they’d probably think you’re too skinny and move on to something better.”
“The doc said we needed to make sure you got fluids,” Cody said and Kellen followed her eyes to the near empty IV bag. “She showed me how to change the bag and she came by a few times to make sure I was doing it right and to check that you were doing okay.”
Kellen heard the pride in her voice. “So you’re going to become a doctor now?”
“No. Dana told me how long she had to study and I can’t see me doing that,” Cody answered seriously. “But maybe a paramedic, like Gabe, so I can still go out with the team. That’d be cool and Dana and Gabe both said they’d help me study.”
Dana had certainly managed a small miracle, if both girls had let her get that close to them. Kellen’s smile was genuine this time. “I think you’d make a terrific paramedic. But then I think you both will be wonderful at whatever you choose.”
“That’s because you love us,” Ren teased. “But I don’t like needles. I just want to paint.”
“That makes you very lucky then, because it turns out you have an amazing talent,” Kellen said. “It would be a shame to waste it.”
It had taken a lot of convincing before Ren had finally agreed to let them hang some of her wildlife paintings in the main office, and Kellen wondered when it might be a good time to let Ren know the small gallery in town wanted to start selling some of her work.
Everyone who saw them thought she was exceptionally talented, but Kellen understood. Ren struggled with self-confidence and got skittish when it came to letting people see her work. Ren was afraid to let strangers get too close, afraid they would see into her soul, and see what had been done to her by looking at her paintings.
All in good time, Kellen decided. Right now, she needed to dispose of the IV, take a long hot shower, and then indulge in some coffee. In that order. That would go a long way toward making her feel more human.
Thankfully, the IV catheter came out smoothly.
“What are you doing?” Cody asked.
“I really need a shower and this”—she pointed at the IV—“is not coming with me. Could you get me a Band-Aid? And if someone could manage to brew a large pot of coffee by the time I come out, I would be forever grateful.”
“With chocolate?” Cody asked.
Kellen grinned. “Absolutely.”
Cody nodded. “Okay, but I think Dana’s going to be pissed you did that.”
“Probably,” Kellen said and wondered what the doctor would look like angry. Hot , that was how Cody had first described her. Dana would look hot, she decided with a smile.
*
Hot didn’t begin to describe how Dana was feeling when she stopped by the cabin and discovered her patient was missing. “What do you mean she’s gone?”
Ren slipped quietly out of the cabin without a backward glance, but Cody held her ground. “Kellen’s fever topped out at 104,” she said, “but then it finally broke early this morning.”
Dana sighed. “And—?”
Cody stared at the floor for a moment, then squared her shoulders and lifted her chin in a move that so mimicked Kellen it left Dana speechless. “After she showered, we shared a brew and she talked to us for a bit. She explained she needed some time alone. She needed to figure out what to do. Then she packed a few things and took off with Bogart by her side.”
“And you just let her go?” Dana struggled to keep the disbelief and anger out of her tone. It wasn’t just that Kellen had been weakened by her illness. There was danger in having her go off alone. It was palpable. Unrelenting. The terrain and the weather could be treacherous, unforgiving to a poorly placed foot or handhold. And there was a two-legged hunter, somewhere out there seeking her as his prey.
Cody took a step back. “Kellen makes up her own mind, Dr. Kingston. And you grounded her, so there wasn’t much reason for her to stay.”
Dana saw the hurt in the girl’s eyes, heard it
“The doc said we needed to make sure you got fluids,” Cody said and Kellen followed her eyes to the near empty IV bag. “She showed me how to change the bag and she came by a few times to make sure I was doing it right and to check that you were doing okay.”
Kellen heard the pride in her voice. “So you’re going to become a doctor now?”
“No. Dana told me how long she had to study and I can’t see me doing that,” Cody answered seriously. “But maybe a paramedic, like Gabe, so I can still go out with the team. That’d be cool and Dana and Gabe both said they’d help me study.”
Dana had certainly managed a small miracle, if both girls had let her get that close to them. Kellen’s smile was genuine this time. “I think you’d make a terrific paramedic. But then I think you both will be wonderful at whatever you choose.”
“That’s because you love us,” Ren teased. “But I don’t like needles. I just want to paint.”
“That makes you very lucky then, because it turns out you have an amazing talent,” Kellen said. “It would be a shame to waste it.”
It had taken a lot of convincing before Ren had finally agreed to let them hang some of her wildlife paintings in the main office, and Kellen wondered when it might be a good time to let Ren know the small gallery in town wanted to start selling some of her work.
Everyone who saw them thought she was exceptionally talented, but Kellen understood. Ren struggled with self-confidence and got skittish when it came to letting people see her work. Ren was afraid to let strangers get too close, afraid they would see into her soul, and see what had been done to her by looking at her paintings.
All in good time, Kellen decided. Right now, she needed to dispose of the IV, take a long hot shower, and then indulge in some coffee. In that order. That would go a long way toward making her feel more human.
Thankfully, the IV catheter came out smoothly.
“What are you doing?” Cody asked.
“I really need a shower and this”—she pointed at the IV—“is not coming with me. Could you get me a Band-Aid? And if someone could manage to brew a large pot of coffee by the time I come out, I would be forever grateful.”
“With chocolate?” Cody asked.
Kellen grinned. “Absolutely.”
Cody nodded. “Okay, but I think Dana’s going to be pissed you did that.”
“Probably,” Kellen said and wondered what the doctor would look like angry. Hot , that was how Cody had first described her. Dana would look hot, she decided with a smile.
*
Hot didn’t begin to describe how Dana was feeling when she stopped by the cabin and discovered her patient was missing. “What do you mean she’s gone?”
Ren slipped quietly out of the cabin without a backward glance, but Cody held her ground. “Kellen’s fever topped out at 104,” she said, “but then it finally broke early this morning.”
Dana sighed. “And—?”
Cody stared at the floor for a moment, then squared her shoulders and lifted her chin in a move that so mimicked Kellen it left Dana speechless. “After she showered, we shared a brew and she talked to us for a bit. She explained she needed some time alone. She needed to figure out what to do. Then she packed a few things and took off with Bogart by her side.”
“And you just let her go?” Dana struggled to keep the disbelief and anger out of her tone. It wasn’t just that Kellen had been weakened by her illness. There was danger in having her go off alone. It was palpable. Unrelenting. The terrain and the weather could be treacherous, unforgiving to a poorly placed foot or handhold. And there was a two-legged hunter, somewhere out there seeking her as his prey.
Cody took a step back. “Kellen makes up her own mind, Dr. Kingston. And you grounded her, so there wasn’t much reason for her to stay.”
Dana saw the hurt in the girl’s eyes, heard it
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