My Soldier - Missing Home

Aftershocks

A/N ~~ How's everyone doing? Everyone loving Moon Knight!? Steven Grant really does make my day! He is hilarious..

~~ Anyways.. Facetime Call home finally for Harley and Lizzie!


21st October, 2018

~~Day 16, Nepal~~

Normal POV

Another morning and another rumbling wake up call. At this point, I think I would prefer being in Afghan getting shot at rather than being woken up by these Aftershocks from the Earthquake. Nepal is up too about 14 aftershocks at this point and they seem to be happening during the night. They are only tremors, but when your sleeping in a temporary Military tent with a pop-up metal bunk, every little shift of the Earth can be felt. As soon as my eyes shot open, I could hear the rattling of everyone else's metal beds in the next room, so I know it's not just me feeling this. I let out a groan as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and waited for the tremors to stop, not wanting to get out of bed until the ground has stopped moving. The last thing anyone needs is the medic getting an injury from getting out of bed during an aftershock. I checked my watch and it was near enough time to get up for the day anyways so as soon as the tremor stopped, slowly got out of bed, checking my surrounding with my pocket torch to make sure nothing was out of place and ready to trip me or fall before I headed for the bathroom, hearing the guys starting to move in the next room. After a quick morning routine, I head out to check the guys and make sure everyone is okay. Hopefully someone would have alerted me if someone was hurt but you never know so I made myself known before making my way into the next room.

"Morning Cap." Kai greets easily half dressed and sluggish as I stand and do a quick count. "Morning guys. Everyone okay after the aftershock? No bumps or falls?" I check with everyone and receive a chorus or replies telling me that everyone is fit and healthy. I relax as I walk over to see Natalia, who is sitting on her bed lacing up her boots. "Morning Lane." She greets as I nod my head and smile as she stands up to face me. "Morning Jones. Early start at the Medical centre today so quick run out, breakfast, then we'll head off." I remind her of our plans from yesterday since we are expecting a truck load of medication at the centre and I offered to oversee the delivery. "Of course Lane." I nod and leave Natalia to get ready before turning back to make sure Kai and Tyler are on board with driving us earlier than usual. They both have too much energy for an early morning but they put a smile on my face before I leave them to get ready and head back to do the same myself. I get my uniform on and make sure my bag is packed up and I have everything I need then leave the tent to see Charlie before leading a short run out for myself, Natalia, Kai and Tyler. As soon as I reach his office, he looks stressed which means he won't hear me knock. I let myself inside and call out to announce my presence, catching his attention that way instead. "Morning Lane, come in." I nod and walk inside, dropping my bag and coming to stand at his desk to look at his paperwork so he can continue his work and I can catch up on what I have missed.

"More roads blocked and power surges nearby.." I relay what I have just read over and he hums in acknowledgement. "Local forces are moving to help where they can but I am going to go out with the team for additional help." Charlie begins speaking his plans for the day out loud so I am in the loop as I read over the last pieces of paperwork in my hands. "We are going to travel with Captain Rai and his squad so you and Jones have a truck available to drive to and from the Medical Centre. Is that okay with you Lane?" Charlie finally looks over and I nod my head along with his words, already on board with his strategy for the day. "Of course Charlie. Do I have clearance to drive?" I check, knowing laws change all the time when we travel around. "Yes I made sure this morning, truck is yours for the day." I nod and place the paperwork down on the desk and turn my attention to Charlie who is still smiling, all things considered. "Great. I'll go lead the guys in a short run then since we are all heading out early today." I suggest and Charlie instantly agrees. "Good idea Lane. I'll meet you in the tent for breakfast." I nod and salute before being dismissed by Charlie. I grab my bag and head outside to see Natalia, Kai and Tyler all stood to attention waiting for me to join them. I run over and dismiss them and they stand at ease. "Tyler, can you head into the tent and tell everyone they are taking part in the short run out this morning and need to be out here in 5 minutes full kit." Tyler nods and runs back inside following my instructions without question before returning to his position not even a minute later.

Once everyone is outside in under 5 minutes they all wait for my instructions. "Alright guys, short run out for everyone this morning then straight to breakfast. There is even more damage to the local roads and buildings so Captain Summers is taking 7 Section to accompany Captain Rai's team with the clean up. Myself and Jones will be in the Medical Centre for the day. Quick reminder when you are all off Base, stay hydrated and keep your hands clean as much as possible. Last thing anyone of us want is for some of us to fall ill, is that understood?" The guys stand to attention and all call back in unison. "Yes Captain Lane." I nod and pick up my bag along with everyone else. "Pair up, short run out, Tyler and Kai lead us out." Everyone turns and pairs up as I join the back of the line to follow and make sure no one is left behind. Kai and Tyler turn back to make sure everyone is ready before I give them the nod to begin. We start off at a gentle pace to warm up before increasing it to a good pace of running to get us ready for the day. We take a shorter route around the Base and small roads, not taking more than 30 minutes before we get back to the Base. We drop our bags at the side of the food tent and fall in for something to eat. Everyone is now very awake and ready for the day as we get our food and sit together, Charlie joining us as we sit down so he can go over the details for today. We all listen close, hearing every word Charlie has to say. Everyone looks around the room, knowing if buildings are still collapsing, that means people are in danger and that is never good. I look and see Natalia looking slightly worried, already seeing what collapsing buildings can cause. And it's not a pretty sight for anyone..

"Stay safe you two. Keep your radios on you at all times, I want a check in as often as possible Lane." Charlie tells myself and Natalia as we all walk out towards the road leading into the Base where our transport is waiting. "Yes Captain. Keep those lot safe, I hate treating them all, absolute babies the lot of them." I joke making Charlie and Natalia laugh before Charlie gives me his famous nod. The nod he has been giving me for years, letting me know that he is worried and wants me to stay safe. I nod in return, letting him know I understand before he gets the guys to fall in line. I lead Natalia straight towards our truck so we can get moving. It's been a while since I have been behind the wheel but I never miss out on a opportunity to drive. I climb inside, Natalia quickly following into the passenger seat as I start the engine. I buckle myself in and turn to see Natalia smiling back waiting to go. "You look comfortable behind the wheel Captain." She jokes making me laugh at her comment, enjoying being around this side of her now she is settled into the team more and even more settled into our new normal day to day life here. "Oh so you think just because you've been bumped up to passenger you can crack jokes at the Captain?" I joke back and instantly she laughs in return. "Your word against mine Cap." I like this side of Natalia. Deffinently going to be recommending her to stay with us, even with Jake returning soon, she deserves it after what we have been through already. "Got me there Jones." I tease back before roaring the huge engine and pulling away from the Base with ease. Like riding a Bike..

It doesn't take us too long to arrive at the Centre, and instantly we are greeted by Dr Karr at the doors. I shut off the engine and turn to Natalia, who seems to be thinking the same thing I am. "This isn't good news." I say quietly. She nods her head before we climb out the truck and lock it behind me. I throw my bag over my shoulder and head over to Dr Karr, who instantly makes me feel uneasy with his current expression. "Good morning Harley, Natalia." He greets us both with a slightly better expression. "Morning Dr Karr, something is telling me it's not a good morning." I reply and he chuckles softly at my bluntness, something he admires apparently. "You'd be correct Harley, the transport for the medication is stuck outside the village currently so we are running low on certain medicines for now." I nod my head in understanding as he passes me a clip board with the stock he has counted before our arrival. I look over it and notice we are painfully low on antibiotics and certain types of pain medicine. Not good. "We will have to make it work, only using these if absolutely necessary until the delivery gets here. I will also check in with the Base and see if they have anything they can spare from the medical tent." I explain as I hand over the clip board to Natalia so she can see what we are discussing. "Thank you Harley. We've had a few new arrivals through the night, but nothing major for now." I nod my head as Natalia hands Dr Karr the paperwork. "Jones, head on inside and get started and I will follow shortly once I have been in touch with Charlie." She nods and walks in with Dr Karr as I turn use the Truck radio, knowing it has better signal than the one on my chest.

"So what your telling me Lane is that we need these roads cleared as soon as possible?" Charlie replies over his radio after updating him on our current situation. "Yes Captain, we need these medicines constantly in stock." I return and hear some static before his voice comes through again. "Thank you for letting me know Lane, I will re-direct us to help clearing the roads and I will get in touch with Base to find out if we have anything we can send down to you." I relax a little hearing his plans. "Great. Thanks Captain. I'll be in touch once I get inside and assess the Centre." I grab my bag and leave the truck again, waiting for a reply through my personal radio as I head towards the office to gear up. "Roger that Lane." I nod over at Natalia, who does the same across the room to let me know she listened to our conversation over her radio before I drop my bag and put my protective equipment on so I can get started. As soon as I leave the office, I head over to Dr Karr who is checking on a new patient in one of the beds. "Ah Harley, this is little Milan. His leg was trapped under a fallen tree and as far as I can see, he has a compound fracture to his left femur." I nod as I look over his chart before turning my attention to the small boy in the bed. "Hello Milan. My name is Harley." I greet and he quickly forces a small smile at me. "Hello Harley." I smile at his words as I move towards his left leg, which is sitting on top of the blanket covered for now. "Does your leg hurt a lot Milan?" He nods as I try and look as best I can without touching or moving him for now. "Does anywhere else hurt?" He shakes his head no before I carefully take a look at his leg.

"Try and rest Milan. Sleep helps a lot." I assure him and he nods with a small smile before getting comfortable on his pillow. I walk over to Dr Karr as he is checking over some charts in his hand. "How is he?" I shake my head softly, not liking what I seen. "His leg is becoming infected. He needs antibiotics." I say quietly and instantly Dr Karr looks worried. "I will wait for word from the Base, hopefully they have some for us then I will administer it straight away." I assure him and he nods his head in agreement. "Good idea." I smile softly before moving around the room to do our regular morning check ups, making sure I see to the new patients so I am completely up to date with everyone's conditions. Once everyone is seen too, I go over to change my gloves and wash my hands, Natalia doing the same when I get there. "How is everyone doing Lane?" She checks in like usual as I stand and wait for the sink. "As well as they can be, little boy needs antibiotics so hopefully I hear from Charlie soon so I can get them started." I explain as I move to start washing my hands as she dries hers. "Is he in bad shape?" I shake my head softly. "Not yet.. Bad fracture to his femur but the bone is coming through the skin slightly and there are signs of an infection starting out." I explain further and she nods her head in understanding as I move to dry my hands. "Poor kid, last thing any of these people need are infections attacking their bodies on top of everything else." I nod in agreement as I slip on some clean gloves and take the bottle of water from Natalia's hand. "It's one of the worst killers in situations like this, as well as diseases." She nods her head at the new information as we take a breather against the wall with our bottles of water.

The rest of the morning goes by quicker than ever as we both try and stay as busy as we can, allowing Dr Karr a couple of hours rest in his office. We keep up with the medication and bandage changes between everyone in the room. I haven't heard from Charlie all morning so hopefully they are getting somewhere, my worries for little Milan growing with every hour that passes. His temperature is starting to climb slowly which is just the beginning of his battle if we don't get him enough medication. We come to a gradual stop between us across the room as I spot Natalia finishing her last clean up. I make my way over and check in, seeing her starting to show signs of being tired. "How you holding up?" I ask and she quickly paints on a small smile. "Didn't get much sleep last night but I'm good." I nod and smile at her powering through with me today as we look around the room and see most people sleeping, but the silence is broken by my radio sounding. "Lane, come in." I slip my gloves off and quickly answer Charlie as Natalia comes close so she can listen in. "I've had word from Base that there are in fact some medicine boxes with what you need." I let out a sigh of relief before Charlie quickly adds to his statement. "But there is no one to transport it down to you." I look around the room, assessing what will need doing for the next hour before seeing Dr Karr coming out of his office. "I'll go collect it Charlie. I have the Truck I can be there and back in now time." I look to Natalia who nods her head in silent agreement as Charlie seems to be making his decision. "Okay Lane. Make sure Jones is on board before going. Let me know when your there and back." I smile genuinely, Natalia doing the same. "Roger that Captain." Looks like we have some medicine after all..

~~Sunday Morning, L.A.~~

Lizzie POV

After a restless sleep, I am now currently cursing my team for arranging a meeting on a Sunday Morning as I am sitting doing my make-up infront of my mirror. The dark circles around my eyes needing covered before I attempt to leave to go anywhere today. I miss having Harley's arms around me as I sleep. I always sleep better with her beside me, no matter what kind of day I have had, she made it so easy for me to sleep. I know I should not be this attached so soon, but it's happened and now I have to try and get used to her being away from home. It doesn't help that I haven't heard from her since we spoke over the phone. I haven't had any messages recently. I checked in with Stuart and Maisie yesterday and even they haven't heard anything. Stuart was quick to assure me and Maisie that the aftershocks may be to blame since they are still experiencing them nearly everyday. I just want to know she is safe. I ended up on the phone with Ashley for a couple of hours talking about anything we could to try and distract me from worrying so much but nothing seemed to work. So many emotions and scenarios run through my head as soon as I try and sleep. As much as people keep telling me it will get better and easier, it's really starting to feel like it never will. Scarlett assured me that once I start filming again, I will sleep better since I will be a lot busier and my mind won't be on Harley constantly. So hopefully my meeting today will help get me started with that since my team want to discuss Sorry For Your Loss Season 2 and get a filming schedule together.

Once I was ready and finished my second cup of coffee, I went out to my car and began the drive to the office building for the meeting. Luckily, the roads are quieter being a Sunday so I don't have to deal with much traffic. As soon as I pull up into the parking structure, I make my way across the street and up into the office to find my team all sitting waiting for me. They all greet me like usual before we get started. Rachel begins going over everything and I focus on listening to as much as I can, knowing this time around I am going to be producing some of the show myself so it's a huge deal for me. We go over everything we need to and I am starting to get excited to get going again. We make sure to go over some finer details and amend what we need too before getting finished soon after that. Rachel makes sure we have covered everything then calls an end to the meeting. I was expecting to be there a lot longer than what I was but I can't complain, my teams knows me very well now so they hardly need to come to me on every little thing. I sit and chat with Rachel about a few little things she wanted to double check with me before I finally leave the office with a stack of paperwork to go through at home. This will keep me busy for a little while at least. I stack the papers on my passenger seat and decide to check my phone, hoping to see any type of message but nothing comes up that I want to see at least. My mood dropping thinking about Harley again.. God I hope she is okay. I hate not knowing she is safe. I shake away the thoughts creeping back into my head so I can concentrate on getting home to start doing this paperwork.

I set myself up at my kitchen table with a coffee and some pasteries I bought on my way home to keep me going so I can get started on the mountain of papers I have infront of me right now. It was a little past 10:00am and already I was wishing it was later so I could go back to bed and sleep. I decided on having the radio on in the background as I work through it all, hoping to keep me awake so I can digest most of it so I can be ahead of the game when filming does start. My mind tries to wander between pages, thinking about how I miss the small things Harley would do when I would be working like this. The little touches as she would walk past me sitting in this exact spot or the way she would always kiss my cheek or temple when she would pass me in the house. Something so small but it means so much to me. Just her way of letting me know she is with me if I need her for anything. The way she would let me twist the rings she wears on her right hand if I got nervous or anxious about anything, the warmth of her hand giving me instant comfort or if she ever felt anxious or stressed she would give her hand to trace patterns across her skin to soothe her. Neither of us needing to ask for anything anymore but we just know what the other needs. It really feels like I have known her my entire life, which is both scary and amazing. God I miss her. I hope she can ring me again soon, hearing her voice makes everything disappear in an instant. Every worry or fear gone in a second at the sound of her safe and alive. 2 weeks down and I miss her just as much as the day she left. I can't wait to have her back so we can make more memories together, and finally be able to tell her how I truly feel about her. Not caring if she says it back yet, but just so she knows how much she really means to me.


Normal POV

It was a relief being able to bring the medicine back down to the Centre. At least we would have some to get us through the next couple of days, and by that point the roads should be more accessible. I got back and quickly got the boxes into the storage room so we could count through everything and make sure we could start administering what we need to for everyone waiting. We made quick work of getting medicine to everyone and suddenly the dark cloud is starting to shift again as patients started to show signs of improvement already. I finally made time to have something to eat with Natalia, making sure we both had enough to keep us going before making sure everyone was doing okay. We were all busy with filling out paperwork when we heard shouting coming from outside. I jumped to my feet, not knowing what to expect until we spotted a small body being carried inside by a panicked older man. "Natalia, clear a bed!" I yell over as I slip on some gloves and meet the man at the main doors. "Calm down Sir, my name is Harley. What's happened?" I ask stopping the man from rushing further inside. I notice the boy in his arms is covered in dirt and struggling to breathe as I hear the wheels of a bed behind me. "He was trapped, please help him." I nod my head as Natalia pushes the bed to my side. "Can I take him?" He nods hesitently and hands over the boy so I turn and lay him on the bed and start looking over his body as Natalia quickly checks his air ways and pulse. "Shallow breathing and weakening pulse Lane." She yells as Dr Karr comes to comfort the man. "Okay I need you to check his vitals whilst I get my bag." I tell Natalia and she begins to do her checks as I run to grab my bag from across the room.

I carry on checking his body after cutting open his t-shirt, quickly finding some bruising and cuts across his body. I then spot a puncture in the side of his body seeping with blood every time he is trying to take a breathe. Grabbing my stethoscope, I move it onto his chest to listen to his lungs, and instantly I hear the fluid build up. "He's got fluid on his lungs.." Natalia looks up and sees me getting what I need to relieve the pressure to allow him to breathe but before she can say anything, Dr Karr comes to my side looking at the needle in my hand as I take the plastic wrapping from it. "What's going on Harley?" He asks in a hushed tone of voice scanning over the boys body as he is gasping for air. "Something has punctured his side and somehow reached his lung resulting in tension pneumothorax. I need to relieve the pressure in his lungs so he can breathe.." I try and explain as I move my hands as quickly and efficiently as I can to get everything I need to hand from my bag. "Harley that is.." I already know where he is going with his next statement as I reach into the pocket on my right arm sleeve to find a pen. "I am aware of the risks Doctor but at this point, he is unable to breathe with the build up in his lungs and is drowning from the inside." I argue, already knowing that he is going to die if I don't do this now. "Where is my damn pen!" I shout out not being able to find a pen but before I can get anymore annoyed, Natalia hands me a small marker across the table. "Lane, breathe." She whispers with a small smile and nod letting me know she at least has some faith in me at this point. "Thanks." I smile back and take a calming breathe as Dr Karr takes the man away from the table as I carry out the procedure.

I mark the boys chest between his ribs where I need to push this needle through in one swift motion, hopefully reaching his lung. I put the pen down and reach over for the needle and look down at the mark. Calming my breathing and slight tremble in my hands as I know how wrong this can go. "Have you done this before?" Natalia asks as she is standing on the other side of the table keeping the boy as still as she can. "Once." I reply and she nods her head. "What can I do Lane?" She asks confidently and I let out a small sigh and look over at her. "Keep him calm and very still for me. Watch his breathing and let me know if anything changes." I explain calmly and she nods her head again and slightly moves her hand positions to his chest and stomach to hold him still. "Alright let's do this." I say to myself more than anything as I take the long needle and look at the small mark on the boys body. I see Natalia's body tense as I breathe in and push the needle through the boys skin and down until I feel confident it's where it is supposed to be. I then place the tip of my index finger on the small plastic attachment at the end of the needle and lift the part in my hand out and away from his body, leaving the small end still in his lung. As soon as it comes away in my hand, the boy takes in a breathe a lot easier than what he was doing 30 seconds ago. "Breathing is better Lane." Natalia comments as she looks up at the boy and I let out the breathe I have been holding onto for the last minute. "Heart rate is coming down. He's breathing normally." Natalia explains as I look up and see a more relaxed expression on his little face..

I do some secondary checks as Natalia just stands and watches me and instantly my body calms down hearing him breathing in and out without any pressure. I check his lungs and then look up to see a relieved expression on Natalia's face as she meets my gaze. "That was incredible Lane." She comments and smiles softly, my own smile mirroring hers. "Thanks Jones." We both look back to the boy as his eyes flutter open slowly, revealing a pair of soft, light brown eyes. "Hey buddy.." I say softly as I move up to meet his eyeline, slipping off my dirty gloves so he doesn't see the blood on them. "Hello.." He returns shyly which makes me smile as I check his pupils subtly as he looks around the new environment he is in. "Where is my Dad?" He asks slowly and I look over to see the Man still standing with Dr Karr across the room. "He's just getting a drink. Do you feel okay?" I ask, not knowing anything he's ben through before getting here. "I do." I nod my head and smile before hearing Dr Karr's voice getting closer. I step away as the man rushes to see his son, cupping his face in his hands smiling as Dr Karr walks over to me. "I'm impressed Harley. Your a very talented Medic to carry something like that out under these circumstances." I smile and nod at his words, never being able to take a compliment well. "Thank you Dr Karr. He's stable for now but he needs a hospital." I explain and he nods his head in agreement. "Yes I agree, let's do all we can for now and hopefully we get some transport soon." I hum lightly in agreement before turning to see Natalia finishing cleaning and dressing the boys small cuts. "Nice work Jones." She smiles up at me as she grabs a small blanket to cover the boy with as best she can so we can move him to the other side of the room.

Once we move the boy and settle him with an IV and monitor, we leave him to rest. I go to follow Natalia to wash my hands but before I can move, I feel a hand grab my arm. I freeze for a second and go into a defensive state but as I look to my side, I see the Dad of the boy looking sheepishly at me. I nod towards Natalia letting her know it's okay to go ahead without me and turn to face him. "Thank you.. For saving my boys life." He manages to say with the slight language barrier and I smile at his words. "It's my job sir. I'm glad he is okay." I return making him smile softly before he turns to his son's side and takes a seat holding his hand. I walk across the room and join Natalia at the sink and begin to wash my hands, letting myself relax a little more as I do. "No wonder people talk so highly of you Lane, the way you didn't hesitate with that boy to save his life." Natalia says softly as I move to dry my hands. "It's what we are trained to do Jones. If we hesitate, it could mean the difference between saving a life or losing one. Trust your gut no matter what and don't let what anyone says to you effect that." I tell her confidently and she nods with just as much confidence. "Trust your gut, no matter what." She repeats, letting me know she is listening and taking on my advice before we hear a beep outside. "That's our ride, ready to head back?" I ask and she nods her head softly. We make our way to the office and get our things together, Natalia goes outside to greet the guys as I do one last check in with Dr Karr like always before heading out to greet Kai and Tyler so they can take us back up to Base for the day.

And what a day it has been..


~~Later that Evening.. Nepal~~

When we got back to Base, the team were all exhausted from there day out clearing the roads and they instantly seen how exhausted me and Natalia were from our day at the Centre so we all opted for another shorter run out before having something to eat. As soon as we had had something to eat, it was time for a shower and then relax in the bunks. I knew I had some paperwork to get through so I got started on it as soon as I could after a brief meeting with Charlie to go over what had happened for the day. Thankfully, with the guys working on the clear up it sounds like we would have some transport in the next day or two for the patients to get to the hospital so that was a huge relief, as well as knowing the medicine will be arriving with it. I told him about the day I had with Natalia and he quickly made sure I am okay and told me he would check in with Natalia as well. He advised me on ringing home whilst we have a strong phone signal since the powerlines had been repaired today so I made a note to try and facetime everyone later since it's been 2 weeks without seeing anyone. After leaving Charlie's office I made sure to check in with the guys quickly then excused myself to do my paperwork. There was more than I expected but I got on with it and got a huge chunk of it done before checking the time on my watch and seeing it was nearing 23:00. Knowing the time difference between here and London I decided to take a break and ring home. I moved to my bunk and got on my phone to facetime with Maisie so I could see her and Dad. My mood quickly getting better seeing their smiling faces. We caught up on everything before Dad told me to go get some rest so I said goodbye and came off the phone, but I knew there was someone else I wanted to see tonight.

I couldn't hold back my smile as I clicked on Lizzie's number to facetime her. It's been hard not seeing her for over 2 weeks, I just hope she isn't busy and can answer. I let it ring, seeing my own face on the screen and I look a mess. Tired eyes and messy hair but I don't care. At least I have a bit of colour from the sun here. As soon as she answers and the screen changes, I'm caught in a trance seeing her smiling face looking back at mine. I'm in complete awe of how beautiful she looks, her gorgeous galaxy eyes staring through the camera as she searches my features for a few seconds until her soft, angelic voice brings me back to reality. "Hi Soldier.." She almost whispers, scared this isn't real making me smile wider as my heart just glows at the girl that has completely stolen my heart. How did I get so lucky to call her My Girl..

Harley - "Hey beautiful.."

Lizzie - "I wasn't expecting to see you this soon.. I've missed that face."

Harley - "I've missed you too baby. You look stunning.."

Lizzie - "And you look tired.. Long day?"

Harley - "Very long day.. One I never want to re-live."

Lizzie - "Do you want to talk about it?"

Harley - "Not really.. Tell me about your day? I know it's still early morning but I just want to hear your voice as I get to look at you.."

Lizzie - "Your cute Soldier.."

I lay back in my bunk as Lizzie tells me about her meeting earlier about Sorry For Your Loss Season 2 and I make sure she knows how proud I am of her. She blushes at my compliments which makes my smile grow impossibly bigger as she giggles shyly down the phone. God I've missed her laugh so much. We fall into our usual comfortable conversation as she talks about everything she hasn't told me about over text as I just admire her through my phone screen. When she does eventually run out of things to talk to me about, I end up telling her about Naya leaving to go and get checked over at the hospital. She smiles adoringly as I tell her about my favourite little patient and I even manage to send her the selfie I took of us one day when I was showing Naya my family to keep her occupied when her Dad was catching up on his sleep. Lizzie's eyes went all watery seeing the little girl with green eyes and she gushed over her just as much as I have been. I then tell her about little Milan and some other patients I have been treating and she just listens to my rambling before we fall into a small staring contest as we just take in everything about each other. I want nothing more than to be able to hold her in my arms right now and I catch her looking to my lips like she does before she pulls me into a kiss. I can't wait to be with her again. It gets late and Lizzie lightly scolds me for being on the phone so late so we begin our long goodbyes, not wanting to go but knowing we have too. Lizzie blows me a kiss and my heart melts at the smile that follows before we come off the call and I'm plummeted back into my reality..

As much as I love my job.. Being away from home is getting harder..