I really thought this year would be nothing but free time, since I was no longer in school. But applying to grad school, working in a lab, and being a co-author on a research poster is... time consuming, stressful, and not easy. I could hardly believe it's been almost a year since I updated this. The draft of this chapter has been sitting on my desktop for months—I wanted to release it in one piece—but with all I've got going on right now, we'll all have to settle for just this half.

There are about to be some big changes in my life. I wish I could say I know how it's going to turn out, but I don't. Nonetheless, I love this story and I'm still dedicated to it. Here's to hoping I can get the other part out soon. Cross your fingers for me and my future!

The idea for these next two chapters basically comes from the inevitable fallout of Jamie's first selfless act, and Jamie's own conflicting need for the approval of others and contempt for attention.

"You didn't have to come all the way to my house," Jamie grumbled, "I could've walked myself."

Alex, who was gently prodding the very raw underside of Jamie's left foot, hummed disapprovingly. "I know you don't want to hear this, but I highly doubt it... These burns are quite serious."

The rancher seemed to pale at that. "Is going to...?" he gripped the sides of his bed, hesitating.

"Affect your work?" the doctor offered. "No, not in the long run. Fortunately, while painful, injuries to the skin on the bottom of the feet tend to heal well. In fact, it's likely you won't even have any scarring left in about 2 years or so. Mainly because the skin on the bottom of the feet sheds itself quite regularly."

Jamie brightened at this (or at least, brightened as much as someone like he could, which in actuality meant that he scowled just a bit less) and let go of his death grip on the bedspread. The doctor poked at another spot and he winced. Staying on his feet wouldn't be enjoyable, but it had to be done. He'd much rather suffer for his work than sit around doing nothing, anyway.

"Well, I guess that's as good as I can hope for. At least I can get back to work now," he muttered.

There was a sharp hiss as Alex took in a deep breath through his teeth, a wary grimace on his face. "Actually... No, I'm afraid you can't."

"What?!" Jamie cried. "Why?! You know I can't just—"

"I do know, but hear me out as your physician!"

Jamie complied, but the sour look on his face was clearly code for "you have five seconds to appease me and no matter how reasonable your logic is I'm still going to get mad". Of course, Alex wasn't surprised by his petulance. He'd known Jamie for a few years by now, and was well acquainted with his short temper. And, if he was being a bit boastful, he'd gotten very good at deciphering Jamie's upfront and often off-putting vocabulary. Maybe being a relatively good judge of character was what helped him as a doctor. It was a great aid in anticipating the needs of his patients; foresight was priceless in the medical field. So from the moment he stepped into the Village to be told by the Mayor that Jamie had sustained an injury in the recent fire, he knew this visit was not going to pleasant for either of them.

Honestly, he liked Jamie. He was probably one of the only people in the village that did. But Goddess, he could be hard to deal with sometimes. Even more so when it came to discussions on the rancher's health. Suggestions were often met with cries of "I'm not some weakling!" or "It's just a little cough, I'm not taking any medicine!" despite hacking up a lung every time he opened his mouth. Just thinking about the ordeal he suffered last winter trying to treat Jamie's cold was enough to bring on a headache. Why the man seemed so terrified of medical intervention and hell-bent on curing himself with sheer willpower alone, he'd never know.

Since then, he'd learned to be as direct as possible with Jamie.

"Look," he began, "With injuries like these, it's a double-edged sword. Yes, the skin replaces itself often, which would usually mean optimal healing conditions. However, skin abrasions like these need to be disturbed as little as possible to properly heal. You have to let the burns properly scab over. If you're constantly on your feet and agitating the burns, you're just ripping your skin back open before it has time to heal again! You've got to stay off your feet for at least a few days. If you don't, it'll just take even longer to heal."

"And just who's going to take care of my farm, then?" he huffed.

"I'm sure the people at Sky Ranch and Spring Farm would be more than willing to help out. A lot of the villagers have been talking about you, you know. About how brave you were for pulling Tina out of there without even being asked. If you hadn't acted when you did... The point is, I think a lot of people in Flower Bud are starting to see you differently, Jamie."

He flushed, "I-it's not like I was really worried or anything!" and Alex doesn't dare mention that he never said anything about being concerned for Tina, "And it's not like I did it for attention, either! It's just that she's my rival, and... oh, never mind, you wouldn't get it anyway!"

Jamie spent the next few minutes ranting about how, even if the other farmers in town were willing to help, he still didn't want their assistance. They wouldn't know how to brush his animals just right, or know that his crops needed an exact amount of water, or how to pick the chickens up just so when collecting the eggs so as not to upset them. He raved about how they'd overwater the cocoa and underwater the tomatoes, that the sheep's wool would get tangled, that the newborn calf would get nervous because it liked to hang around him. When the subject came to Tina tending the farm he practically lapsed into a fit. Just as he was snapping that she couldn't even handle caring for one measly chick, so no thank you, he'd pass on having his prized livestock subject to borderline abuse, the door to his bedroom swung open.

Martha pressed a wrinkled hand to her mouth, stars dancing in her watery eyes. "Oh there you are, you wonderful young man, you!"

With a speed that was frightening for such an elderly woman, Martha flocked to Jamie's bedside and immediately flung her arms around his shoulders. Lacey frock overtook his vision, and the scent of fresh powder invaded his nose. She had a softness to her arms and chest that only an old woman could have, like uncooked dough. It was equal parts repulsive and disturbingly comforting.

"We were so wrong about you, dearie!" she practically wept. "What a brave young man!"

"Ack!" he yelled, "Let me go, you senile old woman!"

"Oh, don't be so modest," she chided proudly, swatting playfully at his shoulder. "Everyone knows all about what you did. Running in without a thought to rescue someone from a fire! In all my years I've never seen something so heroic. And from a sourpuss like you, why, it's just a miracle! An absolute miracle!"

"Now that just sounds more like an insult!" he griped, "And besides, that idiot needing to get herself saved isn't a new thing. Bob had to save her stupid hide not so long ago, too, you know!"

"Yes, dear, and we threw him a party and gave him a medal!"

A forceful and resounding "no" from Jamie was supplied at the very idea. Martha settled for spoiling him with an impressive assortment of medicinal additives and salts meant to be dissolved in a hot bath, and refused to leave his home until she'd mother hen-ed him into soaking his damaged extremities before her very eyes. Once in the morning and once at night, she lectured, and absolutely no showers until the burns had healed. When he'd finally gotten the busybodies to leave, Alex chattering about changing his bandages frequently even as the door shut, Jamie collapsed onto his sofa and sighed. Well, that was enough human interaction for the week.

Calvervtutrp had just begun to doze off in his lap when there was a knock at the door.

If anyone noticed Jamie says "It's not like (insert)!" a lot, it's because that's Jamie-Speak for "It's absolutely like this, here's a big red flashing light called DENIAL" and as a textbook tsundere, the phrase should be applied to him generously.