The Unexpected Journey-A Prince Harry Fan Fic

Chapter Seven

The day that had begun slowly, allowing everyone time to recover from the party the night before, soon slipped into a sort of busy that bordered on chaotic. There was a wave of illness that had spread through one of the communities in the area and the medical staff had been running since early morning. It was days like this that Maddie felt the most useless. Her colleagues were massively busy while she saw a normal round of clients. Yes, she was busy, but they were much more so. At times, Khenda allowed her to help out in small ways; checking people in, asking basic questions, handing out various items.

Maddie was in her office, preparing to meet with a family she had been seeing for almost the entire time she had been in Bendal. It was a mother of two young boys who had lost their father to a violent surge in the area just before Maddie had arrived. Jemima, Geru, and Mante. Jemima was struggling to keep her family together, to put food on the table, and to keep her boys from the world that had taken away their father much too early. As she skimmed through her notes from the last meeting, Ella popped in quickly; a bit to eat in her hand.

"Hey!" She called out to Maddie as she swallowed a bite. "Tonight's Harry's last night in Bendal."

"Is it?" Maddie raised her eyebrows, trying for ignorance.

"Is it?" Ella mocked; her eyes narrowing at her roommate. "Does this act work on the general public? Because I don't buy it." She sighed. "Anyway. Collins said that he and Khenda were planning on taking him out to Perini for some local food and, knowing your love for food, I thought maybe we could join them..." Her smile faded into a smirk. "Unless you had something more intimate planned for the Prince."

"Ella..." Maddie glared playfully.

"Come on! Don't you want a great story to tell your grandchildren?"

"My grandchildren?" Maddie laughed; pushing the folder to the side.

"About the time you shagged the third in line to the throne...on one hot sweaty African night?" Her voice lowered as she drifted into the office.

"Shhh!" Maddie waved her hand. "You act like all I would have to do is suggest it to him and he would..."

"He would," Ella interrupted with a smug smile. "I know he's proper and sweet and, truly, lovely. But he has a wild side. I can tell."

"You can tell?"

"I can tell."

"Of course," Maddie shook her head. "While I hate to kick you out of my office, as I think you could certainly benefit from some Mental Health attention, I do have people on their way to see me, so..." She waved her hand; dismissing her friend.

"Yeah, yeah," Ella moved through the door; Maddie following her. "So? Do you want to go or not? Collins wants to have a firm count." Maddie sighed.

"Yes. I would love to go to Perini with you."

"And the Prince..."

"And the Prince," Maddie laughed. "Now go! I know you are busy down there."

"We are," she nodded and began down the hallway. "The Prince is done with official functions at six. We're meeting at reception desk at half past!"

"See you then!" Maddie called back. And then, as she turned back towards her office, she heard the doors to the building fly open and a loud, piercing scream that would change the course of her day. She spun around and there, standing in the entryway was part of the family she was supposed to be seeing in two minutes. The mother, who had fought and fought to keep her boys safe, was holding, in her arms the bloodied, limp body of her youngest son. Maddie's heart stopped.

Her eyes flew to Ella; meeting her gaze for a split second before her training kicked in. The two women broke into a run; directly for where the mother had fallen to her knees; her son slumping into her lap. There was so much crying, so much blood.