SO, I just saw One for the Money and I have to admit, Jason O'MAlley was a great choice to play Joe Morelli. He reminds me of Mel Gibson back in his hotty days. He and Stephanie (Katherine Heigl) had good chemistry. Ranger was a disappointment. Sorry but that Ranger was so NOT Cuban. I wasn't crazy about the choices for Stephanie's family. Grandma should have been older and weaker. Mom should have been thinner. Dad thinner, too, more like Vinnie. I liked Vinnie. Good job there and Lula was spot on. But again for me Morelli stole the show, cupcake. Now I need to get back to writing Plum Crazy, but before I do, let me give a shout out to my newest friends here on FanFic: vampgrl99- thank you for the reviews. I wish I could write back to you. And also 1313 and b1ack-candy – I look forward to hearing more from you both. And as always to my old friends Ladaane, Barbie2435, Jasminedragon22, and Wadjett. Lover of souls, try not to kill me on this chapter. I'm not a doctor.

Love to all!

THE HEALING POWER

11/13/2002 – I've been here at the gypsies less than fifteen four hours and I've already made love to Nadia three times. Considering I slept for seven hours, I guess I'm holding up pretty well. With Klaudia so close to giving birth, they have relied on Nadia to help out with the cooking, giving me a much needed break. The first time we had sex, my head wasn't on the game. I was thinking about Victoria and whether or not she would be receptive to Blake's advances, should he have the balls to try. She really was the most loyal to me out of the ladies on the mountain, although Nadia was probably the girl who treasured my company the most. It was hard to gauge though considering I was the only one here. I wondered if given the choice, would she prefer one of the others over me?

I haven't really seen much of the others yet. Nadia has kept me holed up in her room. I guess I should get my ass up and try again to pitch my plea to Stanislaw for Nadia to accompany me back to the mountain.

It's weird. I thought I'd be happy to get away from all the drama of the mountain, but I miss it. I miss them. Gina and Tori.

I stepped out into the bright sunlight of the afternoon. It was a cold day. I zipped up my coat and shoved my hands into my pockets.

"Good Morning—or should I say afternoon."

"Good morning. We were getting worried that you had forgotten about us," Ludmila replied.

"I would never forget about you. The weather was bad and I promised the others I would not travel in bad weather. Too much chance of getting caught. I could travel if you allowed Burns to accompany me."

"I don't want a soul to know where we are, even if he is a friend of yours."

"Burns is a good man. He would never turn against us."

"So you say. What you do on your mountain is your business. I don't want him here!" Stanislaw bellowed.

"Papa, cam down," Klaudia implored.

"Nate, we always appreciate that you take the time and the chance to some and bring us supplies," Klaudia said sweetly.

"Did you know that yesterday was Gina's birthday? They had a big party for her," Nadia said in an obvious effort to change the subject.

"Really? Tell us about this party," Klaudia asked.

"Gina had a very hard life before coming to us on the mountain. She was passed around like a piece of meat among the men she was with before running away and managing on her own. I wanted her to have a special birthday, so I incorporated the help of most of the people on the mountain. Gina mentioned to me that she always wanted to honeymoon on a Caribbean island, so we turned our dining hall into a tiki hut complete with posters of the beach and sand on the floor. Everyone wore summer clothes and leis around their necks and we had cute little umbrellas in all the drinks. Burns even managed to find a CD with sounds of the ocean. It was pretty awesome. She had a great time."

"Wow."

"You have heated buildings?" Edyta asked.

"Yes, Burns's house is heated. There's a Jacuzzi in the bathroom. The new dining hall slash schoolhouse is heated now and so is the bunkhouse. We built it to accommodate the clan from the desert, since we are going to have our first wedding on the mountain. Ian, a human, is marrying Wanderer, a soul."

"That's just wrong," Aleksander blurted out.

"Maybe, but they are very happy."

"What happens when this soul's body gets old? Will it crawl out and climb into someone else's body?" Niko asked.

"Well, it doesn't really work like that. They have to be surgically removed, and if you don't know how to do it, you'll just end up destroying the soul. The clan at the desert tried for a long time and ended up losing both the soul and the human. It was Wanderer who told them how to do it right. She let them remove her from the body she inhabited because Melanie was still fighting to stay in her head. Wanderer thought she'd die. She requested it even though they had the tanks needed to preserve her and send her to another planet to live another life in another entity. It was Ian who refused to allow her to die. He placed her in the cryo tank and kept her with him while Melanie's lover and brother went off to find a suitable replacement. They felt that a soul who was willing to die, so Melanie could live deserved to have a chance at life as well. Besides, Ian is not the kind of guy you would want to piss off. Take my word for it. He can do some serious damage."

"So, Ian has seen this soul, Wanderer, in her true form?" Klaudia asked.

"Yes."

"And he still loves her?" Niko asked.

"Yes."

"That's crazy," Stanislaw blurted out.

"Wanda is—special."

Niko interrupted. "I thought her name was Wanderer?"

"It is, but we've taken to call her Wanda. It's more—human. Only Ian calls her Wanderer. There are two other souls in our clans. Sunny, who inhabits the body of Jody, Ian's brother's love. They removed Sunny from the body, but Jody was gone, so…"

"They put her back?" Dominik asked.

"At Kyle's request. You see, Kyle went off in search of Jody after learning that Melanie had been given her body back. He was surprised to find that Jody, I mean Sunny, came willingly because she had Jody's memories and she loved him, too. She didn't even put up a fight."

"So are they a couple?"

"They weren't at first. She was more like a pet. Kyle let her tag along until one day Wanda convinced him that Sunny might be jealous of the attention he was giving to Wanda. I think after the first kiss, things moved along pretty quickly."

"Wait a minute." Stanislaw interrupted. "You said that the humans found another body for Wanda to inhabit. Where did they find another human?"

"They snagged a girl at the mall. Of course, she already had a soul in her. They took that soul out and sent it—her—her name they found out was Pet—they put her in a cryo tank and sent her to another planet. They placed Wanda into the body and she woke up very surprised to be alive."

"That's some love story," Klaudia crooned.

"Yeah." As much as I hated to admit it, it was a love story, and I had no right to destroy that. It was at that moment that I realized that I couldn't take that from Ian. I wouldn't take Wanda from him. They belonged together. I knew I would always love her, but I needed to make some changes in my life. I would have to make a decision between Gina and Tori.

I must have been staring off into space because Nadia was waving her hand in front of my face. "Earth to Nate!"

I came out of my daze. "Sorry. I have a lot on my mind these days with the wedding coming up."

Klaudia took my hand. "Take a little walk with me Nate."

"Sure."

I offered Klaudia my arm, and she took it willingly.

"So, how are you feeling?" I asked.

"Stuffed."

"The wedding is in mid December. I'm going to try and make it back before then. I'll bring as much supplies as I can get my hands on. Wanda is due back in two weeks. She will probably be going into town often to get the last of the things she needs for the wedding. I'll have her get supplies each time she goes in."

"Nate, that's really sweet of you."

"Klaudia, I think that birthing children under these circumstances is very courageous if not dangerous."

"Well, I don't have the luxury of birth control like you—not that I don't want the baby. I do. I just worry that sickness or injury could be the death of any one of us."

"I understand. I have some healing medications that the souls use in the truck. I'll leave it with you."

"I don't know how to use it."

"It's easy. I'll show you. You know Ian got shot in the belly a while back. Under normal circumstances, he would have died. As a matter of fact, I thought he was dead, but Burns, he poured the healing medication into the wound probably just before Ian took his last breath, and he saved him."

"Oh my! Who shot him?"

"Xena, the warrior." I smiled when I thought about her. She was such a fierce opponent and yet such a gentle lover.

"Xena?"

"It's my nickname for her. Her real name is Victoria. She was living on the run with her brother. Burns is a seeker."

Klaudia gasped.

"Not a real seeker. He just tells the other souls that he is, so they won't question why he doesn't go to work on a daily basis. Seekers keep their own hours—and, as it turns out, the area constables call him when they capture humans, so he can transport them to the where they need to go. They never question him. He picks them up, drives them around and then returns through town a few hours later on his way home. The humans end up on our mountain. That's how we got Gina and her friend, Holly. Victoria was holed up at a campground. They called Burns to capture her. Burns took me, Ian, and Evan with him. Tori thought we were all souls, and she shot Ian while trying to protect her little brother."

"So, your family on the mountain keeps growing. Are there many babies?"

"No, not on the mountain. We have several couples, but everyone is afraid to raise a family. Melanie is pregnant. She's due about the same time you are. It was not a planned pregnancy. When Melanie got her body back, she and Jared celebrated. Next thing you know, Mel was pregnant, Jared was pissed off. Wanda was Mel's biggest supporter. She wants children with Ian, just not right away. My sister has been considering a baby as well. I just found out that she lost a baby recently. She didn't tell me. I guess I'm not supposed to worry."

"Do you want children?"

"I don't know. I can't even decide if I'd make a good husband never mind a good father. I have no problem running the mountain and making decisions that affect the people who live there, but my own life is a shambles."

"Well, you could marry Nadia. I know she loves you."

"Unfortunately, while I care for Nadia, I don't love her."

"What about Gina? Do you love her?"

"I do."

"Then what's the problem?"

I put my head down. "You'll laugh."

"No, I won't."

"Remember when I said that Wanda is special?"

"You love Ian's soul?"

I didn't answer.

"Oh, Nate. That's terrible!"

"There's more."

"Please don't tell me the soul is having your baby!"

"No. I've never gotten that far with her. I came close once when she and Ian had broken up, but…"

"She broke your heart."

I chuckled. "It's like being run over by a Mack truck."

"You can't get over her."

"No. So, even though I love Gina and I know she loves me, I don't know if I can give her what she so desperately wants from me. Then there's Tori."

"Tori? The girl who shot Ian?"

"Yeah."

"You love her, too?"

"More like a friend with benefits but…"

"But what?"

"Tori loves me and Gina's got Evan and…"

Klaudia suddenly sat down. "I feel dizzy."

"Is it the baby?"

"No, it's your life. How did you end up in such a mess?"

"That's just it. I don't know. Gina and I were just fine having our little private affair and then Ian tried to kill Wanda and they broke up and I thought I had my chance..."

"Whoa! Ian tried to kill Wanda?"

"Yeah, he thought she ran off to marry Kyle."

"Kyle—the guy who has his own soul, Sunny?"

"Kyle is Ian's brother and he has a history of stealing Ian's girlfriends."

"You're all crazy, you know that?"

"I guess we are. All I know is Gina started seeing Evan since I couldn't give her what she wants, but sometimes we still…"

So, she cheats on Evan to be with you."

"What can I say? Gina and I are cut from the same mold."

"So, what's the deal with you and Victoria?"

"I made it very clear to her that we were nothing more than friends, but once I slept with her; things changed."

"Now she wants you to herself."

"She does, but…"

"But you love Wanda—and Gina."

"You see my situation?"

"I could just cut your dick off for you. You said you've got healing medicine, so you won't die."

"I'm pretty sure Nadia would be tempted to kill you."

"Okay, let's say all three girls are in a room together. No competition from any guys. Which one are you going to?"

"Wanda, every time."

"Okay, so now you are with Wanda. Are you happy?"

"I don't know. I still haven't slept with her."

"Let's say she's fantastic in bed. Are you happy?"

I smiled. "I'm ecstatic."

"What if she's just okay in bed? Are you happy?"

"I suppose I am. Wanda's a great girl."

"Is Gina good in bed?"

"Gina is the best I've ever had. She just blows my mind."

"So that's why you can't get her out of your head. What draws you to Victoria?"

"You mean besides the fact that she could shoot me in the head at fifty yards? Her friendship. She's always there when I really need someone."

"I'm glad I'm not you. For the record though, I like Gina. She's sweet and she seems very intelligent."

"She is. And she's gone back to school. She wants to teach the next generation. All the girls are smart. Tori is also an artist. The stuff she draws is phenomenal. Wanda's been to ten planets including this one. She's ten thousand years old."

"I wish I could go to your mountain."

"Why don't you?"

"Dominik would never agree."

"That's too bad. I think you would both love it. You'd probably get along with my sister and her husband and Rachel and Rob."

"We should get back. Dinner's probably ready."

"Have Niko and Nadia been close?"

"They've always been close."

"You know what I mean."

"I think the fact that they both have hopes of going to the mountain has kept them from going to the place you fear."

"Good. Keep working on Stanislaw."

"I will."

I hugged her. "You take care of yourself."

"I will. I hope you resolve your love life."

"I think once Wanda says 'I do', it will close that chapter for me, and maybe I will be able to move on."

"I hope so, for your sake."

We reentered the camp where dinner was cooking. Edyta had prepared a big pot of beef stew. Considering that Stanislaw seemed a little cranky, I decided not to push the issue of having Nadia and Niko come to the mountain. At this point, I was already in deep trying to sort out my feelings for Gina and Tori. Adding Nadia to the mix would just be inviting insanity. Face it, Nadia would probably cling to me at first. I honestly don't know how she would react to seeing new people. She had been with her gypsy family for so long; it was possible that she might become withdrawn. Then again, it was Nadia. She'd probably be running naked from the cave to the house as free spirited as she was.

I sat and ate my stew quietly.

Edyta picked up on my somber mood. "Is something wrong, Nate?"

"No, I just don't want to say anything to rile up the guys. It seems like the 'souls' are a touchy subject for you all. I guess I see things differently than you because I haven't had to scavenge for food or live in constant fear of being discovered since I already have a soul I trust on my side."

"What if this Burns decided to turn you in?" Stanislaw asked.

"Then he'd be losing his family. We have lived together in peace and friendship for five years. He even has a human girlfriend now."

"I don't want Nadia sleeping with a soul."

"There are no souls left for Nadia to sleep with. Burns is the only male and he has Lily. Trust me, Nadia would love a human." I never told them about Ice and it seemed it was a secret I should keep.

"Papa, I love Nathan. He's not a soul."

"Stupid girl! He's already married."

"Don't call her stupid," I pleaded.

"She is my child. I'll call her what I want."

I put down my bowl of stew. "I have a headache. I think I'll go lie down. If you don't want my company, I'll leave tonight."

"Fine! No is forcing you to stay here," Stanislaw barked.

"Very well. A few hours sleep and I'll be on my way."

"NO!" Nadia screamed. "I hate you Papa!"

Nadia took off inside the mine.

"Nadia!" Stanislaw called.

"Leave her," Ludmilla ordered.

I shook my head solemnly and followed Nadia into the mine. She was already in her room on her bed crying. I knelt down next to her and placed my hand on her back.

"I didn't mean to piss him off."

"I know. He's been really cranky lately."

"Look. I'll be back in a few weeks. I told Klaudia that I would return and bring plenty of supplies to get you through the winter in case I can't make it back for a while."

"Why wouldn't you be able to come back?"

"You know how the winters are around here. It could be two months or longer before I can get back after Christmas."

"Knock-knock, can I come in?" It was Ludmila.

"Sure, Ludmila."

"I wanted to say that I'm sorry for how Stanislaw acted today. He hasn't been feeling well. I don't know what's wrong with him. He won't say."

I drew in a deep sigh. "I have something that will help. Do you think you can get him to take it?"

"I don't know."

"Let's try."

I rose from the mattress and grabbed my coat. I made my way through the mines to the entrance. I climbed into the back of the truck and opened the tool box in the bed of the truck. There was a small bag inside that carried No Pain, Heal, Clean, Deep Heal, and Smooth. I walked back to the campfire.

"Klaudia, remember what we talked about today?"

"Yes, of course."

"Okay, Stanislaw is apparently in some kind of distress. I'm going to see if I can help him."

"Okay."

I turned to Stanislaw. "Your wife says you aren't feeling well. Before I give you something to take away any pain you have, I need to know where the pain is. Is it due to an injury? Is it in your bones? Or is it something inside of you?"

"It's my foot."

"Can I see it?"

"Make the others leave."

"I just need one other person. I'd like that person to be Klaudia."

He looked at Klaudia. "You will tell no one?"

"No, Papa."

"Ludmila, take the others inside," Stanislaw instructed.

Stanislaw took off his shoe and then his sock. What I saw practically made me sick to my stomach. His toes were gangrene.

"Jesus! Why didn't you tell anyone?"

Klaudia began to throw up in the bushes.

"I cut my foot about a month ago. I hoped it would get better. It didn't."

"I don't know what I can do for this. Your toes—the flesh is beyond repair. Are you in pain?"

"Yes, I am in pain all the time."

"I have medication that will take away the pain, but I cannot heal what is already dead. We need to cut off your toes."

"Then what?"

"Let me make a phone call." I pulled my phone from my pocket. I dialed Burns.

"Hey Nate, how are things in gypsyland?"

"Not good. I need your help."

"What's the problem?"

"I have a guy here with two black toes. I'm pretty sure it's gangrene, but I don't know much about it. Can you fire up your computer and help me out?"

"Yeah, let me call you back."

"How long?"

"Twenty minutes?"

"Okay."

I hung up. "He's going to call me back." I reached into the bag. "Klaudia, come here."

She was sobbing. "I can't. I can't look at that."

I looked at Stanislaw. "Who's the strongest here? I mean emotionally?"

"Aleksander."

"Klaudia, get him."

"Remember, you promised," Stanislaw reminded her.

A minute later, Aleksander returned.

"Klaudia said you needed me," he announced and then his eyes fell upon the necrotic toes. "Oh my God!" A pallor spread across his face.

"Are you going to throw up?" I asked.

"I don't know. Is he going to die?"

"Not if we can cut off his toes and heal the wound."

"Are you insane?"

"A little bit, yes, but I've got wonder drugs to help us. I just can't cure his toes. I'm waiting for Burns to do some research on this. He's supposed to call me back. I can take away his pain."

"I can take away my own pain," Stanislaw announced. "Just give me a bottle of vodka."

"Let's try this my way first, okay?"

I held up the bottle I pulled from the bag. "This is what the souls call 'No Pain.' It will take away all of the pain you are feeling."

"How do you know it works?" Stanislaw asked.

"Let's just say I once pissed someone off and he decided to break my jaw and my nose. I couldn't even open my mouth. They shoved this little slip of paper through my teeth and the pain left me within a minute."

"You're telling me the truth?"

"Why would I lie? I could walk away and you'll die. The infection will spread into your blood supply and kill you."

"Okay. Give it to me."

"I'll give it to you under one condition."

"What?"

"Know that just because you feel better does not mean you are healed. The absence of pain is just that. I still need to cut off your toes."

"Fine."

I pulled a single slip of No Pain from the bottle and placed it on his tongue.

"Give it a minute."

I could tell just by the look on his face that he was feeling better.

"My foot feels numb. The pain—it's gone."

"You see? I didn't lie." My phone rang. I picked it up quickly. "Burns?" "Gangrene is bad. It says here, Gangrene is a serious…"

"Hold on. I want Stanislaw to hear this." I put my phone on speaker. "Go ahead."

The encyclopedia says gangrene is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that arises when a considerable mass of body tissue dies. This may occur after an injury or infection, or in people suffering from any chronic health problem affecting blood circulation. The primary cause of gangrene is reduced blood supply to the affected tissues, which results in cell death. Gangrene is caused by infection or ischemia, such as by bacteria or by thrombosis. It is usually the result of critically insufficient blood supply and is often associated with diabetes and long-term smoking. This condition is most common in the lower extremities. The best treatment for gangrene is revascularization which is the restoration of blood flow to the affected organ, which can reverse some of the effects of necrosis and allow healing. Other treatments include debridement and surgical amputation. The method of treatment is, in general, determined depending on location of affected tissue and extent of tissue loss.

Dry gangrene begins at the distal part of the limb due to ischemia, and often occurs in the toes and feet of elderly patients due to arteriosclerosis. Dry gangrene is mainly due to arterial occlusion. There is limited putrefaction and bacteria fail to survive. Dry gangrene spreads slowly until it reaches the point where the blood supply is adequate to keep tissue viable. The affected part is dry, shrunken and dark reddish-black, resembling mummified flesh. The dark coloration is due to liberation of hemoglobin from hemolyzed red blood cells, which is acted upon by hydrogen sulfide produced by the bacteria, resulting in formation of black iron sulfide that remains in the tissues. The line of separation usually brings about complete separation, with eventual falling off of the gangrenous tissue if it is not removed surgically, also called autoamputation.

Dry gangrene is actually a form of coagulative necrosis. If the blood flow is interrupted for a reason other than severe bacterial infection, the result is a case of dry gangrene. People with impaired peripheral blood flow, such as diabetics, are at greater risk of developing dry gangrene.

The early signs of dry gangrene are a dull ache and sensation of coldness in the affected area along with pallor of the flesh. If caught early, the process can sometimes be reversed by vascular surgery. However, if necrosis sets in, the affected tissue must be removed just as with wet gangrene. That's about it."

"Thank you. I think we've got what we need."

"No problem. Good luck."

"Thanks, buddy."

"Nate?"

"Yeah, Burns."

"I'd double dose him on the No Pain just to be on the safe side."

"I hear ya."

"I'm here if you need me."

"Thanks. I'll call you later."

I disconnected and looked at Stanislaw and Aleksander. "You know we have to take off those toes."

Stanislaw stared at his foot. "How will you stop the bleeding?"

"I have a few more tricks in my bag. First I'm going to give you something the souls call 'Clean.' I'm going to put it right on your foot. It's a spray. Then I'm going to use 'Heal.' It, too, is a spray. If any tissue is not dead, this should heal it, so we won't cut off anything that is salvageable. Finally, I'm doing to have you swallow 'Deep Heal'. If this problem is due to diabetes, and I'll bet it is, deep heal will cure you for now. I don't think it can be cured forever simply because it is something that is inherited, but I think if we give you a regular dose of Deep Heal, we might be able to make you a lot healthier than you are now."

"When did you become a doctor?"

"I'm not a doctor, but I did go to college and my room mate was pre-med. He used to use me to help him study."

"Okay, show me what you can do."

I took the clean and sprayed it on his foot. I tried to get it everywhere. "Aleksander, go get me the sharpest knife you have and a couple of clean towels if you've got some."

Aleksander took off leaving me and Stanislaw alone.

"Why are you doing this for me?"

"What do you mean?"

"I was mean to you and I told you to leave."

"You are human like me. We are a family whether we are living in a mine, or in a cave on a mountain, or in caverns in the desert. Every human life is precious. I think I can help you. I wish I had known sooner."

I pulled the Heal from the bag and began to spray the foot. I immediately saw improvement in the gangrenous tissue.

"Wow! That's amazing. Look at my foot it's getting better!"

"Except those two toes. I'll have Aleksander spray the Heal on the foot as soon as I cut off the toe. It will heal the wound and with luck you'll be up and walking fine by morning."

"Maybe you won't have to cut."

"Those two are still black. Like I said, the tissue is gone."

Aleksander returned with Dominik.

"What is he doing here?"

"I thought I might need him to help hold you down," Aleksander explained. "Hey your foot looks a lot better."

Dominik looked at the foot. "Holy shit. That's disgusting."

"It was worse before," Aleksander pointed out.

"I sprayed the Heal on his foot. What could be saved has already healed. Okay, how are we going to do this?"

"You gonna do the cutting?" Aleksander asked.

"I guess."

"Okay, me and Dominik will hold him. You cut."

"I need you to spray the Heal on the foot as soon as I remove the toes."

"I can do that," Aleksander replied.

"All right." I pulled another slip of No Pain from the bottle. "Like Burns said, just to be on the safe side."

Stanislaw opened his mouth, and I placed the No Pain on his tongue.

"Feeling good?"

"Never better."

"Okay, I think this is better if you don't see it. Cover his eyes with the towel."

Dominik covered Stanislaw's eyes with a towel. Then he ordered Dominik to hold his legs. Stanislaw had to bend his knee and place his foot flat on the towel. Aleksander held the foot still. I spray clean on the knife and the foot. Then I took a deep breath. Give me strength to do this. I slid the knife through the dead skin easily and hit bone. I felt like I was going to puke. I felt for the joint and pushed down as hard as I could. I heard the knife push through the muscle and I heard a crunch. I felt the bile rise up into my throat. The toes were severed.

I puked. Stanislaw sprayed the Heal.

"It's working!" he yelled.

I felt dizzy. I had to get up and walk away.

"You did it!" Dominik squealed. "His foot looks great!"

"I need to wash my hands."

I walked down to the lake. It was dark, but I didn't care. I heard Aleksander coming up behind me. He was carrying a flashlight and a bar of soap. He walked with me. I squatted at the edge of the lake and dipped my hands into the freezing cold water. Aleksander handed me the soap.

"You saved my father."

"I'm glad I was able to."

"When Niko turns eighteen, he can go with you to the mountain. I'll try to talk Stanislaw into letting Nadia go before then."

"Thank you."

We walked back to the campsite and everyone was there staring at Stanislaw's foot.

"You cut off his toes!" Ludmila cried.

"Mama, he would have died. Here let me show you his toes." Aleksander took her by the arm and led her away from camp to a tree where he had obviously placed them till morning.

I heard her crying.

"I need a drink."

Nadia ran to me and threw her arms around me. "Klaudia said she thought he was going to die. Thank you for saving him."

Dominik handed me a bottle of vodka. I took a long pull. I felt my body heat up quickly and I had to gasp for breath as I pulled the bottle away.

"How are you feeling?" I asked Stanislaw.

"Like a new man. I'm missing a few toes, but better my toes in the ground than my whole body."

I took another swig. The others thanked me with the exception of Ludmila. She was still in shock as was I.

I just cut off a man's toes! I took another swig of vodka.