Chapter 11
oest dating, but our demanding jobs meant we rarely had to see each other.
Most of em encounters took place in war torn regions he’d be rushing to treat the wounded, while I’d be in the operating room, fighting to save
A fireting touch as ve brushed past each other was then the only connection we shared.
The patchy network stenal didn’t help either. Days would pass without hearing from rach other, but then, out of nowhere, my phone would buzz. meristeps as imessages flooded in. They were disorganized, chaotic, as if they too had brmed gunfire are destruction, but they carried the weight of longing and steadfast affection.
te sauation in No
Thes
in North Kivu grew increasingly dre
Our first argument happened on the day a village near Goma was attackeil.
When we arrived, the armed militants hadn’t fully retreated, and the security forces were still exchanging fire with them.
We rushed back to the vehicle, preparing to evacuate, but joseph suddenlyped out of the ambulance.
There, at the edge of the handlefield, lay a collapsed villager.
Joseph hoisted the man onto his hack and carried him to safety, his men body cut and bleeding from shrapnel.
I was furious and terrified, yelling at him, “Are you trying to get yourself killed”
hut he stood his ground. “I’m a doctor! 1 couldn’t just leave him there! His legs injured, but he could’ve survived. If I didn’t save him, he would’ve died for sure!
Eknew he was right, and I knew it was his duty to save lives.
But when he returned covered in blood–so much blood I couldn’t tell which was his and which wasn’t–my composure crumbled.
After tremble through a frantic examination and realizing his injuries were only superficial. I broke down, clutching him as I sobbed.
“Joseph! I can’t lose anyone else! If something happened to you, what would I do?”
He stood there silently for a moment before wrapping his arms around me, his voice hoarse.
“I’m sorry I promise ril be more careful. I won’t put myself in daneer, and won’t make you worry anymore.”
Still crying. I buried my face in his chest. “You have to promise!”
“Alright, let’s make a pinky swear,” he said, taking my hand.
“Pinky swear, whoever
ever breaks it will turn into a puppy!”
I couldn’t help but laugh through my tears. “If you really turn into a puppy, he would I introduce you to my mom?”
“Your puppy boyfriend?” he teased, grinning.
I threw a pillow at him in frustration. He lay still, pretending to be dead. Panicked, I quickly pulled the pillow away, only to see hissly smile and perfectly fine face
His expression seemed to say: See? I’m not that easy to kill.
1 glared at him until my eyes stung and blurred with fresh tears.
At that moment, I realized how precious every single day with Joseph truly w
Al the chaos of war escalated, the Ebola virus began its relentless assault on this already devastated country
is and the Ebola
By spring, Joseph was even busier. With a severe shortage of medical staff, he shuttled back and forth between refugee campis:
treatment center.
handed to Break a Heart – That me That Never Been
Chosen
Chapter 11
Then, armed groups launched sudden immediately. But Joseph this
ollacks on treatment centers in
In smoralities. Many doctors were forced to abandon their posts and evacuate
On one hand, the sounen iİns
modrave.
was still relatively stable. On the other hard nearly a hundred patients remained in the center. If everynne left.
those patentts would have no chmer but to wait for death in their bris,
Joseph and four other doctors decided to stay and adapt to the situation as it sofchled..
However, the crisis quickly wed. Armed groups occupied the outskirts ofima, cutting off all routes in and eat. We were trapped in the city.
ing me to come to the treatment center. It didn’t explain much, but I had a had
Amid this tense situation. Joseph saldenly sent me a message, asking i
feeling
Inside an empty room that had been temporarily cleared out. I saw a After saning up in protective gear, we entered the medical vaste diepenal an group of Hanu children–ever ten of them. They had escaped from the nooraba, the oldest to more than twelve years old.
Their clothes were tattered, their bodies covered in infected wounds. I really believe my eyes,
re discovered.
The armed groups occupying the outskirts verre Tutsis, and the Tutsis haid a deep seated bloul feud with the Hutus. If these children were not only would they be doomed, but the entire treatment center could also Luce destruction.
I was overwhelmed and shouted at Joseph:
“Joseph, are you insane Dg you even remember the principles of Doctors Wabout Borders?!
He wasn’t supposed to get directly involved in the conflict. Only by maintaining neutrality could he help the most people.
But he simply hung his head, his voice low. “I know this is dangerous, which is why I wanted to ask if you could reach out to an organization that can take these children in.”
“How are you going to get them out of Goma? There are patrols everywhere! asked, almost in despair,
Joseph’s words came fast. “They’re small; they can wear protective suits and are invade medical waste bina.
The disposal trucks come every three days, and no one ever checks those his. As long as someone is ready to receive them on the other side, we can
I was stunned by the audacity of his plan, momentarily at a loss for words
He clenched his fists and said with unwavering determination
“Zoey, I am a human being first, a doctor second, and a member of Doctors Without Borders Last.
I cannot stand by and let these children be thrown out to die!”
Mase Hoën Chevell
