When Rayleigh walks into the economy class, people stare at her, a beautiful foreigner with blond hair tied into a ponytail. She's tall and looks intimidating. Rose followed her from behind, and her friendly demeanor suddenly vanished into thin air. She becomes cold and somehow harsh. She kneels close to the injured person and asks, "Where's his family? Does he have a latex allergy?" She speaks in English; no one seems to understand her clearly.
Isla helps translate for her since she was already with them a few minutes more than Rose, and her father is a British man, so listening to Rayleigh's accent is easy. Isla told her that their son doesn't have any allergies to latex as far as her family is concerned. Rayleigh opens the medical kits and quickly puts on the surgical glove and mask; thankfully, the aircraft has a dressing wound set. "Belle, please help me record everything here, and please ask the family if they're okay with me doing first aid here."
Because the airplane goes back to Thailand, most passengers are Thai. What makes it difficult is the language barrier. It was so easy talking with Rose; she thought every Thai person could speak English just fine.
Belle and Isla do what they're told; they don't panic at all, and even when inside their heads, they want to cry and leave the premises. "Your name?" Rayleigh asks Isla before she moves closer to the injured patient; she doesn't have time to read her name tag.
"Isla Griffith."
"Okay then, Miss Griffith, help me translate everything I'm about to say. Ready?"
"Yes."
Rayleigh checked on the injured and took a deep breath. On her first flight after a year, she didn't go anywhere, and God loved her very much by sending her an emergency patient during her flight. A pen was stabbed into his eyes, his inner corner close to the inner lid; it wasn't too deep. "I need him to let go of his hand from his eyes to trust me. It's going to hurt, but I'll give him a painkiller later." Isla translates Rayleigh's words, and the young man listens well.
The pen collapsed when he let go of the hand that covered his face. A small amount of blood gushes from the wound. It was a shallow wound in a very critical spot; miss a bit, and this young man could lose his eyes. "Take a deep breath; hold on."
The young man follows every instruction very well. Rayleigh cleans the blood around, and she sees a two-millimeter wound in his inner eyes. She put gauze on the wound and applied a bit of pressure, then used a petroleum jelly she had taken from her bag to stop the bleeding. While waiting, she looks around; people are watching her help the poor man. She cleans the excess blood from his face and eyes. Rayleigh also slowly opens his injured eyes; it is red blood, but she doesn't see any wounds. She makes a few tests, and every reflex of his eyes is still working. "He's fine; he's not going to be blind anytime soon. After the blood stops, I'll apply an antibiotic ointment and put a bandage on his eyes. He'll be fine. Tell the captain we don't need to make a detour. He can be checked up once we land in Thailand; prepare an ambulance. Tell them, "Dr. Rayleigh MacKenzie from Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York is on board."
Isla explained to his family in a clear voice, while Rose told her other coworker to tell the captain everything Rayleigh had said. After Isla's explanation, people cheer with happiness; because the doctor makes quick first aid, they don't need to make some detours.
After forty-five minutes, the injured man returned to his chair, but the air hostess moved him to the front row, away from the man who'd stabbed him in the first place. After cleaning everything, Rayleigh walks back to her seat and holds Rose's hand. People are still in thrills; they don't bother that the doctor already goes away while having one of the air hostess's hands. When they're at the intersection between classes, "please give me a glass of vodka."
"Okay, wait a minute." Rose poured the vodka into a small plastic glass and gave it to Rayleigh; she drank it in one gulp.
"Fuck, I hate every emergency like that." She puts her head on Rose's shoulder; she finds it relaxing. "Sorry."
"No, no, don't let go." She needs it, and Rose also needs her to touch her. Without asking twice, Rayleigh engulfs her in a big, tight hug.
"You and Miss Griffith are doing a great job, Belle." Right after she said that, Isla passed them, rolled her eyes, and walked straight to the front. "Your friend just rolled her eyes at me."
"Isla?"
"Yes, she walks faster up front."
"Probably going to cry to her girlfriend; the captain is her girlfriend."
"Oh, sexy." Rayleigh moved her attention back to the woman in her arms and asked, "Are you okay?"
"I will be."
"Okay, then I need more hugs."
"Sure." Rayleigh knows the air hostess needs a hug more than her, so she follows along.
-
"Do you really need to open your shirt here? Can you do it inside?" Rayleigh could hear a whining voice from Rose; she decided to shower after the emergency had passed. Rose gives her the amenities for a first-class passenger and a pair of slippers.
"I just unbuttoned my shirt. Do you like what you see?" Rayleigh smirks.
"I do; most people will agree with me!" She complains but can't divert her eyes from Rayleigh's body, her toned abs, and her white lacy bra.
"She's right indeed, doctor..." Rose knows the voice; she stands in front of Rayleigh like the latter belongs to her.
"Rayleigh MacKenzie, and you're?"
"Chantana Duangkamol, the captain. I want to say thank you on behalf of the aircraft crew. Any food or beverage you need is free, doctor. My courtesy." She clasped her hands and bowed, followed by Isla and then Rose.
"Oh, yes, thank you." She returns their gesture, a bit surprised: "It's my job as a doctor."
After that, they're talking in their native language, which seems to tease Rose, and she chases them away. She's back to stare into Rayleigh. "Just get inside the shower quickly, please."
"Alright. Will you be here when I'm finished?"
"I have others to attend to, you know." Rose crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow.
"Oh, too bad, I look damn good after showering."
"Just get in, please, doctor Rayleigh."
"Just call me Ray, my Belle." She whispers into Rose's ear and quickly gets into the shower.
The lavatories are stocked with soft linen towels and a range of toiletries for ladies and gentlemen. In first class, passengers can take a shower. Especially for a long flight like theirs, Rayleigh tied all her hair into a messy bun. She needs a shower but doesn't want to be bothered by wet hair during a flight. She was going to take another glass of vodka before she decided to go to sleep; it was the most tiring forty-five minutes for her. She used to do surgeries for hours, but having people on her back while helping someone like today is exhausting. People's expectations are far worse than her professor's, and she hates it, but it's her duty as a doctor to help those in need. Plus, the way Rose asked her for help makes her heart skip a beat; she can't say no to that woman.
Rose can't believe she's the one who's being flipped around; it's usually the other way around. It always got boring after a while since everyone seemed to be hooked on her faster than she wanted. But this woman blatantly flirts with her, messing her up, and now she's sleeping peacefully after a shower. Rayleigh isn't the first doctor she teases and is close with, but they're so easy to read. Most doctors snobbish people with money, thinking she's an easy target, showering her with money and having her under their control, without knowing it was her that had them under her control. And it feels great in her embrace; it feels right.
"Oh shit."
"Why?" Isla sits next to her; they leave the aisle for Prawat and take a break to eat."
"I'm doomed, Isla." Her best friend opened the dinner box, saw the food inside, and took the carrot first before deciding to eat the rest.
"What? You fall for the hot doctor?" Isla answered non-chalantly.
"How-"
"I can see it in your eyes, plus you use your baby voice with her." Isla teases her, almost mockingly.
"I did not!"
"You did, Rose, when she unbuttoned her shirt."
"YOU SERIOUS?"
"Dead serious. Eat. Shut up." Isla concentrates on her food tray.