pulse. “What day of the week is it?”
“A not so good one?”
“You certainly haven’t lost your sense of humor. The day?”
“Tuesday.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “Good enough?”
“For now.”
“Do you think there’s something wrong? The last thing I need is a concussion.”
“I think you’re fine, but I’m still going to keep an eye on you.”
She caught his serious expression and wished the thought of him watching over her didn’t appeal to her so much. She glanced at her watch. Their chance of making it to the embassy in time was over, as were any chances of making a phone call. So much for saving the world. They’d be lucky if they could manage to get back home in time for Friday’s elections.
Chad slid out into the aisle. “Sit here for a couple minutes and hold this cloth lightly against the cut. I need to make sure Joseph’s all right.”
With her hand on her head, she looked around the plane. The Cessna was still miraculously in one piece. From the window, she caught sight of the slow-moving Congo River. Thick brush gave way to the sandy shoreline against the water’s edge where they had landed. Another few yards to the right and they’d have ended up in the middle of the river. How had Nick managed to land the plane without hitting a tree or running them into the Congo?
The plane walls began to close in around her. Her temple throbbed. She had to get out. Slowly, she unbuckled her seat belt and rose from her seat. Chad stood beside Joseph, assessing any injuries. Joseph winced as Chad examined his hand.
“I don’t think it’s broken, but definitely sprained.” Chad looked up at her. “Do you see a first-aid kit?”
She rummaged through the cockpit and quickly found the metal box.
Chad pulled out an elastic bandage. “Nothing to worry about, Joseph. This will keep it immobile, and in a few days you’ll be as good as new.”
Natalie moved to the open door of the plane, her backpack slung across her shoulder.
“Let me finish here, Natalie, and I’ll help you down.”
Two minutes later, Chad jumped to the ground, then reached up to help her. She slid into his arms, her legs shaking as the reality of what had happened began to sink in. He didn’t let go until she took a step back on her own.
How had life gotten so complicated? Yesterday she’d been content to pour her heart into teaching disease prevention and trying to stop an epidemic. Then Joseph showed up. And Chad…She shook her head. Her mind was too muddled to even think about the implications of where her heart wanted to go. Someday. When all of this was over…
Chad tilted up her chin and looked her in the eyes. “I want you to promise you’ll tell me if you get nauseated, if your headache doesn’t go away—”
“I know the symptoms.”
“Promise me you’ll tell me?”
She shot him a lopsided grin. “I promise.”
Nick came out from under the belly of the plane with a frown on his face. “I’m sorry about this, folks. I don’t know what to say.”
Chad met him halfway. “What do you think happened?”
Nick ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m pretty sure it’s a clogged fuel filter. I should be able to fix it, but it’ll be dark soon, which means we’re not going anywhere tonight.”
Chad shook his head. “I don’t know how you managed to get us on the ground in one piece, but thank you.”
“This plane doesn’t need a long landing strip, but all the same, it was a miracle.”
Natalie joined them. “Any idea where we are?”
Nick glanced at his flight plan. “One hour and twenty minutes from takeoff puts us roughly a hundred and forty kilometers fromKasili. And from what I saw from the air, I’m pretty sure we’re nowhere near any town.”
Natalie set her backpack down beside her. She had enough food and water to get them through tomorrow. After that, her rations would be gone. And there were other problems as well. In another couple hours, the sun would set,
“A not so good one?”
“You certainly haven’t lost your sense of humor. The day?”
“Tuesday.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “Good enough?”
“For now.”
“Do you think there’s something wrong? The last thing I need is a concussion.”
“I think you’re fine, but I’m still going to keep an eye on you.”
She caught his serious expression and wished the thought of him watching over her didn’t appeal to her so much. She glanced at her watch. Their chance of making it to the embassy in time was over, as were any chances of making a phone call. So much for saving the world. They’d be lucky if they could manage to get back home in time for Friday’s elections.
Chad slid out into the aisle. “Sit here for a couple minutes and hold this cloth lightly against the cut. I need to make sure Joseph’s all right.”
With her hand on her head, she looked around the plane. The Cessna was still miraculously in one piece. From the window, she caught sight of the slow-moving Congo River. Thick brush gave way to the sandy shoreline against the water’s edge where they had landed. Another few yards to the right and they’d have ended up in the middle of the river. How had Nick managed to land the plane without hitting a tree or running them into the Congo?
The plane walls began to close in around her. Her temple throbbed. She had to get out. Slowly, she unbuckled her seat belt and rose from her seat. Chad stood beside Joseph, assessing any injuries. Joseph winced as Chad examined his hand.
“I don’t think it’s broken, but definitely sprained.” Chad looked up at her. “Do you see a first-aid kit?”
She rummaged through the cockpit and quickly found the metal box.
Chad pulled out an elastic bandage. “Nothing to worry about, Joseph. This will keep it immobile, and in a few days you’ll be as good as new.”
Natalie moved to the open door of the plane, her backpack slung across her shoulder.
“Let me finish here, Natalie, and I’ll help you down.”
Two minutes later, Chad jumped to the ground, then reached up to help her. She slid into his arms, her legs shaking as the reality of what had happened began to sink in. He didn’t let go until she took a step back on her own.
How had life gotten so complicated? Yesterday she’d been content to pour her heart into teaching disease prevention and trying to stop an epidemic. Then Joseph showed up. And Chad…She shook her head. Her mind was too muddled to even think about the implications of where her heart wanted to go. Someday. When all of this was over…
Chad tilted up her chin and looked her in the eyes. “I want you to promise you’ll tell me if you get nauseated, if your headache doesn’t go away—”
“I know the symptoms.”
“Promise me you’ll tell me?”
She shot him a lopsided grin. “I promise.”
Nick came out from under the belly of the plane with a frown on his face. “I’m sorry about this, folks. I don’t know what to say.”
Chad met him halfway. “What do you think happened?”
Nick ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m pretty sure it’s a clogged fuel filter. I should be able to fix it, but it’ll be dark soon, which means we’re not going anywhere tonight.”
Chad shook his head. “I don’t know how you managed to get us on the ground in one piece, but thank you.”
“This plane doesn’t need a long landing strip, but all the same, it was a miracle.”
Natalie joined them. “Any idea where we are?”
Nick glanced at his flight plan. “One hour and twenty minutes from takeoff puts us roughly a hundred and forty kilometers fromKasili. And from what I saw from the air, I’m pretty sure we’re nowhere near any town.”
Natalie set her backpack down beside her. She had enough food and water to get them through tomorrow. After that, her rations would be gone. And there were other problems as well. In another couple hours, the sun would set,
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