Chance Encounters

Part 3: Anger

Charlie sat in back of the camper van that had been converted into a sterile clinic. Modified drawers held all sorts of medicine and tools she could possibly need. If it wasn't for the air conditioning she wouldn't have survived inside as she waited for the next patient to come inside.

A knock at the door sounded before it opened and Angel walked in with a young boy in his arms. The kid clung to him since Charlie was a stranger. She smiled kindly at the boy and held out a lollipop to him.

"What's wrong sweetie?" She asked the boy who looked to Angel for help.

"His house was burnt down. It's his back." Angel answered as he lifted the boys shirt up showing the red and blistered skin beneath.

Charlie had seen grown men cry over less and she couldn't understand how the boy was so quiet. She felt the urge to find who did this and make them pay. All day she had seen kids coming in baring they marks of a war they are not involved in. She saw kids that had the look of a jaded adult in their eyes not the innocent eyes they should have. It reminded her of herself.

"Take his shirt off please." She instructed Angel. "Okay sweetie, I'm going to give you some medicine for the pain and put a cover on you back to protect it from germs."

The boy nodded and hid his face in Angels vest. While his face was hidden she sprayed his back down with an antimicrobial and taped a large pad across the raw wound. She grabbed 7 more of the pads, a few rolls of tape and a bottle of Pamol.

"The dressing needs to be changed daily so it doesn't heal into the skin. Pamol for the pain, 4 times a day." She told Angel, hoping he would pass the instructions on to the boys carer. "I'll be back in a week to check it."

Charlie hid a yawn as the sun began to set and the last patient left the mobile site they set up. Early that morning Nestor had rung her intercom persistently until she got up to tell him to shut up. It was still dark when they had left to go to Mexico and she had only gotten home to bed less than six hours before that. To say she was tired was an understatement.

"You alright Doc?" Angel asked as he reeled the shade awning in.

"Ready for bed." She replied as she closed her eyes.

Angel packed the rest of the chairs and tables they had set up and it wasn't long until he was in the drivers seat next to a snoring Charlie. He shook his head at the poor doctor and leant over to recline her seat. He couldn't help thinking she was going to work herself into an early grave. She was working at the hospital, patching the Mayans up and taking these Mexican day trips once a week.

He had tried getting her to talk when they started this two months ago but she didn't share anything personal. In a way she reminded him of Adelita, too caring and too closed off. He had to assume her story was as bad as Adelita's if she didn't want to talk about it. Angel let the doc sleep until the parked the caravan behind the bronco at the tunnel entrance.

"Charlie." He said shaking her shoulder but she wouldn't budge. "Charlie! Hey!"

She finally startled and woke up with her elbow flying at Angel's head. He fell back into his seat with a groan and held his cheek. Charlie felt terrible, she had been dreaming about the people who had hurt the kids she treated today and was rampaging in her head. She hadn't meant to lash out at poor Angel and apologised profusely. She grabbed an ice pack from the back and gave it to him before they began their trek under land.

"What happened to you?" Bishop asked Angel as they popped up in the dress warehouse.

"Doctor's got a solid elbow." He snickered.

He had teased the tired doctor the whole way along the walk. Guilt-tripping her for the bruise he now spotted. Now he looked at her and she was not looked entertained by the joke.