SNOWSWEPT

by CuddleFae

Dr. Lauren Lewis has been assigned to oversee the opening of a new hospital. Overwhelmed by all there is to know and learn in an unfamiliar land, she crosses paths with a mysterious woman with a dark past - a past that has caused her to live by one rule. Trust no one. Thrown into a desperate struggle, can they overcome the barriers between them in their fight to survive?

2. Chapter 2: Train Stories

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews and messages. Let's get right to it and hop that train to Talkeetna! Yes, it's a real train and a real place. There's a little old couple that has been living in a homestead just off the tracks outside of town since they were married and are now in their late 80's to early 90's. They live completely off the grid but have some people who help carry in water and wood now. Apparently, the train stops and waits for them to wave each day to make sure they're okay – at least that's the story we got when the train slowed as we passed their home. They did come out to wave!

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Chapter 2: Train Stories

Next Day… Train to Talkeetna

Lauren sat back in her seat, staring out of the tinted windows of the train to Talkeetna. They'd departed in darkness and now, at just past ten in the morning, the sun was finally rising to warm her face and glance off the snow-covered scenery left in the wake of the whiteout that had hit this valley the day before. The view was majestic at the very least. It was unlike anything she'd ever seen in her lifetime. Snow-covered mountains, frozen rivers and lakes surrounded her as the train quietly pushed through the pass. By this time back east, she would have already gone for her morning run, done rounds at the hospital and performed two surgeries. Time moved differently here. She wasn't quite sure how or why, but she knew it to be true. She felt a little like she was on vacation… and a little antsy. Not blowing off that morning steam with a run would never work. She'd have to figure something out for exercise sooner than later. Of course, trudging through twenty inches of snow would never cut it. Especially since Pops had told her they would more than double that amount in a month up here. They had already gone through several snow squalls in the first hour.

"So, how'd you sleep, Doc?" Jon asked, handing a cup of coffee to Lauren before sitting down beside her.

She smiled, graciously accepting the warm beverage, "Thank you," She raised the cup to her mouth and inhaled the fresh scent as she took a small sip, "What is it you people know about coffee that we don't? I haven't had a bad cup since I got here… and I've had a few."

Jon smiled, "Cold storage of our beans and they're always ground fresh. Of course, there are those places that use bulk cans, but those places are usually in more highly populated areas where they're rushing to serve tourists who have a bus or boat to catch. The train is restocked daily, and they pride themselves on having the best beverages available for their customers… largely because at this time of year, fresh anything else is pretty hard to come by."

"I see." Lauren nodded, gazing out the window before looking back at Jon, "I noticed all of the canned fruits and vegetables at the store."

"Yea, it's that or frozen until the local gardens come back. It'll be a while before shipments can get through up here, but we can still get some stuff fresh through winter down in Anchorage."

He took a sip of his own coffee, before he asked, "So?"

"So what?" Lauren asked.

"Sleep?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'd forgotten that you'd asked. I slept like a baby, thank you. Actually, it was probably the very best sleep I've had in years."

Jon nodded, "I'm sure. I've heard you've had a stressful time."

"Really?" Lauren asked, sipping her coffee.

He nodded, "I heard my Dad talking to Evony… about your divorce. Sorry. I'm sure it's hard. I hope he didn't hurt you… I mean… physically, especially."

"Who?" Lauren asked.

"Your husband?" Jon replied.

Lauren only nodded, taken aback by the statement, unsure of how to respond. Evony had warned her that not all parts of Alaska would be welcoming of non-traditional marriage. Lauren had laughed, asking Evony how that was any different than any other parts of the world, to which Evony answered, '…the number of guns in the hands of conservative drunks comes to mind, darling…'

So instead, Lauren just nodded to Jon and replied with a more benign answer, "Of course, when you're staying in a place that only has five hours of light, the melatonin levels of the brain are going to be much more conducive to sleep."

"Mela what?" Jon asked.

Lauren chuckled, "Melatonin. It's a neurotransmitter that… you learned about those in Biology, right?"

Jon laughed, "You're not exactly in the hotbed of public education here, Doc. Survival and the General Store are my first priorities. School takes a back seat to those."

"Survival?"

"That meat and fish that was on the table for lunch and dinner yesterday had to be caught, skinned, cleaned and frozen just after. We need about five hundred salmon and a good equivalent of five bear for meat to feed our family. Hunting takes time, so if we're behind on our quota, school gets skipped."

"Can't you just buy frozen meets online? Amazon?" Lauren asked which led Jon to bust out laughing, "Hey. I'm an Alaskan rookie. Be nice and explain why my question is so hysterical."

Lauren smiled at Jon. They'd become close in the short time they'd known each other. She dare not ask where the moms and grandmothers were, but she guessed that he had taken to her as a sort of big sister or mother figure. God, she hoped it wasn't the mothering thing. She didn't think she could handle a teenager as a surrogate son. Still, when he wasn't being yelled at or ordered around by Big Jim, he had a great sense of humor and she enjoyed being around him. He was obviously excited about teaching Lauren the native life and she welcomed his lessons.

"Well, have you ever looked at the cost of meats? There's a place called Oklahoma Steaks on Amazon. It costs like eighty bucks for five little steaks. Add to that the cost of shipping from there to here and you're adding on another hundred bucks. Then add on the shipping in state and it's another fifty for the plane to fly it out to you. Those are mighty expensive steaks when I can go out in my back yard, find a bear, shoot it clean for about fifty cents worth of ammo and do the prep work myself. On top of that, for that fifty cents and a little time and sweat, I can feed my family for a month."

Lauren nodded, "I'd never thought of that."

"Most people from the lower 48 don't think of stuff like that because you have grocery stores filled to the brim with anything you could possibly want and a helluva lot of stuff you don't want. You throw away ten times the amount of food you eat. We shop in the woods and bring home only what we absolutely need."

"When you put it that way, I feel sort of awful for not growing my own food." She looked up at the waitress who placed a plate of eggs and bacon in front of her, then looked at Jon who smiled,

"I took the liberty of ordering you brunch. I know you had coffee and a muffin early this morning, but you're probably going to be hungry again. Your clock was all out of whack yesterday. I noticed you didn't eat much lunch or dinner."

The pair laughed out loud when Lauren's stomach took that moment to let its hunger known with a loud growl.

"Eggs it is, then!" Lauren said, clicking her fork against Jon's raised utensil, "I think my stomach sees the sun on the horizon and thinks it's six in the morning."

Jon nodded, "The days are already getting longer. By Mid-March we'll be at twelve hours of daylight. That's when things will probably get a bit rough for you, but we can cover your windows with black curtains. It helps. This time of year, you get a lot of drunks and depressed people. All this darkness is rough. Some people get really down and don't get out when the sun is up. That just makes it worse."

Lauren nodded, "I'm sure it does, but thank you for that information. I'll be sure to add mental health checks to all of my patient visits." She took a sip of her coffee, "I'm actually looking forward to experiencing full daylight hours. I've heard about all sorts of phenomena. The aurora borealis, sun dogs… it all sounds fascinating."

Jon smiled, looking out across the lands he had traversed in this train many, many times in his short life. It really was an amazing place to live. Maybe he took it for granted more than he should, but he sure would like to travel to another state one day. Washington and California weren't that far. He had read and seen a lot of pictures on line of Seattle and San Francisco. He was curious about big cities and big city life. Of course, he would dare not talk about it to his family. It was expected that he would stay and take over the General Store. But still… he could dream of what life was like in places like Boston where Doctor Lewis lived.

They ate quietly, neither having much else to say for now. Rather, they enjoyed the scenery until the waitress came to collect their plates. Jon looked up and smiled, giving Lauren a nudge,

"Moose."

"Ohmagosh!" Lauren shouted excitedly, turning sideways in her seat, her face pressed up against the glass, "That's amazing! He's huge! I had no idea they were that big! Does he have a mate? Are there any babies?"

Jon laughed. He'd seen plenty of Moose in his life, but he would never tire of watching tourists and visitors see a Moose for the first time. The reaction was always the same. They were shocked and awed, then the excitement and questions would start. After the moment passed, they spent the rest of the day hoping to see another Moose, or better yet, a bear. He figured Lauren would prefer not to see another bear, polar or otherwise, ever again. At some point today, he would have to start the conversation about how to handle herself if she were to see a bear… and show her the can of bear mace he's packed in her supplies. He had to admit, he was worried. The sight of the polar bear had made her freeze solid. While that could be a benefit, usually such a reaction was followed by running and that was never a good reaction to a bear.

"Will we see more?" She asked, turning to Jon.

Her eyes were wide, her face flushed and her smile spread wide across her face. The sheer joy was a pleasure to see. He sat back in his seat, a satisfied grin on his face. He wished Bo would smile like that once in a while. He wondered… what had taken her smile away? Surely all kids smiled. When had Bo's left her face?

"Jon? Are you alright?" Lauren asked, sitting next to the young boy, "Is something wrong?"

He shook his head, "Not at all. I was just… well, you reminded me of something." He looked out at the passing landscape before he looked back to Lauren, "I love the way tourist and visitors react to seeing our wildlife. It's so cool to be able to share that with someone who's never seen it before. The smile on your face… well, my Mom would have called that a 'feel good moment'. She told me to live a life that gives me a whole lot of those. If I had moments where I felt good about something I'd done for someone, then I had my life on the right track."

"So do you get those moments often?" Lauren asked.

Jon shook his head, "I suppose I should feel good about loading trucks and hauling goods to people in the village who need them, but mostly I guess… well, I guess I feel like those people could do those things for themselves and… well, when I bring their stuff to them, they don't exactly look like they feel good."

"I suppose they take the work you do for them for granted."

Jon nodded, "I guess. But that moment you just had? They only come around during tourist season and for as much as the native community complains about crowds and tourist idiots, they bring a lot of money into our community and well, for me, I'm proud of my culture and my land. I like that they want to know more about us and I like it even more when they realize how strong we are to survive here… how amazing generations of my people are."

"It sounds to me like you should be working with the tourists." Lauren replied, adding up everything Jon had told her.

"Yea, right. Try telling Big Jim I'm going to leave the store to go work with the cheechakos. No way he's letting that happen."

Lauren sighed, pausing for a long moment, considering whether or not she should ask the question that had been gnawing at her. Finally, she decided to give it a try,

"Jon, why is it that Big Jim seems to be the one who gives all the orders? He's retired, but still seems to be running the store… and his son, grandson and great-grandson's lives."

The boy offered a tight smile, but answered, "Circle of trust?"

"What?" Lauren asked.

"The circle of trust. You guys have that in the lower 48, right?"

Lauren looked just as confused as when he'd first mentioned the circle, "I'm not sure what you're talking about."

"I saw it on a movie. Meet the Fockers. I watched it Netflix."

Lauren's eyes went wide, "Of course." Lauren laughed, "Well, I think they have that in the movies, but not necessarily in real life. We can have one though… you and me."

"That would be awesome. I would get in a lot of trouble for talking about Big Jim… well… anything about the elders, really."

"I'm afraid I don't really know much about native village life." Lauren said, honestly.

"Well, let's see…" He thought for a moment, wondering how to explain the complex culture, "Alaskan Natives are made up of the Aleut, Athabaskan, Haida, Inupiat, Tlingit, Tsimshian and Yupik peoples. Now that Athabaskans – that's my people – there's Canadian and Alaskan ones and a lot of villages with different names in each of those groups. That's why I said it gets complicated. Some are Eskimo and some are Native American – something I thought might explain Bo's parents, but I'll get to that later."

He took a breath, then continued, "Anyway, my family is Dena'ina Athabaskan. They came mostly from the south and southwest and lived along the Cook Inlet where we stilI do most of our fishing today. I guess across Alaska, all natives total about a hundred thousand… maybe less, just in Alaska. Together, we speak twenty different languages. We're mostly in non-urban areas. I think there's like two hundred villages and I don't think the population of any of those villages is more than two thousand or so. The Federal Government likes to lump the tribes into groups like Northern Eskimo and Southern Eskimo, but frankly, most of our elders find the word Eskimo offensive because it's a name that was given to us by the white man when they came and started to take over our land."

"No to the word Eskimo. Got it." Lauren said, although Evony had already told her that much. Damn she wished she had taken the time to read those books instead of arguing with Nadia over a stupid table lamp.

He continued, "So, our villages are still fighting to maintain their own laws while the state and federal governments want to enforce their laws on us. Needless to say, we have a sort of uneasy peace about the laws. Most natives are handed over to native authorities and the state government just keeps an eye on making sure they're actually punished accordingly by the tribe."

Lauren scowled, "So the lynching I heard Bo talking about."

Jon frowned, his eyes lowering to where his hands were playing with the plastic stirrer from his earlier cup of coffee,

"They don't really tell me much about it, but I got a good earful yesterday when Bo and my Dad were arguing. They forget sometimes that the trailers outside the store sort of amplify sound."

Lauren nodded, "I heard them too. I was stocking the cans Pops asked me to stack and then getting dressed to take the package out to Bo. It didn't sound good."

Jon agreed, "No, but a lot of pieces fell into place for me. You see… when I was ten years old, I followed Bo out trapping. I was old enough to know better, but… well, I was sort of crushing on her. I wanted to be around her all the time. I sort of followed her everywhere."

"That's adorable." Lauren said, causing Jon to blush.

"Okay, okay. Enough picking on the little kid crush." He smiled, "So, back then, Bo had just arrived in the village. She's part Northern Athabaskan on her Mom's side. They think her dad was Navajo. How the two of them would have gotten together, no one knows, but for some reason, her 'half-breed' status, caused the elders to mistrust her. My Dad is a lot more forward thinking and so is Pops for the most part. They just saw a young woman trying to stay alive."

"Where are her parents now?" Lauren asked.

Jon shrugged, "No one knows and Bo doesn't talk about it. Well, she had to answer questions from the elders when she first arrived and I'm sure they asked, but I don't think she's every told anyone else. Anyway, Bo's Iñupiaq. She's from Utqiaġvik – well, you might still find it on a map as Barrow, but they've re-taken their native name. It's the northern most tip of Alaska where there's pretty much nothing but tundra. No roads, not much game, not much of anything, really. That's what impressed everyone – well, my Dad and Pops, anyway. They said that any woman who had survived on her own from age sixteen to adulthood traveling from there to here deserved a shot at living among our native village here, no matter what her lineage."

Lauren had pulled the map out of the seatback and opened it to the full image of the state, "She traveled across the entire state."

"I'm sure she didn't travel in a straight line. She never would have made it. Besides, I know she was in Nome and Sitka, so she definitely came down the west coast."

"That's even longer." Lauren replied, "My God. How in the world…"

"Bo is very skilled. I don't know who raised her, but whoever it was, they taught her well. I don't know anyone better. She may not win every sled dog race, but no one could outrun her if they lengthened it. She ends that race looking as fresh as she did the day she left. Same with the dogs, mostly… except Harper."

"The eldest dog." Lauren said, remembering the adorable gray-faced dog.

"So anyway, the native names are being given back to landmarks all over the state. The government is making good on their promise to the natives, so it's pretty cool. Another example is what used to be Mount McKinley has been given back its' traditional native name and is now Denali again."

"I've heard about Denali. It's on my to do list," Lauren said, "Though I hear it's rare to see it."

He nodded, "Denali's peak is so high that it actually has its own weather system. For that reason, fog, cloud cover or heavy snow make it very unpredictable. I know tourists and natives alike who have traveled all the way here from all over the world hoping to catch a glimpse of it, only to be washed out for their entire two-week vacation."

"Well, maybe I'll get lucky."

Jon suddenly stopped talking and stood, staring out the window. He looked at Lauren and then around the mostly empty train car before he called out,

"She's out! She's there! It's Denali!" He shouted, looking down at Lauren, "You really did get lucky!"

The seats of the train emptied on one side as everyone shifted to the other, cell phone cameras at the ready as they stared out the train windows. Lauren was a step behind, still trying to register what he was saying, but when she finally looked out the window, her jaw dropped open,

"There she is. Einstein… she's… beautiful. I've never seen anything so beautiful in my life." Lauren said, her voice barely a whisper as she pressed her nose against the glass, trying to get closer.

"Doc?" Jon asked, causing Lauren to turn around to see him holding up his phone. She heard the sound of the camera and smiled, "Now you have a picture of you with Denali. Proof you actually saw her."

"Come on, let's take a selfie." Lauren grinned, pulling Jon in beside her. They smiled together as Jon held up the camera, getting the perfect angle for the picture.

Lauren looked at his phone, "Awesome! You have an iPhone. Airdrop it to me."

They held their phones out to each other and shared the picture, "Jon, I will cherish this moment for the rest of my life. Thank you."

Jon laughed, "All I did was point at the mountain. Thank Denali for coming out to play with you."

Lauren smiled, her hands coming up and clapping together rapidly as she turned to the mountain, "Thank you, Denali. Thank you for showing your face today."

They both sat, staring at the mountain for the next half hour when trees in a wooded area surrounded the train. At that point, Lauren turned back to Jon,

"So, can you tell me more about Bo?"

Jon nodded, "Well, like I said, she came here and the village allowed her to stay. From what I understand, it was on a trial basis. Big Jim didn't like her from the get-go. He's what me and my friends call a blood snob. He calls us disrespectful of traditions. I guess he's right that our traditions are important, but at the same time, if our traditions mean treating other people like trash, then I'd rather not stay with the village."

Lauren didn't know how to respond to that, so she just tried to support how he felt, "I can understand why you might feel that way."

Jon smiled, "A very diplomatic answer, Doctor. You may do fine walking the line between state and village."

"Good to know." Lauren replied.

"So, my Dad was cool with Bo teaching me stuff. He saw her skills and knew there was no one better in our village. Knowing that she was Northern Athabascan, he felt like she was kin. Of course, Big Jim didn't see it that way since her Dad wasn't. Regardless, my Dad… surprisingly enough… stood up to his grandfather, the elder and told him it was his decision who taught me native ways. They really got into it. I was about eight or nine and was sitting on the back porch. Finally, my grandfather agreed, but he wanted to test her."

"To what?"

"I know, I know, right? He wanted to test her native knowledge."

"I take it she passed?"

"He called my Dad in to do internet searches of some of the stuff she told him. Even he didn't know some of the stuff she knew. Like he didn't know that you could use seal blubber to get a high-protein fat that's loaded with other nutrients for sled dogs. She taught me later that she traveled the coast to keep her dogs alive. Seal blubber and fish mixed with melted snow kept them loaded with nutrients and hydrated. Most dogs won't drink water in the winter because it just makes them colder."

Lauren nodded, "The freezing temperatures would freeze the water before it had a chance to be absorbed by the body."

"You know dog doctoring too?"

Lauren laughed, "Hardly. I mean, there are similarities between canine and human body systems both anatomically and physiologically but their diseases, conditions, vital signs… well, there are many differences. Still, much of my initial anatomical education was done with practical work on feline and canine species."

Jon laughed, "You know, when you go all doctor mode, I don't understand much of what you say."

Again, Lauren laughed, "Sorry. Short version, I've worked on dog and cat bodies, but they're very different than working on humans. If I had to, I guess I could get by, but I wouldn't be the first choice. A veterinary doctor is much, much… much, much more qualified than I am to tend to animals."

Nodding, Jon replied, "I see."

"So, back to Bo."

"Right. So for a little over a year and a half, I learned everything from Bo about hunting, fishing, survival and dogs. I learned a lot about her dogs."

Lauren watched Jon's features suddenly morph into sadness, "What's wrong?"

"Those pieces I connected yesterday? Well, let's just say that Bo's first team began with one dog."

"Harper."

Jon nodded, "Harper. She was the lead dog of the original team… a gift from her Mother when she turned sixteen. She's twelve years old now and while she's still going strong, she gets stiff after a long run, so Bo has to spend a lot of time massaging her legs and giving her warms soaks to keep her from being in pain."

"I might be able to help with the pain."

Jon shook his head, "No drugs. They're mostly illegal in the sport of sled dogging, so her whole team would be disqualified if even one dog tested positive."

Lauren nodded, "I see. I didn't realize there was doping in dog sports."

"There's a lot of money on the line. Some people will do anything to win… and I do mean anything."

"That reminds me of a movie I saw when I was younger. A kid loses his Dad and enters a sled dog race. They try to kill him to get him out of the race. It was actually quite inspirational."

Jon nodded, "I know the movie. Sort of reminds me of what got Bo into sledding."

"Her Mom dying?"

"Don't ever say that. Bo says she's just missing. Same with her Dad. She hasn't given up trying to find them. It's part of the reason she came this way. She'd heard she came down here to make some money."

Lauren nodded, "Got it."

"Anyway, over that time, we had been inseparable. Well, in truth, she couldn't get rid of me. She took good care of me when I had no mother and the village and community appreciated all she did for me."

"And Big Jim?" Lauren asked.

Jon shrugged, "I think he was jealous. I started to talk a lot about all she was teaching me. I listened to him less. I learned from him less. I asked for stories less. I was young and excited about being out there in the wild learning how to survive like my ancestors did. Most of the elders were excited that I was excited because I was teaching other kids in the village the stuff I was learning from Bo. It was like she had injected an a piece of the old ways back into our culture."

"So the elders loved that."

Jon nodded, "All except for Big Jim."

"Of course." Lauren shook her head at the stubborn man. She'd known him less than a day, but she already had his number. She'd known a lot of men like him in her life and profession."

"One day Bo headed out to check up on a lead she'd gotten about her Mother. She told me I couldn't go along." He sat back in the seat, shaking his head as she smiled, "Boy did I beg. I gave her a million reasons why I should go. I promised not to slow her down or ask too many questions. I promised I she wouldn't even know I was there… and she didn't."

"You followed her when she left."

He nodded, "In an effort to win me over, Big Jim had bought me a three-dog team of my own when I turned ten. I left behind Bo thinking I could track her and – in my young mind – thought I could keep up with her. My three dogs to her eleven."

"I thought there were twelve dogs on a team." Lauren asked.

"Bo ran with just one lead dog back then."

Lauren replied, "Harper."

Jon nodded, "Bo will be devastated when she dies."

"I'm sure. It's the last piece of her Mom she has left." Lauren concluded.

Jon agreed, "Her dogs were Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen."

"That's only nine including Harper." Lauren deduced.

Jon smiled, "Bo loved Disney movies as a kid, so she named the other two Cinder and Snow after…"

"Cinderella and Snow White." Lauren nodded.

"Yup. She never told anyone but me which is one of the reasons I needed the circle of trust."

Lauren raised her hand, offering the Vulcan symbol, "On my honor."

"Uh, Lauren… that's not the Boy Scout thing."

Lauren looked at her hand, "If you were a Trekkie, you'd understand that this is more honorable than any Boy Scout could ever be. Vulcans cannot lie."

Jon laughed along with Lauren for a long moment before they both turned to see a beautiful waterway. Again, Lauren leaned into the glass taking in the glorious view. The sun glistened across the surface of the ice making it look like glass. Jon's eyes were fixed on the expression on Lauren's face, again happy to be with her for another first sight.

Slowly, his eyes traveled to the icy water, taking him back to his childhood once again,

"I didn't know much about overflow back then. It's something Bo had never taught me about – largely because she had no plans to take me on the sled across a river."

"What's overflow?" Lauren asked.

"There, not far from the water's edge…" He pointed out the window at a large area of ice, "… the ice is getting very thick because of how cold it is this time of year. Unfortunately, three rivers converge at this point and the water has nowhere to go but up and over the ice. It keeps moving until it finishes sliding off the ice leaving only a thin layer where it stops. Get caught on overflow ice on a sled… even a small sled with only three dogs and a small bag of supplies… you're going under… fast."

Lauren covered her mouth, "Oh God."

Jon nodded, his eyes absent of emotion as he stared out across the frozen waterway, "It was dark beneath the surface. I tried to get my bearings, knowing I was supposed to get my mouth between the water and ice to breathe, but I was being pulled deeper by my sled. Then I remembered my dogs and I tried to see them… I tried… but they were gone. Next thing I know, I'm being hauled up out of the water."

"Bo."

Jon shook his head, "Harper. She jumped in after me, Bo – thank God – had the presence of mind to throw down the ice hook that kept the sled up on the ice. She laid out and grabbed the tow line calling out to the dogs the whole time to keep them pulling me and Harper up."

"That explains your relationship with Harper."

"Yea." Jon replied, "Anyway, while I was following Bo, she thought Big Jim was following her. She circled around to ask him why he was following her and saw me just as my sled was going through the ice. That's when I learned to love that Bo doesn't trust people. If she had trusted him, she might not have circled around. Anyway, everyone was safe, so all good, right?"

"I take it Big Jim didn't think so?"

Jon shook his head, "My dogs were gone, my sled was gone – both a gift from my great grandfather and he was pissed. I disobeyed not just Bo, but my Dad, Pops and Big Jim when I left to follow her."

"And Big Jim blamed Bo."

Jon nodded, "And my Dad, but mostly Bo. He told her the elders would want to talk to me about how all of it had happened… they trusted her with me… blah, blah, blah."

"Got it."

"The rest we heard from Bo. They apparently turned it into an inquisition and threw her in jail. I'd overheard my Dad arguing with Pops about how they'd killed her dogs one at a time in front of her. They'd left Harper because Big Jim wanted him as a working dog… and work Harper he did. Bo was thrown in jail until Sheriff Dyson came to town."

"That Chris Martin look-alike from the store?"

Jon nodded, "He wanted to know why there was a prisoner in his jail since there was no record of her arrest, that she was given representation nor a trial by jury. In addition, she was in bad shape… real bad shape… and hadn't received any medical care. The village elders – led by Big Jim – argued that it was a village matter because Bo was a native, but Dyson found the loophole."

"What loophole?"

"Actually, my Dad helped him find the loophole because I was devasted that Bo was thrown in jail because of my stupidity. All the townspeople knew she was innocent, but when the elders make up their minds about something that's a native matter, that's it. I don't know any tribes that are as backwards as this one. It makes me sick to even think about how they treated her. And now to know that she was in bad shape because they actually tried to lynch her?"

"I guess Dyson intervened?"

"That's what I'm guessing. He'd come into two a few days before it happened. There was a standoff between the townspeople and the natives. When Bo was dragged off behind an tin dog, there wasn't much they could do. That's when my Dad must have stepped in. He went and saw Dyson, told him what they were doing. It was just him and his Deputy – a guy named Hale – so the townsfolk went along with my Dad. They stopped the lynching, but not before they'd done some serious damage."

"So what was the loophole?"

Jon grinned, "I'd call it poetic justice. The village elders had not given Bo native citizenship within their village. She was on a trial, remember? My Dad kept pushing for them to accept her, but they kept putting it off, saying they still needed to do more research on her background. Finally, the fancy doctor we had here at the time agreed to do a DNA test. They never made the results public thanks to Dyson. He said there's something called hippo laws?"

Lauren laughed, "HIPPA Laws. They govern patient confidentiality."

"Oh. I get it. That's why that fancy doctor was fired. Dyson had her run out of town so she couldn't tell the village elders anything. Boy was Big Jim pissed at the Sheriff for that one."

"I'm sure."

"Anyway, she wasn't a native, so she was protected by state law. They'd made an unlawful arrest. So, they told their story and my Dad told mine. I argued that I was man enough to speak for myself, so Dyson sat me down in my office and listened to my story. He's kind of a drama queen, but back then, I liked the guy because he listened to the kid when all the adults told him he shouldn't. That was pretty cool."

Lauren smiled, "Definitely. Sometimes adults get caught up in their own superiority and forget that kids have a perspective that is often very important for us to hear and heed."

"Well, hear and heed he did. Bo was released to the care of Selina who helped her to heal… physically, anyway. She hasn't been the same since."

"Who is Selina?"

"Our village healer. Don't worry about finding her. She'll find you the next time you're in town. She likes to merge the new with the old. She was all kinds of excited that you were coming. Sadly, she doesn't leave the village much unless she's got a patient to see. She's very old and very busy. She says that's a good combination, otherwise she would wither away and die without a purpose in life."

"I like Selina already." Lauren replied.

"Anyway, Dyson got Harper back from my great grandfather. There was no crime by Bo and if he didn't want to be charged with theft of property and the murder of ten dogs, he'd give the dog back without question and pay for her to buy new dogs."

"Well, at least she got that."

Jon shook his head, "Have you not met Bo? She was too proud to take his money. She took Harper and hopped the train to Talkeetna. She's a carpenter by trade, so she took a job building houses. She came back to the village to do a job for my Dad here at the store and they've been patching up their relationship ever since. My Dad thinks Bo is good for me, but he insists we keep her involvement with me quiet."

"Like setting traps with her today?"

He nodded, "As far as Big Jim knows, I'm coming here to get you settled. He has no idea that Bo has a job here working as a carpenter on your new hospital."

Lauren's eyes went wide, "She… she what?"

"You didn't hear? She's doing all of the moulding, doors, cabinetry… well, anything wood is Bo's territory."

"A carpenter, huh?" Lauren asked.

"A carpenter. Like I said, she's a survivor. She knows how to do a lot of things and carpentry is good pay for the winter. There's a homestead just outside of Talkeetna that boards her dogs for the winter. She goes to see them every morning and rotates two into her apartment every week. I think Harper will be by her side all winter this year."

Lauren nodded, "I can see why after hearing all they've been through together."

Jon agreed, "Yup. They're quite the pair. Big Jim worked her hard for those months she was with him. Harper's fur was rubbed clean off where he's made the harness too tight. He had her pulling him on a sled by herself, sometimes with supplies."

"Geezus. What's wrong with that man?" Lauren covered her mouth, "I'm sorry, Jon. I know he's your…"

"He's blood and that's all. I'd suck his blood out of me if it wouldn't mean taking Pops and Dad's blood out too. I'm proud of their blood, but Big Jim's… well, he just gets worse with age. Bo was right, what she said about the village elders. If he doesn't speak better of her before he dies, they'll make what happened to me her legacy for the next two generations until she's long buried."

"That would be tragic."

Jon nodded, "She saved me, Lauren. She, Harper and the rest of that team. They pulled me up, sled and three dead dogs while on ice that could just as soon have taken all of them in had the tow line not been long enough to stretch back to thick ice. Damn lucky to be alive and I don't want to spend my life kowtowing to the likes of my great grandfather."

Lauren smiled at the young man, shaking her head, but said nothing. Finally, he asked,

"What?"

"You may be just eighteen, but you are wise beyond those years, Jon."

"Bo was tough on me. You know, my people are a matriarchal society. That is, the village you belong to is your Mother's village. But somewhere along the way in my family, Big Jim took the reins."

"Jon, what happened to all of the women in your life?"

Shrugging, he replied, "My Mom died a couple of years ago of the flu. We didn't have a doctor, only Selina. She's too smart to settle only for village medicine when the strains of the flu we get are often from tourists and other travelers. She tried to get medicine for her, but as I'm sure you know…"

"There's no cure for a virus. Don't you have the flu vaccine here?"

"Not usually enough doses, no."

Lauren pulled out her phone and typed out a note, "Well, that's about to change for the entire state. That's ridiculous. I'm sure every member of your state government has seen the movie Balto."

Jon chuckled, "Gosh, I played that movie to death when I was a kid."

"And your Grandmothers?"

"I never knew Big Jim's wife, but my Dad tells me that when she died, that's when he got angry. She was out gathering with their sled team. The sled flipped and she broke her leg… tore the artery. When they found her, it was tied off, but she'd lost too much blood for the cold. The team brought her all the way back to the village. Pops told me he shot all of the dogs. Never had a sled again after that and neither did Pops or Dad."

"He blamed them for not getting her back soon enough?"

Jon shrugged, "Don't know, but now that you mention it, that would make sense as to why he shot the dogs." His eyes went wide, "And why he shot Bo's dogs and wanted her lynched."

He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and opened it before removing an old photo, "This is a family photo just before she died. The whole family with the team. My Dad said his Grandma loved to race her sled. She loved those dogs. You can see it."

"Yes."

"Bo must remind him of her. Me hanging out with her is like my Dad hanging with his wife learning about sleds and dogs."

Nodding, Lauren had to agree. The question was, how could this information help Bo with Big Jim. Still, that was a problem for later,

"And your Grandmother?"

"Pops wife died of cancer just before I went through the ice. It was sad, really. Got into her bones. She was in a lot of pain right up until the end. Selina gave her a root that… well, let's be honest, it's basically a hallucinogen. I made a tea with it one time thinking it was the one she gave me for an upset stomach. Boy did she laugh at me while I was getting sick for about eight hours. It was horrible."

"And that tea helped your grandmother?"

"When mixed properly, yes. She slept most of the day. When she was awake, we'd go through old photos and she'd tell me about my family. I was young, so I don't remember a lot of what she told me, but I do remember this picture. I keep it with me everywhere I go."

"I'm so sorry you've lost all of the women in your life. I'm sorry Big Jim is so damn stubborn. But look, I'm going to do everything I can to help your situation. I promise."

Jon smiled, "Don't go getting yourself on Big Jim's bad side. You'll be banished to Talkeetna for good and the snow is going to get mighty deep here. Being closer to Anchorage will be a good thing. Trust me. Besides, I still have good women in my life. I have Selina, I have Bo, I have Kenzi and now I have you, Doc."

Lauren smiled, "Who's Kenzi?"

"A Russian Princess – which is short for the woman who runs the Brothel tourist trap in Talkeetna."

"Tourist trap?" Lauren asked.

"She bought an old run-down shack there, renovated it with Bo's help and made up stories about how it used to be a house of sin for people that came to Talkeetna during the gold rush. Don't get me wrong, there was a huge red-light district back in the day, but it was primarily in Skagway. If you ever get a chance and want a good laugh, go there to The Red Onion, have some lunch and hang out with a 'prostitute' to hear all about it."

"Wow. Sounds like… fun. I'll get right on that."

Jon laughed, "Bo seems to think it's fun."

"Well, I guess that's just another thing me and Bo don't have in common."

Jon smiled, "I think the two of you will get along really well at some point."

"Now who doesn't seem to know Bo?"

"She's a different person in Talkeetna. You'll see. Up here, she's well-liked and well-respected. Hell, she's rebuilt half the town. Now, she's helping to build a real hospital in a place where there are actual roads, planes and trains to get people to help when they're sick. Being appreciated goes a long way with Bo."

"Well, I'll appreciate her when she's not barking my head off."

Jon pointed out the window, "Look! We're here! The budding metropolis of Talkeetna!"

Lauren looked out the window and her heart sank. There was a small town next to the tracks that seemed to go on for about three blocks. The buildings looked a little worse for wear, though the snow did make it all look somewhat pretty. Still, she had an apartment here? And where would the hospital be?

Jon gave her a nudge, "Come on, Lauren. It's not as bad as you think."

"Are you sure Evony isn't building that hospital in Anchorage?"

Jon shook his head, "There's already a big hospital there. The problem is the people that get sick here and surrounding areas that can't make it to Anchorage. Evony is bringing small hospitals to seventeen small towns throughout Alaska! You are the pilot program! I know you're going to do great things here, Doc. I just know it."

Lauren sighed, staring out the window of the train as Jon got off. She was still staring when Jon started jumping up and down outside of the glass making faces at her. Finally, she laughed at his antics. It wasn't, after all, his fault. But she was going to kill Evony… in exactly five months when spring came.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Marquis Hotel, Bar & Restaurant – Talkeetna

"Evony Fleurette Marquis I despise you!" Lauren said, dropping her luggage into the foot-high snow at her sides as she gazed up at the wreck of a building where she was about to spend a year of her life.

"Honestly, Lauren. It's fully renovated inside, I promise. Bo is working on the outside as she has time off from work at the new hospital. It will be done before you know it."

"Bo? Sled-dogging, mistrustful Bo? She'll be lucky if she lives to move a tile on top of that roof!"

"She's…"

"Jon, seriously? Look at this place! It looks like the roof is going to cave in from all of the snow."

"I promise the roof is actually built to handle the weight of the snows that fall here. It's fine, really. Let's just go inside so you can see…"

"Inside? You want me to go inside this place so it can collapse on top of me?" She looked up to see a curtain moving, "I thought my apartment was on the top floor?"

"It is. There are three apartments up there, remember? See the sign? Hotel, bar and restaurant. Third floor is your apartment and two others. Second floor is hotel rooms. First floor restaurant and bar."

"Great. I'm sure I'll get plenty of sleep every night sleeping over a bar."

Jon attempted a smile but, in all honesty, he had no idea how to respond to the doctor's concerns. A bar in the winter was surely going to be loud… not to mention drunks firing off pistols in the street on New Year's Eve. He decided to keep that firearms part to himself as he spoke,

"I can try to find you another place. I'm sure Evony would pay for it."

Lauren scoffed, "Then you don't have enough experience with Evony and her bottom line."

He nodded, "Maybe not."

They stood quietly for a long moment before Jon asked, "So, what do you want to do?"

Lauren sighed, "Get out of the snow. I guess I'm going inside."

Jon turned and picked up Lauren's bags before she had a chance to grab them, "Let's go then."

Lauren watched as her younger companion trudged into the entrance of the hotel, bar and restaurant. Looking up, she noticed the curtain flutter in the window of the same room,

"Great. And I'll probably have a creeper in the apartment next door…" She shook her head and followed Jon's tracks into the building, "…until I die in a horrible building collapse. Evony you suck."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lauren's Apartment, a few hours later…

"Jon, do you have somewhere you have to be? You keep checking your watch."

He gave an adorable shrug, giving away his reluctant answer, "Uh… not yet. I just don't want to be late."

Lauren nodded with a smile, "Hot date?"

His head swung up, "Date? No, no! No date! Not-a date at all. Just… well… please don't tell. You won't tell will ya?"

Lauren laughed. She could have a little fun with him, but she remembered being teased about her first date, so instead,

"Circle of trust, remember?"

A broad smile spread across the young man's face, "Thanks, Doc."

She nodded, "So what's going on?"

"I'm going out with Bo… not out… I mean… definitely outside, but not a date out. Not like that. Totally professional."

Lauren chuckled, "Professional?"

"Well… friendly professionals."

"Oh, friendly, are we?" Lauren laughed, watching him squirm, "Jon, I'm kidding. I know Bo is your mentor and you've clicked with her for a long time. I admired my mentor as well."

"You had a mentor?" Jon asked.

She nodded, "I've had many, but one doctor showed me exactly the type of medicine I wanted to practice… the kind of doctor I wanted to be."

Jon nodded, "That's what Bo does for me."

He sat down with a huff, "I wish I could stand up to Big Jim. I want to do what Bo does. I want to hunt and track for a living. I don't want to become him, all bitter and stuck inside that store."

He stood and walked to the window, "I mean… look at that out there. It's freezing cold and I know I should be afraid of it, but it's amazing and… well… it calls to me."

He turned and walked back towards Lauren, "I know that sounds crazy, but I sweat that wonderful world out there knows my name. I hear it in my dreams, I hear it when I'm out in the woods tracking with Bo. I feel connected to… to the land."

Lauren placed a hand on his shoulder, "You are, Jon… you were born to this land… to a people who clearly have a spiritual bond with the land."

"You believe me?"

Laughing, the doctor replied, "You bet I do. Doctor Everett… that's my mentor's name… she told me I had a calling. I didn't know what that mean until I performed my first surgery on the human heart. To hold someone's beating heart in your hand… to feel the very essence of their life and know how to help it heal… well, it's powerful to say the least."

She looked up at Jon, "Sometimes I would watch my classmates struggle and, well, I could tell that they were working 'on' a patient instead of working 'with' the patient. That's when I realized that I could connect on a different level with the human body than others. That's why I finally started to believe that what Doctor Everett told me about my abilities was true."

"So what did you do?"

She shrugged, "I embraced that feeling and dove into my work. I learned to trust my gut and follow it wherever it led me."

"And it led you here?" Jon asked.

She shook her head, a smile covering her face as she shoved her hands in her pocket, "No, that would be Evony that led me here. She thought I needed to get away, so she handed over her little pet project to me. Now I know why. She would never come here."

Jon laughed, "I guess as much. She forgets that we can see whatever is in the background when she Skypes us… often several times a day… well, until you arrived."

"That's Evony."

He checked his watch again, "Crap. I've got to go. Do you need anything else until I get back? I'll probably be gone about six hours or so. We can do a late dinner maybe?"

Lauren shook her head, "No rush. I'll head downstairs and check out the food here in the hotel."

He grimaced, "I'm not sure they're serving much more than fish or root vegetable soup right now. It may not due much for your tastebuds."

"I'll make do." Lauren replied, "Besides, I also have the box of food that your Dad put in my order. I can always cook." She said, scratching her head as she turned to see a kitchen that was ill-equipped.

"You can borrow things from the kitchen downstairs until you have a chance to order what you need up here. They're set up well as far as equipment is concerned. Evony made sure of that. She just forgot about ordering food for the cooks to actually cook."

Lauren smiled, "Attention to detail is not her thing. She has hired help to figure out those."

"Like you?"

She nodded, "Like me. I'm sure I'll have a fully equipped hospital, but the outlets to power the MRI and X-ray equipment will likely be something she didn't think of."

"Whoa. You've got your work cut out for you."

Lauren nodded, "I do, but that's for Monday. Today, I'm going to finish unpacking all of these boxes she sent for me… or I should say bought for me since none of this looks like it's mine."

"Have at it then, Doc. I'm going to head out."

Lauren waved a finger, "Actually, I'm going to follow you down. Can I get a good cup of coffee here?"

He smiled, "Nothing but the best. Evony insisted."

Lauren laughed, "She knows I can't function without a good cup of morning coffee."

"No freeze-dried coffee for her favorite doctor?" Jon laughed.

"Something like that."

They pair exited the apartment, Jon turning the lock on the handle while Lauren wagged her key at him and put it in her pocket,

"Wouldn't do to get locked out on my first day."

She turned to head for the stairs and ran right smack into Bo. The two bounced off of each other, both smoothing down their clothes and pushing back their hair,

"Damn, Doc. You play tight end for the Seahawks?"

Lauren wasn't sure how to feel about the comment, "I assure you that's not the case, although I'm not entirely sure if I should be flattered or insulted by that comment."

Bo turned and picked up her dropped bags and headed for the stairs.

"And we're back to being an asshole." Lauren shrugged, her hands flying up as she spoke.

Jon laughed, "Come on. I'll introduce you to Kenzi. She's probably working the bar or counter today."

"Kenzi, the owner of the house of ill repute?"

Jon laughed and nodded, "Evony hired her to manage this place. She said if she could sell lies to the tourists, she'd be perfect for making a gold mine out of this hell hole. Direct quote."

"I'm sure." Lauren nodded as they made their way down the stairs. When she reached the bottom, what she saw made her breath catch in her throat. She gripped the bannister as her body betrayed her,

"Lauren? You okay?"

She heard Jon's question, but she could not respond. Her eyes were transfixed on the absolute beauty before her. Bo stood, leaning over the end of the bar talking to a young woman whose long black hair was highlighted by strands of purple. The two were laughing and sharing conversation like old friends would back at the bars in Boston. It was the first time that she'd seen such friendly banter since arriving here. While she wasn't usually the friendly-banter type, for some reason – in this moment – she wanted to be a part of their happiness.

Bo's eyes were bright. She looked… happy… genuinely happy for the first time she'd met her. Her hair was pulled up high and braided, revealing a long slender neck. She had an adorable dimple and her smile was… well… perfect in every way. It wasn't until she felt the slap on her arm that she turned to see Jon staring at her, concern shrouding his face,

"Are you okay?"

"Uh… yea. I just… wow… this place is… not what I expected."

"I know. Cool, huh?" Jon asked.

Lauren took a deep breath, "I was actually thinking it was kind of warm in here."

She cleared her throat, her eyes chancing a quick glance towards the woman one more time.

"I meant the renovations. I think the place looks great now."

Shaking off the feelings of… well, she couldn't describe what these feelings were. They were new. They were… foreign. Looking over to Bo one more time, their eyes met and for a moment, Lauren could feel the corners of her own mouth turn up at the sight of the brunette smiling back at her. Only she wasn't smiling at her… she was smiling at something the bartender had said and the smile was slowly vanishing from her face the longer their eyes remained locked.

So, Lauren did the only thing she could do. She pulled her eyes away and went into doctor mode. It was her safe haven from all things feelings and lately, she was very, very good at getting away from all things feelings. She supposed that deep down inside, she always knew that Nadia wasn't that forever kind of love, but still… she'd hoped that… well, she didn't know what she hoped. She was content… not in love. She never wanted to admit that. She had even learned to say the words even though she didn't feel them. Yes, Doctor mode had helped her to avoid many emotional situations, but as she looked up at Bo one more time, she realized that Doctor mode wasn't really going to help whatever this was.

"Lauren, come on! I've got us a table." Jon called, waving to the doctor from where he was taking a seat.

The blonde made her way to the table, her mind reeling with random thoughts and feelings. She took deep breaths, one time – in and out – with each step. Finally, she arrived at the table. She couldn't help but feel like Bo's eyes were on her the entire time. She chanced a glance and found the brunette looking over her shoulder, eyes locked on her. Slowly, she turned back, taking a sip from her beer. She shook off the feelings,

"A little early in the day for drinking, isn't it?" Lauren asked.

Jon looked out the window and then looked back at Lauren, "Well, it's dark out, so it must be late enough."

Lauren chuckled, "If the amount of light outside signals happy hour, I'd better start lining up livers for the entire state."

"Good idea, actually. There's a lot of booze here, Doc. Get used to the drunk and disorderlies."

"They'd better get used to not being anywhere near my clinic. Drunk and disorderlies won't be welcome unless they're unconscious." Lauren said, shaking her head.

"Got it." Jon smiled.

"Good. Make sure word spreads quickly on that front." She picked up the menu, "So what's good to eat here?" She asked.

Jon shrugged, "Don't know. This is my first time actually eating food here."

Lauren nodded, "So when are you and Bo heading out?"

He shrugged, "When she gives me a wave. With my luck, it will be right when my plate comes."

"You've got to eat." Lauren replied.

"Doc, Bo runs her life on her own clock. Get used to it."

Lauren shook her head, "Well, that's a bit inconsiderate of the time of others, isn't it?"

Jon shrugged, "She doesn't really involve herself in the world of others, so anyone that chooses to enter Bo's world does so of their own choosing."

"And you choose to enter Bo's world knowing that she doesn't really care about how her actions impact you?"

The waitress barely had the time to put the plates down before Jon was digging in to his breakfast. He let out a chuckle, taking a sip of his coffee before he replied to Lauren's question,

"I've been running around with Bo long enough to know to always bring a pack with loads of snacks in it." He patted the small bag attached to his backpack.

Lauren nodded, "I guess I just…"

Bo's voice stopped Lauren from continuing,

"Heading out, kid."

She breezed by, heading for the exit without looking back. Jon quickly shoved as much food into his mouth as he could before opening the thermos in the side pocket of his bag and pouring the remainder of his coffee into the container. Screwing on the lid, he shoved it into the pocket once again and heaved the bag over his shoulder. He grabbed a muffin and took a bite before picking up the rest of his gear and pushing back from the table,

"Gotta run, Doc. She's out there counting to sixty and if I'm not there, she pulls out without me. See you later."

Lauren nodded, "Right."

She shook her head, watching as he ran off. When she turned back to the table, she saw his gloves sitting by his plate.

"Shit. He'll get frostbite in no time." She grabbed the gloves and sprinted for the door.

Three steps off the porch and she was in knee-high snow, the ice-cold winds hitting her like a brick wall. Whiteout conditions had returned. It was dark and the only light to assist her was that of the single street lamp in front of the hotel. Her throat burned and her eyes hurt. She squinted, trying to see Jon, but it looked like she was viewing the world through dark, foggy windows. Two more steps and she instantly froze, dropping to her knees as she tried to catch her breath. She recognized Bo's voice as she spoke to Jon before speaking to Lauren, her voice filled with a tone she didn't recognize,

"Dammit, woman! You trying to kill yourself?"

Lauren looked up, dazed. Cold. She was so cold… or not… hot? Her skin burned. She felt two hands gripping under her arms, then… darkness.

"Kenzi!"

"Already on it, BoBo."

"Dammit!" Jon said, throwing blankets over Lauren while Bo pulled warm tea from the table, poured if over a cloth napkin and put it across the doctor's mouth.

"She's still breathing." Jon said as Bo nodded.

"One. Two. Three. Four. Five." Bo counted Lauren's breaths until finally, on the sixth breath, her eyes opened.

The doctor tried to sit up, but Bo held her down,

"Easy there, Doc. Just stay down until you get your head on right. Going outside in minus forty-five-degree weather without at least a jacket, goggles and mask is crazy. How's your breathing?"

Lauren squinted up at the brunette, "Heavy. Burns."

"It will for a bit. Think frostbitten lungs."

"That's not… that's not a thing." Lauren replied, closing her eyes and shaking her head as she tried to figure out what was wrong with her body… she felt… exhausted… hot and cold… numb.

"Blurry vision?" Bo asked.

Lauren moved her hands to her face, but Bo pulled them away, "Don't rub your eyes, Doc. You basically just froze your eyeballs solid. Give them a minute to thaw out. Your vision should go back to normal in a few minutes. You got lucky Jon was running back for his gloves. The light inside the hotel backlit you when you came out. If we weren't looking at the door in that moment, we might not have acted so quick."

"I uh… I… what?"

Jon placed a hand on her shoulder, "You were bringing my gloves out to me."

"It was just a minute." Lauren said, confused.

Jon explained, "That's all it takes here, Doc. Remember? We talked about how quick the weather changes and how you have to dress."

"Googles. My eyes." Lauren said, again trying to move her hands to her eyes, but Bo's hands were still holding her wrists.

The blonde looked down through blurry vision, seeing where the rough hands of the brunette were holding her hands. She chuckled as the thought of a good manicure could really help her skin… maybe. She could see that the very tip of one finger was missing.

"Doc?" Bo called to the blonde.

Lauren shook her head, "Um… can I have my hands back?"

"Depends. Will you touch your eyes?"

"I promise I will not touch my eyes." Lauren replied.

Bo slowly released Lauren's wrists, watching as she slowly sat up. For a moment, her hands went for her eyes, but when she saw Bo flinch, Lauren motioned for her to relax before dropped her arms to her sides.

"Wow. It's amazing what just a few minutes can do to you out there." Lauren said, shaking her head.

Jon nodded, "You got lucky, Doc."

As her vision cleared, Lauren could see the twisted expression on Bo's face. She looked terrified yet angry, concerned, yet frustrated,

"I guess I'm just a dumb cheechako, huh?" Lauren asked.

"Don't call yourself that." Bo snapped, taking a deep breath, "Sorry."

"Wow. An apology for something." Lauren grinned, "I guess I'm growing on you."

Bo laughed, "Like mold."

Lauren smiled, "I'll take that as a compliment. Molds are used for making medicines that save lives. I've worked my entire life to save lives. No one has every saved mine." She lowered her eyes, summoning the courage to face this woman. As she raised her eyes again, she was hit once again by the beauty of this woman. Gathering her thoughts, she spoke,

"Thank you." She looked at Jon, "Both of you." She looked back at Bo, "For saving my life."

Bo nodded, looking at Jon, "I'm heading out then. You coming."

Jon stood still, unsure of whether or not he should stay and watch over the doctor or go with Bo, but Lauren made the decision for him,

"Go. I'll be fine."

"Yea. I'll watch out for her, Little J." Kenzi said, chomping on her gum as she tossed a rag over her shoulder and planted a hand on her cocked hip.

"Thanks, K." He replied, running after Bo.

"Little J… wanna take those gloves this time?" Kenzi asked.

He grinned, "Right. Gloves." He said, picking up the gloves and heading or the door, "Take care, Doc."

Lauren nodded, offering a small smile as she watched him exit the hotel. She turned to Kenzi, "So…"

"Eat your breakfast, Doc." Kenzi said, heading over to the bar.

Lauren laughed, shaking her head, "Great bedside manner."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Next Morning…

Lauren descended the stairs into the hotel's restaurant and was unsure if she was having a déjà vu moment or if it was actually a new day. Maybe she'd traveled back in time?

Bo was standing at the end of the bar talking to Kenzi just as she had the day before and Jon was waving to her from the same table where she'd laid to recover from her White Walker moment. She remembered finishing whatever meal that was before Kenzi sent her to bed. Had she really slept through the early evening and into the morning? Or was this just a late dinner hour? Darkness during the day was really messing with her circadian rhythm. She wondered how these people lived this way.

"Doc? You okay?"

She looked to her left to see Jon standing only a foot or two away from her, concerned.

She nodded, "Yes, sorry. I was just… trying to figure out what time… or day it was?"

He smiled, "You slept for a really long time. You had us all really worried. I mean… you're the doctor. It's not like any of us would know what to do."

Lauren grinned, taking the final step and walking with him towards their table, "Well, you all seemed to do fine getting me back yesterday."

"Village medicine. We know the basics of what to do for cold-related illnesses, but our knowledge pretty much stops there for most things. I mean, Bo has survived on her own for a long time, so she's taken much more of an interest in medicine than most of us, but… well… whatever. I'm just rambling. I mean… I'm responsible for you and Evony would…"

"Jon." Lauren said, placing a hand on his shoulder, "I was the one that ran out into the cold without thinking. It was my fault. It's okay."

"Well, Bo doesn't usually get riled up, but you had her scared enough to check on you through the night."

Lauren stopped drinking her coffee, her fingertips tightening on the brim of the mug, "Bo checked on me?"

Jon shrugged, "Slept in the chair next to your bed."

"Sh-she was in my room all night?"

"Relax, Doc. She was a perfect gentleman… or lady. She watched your temperature, used what she calls her Alaskan humidifier treatment on your lungs and kept the compresses on your eyes warm. Feel better today?"

"Much, actually." Lauren replied, looking up across the bar at where Bo was seated, having some eggs as she talked to her friend Kenzi.

"Good. Then we can take a trek up to the clinic?"

Lauren shuddered at the thought of going outside again, "How far?"

Jon shrugged, "A couple of miles. Bo's gonna take you on her sled. Mine's too small to carry you."

"I thought your grandfather wouldn't let you have a sled?" Lauren asked.

Jon smiled, "We tell everyone it's Kenzi's sled so no one tells him, but it's mine. Trained and raised my dogs from pups." He paused, then looked at Lauren, "Circle of trust?"

Lauren grinned, "Absolutely. When are we leaving?"

"First light. Bo thought it would be better for you to travel during out daylight hours."

"Is that enough time? I mean… if we leave earlier, won't we get back in the warmer hours? I only ask because it seems like it gets colder at night and… well, you two are the experts, but wouldn't we rather come back before it gets so… risky out?"

Bo came to stand by the table in that moment, "It's always risky out there this time of year, Doc." She looked at Jon, "I'm heading over to the lumber yard to get the wood for your 'Doggie Hotel' idea. You coming?"

Lauren watched Bo's mouth twist with disapproval, "Doggie hotel?"

Jon smiled proudly, "Bo thinks my idea is stupid, but I saw it online and read about the benefits of shared body heat. I'm thinking that if we build a super big dog house that all of the dogs can stay together and create more body heat. If it's insulated well, the heat would be trapped inside and the dogs would stay warm just like we do in the hotel. If we drill small holes for ventilation in the top sides, the heat will circulate out as they make more since hot air rises."

Lauren nodded, "That sounds like a great idea." She looked up at Bo, "You seem to disagree."

The brunette shrugged, "My team lives with me during the night, they stay out during the day. No need to spoil 'em like that, my opinion."

Jon smiled, "Bo wants her dogs to live as they do on the trail and not get used to being too comfortable. Part of their training."

Lauren smirked, "Oh? And do you stay outside all day as part of your training? I notice you eat breakfast inside."

Bo scowled, "Heading for the lumbar. You coming?"

Jon nodded, "Coming." He said, grabbing a muffin and taking a big bite before grabbing his pack, leaving his gloves behind again, but Bo pointed causing him to stop and turn back.

Lauren whispered, "Déjà vu."

He turned to Lauren, "We'll be back in a couple of hours."

Bo added, "We'll leave at noon to give you more time, but dress warm, Doc. It'll be dark and colder than yesterday."

She watched as they turned and left the restaurant. Staring out at the darkness, she could see the snow flying sideways in the shadow of the streetlight outside. This place was an abyss. A dark, cold, empty abyss. Why would anyone want to live here? Why would Evony send her here? She was a top cardiothoracic surgeon – one of the best in the country if not the world. What possible value could it be to send her here?

Lauren looked down at her coffee, staring at her reflection as she considered the top questions on her list. There were many others, but these were the ones that kept nagging at her. These people would never be able to afford top medical care. How was Evony possibly making any money from this project? What was here that she would want to save, protect or benefit from financially or otherwise? It just made no sense.

She looked up at the waitress who asked if she wanted her usual. She chuckled to herself. Her usual? Hadn't she only had one breakfast here? Lauren nodded, thinking eggs, bacon, toast and juice was probably the best thing for her. She watched the waitress walk away, her eyes traveling up to Kenzi who was polishing glasses behind the bar while talking to a middle-aged man drinking beer.

She looked around the hotel noting that many of the locals were drinking already. Might as well, she supposed. There wasn't much else to do. She sipped her coffee thinking wondering how she would spend her morning. She could break down and unpack the rest of her boxes. She clearly wasn't going anywhere until at least spring. She could also read some of those books about native culture in Alaska, although honestly, there didn't seem to be a whole lot of native people in this hotel. She could clean her apartment, though it looked like Evony had made sure it was cleaned after the renovations. In all honesty, she had to admit that the apartment was very nice… and it ran a third of the length and width of the entire building. She supposed the other two units did the same.

As she pondered how she might spend her morning, her food came, and she began to eat. Only a few bites in, she realized that the food was actually quite good. That chef that Evony had brought in clearly knew how to get people into this restaurant.

She finished her food and gathered her things, standing to head back to her apartment when it hit her… maybe she would stop in to meet her neighbors. Smiling, she walked up the stairs. She straightened her clothing, smoothing down her shirt as she approached the door next to hers. She held her hand up, hesitating for a moment before knocking three times. She waited, nervously rubbing her hands together before she knocked again. When there was no answer, she sighed and moved on to the next unit. Hesitating again, she finally knocked – a bit quieter this time. She waited for a few seconds before she began to walk away, but the door opened revealing a young, dark-skinned man, his rippled abs contorting as he raised his hand against the wood frame of the door,

"Hey there, little mama. What can I do for you?"

Though not her type in more ways than one, Lauren could appreciate a man's muscular frame and bright smile. He was attractive and seemed friendly. His accent also gave him away as someone who had spent some time in a bigger city,

"Hello. I just… a… wanted to say hi. I'm doctor… a I'm Lauren… the doctor. I live… there… I mean, not there, but two doors down there. I'm… your neighbor."

The man smiled, "Well, howdy neighbor. That's cute… stopping by to say hi. I'm Hale Santiago, local law enforcement. I'm the Sheriff's Deputy."

"Oh, right. I saw you down in Anchorage. You helped Big Jon out with those young men."

"Right. You were there?"

Lauren nodded, "I was, hiding behind a garment rack."

He smiled, "I see. Not much protection there from bullets."

"So I've been told." She nodded, a tight smile on her face.

Hale laughed, "You're funny. I like funny."

"You think I'm funny?"

"Yea. In that awkward, nervous way you have goin'. So, you finding everything okay? Feeling better?"

"Feeling better?"

"Word has it you took a deep dive into the subzero yesterday. Good thing Bo and Little Jon were there."

She nodded, embarrassed, "Good thing. Well, I think I'll just head home now."

He nodded, "Sure thing, Doc. You need anything, I'm right here… most nights, anyway. I do shifts three times a week in Anchorage. The rest of the time, I've Chief of Police here in Talkeetna."

"The Chief leaves town?" She asked.

He nodded, "When I'm down there, my girl Tamsin comes down here from Denali. She works the Federal lands up there, bringing idiot climbers down from the mountain."

Lauren nodded, "I see."

"She'll be in later this week. You'll meet her then. We're all under contract at your clinic until the hospital is built, so we'll be around keeping you safe."

Lauren nodded, "Thanks for that."

"You're welcome, Doc." He said as he watched Lauren give him a half wave and start to walk away, "Doc?"

Lauren turned to the man, "Yes?"

"I know it can be tough, but you'll find your feet here."

"You sure about that?" Lauren smiled.

He nodded, "I've got a sense about these things. Yea, I think you'll do fine."

"What makes you say that? I've never felt more out of place in my life."

He grinned, "Because you've started to melt that frozen shell that Bo built around herself when she pulled Little Jon out of that lake."

"Melt… Bo?"

"She sat with you all night. Never done that before for anyone."

Lauren's face twisted with confusion. She didn't know how to feel about what Bo had done for her. The woman had showed her nothing but contempt since she'd arrived and now two people had mentioned the bedside vigil Bo had performed last night.

"It was very nice of her."

Hale smiled, "It was very Bo of her. That's who she is… always looking out for people who can't look out for themselves."

Lauren scowled, "I can take care of myself."

Hale nodded, "She said you said that."

Lauren stood still, not knowing how to reply.

"Some advice?"

She looked up at the man who took a few steps closer, "Ask, listen, learn and do."

"What?"

He rolled his eyes, "Ask the people who are willing to help you, how things need to be done here – from the way you wear your boots and socks to the way you make your bed. Listen to the answers. Be a learner – don't try to pretend you can take care of yourself here because you can't – not until you learn. Do what you learn. Never stray from the rules – like not going outside without coat, goggles and facemask when it's below twenty-five outside. The human body isn't cut for that. We don't have double eyelids or thick eyelashes like polar bears. We can't survive like they can out there. Ask, listen, learn and do."

"Got it." Lauren said, "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Hale replied.

Lauren turned and walked back to her apartment. Maybe unpacking boxes would be the best use of her time before going to the clinic.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Just before noon, Hotel Restaurant…

"That what you're wearin', Doc?"

Lauren looked up to see the gum-chomping Kenzi standing across the table from her, hand perched matter-of-factly on her hip while her other hand rest on the back of the chair,

"I know, I know…" Lauren pulled her small backpack from the seat beside her, "Goggle, facemask and gloves are in here."

"You have three nylon layers on, a single pair of pants that may or may not be waterproof, I'm guessing that's a single pair of wool socks and those boots?"

"Wow. You forgot to ask about the underwear I'm wearing."

"Ew. Really?"

Lauren's eyes went wide, "Excuse me?"

"You're actually wearing underwear?"

"Of course I am."

"Of course?"

"Kenzi!"

"What!" The pair turned to see Bo standing, covered in snow, arms crossed over her chest, glaring at her friend.

"What?" Kenzi asked.

"I thought we agreed." Bo said.

"I didn't. Okay, well I did, but it was reluctantly."

"You still agreed, Kenzi." Bo reminded.

"Okay, but I hate that I agreed and when I hate that I agreed with something that I was reluctant to agree with in the first place, I find it hard to stay… agreeable."

Bo sighed, "Kenzi."

"Okay, okay. Fine. One set of clothing suitable for riding Bo's sled coming up." She snarked, giving a mock bow to Lauren.

"Kenzi!"

Lauren sat, confused as to what had just transpired.

"Hey, Bo. I got all of the dogs settled in." Jon said, handing Harper's lead to Bo, "Your Queen."

Bo smiled, looking down at Harper who immediately sat by her side, staring up at her, "Good girl, Harper."

Lauren looked at the dog, then Bo, "I thought we were going to my clinic?"

Jon intervened, "Bad weather came up. We're going to have to wait it out."

"Bad weather?" Lauren asked, "And what, exactly, did you call what was happening out there for the last few hours?"

"Some squalls." Jon replied, waving to Sara at the bar. The young red-head waved back before moving to the kitchen.

"Squalls?" Lauren asked, jumping a bit when a wet tongue licked her hand. She turned to see Harper nudging her hand with her head, "Awww. Aren't you a beauty." She cooed, putting the dog's head, "Is this okay? I mean, I know work or show dogs are supposed to be treated in a certain way."

She looked up at Bo, smiling but the brunette seemed to scoff at her dog's demonstration of her affection, but still, she replied to Lauren,

"It's fine. What Harper wants, Harper gets." Bo sighed, as her best friend looked up at her, "Traitor."

Harper turned back to Lauren who smiled, "You're not a traitor. You're just getting the attention you want from the person who is willing to give it to you, right? That's right. You're such a beautiful girl."

"Oh brother." Bo mumbled, rolling her eyes, "If you don't mind, I've got to go give her a rub down, food and water or she'll be no good to us when the weather breaks."

Lauren nodded, "Can't you give her a break? I mean… does she have to go with us to the clinic? Jon said it's just a few miles."

Bo seemed to tense at the suggestion, so Lauren backtracked, "Of course, you're the expert. I was just curious."

"Where the sled goes, Harper goes."

Lauren nodded, "If there's anything I can do to help, please you need only ask."

"You a vet?" Bo asked.

Lauren shook her head, "No, but I did…"

Jon laughed, "She learned on animals, but she's no Vet. Her words, not mine."

Lauren sighed, "Actually, I didn't tell Jon about the turn I did in Veterinary emergency medicine."

"Emergency medicine for dogs?" Jon asked, "Why on earth would you do that?"

Lauren looked out at the darkness, then chose to look back at Harper, finding it easier to talk to the dog about this than any humans. After all, those two years weren't normal for a human… what happened there wasn't human… it couldn't have been. There was no humanity. Only violence and anger and hatred and more violence,

"Because the military dogs were put in harm's way on a regular basis in Afghanistan. I had to be able to treat the bomb dogs and the guard dogs and the service dogs when they fell ill or were injured. They deserve a doctors' best too, right Harper?"

"You were in Afghanistan, Doc? Like in the war there?" Jon asked.

"The Marines paid for my medical school. I paid them back. First Battalion, Fifth Marines unit," Lauren replied, before whispering, "Oorah."

She focused on Harper as her eyes welled up and she found herself tightening her jaw to bring her emotions back under control, pushing the memories back down into the darkness. She felt something on the side of Harper's throat. She probed a bit, looking up at Bo returned her gaze with something different in her eyes,

"What?" Lauren asked.

"You were really in the Marines?" Bo asked.

Lauren only nodded in reply, her hand searching, probing around the area on Harper's left side, "Yes. Is that so hard to believe?"

Bo shrugged, "You seem more… delicate… than someone who has been in the armed forces."

"Yes, well that sounds more like a stereotype than an insult so I'll chalk that comment up to lack of education." She looked up to see Bo scowling, "Not that I mean you don't have an education overall. You seem very knowledgeable about all things Alaska and you definitely have a skill set I do not have."

The blonde realized she was digging herself a whole, "I'm just saying that you shouldn't judge someone based on their appearance. I may appear delicate because I'm just a cheechako to everyone around here, but trust me when I tell you that I am far from it."

"I said, don't call yourself that." Bo snapped.

"Then don't call me delicate." Lauren said, standing from the table. With one last pat to Harper's head she added, "I'm concerned about a lump on the side of Harper's neck. We need to get to the clinic so I can scan it and be sure it's just a benign cyst. I'll be in my apartment. Come and get me when you're ready to go."

Lauren moved quickly to the steps and ascended then to her apartment. That woman was ridiculously frustrating… and beautiful… but frustrating. Dammit! What was it about her? She really did need a manicure.

Bo stood frozen to the spot, her eyes set on Harper, filled with tears. She didn't move until one escaped. It was then that she wiped the tear and spoke,

"You're fine, right girl? You wouldn't leave me… not yet. I'm not ready. You can't leave yet." Another tear fell causing Bo to turn and head for the stairs, leading Harper to their apartment, "We just have to rub you down, get you fed and watered… you need rest. You just need to sleep. We'll go to the village tomorrow. We'll go see Selina. She'll know what to do."

Jon had sat quietly sipping his coffee and eating his muffins as the two women bantered before each ran off to break their own personal version of the tension… and boy was there tension. He looked up to see Kenzi had returned to the table,

"So that's gonna get messy, huh?" He said.

Kenzi looked up at the staircase, "Gonna get messy? Little J, let me tell you… that shit's already gettin' real."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As soon as Lauren had closed the door to her apartment, she began pacing. Back and forth, back and forth across the barn wood floors of her living room. She walked with the grain of the planks, punching the fist of her right hand into the palm of her left.

"Arghhh! That woman is the most frustrating, obstinate, stubborn, strong-willed, anti-social, judgmental… beautiful being on the face of the planet!"

She threw her hands in the air and plopped back onto the easy chair in the corner, fingers covering her eyes as she shook her head,

"What is it about this woman? It's like an obsession. Is this just that I'm so fascinating in the way she's survived and the way she lives her life completely on her own like some sort of Tarzan of the Arctic?"

She pushed herself out of the chair, pacing once again, "Or is it this strange – God help me – sexual attraction I feel every time she's in the same room?"

Walking to the kitchen, she grabbed a glass from the cabinet and poured herself a glass of water, "It's hardly an attraction of the heart. I mean, she's heartless, right?"

She through her head back, dropping her shoulders as she rolled her eyes, "Until you see her with Harper, then she completely melts your heart at how much she clearly loves that dog. I hope she's not too stubborn to let me get ahead of… okay, let's not even go there yet. It may be completely benign."

Sighing, she looked up at the clock, "Well, maybe I can find my own way to the clinic. Just a few miles, right? What's to stop me from just walking there? Kenzi was getting all of that gear together for me… I think. What was that argument they were having? Those two are weird together. They talk without saying a word."

She pulled a pot out of the cabinet below the counter. Filling it with water, she placed it on the stovetop and turned the burner on high. She moved to the refrigerator and grabbed the cooked chicken, throwing it into the pot, then threw in a can of tomatoes, a can of string beans, some mystery beans and a can of corn,

"Okay, that's a good amount of protein, the broth give me fluids."

She moved to one of the unpacked boxes in the corner and began pulling out various mugs and to-go cups until she found the one she was looking for,

"Okay Yeti brand. Let's see how good you really are. Can you hold up in the arctic freeze? If you do, I'll write a helluva review on Yelp for you."

She pulled out one of the books that Evony had bought her, 'Surviving the Arctic Freeze'.

"Okay, Evony, so what are all of these colorful post-it notes doing throughout this book? Suggested reading, maybe?"

She pulled back the page marked by a pink post-it labeled 'subzero travel' and began to read aloud,

"There is no synthetic equivalent for good old-fashioned animal pelts or the animals themselves. This is why Mushers often sleep with their dogs whose genetics have allowed them to live and thrive in the icy environment."

Her eyes went wide as she remembered something Evony had said to her while she was packing her things. She ran to her phone, calling down to the bar,

"Yes, Kenzi?... This is Lauren in the apartment upstairs... Evony said something about fuzzy friends for me... Yes. Did she by any chance… she did?... Why didn't you tell me?... Oh, right… Where… Okay…Thanks… Right… don't do anything stupid… of course not... No... Right... Okay, bye."

Hanging up the phone, she returned to the easy chair and picked up the book again. This time she opened to the post-it note marked 'driving a dog sled team',

"I can do this. I'm a Marine. Oorah. I can figure out how to get myself a few miles down a very snowy road."

She began to read, skipping the parts about hitching up the team since she had seen that done first hand behind the General Store. Of course, she didn't know anything about her dogs, so she wouldn't be sure which should go where, but maybe the dogs would instinctively go to their usual spots on the lead. She continued reading, practicing the signals,

"Okay, so right turn is gee. Gee! Gee!"

She ran her finger beneath the lines as she read,

"Haw. Haw. Haw is left."

She turned her head towards a sound coming from behind the wall near her bedroom door. She put the book down on the side table and walked towards the wall. Putting her head against the wall, it sounded like… crying? She turned and ran to the kitchen, grabbing a glass and then ran back to the same spot. Putting the glass against the wall, she listened again, hearing the muffled words,

"You're okay, right girl? You're fine."

Lauren pulled her ear away, "Oh, Bo. I'm so sorry."

She listened again, "We're going to go see Seline. She'll know what to do. Her medicine is strong. We don't need that fancy city doctor, right? She'll fix this."

Lauren laid her hand on the wall as she listened to the muddled sounds of Bo crying. Saving Harper was going to be harder than she thought. For as much as Bo seemed to hate Big Jim, it looked like she had his stubborn streak as well. She needed to get her clinic up and running. Putting the glass down, she moved back to her reading chair and picked up the book. She shoved it into her pack as well as a few more supplies.

She moved to the kitchen where her soup of boiling on the stove. She pulled a thermos from the cupboard and filled it with the hot liquid, then grabbed her Yeti and filled that one the same. She grabbed three bags of the beef jerky she'd picked up at the General Store. She might need that for the dogs. It wasn't what was described in the book, but it would do if it had to. She moved to her bedroom and pulled on the five layers described in the book, then packed her goggles, mittens and mask in her pack. Everything else she would get from Kenzi.

She turned and took one last glance around the apartment before shouldering her bag and heading downstairs. Yes, it was high time she soldiered up and got her act together. It wasn't like her to sit around waiting for other people to do thing for her. She was tired of being afraid. She was tired of being stationary.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Restaurant Bar, Two Hours Later…

Bo made her way to the bar, ready to take the doctor to the clinic, then start her run back to Anchorage to see Seline with Harper. The team was due for a checkup anyway, so she might as well do it now before they got too far into winter. She waved to Kenzi who seemed to hesitate before she came to stand in front her her friend.

"What's wrong with you?" Bo asked.

"Me? Nothing. What could possibly be wrong?"

Bo eyed her suspiciously, "You see the Doc? I want to get going. I'm going to drop her off and then head to Anchorage."

"Back to the village? Why?"

"I want Seline to check that lump the Doc found on Harper's neck." Bo replied.

"But why would you have Seline do that when she apparently missed the lump? Besides, it seems like the Doc has some fancy equipment you might want to try out…" She mumbled the rest, "… before she gets herself killed."

"What was that?"

Kenzi wiped the counter, her eyes turned away from Bo, "What?"

"What is up with you?"

"Bo! Hey! You seen the Doc? I can't find her anywhere." Little Jon came into the bar, pulling his hood back and shaking off the snow.

"I just mopped that floor!" Kenzi scolded.

"Sorry, Kenz." He turned to Bo, "So, you know where she is? Her apartment?"

"Her apartment?" Bo asked.

Jon nodded, "Yea, she's in the one right next to yours."

Bo scowled, looking at Kenzi who was now further down the bar, still polishing the counters, "Why are you wiping the counters so much? Kenzi, where is the Doc?"

"Hanging out with her dogs."

Bo nodded, "So why didn't you just tell us that?"

Kenzi shrugged, "Dunno."

"Did you get that gear ready for her?"

The young woman nodded, "Yup. She has it all. Showed her how to wear everything proper, too."

"Good." Bo said, pulling on her gloves, "You gave her my old Mukluks?"

Kenzi nodded, "Yes, I gave her your favorite pair of dead seal boots. They're gross."

"They work and they're more waterproof than anything she brought with her." Bo replied.

"Good thing."

"What?"

"Oh, I just said… you-better-hurry-if-you-wanna-catch-up-with-her-before-she-dies-out-there." Kenzi rapid-fired the words, causing Bo and Jon to stop what they were doing to look up at the bartender. When she continued to wipe the counter, they said in tandem,

"WHAT?"

Kenzi slouched over the bar, "Okay, so theoretically, she may have asked me to show her the dogs and then asked to borrow the sled that was in the barn with the dogs. She had a little trouble, but she seemed to know how to hook up the team. Of course, there's only three dogs, so she probably didn't get too far… and she seemed to have an idea of how to work a compass. I mean, she is a Marine after all. Hooray!" Kenzi cheered.

Bo shook her head, "It's oorah and there's nothing good about any of that! Why in the world would you have let her leave? Why didn't you come and get me?"

"She told me she could handle it."

"Geezus, Kenzi! You know she can't handle it! Hell, you can't handle it and you've lived here all your life!" Bo said, hastening her preparation for a quick trip, "Jon, hitch up your sled. We're going to have to hustle so travel lite. We can get everything we need when we get to the clinic. I stocked that ridiculously huge storage shed that Evony put there. It's got enough groceries, dry good and clothes to last three years. I swear that woman just likes to spend money."

"Is there anything you want me to do?" Kenzi asked.

"I wanted you to keep her from doing anything stupid! Just like Evony asked, remember? It's why we have jobs! Protect her precious doctor! Dammit, Kenzi!"

"You can't always save people from themselves." Kenzi replied.

Bo shook her head, "Dammit."

She stormed out of the bar and into the snow followed by Little Jon.

"What's the plan, Bo?"

Bo set to work hitching her team, leading Jon to do the same, "You take the left, I'll take the right. We head out side by side, driving by compass since that's what she seems to be doing. She'll use true north on the compass so as long as we hold to that, we'll be fine."

"I don't have a compass, Bo."

"Then you better now lose me." She replied.

Jon watched as she set out the lines, "Five dogs?"

Bo nodded, "That's all we should need. You take Diana as your lead and Aphrodite as your swing. That will give you five."

"Are you sure Harper is…"

"She's fine." Bo said, cutting Jon off before he could say anything.

He set to work quietly hitching his dogs to the sled before the two tied their light packs to the sled, turned on their headlamps and headed off towards the clinic. Hopefully, the Doc made it to the clinic in one piece.

"You think she made it?" Jon called out to Bo over the barks of the dogs.

Bo shouted back, "I'm guessing the dogs ditched her by now. They're not used to being hitched. They've only pulled logs so far. I didn't have time to run them as a team. Had planned to start that part of their training next week. Damn this Doc is stubborn."

Jon laughed, "She says the same thing about you."

He couldn't see Bo's face through the mask and goggles, but he knew the look he was giving her right now. He laughed to himself.

"Let's just focus on the run. Harper! Gee! Gee!"

Jon called out an identical command, the two sleds turning in tandem to avoid the large landscape of trees ahead. As they passed the tall pines, they turned back, heading due North again,

"Haw! Haw!"

They continued up the dark path, Bo monitoring the compass while looking at the area off trail as Jon did the same on his side. They continued forging ahead as the winds kicked up,

"Another squall coming." Jon called out, to which Bo nodded, "This is what you wanted to avoid."

Bo nodded again, "You hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Jon, brake." Bo called to her young companion before calling out, "Harper! Whoa! Whoa, girl!"

As the two teams came to a halt, the two mushers squinted into the darkness. Bo's heart stopped when she saw a sled team coming towards them.

"Shit! Jon!" Bo quickly threw her snow hook into the ground, stepping on it twice to be sure it held before stepping out into the gap between her sled and Jon's who was now standing next to her,

"Grab the dogs, not the lines. They're coming hard. If the sled is still attached, don't get hit. That's a lot of momentum that could do a lot of damage."

"Got it." Jon said, mimicking Bo's stance and bracing himself for impact. He'd never had to stop and oncoming runaway sled dog team before.

He could hear the barks as they approached and then heard Bo shout the commands, "Whoa, Elsa! Whoa!"

The two mushers leaned down, catching Lauren's lead dog, "Okay girl. It's okay. Where is Anna and Belle?" Bo asked the dog, checking the lead and neck lines attached to Elsa, "These neck lines were cut. They were intentionally freed… and in a hurry."

"Who would have cut their line?"

Bo shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe it's a message. It would have been just as easy to unclasp them unless the musher was injured. But I'm going to put Elsa in the lead and move Harper back to swing."

Jon shook his head, "But she's just a pup. Isn't she going to…"

Bo pulled the pack from the sled, knowing it would have Lauren's scent on it, "The pack isn't full. Lauren would have packed this full knowing that she was coming out here with no experience. She's crazy, not stupid. Elsa knows where Lauren is, Jon."

She held the pack in front of Elsa, letting her get a good whiff of Lauren's scent. It was a long shot that she could track anything out here in this snow, but it was all she had besides the compass. Bo knelt down in front of the young dog, "Elsa, I need you to find Lauren."

Detaching her neckline, she set to work rearranging the team. She attached Elsa last, leaving Lauren's sled in a ditch along the path. If Lauren didn't have the sled, she couldn't pull this stupid move again. She looked at Jon, giving him a nod. The young man nodded back, following behind Bo as she called out,

"Hike, Elsa! Hike!"

The young girl took off like a shot, causing Bo to do some quick pedaling to get them going. Once momentum was on their side, they were moving along well,

"Gee! Gee!"

Elsa began to move left, causing the sled to swerve as the rest of the team turned right on command, "Harper! Pull her in, girl!"

She watched as Harper accelerated, nudging Elsa's back left quarter, effectively pushing the young pup back on track. Bo could see the darkness fading ever so slightly. With any luck, they wouldn't pass Lauren in the dark before the sun came up. She had no idea what shape the woman was in, if she was injured or unconscious or if someone had decided to take advantage of a lone newcomer out here in the Alaskan wilderness by herself. One thing she was fairly certain of was that it hadn't been a bear or wolf. If it had, Elsa would have blood on her for sure.

Elsa began to bark, followed by Harper. The sled turned, nearly throwing Bo off, but she leaned back and rode the curve, giving the dogs freedom to go after whatever they'd instinctively wanted to find. Bo hopped off and ran behind the sled, pushing along as a small fire came into view. There lay Anna and Belle, curled around…

"Lauren! Lauren!" Bo threw down her snow hook, "Elsa! Harper! Halt! Halt!"

The brunette hopped off the sled and ran to where the two young dogs were laying on the doctor, keeping her warm,

"Good dogs! Good dogs!" Bo said, petting each dog's head before pulling them off of the blonde and giving her a gentle shake, "Lauren? Lauren!"

There was no response. Bo removed her glove and placed her fingers in front of the blonde's mouth just as Jon came to her side,

"She's breathing. Bring my sled over. We've got to get her to the clinic."

Jon pointed at the ground in front of him, "There's blood here."

Bo looked at the doctor's head, "Her head. It looks like she bumped her head." She looked around the area, the coming dawn and her headlamp lighting the area enough to show the events that led to the cut, "Looks like the sled flipped with her on it. I'm not surprised. Elsa almost flipped me twice. Damn dog still doesn't know 'gee' from 'haw'. Gets it backwards every time."

Jon walked back and pulled Bo's snow hook from the ground, leading Elsa over to Lauren and past her so they could load her onto the sled,

"This is the last time we drag her unconscious ass out of trouble. Next time we leave her behind." Bo said, her worry now replaced by anger.

"You don't mean that." Jon replied.

"Right now, I'm angry enough to mean it. What in all that's good did she think she was doing? It's like hopping in a car back east without a drivers' license."

"Well, she obviously had her reasons." Jon defended.

The pair lifted the doctor onto the sled, putting Anna and Belle on either side of her to keep her warm, then headed off to the clinic where they could get a better idea of how she was. They rode for another mile or so before they pulled up in front of the older building. Bo had wanted to renovate this one as well, but Evony was putting all of her money into the hospital here.

They carried the doc inside, laying her on a table, then proceeded to bring in the dogs. Bo gave the dogs her special mix of liquid and protein before moving back to Lauren,

"Okay, let's see what we've got here." She checked her body from head to toe, not finding any fractures or swelling. Just the gash and bump on her head. She found that her pupils were dilated by responsive, so the doctor likely had a concussion.

"How's she doing?" Jon asked.

Bo shrugged, "Okay, I guess. Did you get the gas on?"

Jon nodded, "Heat's on. Generator is up and running."

"Thanks." Bo replied, pulling out a hook and thread for stitching the gash on the doctor's head, "Now, to clean and close this gash."

Jon shook his head, "I don't think the Doc would appreciate you stitching her up, Bo."

"You see anyone else around here who knows how to do it?"

"No, but…"

"Well, I think she's going to like having an infection from an open cut even worse. Now that we're inside, it's getting warmer, so infection can set in. I've cleaned it, now it's time to stitch it. Now, do you mind?" Bo asked.

Jon shook his head, "Not at all. That's actually really gross. Do your best. I'm going to look after the dogs."

"You do that. I'll take care of Princess, here."

As Bo stitched, she couldn't help but allow her eyes to drift over the blonde's face… her hands… her body. She was beautiful. It had been a very long time since Bo had felt this feeling stir inside of her. One thing she knew for sure was that this woman was trouble… in more ways than one if she was as stubborn as she'd proven so far.

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A/N 2: I am one of the lucky ones who has seen Denali… several times. The first time was from the train to Talkeetna which is all glass from your waist to the sky. I was in awe of the landscape views, but when the mountain appeared, I couldn't take my eyes off of it. Beautiful, amazing, incredible, majestic… there is no single word. I'd go back there in a blink.