The plane hit a rough patch of sky, and Luka groaned slightly. He raised
his head, then felt something tug around his neck.
Guilt hit him again as he glanced down, adjusting the silver chain. The girl's mother had saved his life twice over - first by her gift, then by calling off the soldiers. And yet.
If she'd given that cross to Patrique, the other man would be alive today. Luka hadn't know him long, barely a few weeks, but he'd seldom known a better man. Not many in Patrique's position would have stayed at his side - traveling with a foreigner like himself was about the same as wearing a large bull's-eye. If only he'd moved on with the others...
Did Patrique have any family? He'd never thought to ask. Were there a wife and children who'd wait at home, for the rest of their lives, wondering when he'd come back? A mother, a brother, even a friend...it seemed a cruel joke that the windower, the loner, should survive - survive, with no one to live for.
The stiff edge of the envelope poked him in the side, bringing with it another pang. Once again, he had been saved, leaving behind a man who had someone waiting for him. Carter been home and safe. But when the Alliance had called, bringing the news of his 'death' - he still wasn't sure how that had come about - the other doctor had come bolting back.
Irony, again. If it was his body Carter had brought back to the States, few would have wept over his coffin. Carter, though, had someone waiting for him.
Abby. That night in the lounge, she'd said that things weren't going right between them. Still, that probably hadn't lasted long. Carter, he thought dryly, might be fool enough to risk death for a body - but not to ruin his chances with Abby. Luka snorted. Only *he* was that foolish.
He could guess well enough what that letter contained. I'm all right. Don't worry. Wait for me. I love you. Why Carter hadn't returned with him to deliver that message in person, he didn't know.
~
Susan glanced up as she heard the ambulance bay doors opening, but she looked away quickly. Whoever was coming in could wait. Right now, she was more worried about Abby.
She was on break, at the moment, but that wouldn't last long. Since the news about Luka had come - even Susan had to fight down a pang of grief at that, little as she'd known him - Abby had been at the hospital almost constantly, collapsing in the lounge when she was exhausted and going home only when Weaver threw her out. The depth of her sorrow had been surprising - everyone had considered Luka and Abby to be friends by now, friends at the most. It seemed, though, that they'd been wrong.
Susan shook her head, looking away from the nurse and towards the incoming gurney. She stepped around the admit desk, waving to the paramedic. "What have we g-"
Her jaw dropped as the patient blinked slightly, lifting his hand in a half- hearted wave. "Hi, Susan."
She could only stand there as one of the medics took him into exam four. The other stayed, glancing curiously at Susan. "You know him?"
~
Abby looked up as the door to the lounge swung open, struggling to get her tired eyes to focus. Susan.
"Abby?"
Something in the other woman's voice made her pause. "What is it," she more stated than asked, her voice iron-steady. She didn't dare relax her grip on it.
"There's a...patient...in exam four. Needs a nurse. Are you finished your break?"
"Might as well be. I'll take it."
~
Luka drew in a breath, realizing with surprise that he'd missed County's sterile, 'hospital' smell. Though after he'd seen what resulted from the lack of it...
A shadow moved outside the curtain of his room, and he made a vain effort to sit up slightly. Bad enough he was an invalid in his own hospital, he thought dryly as the door creaked open. Wonder who -
For a moment, he could only stare, scouring her face to be certain of who it was. Every feature was right, and unless he was hallucinating...
Finally, he managed to look into her eyes, and he saw something there that he'd never dreamed of having.
Someone to live for.
Guilt hit him again as he glanced down, adjusting the silver chain. The girl's mother had saved his life twice over - first by her gift, then by calling off the soldiers. And yet.
If she'd given that cross to Patrique, the other man would be alive today. Luka hadn't know him long, barely a few weeks, but he'd seldom known a better man. Not many in Patrique's position would have stayed at his side - traveling with a foreigner like himself was about the same as wearing a large bull's-eye. If only he'd moved on with the others...
Did Patrique have any family? He'd never thought to ask. Were there a wife and children who'd wait at home, for the rest of their lives, wondering when he'd come back? A mother, a brother, even a friend...it seemed a cruel joke that the windower, the loner, should survive - survive, with no one to live for.
The stiff edge of the envelope poked him in the side, bringing with it another pang. Once again, he had been saved, leaving behind a man who had someone waiting for him. Carter been home and safe. But when the Alliance had called, bringing the news of his 'death' - he still wasn't sure how that had come about - the other doctor had come bolting back.
Irony, again. If it was his body Carter had brought back to the States, few would have wept over his coffin. Carter, though, had someone waiting for him.
Abby. That night in the lounge, she'd said that things weren't going right between them. Still, that probably hadn't lasted long. Carter, he thought dryly, might be fool enough to risk death for a body - but not to ruin his chances with Abby. Luka snorted. Only *he* was that foolish.
He could guess well enough what that letter contained. I'm all right. Don't worry. Wait for me. I love you. Why Carter hadn't returned with him to deliver that message in person, he didn't know.
~
Susan glanced up as she heard the ambulance bay doors opening, but she looked away quickly. Whoever was coming in could wait. Right now, she was more worried about Abby.
She was on break, at the moment, but that wouldn't last long. Since the news about Luka had come - even Susan had to fight down a pang of grief at that, little as she'd known him - Abby had been at the hospital almost constantly, collapsing in the lounge when she was exhausted and going home only when Weaver threw her out. The depth of her sorrow had been surprising - everyone had considered Luka and Abby to be friends by now, friends at the most. It seemed, though, that they'd been wrong.
Susan shook her head, looking away from the nurse and towards the incoming gurney. She stepped around the admit desk, waving to the paramedic. "What have we g-"
Her jaw dropped as the patient blinked slightly, lifting his hand in a half- hearted wave. "Hi, Susan."
She could only stand there as one of the medics took him into exam four. The other stayed, glancing curiously at Susan. "You know him?"
~
Abby looked up as the door to the lounge swung open, struggling to get her tired eyes to focus. Susan.
"Abby?"
Something in the other woman's voice made her pause. "What is it," she more stated than asked, her voice iron-steady. She didn't dare relax her grip on it.
"There's a...patient...in exam four. Needs a nurse. Are you finished your break?"
"Might as well be. I'll take it."
~
Luka drew in a breath, realizing with surprise that he'd missed County's sterile, 'hospital' smell. Though after he'd seen what resulted from the lack of it...
A shadow moved outside the curtain of his room, and he made a vain effort to sit up slightly. Bad enough he was an invalid in his own hospital, he thought dryly as the door creaked open. Wonder who -
For a moment, he could only stare, scouring her face to be certain of who it was. Every feature was right, and unless he was hallucinating...
Finally, he managed to look into her eyes, and he saw something there that he'd never dreamed of having.
Someone to live for.