I woke up with a headache. I feel like it's being crushed. I held it and touched some dressing. I remember what happened. By the way, our plane crashed and I had a head injury. I suddenly remembered the patient we helped.
"Ack." I fell on my forehead because of my sudden rise. He is in pain but tolerable.
"How are you feeling?"
I turned to the man who had entered my room. I smiled at Archer while I went down the bed.
"I'm fine. Where are we?" I asked.
"Hikaraya, North Africa."
I nodded. With the dynamic amount of emergency landing we can get, in Africa's poorest country.
"Be careful outside, most were surprised because the natives stole the suitcases from the plane."
I nodded. I guess it's a bit expected because of course they want food. I suddenly remembered our patient.
"How's the PAD patient?" I will ask. He stood up and imitated me. I saw the patient on a room lying down. He was asleep but there were no sermons.
"How many hours do I sleep?" I asked. He looked at me with intensity in his eyes.
"Almost 2 days."
-
Archer gave me a briefing on what happened during the times I slept. I saw the outside. We were staying in one of the barangays of this place. Okur Laha, that's how they call this place. I was also surprised to see that there were tables set up around. I saw Lorenz, Sandro and Aurora sitting across the tables with an African Native in front of them.
"So what do you mean is, the locals stopped stealing when they found out that we have many doctors with us?" I asked after I understand what he told me. Archer nodded at my question.
"Good afternoon, Doctor." Someone there said in hard english. Archer nodded at the person.
"Nuwagi, this is Dr. Quinn Wildridge. A fellow doctor of ours." Introduction by Archer. I smiled and offered a hand.
"This is Nuwagi, Quinn. One of the translators here in Okur Laha."
We introduced ourselves. He is the one who negotiates with the people and our magicians. That's good. But we will have a hard time understanding each other.
In the evening, people gave us a share. I see Lorenz is tired. I chose to cook because they didn't allow me to work for now.
"Quinn! You're okay!" Aurora exclaimed as she saw me preparing for dinner. I smiled at her.
"No, Aura. She's not okay yet, you can already cook." Sandro inserts. Aurora stared at him.
"I'm talking to you? Huh?" blocking by Aurora. I was just shaken.
"I called Dr. Salome and Dr. Aldea. I updated them with our status." Lorenz ordered when he approached me. I nodded at him at his news.
"When are we going home?" I asked. He even thought about it.
"After two days." He replied. He turned to Archer and I saw the hesitation in his eyes. I frowned.
"Is there a problem?" I asked. Lorenz sighed.
"We want to stay."
I stumbled upon Lorenz's answer to me. I did not inexpect that. I turned to Archer, wondering.
"Quinn, ano kasi .." Aurora started so I look at her.
"After consultation, we saw a lot of problems with people here. They are having a health crisis and believe it or not, some of them just saw doctors. I have someone with Hirsprung's Disease and Intussuseption. I would like to perform an operation. "
"I have someone who has consistent signs and symptoms of Myocardial Ischemia. There are also many with heartblock." Lorenz agrees. I thought.
"And they have a lot of Neuro cases ... especially Myasthenia Gravis."
Archer caught my attention. MG ...
"But what about the ones we will use? Archer told me there's no hospital here in Hirakaya."
"That's where we would like to ask for your help. You know you are strong with Dr. Salome and Dr. Aldea. Can you ask for funds? Lorenz asked Dr. Theodore Madrazo to ask for donations from Sales General Corporation. They will send compelete hospital setup and coming next week. That's all, they can only give Xray and Ultrasound Machine machines. We don't have enough for Anesthesia. I asked my dad to donate some. It will come tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. "
I listened carefully to Sandro. I nodded. If so ...
"Alright, we'll stay and help them."
We were busy that night. We sorted a lot in terms of how we would fix things right here. I am now sitting on one of the exits of the house where Nuwagi welcomes us here. He was the one who saw where we fell.
"Where did you learn to speak in English?" I asked Nuwagi. He's around 30's I guess. For an African, he has whiteness. I found out he was of American descent. His mother was an American. An American who had a medical mission here and met his father.
"My mom teaches me. I teach some of our fellow natives here too. The know only basic English." I nodded. Archer suddenly came out the door and went straight to my side. The arm immediately wrapped around my waist. I saw Nuwagi look there. She smiled.
"I didn't know you have a wife." I could almost spit out the tea I was drinking because of what I heard. I heard Archer chuckled.
"I hope she'll be." He replied that made my heart beat faster.
"She isn't yet?"
"She isn't my girlfriend."
"Why?" Nuwagi looks at me at the same time. It was as if I was about to fall into my seat when I suddenly had a hotseat. You see these!
"U-Uh .."
Suddenly my phone rang so I immediately stood up. I showed Archer who was calling.
"Dr. Aldea is calling- excuse me."
I even saw her smile because she knew I was avoiding the topic. I quickly answered Dr.'s call. Aldea.
"Iha..how are you?"
"Good day, Doctor. We're okay here." My answer.
"Good. I heard from Francis you don't want to go home yet?"
"Yes, Doc. If you will allow us. We have just landed in the area of indigenous natives here in Africa. A lot of them are needing help since there is no hospital here in Hikaraya. I hope we can stay here for a month or two. " I say goodbye. There was a slight silence on the line. I turned to Archer who was staring at me intently. I smiled a little.
"I'll see how your department can adapt. Especially Dr. Archer Houston. He's just here and he's needed here. Maybe he can go back after a week. Maybe it's not bad to be left there?"
I don't know why I felt when I thought Archer and I were separated. Even so, I nodded even though he didn't see you.
"Yes, Dr. One more thing, can we ask for some donation? Hospital supplies, anything. Sales General Hospital will donate some of their volunteer nurses and med tech's as well as machines and supplies. Good popularity too."
End of call to agreements. Crimson General Hospital will send some volunteers too together with the supplies. That's it, in two weeks, Archer needs to go back there and we will stay here.
I told that to Archer. I know he wants to stay here too but he can't. He has a big responsibility that he cannot leave there. I think we can manage by ourselves here.
The next day, I did not feel well. I don't know, nothing hurts me.
"You have a problem, pangs?" Sandro asked the next day while we were having coffee. Lorenz and Sandro and I were the only three awake. Sometimes I miss these moments. We are only three times. Not that I don't want Aurora and Archer in our lives. Nakakamiss lang talaga.
"Pangs?" I will ask.
"Short for panget." Lorenz replied. I immediately looked at Sandro.
"Nothing really comes out of your mouth, what?" I hope so. He laughed out loud.
"Busangot kasi! Ano ba meron pards? Ano nagyare sa usapan niyo kahapon ni Dr. Aldea? OTW na ba funds naten?"
I told them what had been said. Lorenz just listens to me carefully while there are so many really useless side comments by Sandro.
"Now I know why you are sad." Sandro said suddenly. I frowned. I am sad?
"Then it doesn't matter, you will really hit me again." I threatened to receive a laugh.
"You're sad because Archer's leaving us first." I was surprised by what he said. He is so serious now that I was born suddenly. I laughed awkwardly and sipped my coffee.
"You're really bullshit."
"Come on! Lorenz oh don't believe me you say." He complained to Lorenz. Lorenz just gave me a stern smile.
"You're quiet easy for us to read, Quinn. We've been your friends for years. We can read you as much as you know every fiber of our being."
I sighed. Of course, they already know me.
"I don't understand either." When I admit it. Sandro sat down next to me and walked away.
"You like him Quinn. Obviously. I guess you just don't want to accept yourself. Obviously Archer also likes you."
I'm quiet. I don't know what to say.
"Are you afraid that if you confirm your mutual feelings, you will just waste time again like what happened to you and James?" I could not even answer what Lorenz said. It was as if he had just found out something about me. Probably true.
Nakakapagod kasi. I will invest time, love and time with someone again and then nothing else? Will it disappear again?
Gaia, I'm also guilty for Gaia, my unborn child. I feel like I will betray him. Her father did it when he married his wife. I don't know if I can do the same.
"Quinn, learn from my mistake. I didn't grab the chance to be with Mikaela back then. To fight for her when she told me she don't love me. Archer and you met already before and he told me how he's madly in love with you. Not everyone is blessed with second chances. "