Terence smiled as he recognized it—he’d seen Halle holding it before. It was probably the gift he had jokingly pestered her for.
Before he could open it, the sharp sound of a car horn interrupted him.
“Captain Bacchus! Get in the car! We’re running out of time!”
Glancing at the carefully wrapped box, Terence gently slipped it into the inner pocket of his coat, making sure it stayed clean and untouched by dust.
Hidden behind a tree, Halle watched him leave, letting out a quiet sigh as tears streamed down her face.
“Goodbye, Terence,” she whispered.
This was likely the last time she would ever see him.
Tanzania to Washington was thousands of kilometers apart—a distance too great to cross again. Once missed, it would be forever.
Wiping away her tears, Halle turned and walked back toward the camp. On her way, she ran into a group of newly arrived support doctors.
“Dr. Dolton!” one of them called out excitedly. “Could we get your autograph? We both came here because of you!”
Halle froze, caught off guard.
“Me?” she asked, pointing to herself in disbelief.
“Of course!” they gushed. The two normally serious doctors had transformed into starstruck fans.