Long Time Running - By Hannah Foster Page 0,23

Eric and she simply had to get on with her life. In the logical fashion that Sarah approached every situation in her life, she reminded her that she had made the choice she thought best and she needed to remember all the factors that went into to her leaving.

And so she had. The moment Jack had been put on her chest and her heart filled to the brim with love for him she knew she had made the right decision - however painful it had been. The opportunity to travel to the Congo and work in a field hospital had been too good to pass up and with her two-month old son in tow she had moved them to Africa. She had still continued to miss Eric almost every day but the satisfaction she had from making such a difference had helped to distract her, at least temporarily, from her self-inflicted broken heart.

And then in the darkness of one night, when she saw first hand the very worst the world had to offer, it had all come crashing to an end. Once again, Nathalie had been left with only one, heartbreaking choice.

Feeling slightly shaky at the sudden rush of memories, she turned and slowly walked towards the door, ready to return to her room. As she made her way down the stairs her legs trembled with every step. This was why she couldn't talk about Jack with Sarah or tell Keith about her past; the weight of it all was crushing. Finally back in the hallway, she was short of breath and gripped the railing while she stopped to regroup. Between the tumor and the first few radiation sessions she could feel her stamina seeping from her and she was finding simple tasks - like walking - more difficult.

Taking a deep breath she took several unsteady steps forward before having to stop again. Exhausted, she rested her head against the wall.

"Nat?"

Just the sound of his voice made her heart skip a beat. Even though she knew they would never be together again she hated that he was seeing her like this. Pulling her head from the wall, she smiled weakly and didn't quite meet his gaze. Unsteadily, she took a step forward.

"I'm fine," she replied quietly.

She could feel Eric casting a critical eye over her and knew he could see that she was struggling.

"Let me help you" he offered.

She shook her head, still not meeting his eyes. "No, it's okay. I'm sure you have rounds or something," she said as she took another step.

Beads of perspiration pooled on her forehead and she silently gritted her teeth as she tried to keep moving. However, her body would not cooperate and her knees buckled. She was shocked not to feel the cool laminate floor underneath her but rather a pair of familiar arms.

"You always were stubborn," he reminded her softly as he started to carry her back to her room.

"This isn't necessary," she protested with her arm draped tentatively around his shoulder. She was trying to ignore the white hot heat coursing through her body from the touch of his hands on her skin. She kept her eyes closed, almost afraid she would melt if she looked at him

"We're almost there."

As her shirt came away from her back his hand rested on her exposed skin and she could feel him touching the thickness of her burn scar.

Carrying her over the threshold, he laid her down gently on the bed. With great care he rolled her onto her side, away from him and lifted her t-shirt and hoodie. Nathalie groaned silently. It wasn't that the scar was a secret - it hardly could be. But it was a very tangible reminder of that horrible night and all the choices that followed and she hated it. He outlined it softly with his fingertip. The feel of his touch brought tears to her eyes.

"That's a pretty big scar," he whispered. "How did you get it?"

She pulled down her shirt and rolled on to her back, finally meeting his eyes. "In a fire" she replied softly.

"What caused the fire?" His voice was gentle and encouraging.

Her mouth dropped open, as if to answer, but she was unable to make any noise. Her entire body started to tremble and her breathing was ragged. Sitting up, she pulled her knees to her chest, trying to make herself as small as possible. She gasped for air, her chest heaving as she clenched her eyes shut.

He sat down on the edge