The first couple of months passed as smoothly as possible. She had picked up a few words in French, it wasn't until she had reached her fifth month being there was when things started to get complicated. With the new epidemic on the rise the team decided to send two people back to the embassy to gather more supplies. It only took two weeks for them to return with armed guards out of fear of being interceded from panicked citizens or political opposing supporters. As Ebola rampaged through the country the team presupposed a plan that would expect minimal effect on the neighboring towns. They had hoped to contain the number of cases that would need attention at a single time, staggering the numbers of the effected. However, it only took roughly six months for the town to uproar in fear and neglect protocol as the number of the effected climbed to a substantial amount. The people then began to ransack the housing of the volunteered medical staff. They were left with no supplies and no support from the people, leaving them vulnerable and unprotected to outside attacks.

They decided to pack up what was left and head back to the embassy since there was nothing more they could do without the supplies or support. They weaved through the terrain as the road disappeared at times. It took them quite a while to make it to Mokama where they took a quick break to stretch their legs. Their arrival had generated inquisitive looks and whispers. This was not something they were unfamiliar with, but everyone was on edge with the new outbreak. They were not sure how they would react with them there and quickly decided to depart.

Shortly after they left the town, they crossed the Elila river. The sun was setting, and they had hoped to be in Kindu by nightfall. Right after the bridge was an immediate s curve in the road. Upon the first turn they noticed a vehicle parked taking up most of the road. They pulled up to the right of them asking if they needed any help. Their kind gesture was returned with gunfire. They aimed at the drivers first and blood filled the cars. Some of her colleagues made it out of the vehicles and were shot on site by the intruders as they tried to escape. Lea had been hit in the shoulder with one of the bullets that had passed through her colleague that sat to the right of her. It had been shallow with the loss of momentum. The bone had stopped its motion causing her scapula to fracture. Struggling with one usable arm she opened the door to her left end fell to the ground. Between blood loss and the ringing in her ear her vision began to double. She propped herself against the rear tire and looked around before reaching back into the car to get her bag out from the floorboard. Hunched over from pain she managed to keep low using the vehicle as cover. There was a ditch just in front of her that she had hoped to be able to hide in, she just needed to get to it before getting caught. Tripping over her own feet she ended up rolling into the ditch and hit her injured shoulder on a rock causing her to pass out from the pain.

When she came to, many hours had passed. Lea laid there using her left hand to feel around her bag to find her forceps. When she had found them, she placed them on her chest, and looked around for something to bite on. There weren't any decent twigs around and she had debated on using painkillers, but she had learned quickly out here that supplies should be held off until there was an emergency. Since she wasn't already dead the bullet hadn't nicked her subclavian artery. The only thing left was to get the lead out of her body before rigor or poisoning occurred. Sticking her finger in the hole she felt around making sure she knew how she would proceed. Taking a deep breath in she lifted the forceps and when she breathed out she stuck them inside the small hole. She drew in a shaky breath before she pushed them in any farther. No longer able to mask the pain a loud groan escaped her mouth as she felt the metal clink together. After a few attempts to grab the bullet she had finally clamped down and pulled it out. Her hand shook as she gripped the forceps tightly and dropped them both in her bag and searched for the stapler. She brought up her right hand and pinched the wound closed so she could staple it in place. Now the only thing she had to worry about was an infection, but she was in the clear for the moment.

Lea wandered until she ended up in Kindu, still far out from the safe border, but there was some civilization here that she could possibly find help. She found her No.10 Scalpel in her medical bag to cut her hair until it fell just below her chin. She had to go through a few classes on safely and risks involving the DRC before she was allowed to come, so she set her mind on focusing on the things she could do to avoid certain situations. However, she knew the likelihood of coming out being in the condition she was in now was slim to none, if she were to even make it out at all. She had to mentally pep-talk herself to put one foot in front of the other more often than she would like to admit.

Lad had managed to get across the river into the center of the city before she saw an initiation go down for a local gang. Teenage boys had proceeded to rape a woman in the middle of the street and cut her with their pocketknives. There were six boys that dominated the woman. Lea wanted to intercede, but she knew if anything happened to her, she wouldn't be much help to her after they were done, so she hid nearby listening to the faint screams as they muffled her by filling her throat with themselves. Lea watch as they plunged their small knives into her flesh as she laid there not moving. They left them in there after a few thrusts then climbed into a vehicle nearby to drive off.

Lea left her hiding spot to approach the young girl and saw how badly it was. She rushed down the street to a small clinic and asked for help. At first they were concerned and had asked Lea what happened and as she started to explain they shut the doors on her telling her they can't help them. Rushing back to the woman she panicked and forgot what to do for a moment. Taking a few deep breaths Lea fell to her knees next to the injured woman.

"Alright, hold still. You will feel a pinch and some pressure." Lea spoke to the unconscious woman as she dug into her bag pulling out some lidocaine and gauze. She injected the local anesthesia around the knives that had barely made it past the surface or that were located in superficial areas, this would help to retract the blood vessels around the wounds to help minimize the bleeding. The street wasn't her ideal place to work, but with the hospital denying their entrance she didn't have much of a choice. Some of the wounds worried her as he noticed their location. Lea had to do what she could but some of them she would have to seek shelter for or the woman would have no chance even after completing what could be done.

Lea had noticed a group of people had gathered across the street watching her intently. It didn't take long for a military SUV to pull up and the men who had been watching her decided to come closer. She continued to work on the young woman not wanting to break concentration, and before she knew it she found herself surrounded by ruffians who she was certain identified themselves with some sort of gang affiliation.

Putting two fingers up on the woman's neck Lea felt her pulse was shallow and fading fast. There wasn't anything she could do with the men surrounding her they needed to get somewhere safe. Knowing that she was throwing her own life into the balance by helping this woman her oath still rang in her ear. Looking up, a man with an expensive suit stepped out of the SUV and headed her way.

"Please help." Lea had pleaded knowing he was probably the one in charge.

"Quitte la." His voice was loud and dominating. (Leave her)

Her shoulders twitched when he spoke, but she continued to work ignoring his command. She didn't hear the next words that he had said, but she could guess what it was when one of his men came over and yanked out one of the small blades she had been worried about the most. Blood came pouring out of her leg as the knife was no longer keeping everything in place. She began packing the wound with gauze trying to combat against the inevitable using the last of the supplies she had stored away.

"Elle est morte," The suited man said. (She's dead)

The rest of the men that surrounded her were dressed in camouflage. She cursed under her breath understanding what that meant, she was covered in blood and well, fucked. She rose her hands up in the air for surrender, right now her goal was to survive not prevent what was coming. The man had smirked at her and signaled for one of his men to grab Lea.