to a more secluded location.

This is the only full day we will spend here. Tomorrow, we are apparently traveling by car to our next destination. I can tell how eager Maura is for the coming step in our journey, but I can't get her to give me any definitive details about it.

That frustrates me...but only playfully so.

Earlier this afternoon we made reservations at a popular authentic Thai restaurant, located not far from our hotel. When the sun began to set we headed back to our room to freshen, then made our way to dinner.

Although the establishment is more crowded than I would have liked, much like every other aspect of this city, Maura has managed to calm my nerves. We talk about the day's adventures and I enjoy the almost flirtatious interaction that we share.

Our conversation is interrupted by the arrival of our food.

My stomach releases a feral growl in anticipation of being filled. We had a pretty big breakfast this morning...but that was almost ten hours ago and now I'm practically fainting from hunger.

"Thank God. My stomach was starting to eat itself."

The doctor chuckles at my exaggeration. I half expect her to comment on how unlikely that is, but she must be just as hungry as me. She starts to eat without offering any further response.

I pick up my eating utensil and gather a rather obscene amount of food onto it. I hear a word of protest as I bring the oversized helping to my lips.

"Wait!"

Too late.

I stuff the loaded fork in my mouth and moan at the initial array of flavors that roll around on my tongue.

However, seconds after my taste buds explode in pleasure...they catch fire.

This is the spiciest food I have ever tasted in my life.

My jaw stops mid-chew, my skin flushes from the roots of my hair to the tips of my toes, and my eyes begin to water uncontrollably. I have no choice but to grab my napkin and, as discreetly as I can, unload my bite into it.

If I wasn't in such immediate agony, I would call our waitress over and complain about the fact that there is lava in my curry.

Maura has a grimace on her face that teeters between concern and amusement. Her voice is full of barely restrained laughter when she speaks.

"I tried to tell you. Spicy, Jane, this Thai is authentic. You have to take small bites."

Great. Just great. I feel like such a girl as I frantically, but uselessly fan my face with one hand and reach for my drink with the other.

My efforts do little to extinguish the flames that I'm sure are visibly shooting from every orifice of my face.

My friend takes pity on my current dilemma and pushes one of her plates toward me.

It has a white-ish lump on it and I look up at her with a mixture of desperation and unease.

"Eat this. The properties of the fruit will lessen the burn more effectively than your water."

Huh...its a fruit. That wouldn't have been my first guess.

I grab the 'fruit' and throw it in my mouth without further hesitation. I begin to work my jaw with fervor in a frenzied attempt to sooth the still searing hot sensation that continues to plague my senses.

For the second time that night...my jaw stops mid-chew.

My eyes widen in shock and I almost spit the item across the room. With my napkin already full of my last attempt at eating, I don't think twice before depositing the bite right onto my plate. I can't expel the revolting taste fast enough.

I grab my water again, take a generous gulp into my mouth, and swish it around before swallowing.

With that ordeal over, I turn a bewildered expression on my dinner companion.

"What the hell was that?!"

Her lips are pressed tightly together and her shoulders are shaking with the laughter she somehow keeps from giving voice to.

After clearing her throat and taking a small breath, she calmly explains.

"That was durian; a native Thai fruit."

She keeps calling it a fruit. Funny. I would have put it in the 'rancid onion mixed with old gym socks' category.

"You ordered that?!"

She keeps her composure and answers me like we're discussing the weather.

"It comes as a side dish with the salad."

I'm half offended at her ease with this situation. As far as I'm concerned, I almost died tonight...twice.

I throw an accusing finger at the mangled bite of ungodly substance that now sits on my plate.

"You actually eat that?!"

"No. I don't eat durian. It tastes horrible."

My mouth falls agape for a moment and I just stare at her as she resumes eating.

Both my hands suddenly fly into the air.

"THEN WHY DID YOU LET ME EAT IT?!"

A sly smile graces her lips as she continues to look at her meal.

"Well..."

She hesitates.

"WELL?!"

She peers up at me through her long lashes and speaks so sweetly. Sugar most certainly would not melt on her tongue.

"...the burning has subsided, has it not?"

I'm dumbstruck; but now that she mentions it, the effects of the curry are much more manageable.

I can't believe it. I have just been fooled by a woman who, only a few years ago, found it difficult to comprehend the concepts of teasing and sarcasm.

And yet, while executing her prank, she simultaneously managed to put an end to my spice induced hell.

What happens next is beyond my control.

I burst into laughter.

She immediately joins in with the angelic sound of her own merriment.

My head is messed up. It's the reason we left Boston. I'm broken and trying to figure out how to function again. But in this moment, it doesn't matter. I am happy.

With her, the fractured pieces of me seem like a puzzle that just needs to be put back together, as opposed to sharp remnants of a shattered window that is beyond resurrection.

It makes me hopeful.

And a little less frustrated.

A/N: You are now leaving Bangkok. If you haven't ever heard of durian, get on google and look up 'durian Andrew Zimmern'. That will give you a better idea of what Maura just put Jane through. ;) Thank you so much for the feedback! As always, I'm incredibly happy to know that you are enjoying the story! Until next time. -SJR