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?

3. Chapter 3: Closing the Gap

A/N: Pardon errors of any kind! The proofread kind of got tossed aside again in exchange for bedtime so I could post this tonight. Hopefully the gaps were all fixed! Gotta get some sleep! Those of you just heading to jobs, safe travels and enjoy your day… this is probably not good reading for work. This chapter is definitely for mature audiences only!

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Chapter 3: Closing the Gap

Lauren's eyes fluttered open, her eyes landing immediately on a pile of fur in front of her. She turned her head when a wet tongue touched her lips and immediately felt a surge of pain in her head,

"Okay, girl. Okay. I'm awake. Maybe we should try to get to the clinic, huh?"

"You're already at the clinic, Doc."

"Okay. I definitely have a concussion because I could have sworn I just heard you talk. Dogs don't talk."

"That's true. Dogs don't talk. But they do bark and the bark of that particular dog saved your life. We might have driven right past you if she hadn't sensed us."

Lauren closed her eyes and opened them again, looking up at the ceiling… a ceiling… no stars, no snow… a ceiling. She was inside. Where was she?

"Don't go back to sleep Doc. You've been out for a while and conscious is definitely better for you at this point. Of course, I'm not the doctor so you probably know better than me. Your pupils are dilated, but responsive so I know that's good. You were hypothermic when we brought you in, but we were successful at warming you slowly with the help of our tried and true methods. You have a bit of frostbite on your right cheek where your face was in the snow… probably for about a good thirty minutes from the looks of it. You'll have some scabbing and discoloration, but it should heal up. The little finger on your left hand has frostbite too. I did what I could with it, but that's a bit more severe. Time will tell. Feels like you have a pulse in there, but you'll have to watch that."

"My hand? My finger?" Lauren went to sit up, but stopped, her hands gripping her head and then her hand, "Fuck!"

"Language, Doctor."

"My head… my fucking hand! What the hell!" She looked down to see a bandaged hand, "What the hell?"

"Mouth like a truck driver, this one." The voice mumbled.

"I need to know… wait… who are you?"

The brunette stood and walked to stand next to the table, "It's me. Bo."

Lauren looked up, confused, "Bo? How did you… why are you…"

"I have a contract with Evony… to keep you alive. Of course, it will be hard for me to get paid if you get dead, so I'd appreciate you not doing anything that stupid again."

Scowling, the blonde replied, "Well, it didn't seem you were up for getting me here, so I decided to make the trip myself. I'm not in the habit of sitting around waiting for things to be done for me. I'm also not in the habit of being insulted continuously as I have been since my arrival here. Since I'm obviously trapped in this hell hole, I decided I'd rather chance death than spend any more time listening to you complain about everything I don't know about living in your state. And I'd also like to say that if you ever find yourself in Boston, trying to adapt to city life, I'd be happy to shit all over you like you've shat all over me as you try to adjust to unfamiliar territory and customs."

"Shat?"

"Yes. Past tense of shit as far as I'm concerned." Lauren replied with a huff, "Do you mean to tell me that of everything I just said, that word is the only thing that meant anything to you?"

"I asked because that was the only word that didn't mean anything to me. No… seriously… shat… no idea what it means."

"Ugh!" Lauren said, rolling her eyes and laying back, "Owa! My fucking hand!"

Bo sighed knowing that she needed the money from Evony, so she was going to have to find a way to deal with being around this blonde. Foul mouth and all… although she was certain her hand definitely deserved a lot of 'F' bombs,

"Look. We both have a job to do here. You have to take care of opening this new hospital and dealing with this virus that's going around the area. My job is to keep you alive to do those jobs while also doing my job as a Trapper and Carpenter. I'm also training for the Iditarod, so I have very little free time which is making me a little bit… short tempered. Add to it the fact that I spend almost all of my time away from people and you might understand a bit about my lack of social skills. For that reason, I'm very blunt… actually, I'd prefer to call it honest. I have no time for subtleties, and I am not here to make friends. I have no need for friendships… it's not a requirement for my survival or the survival of those around me."

Lauren slowly rose to prop herself up on her elbows, the dog spinning around and settling herself between her legs. Lauren reached down and scratched her head before looking up at Bo,

"Surviving isn't living. Friendships can make living a helluva lot more pleasant and friends can also help you to juggle all you're trying to juggle."

"There's nothing anyone can do for me. Everything I'm juggling is mine to deal with. You can't drive a dog sled – despite your best effort – you can't hammer a nail and you can't set or retrieve traps. Like I said, there's nothing you can do for me."

Lauren nodded, "Right. Fine."

She held up her hand, again noticing the bandage. Bo explained, "I wrapped the finger, then packed it in snow to limit the decay of tissue before we moved you…"

"Packed it in snow? You packed a frostbitten limb in snow?"

Bo nodded, "Rewarming frostbitten limbs is not recommended when you have a core body temperature below 82 degrees Fahrenheit."

"I'm a doctor. I'm aware of that." Lauren snapped, then replayed Bo's words, "My core temperature was below 82 degrees?"

Bo nodded, "I didn't have a thermometer, but you weren't shivering, you weren't conscious which I wasn't sure was from hypothermia or the head injury and you were barely breathing. Good enough for you, Doctor Lewis?"

Lauren scowled, "Yes. Please call me Lauren."

"But you said…"

"I know what I said!" Her patience was short, her head hurt, her hand hurt and she was in a piss poor mood. She had no idea why, but she just… she just wanted to go home. As snowbound as they were in Boston, she missed normal snow and cold. She loved winters in Boston, but this… this was altogether different,

"I'm sorry. I'm in a bad mood."

"You're recovering from hypothermia."

Lauren nodded, "So, why did you wait to rewarm the limb if you had me warm on the sled?"

This woman was unreal, "You second guessing my decision, Doctor Lewis?"

"I don't think you understand how serious this could be for my career if I lose this finger – pinky or not."

"As I mentioned, I couldn't rewarm the limb until I had you in a place where it wouldn't refreeze. If we hadn't made it back – I mean, obviously you now know that shit happens out here, even with the most experienced Mushers – refreezing would have become a real issue. So we wrapped Anna and Belle in a large blanket with you and put you on my sled to slowly work on your hypothermia. Moving you faster with a chopper or vehicle was out of the question in whiteout conditions. We were about an hour from the clinic when we found you – faster to get moving than wait for the weather to clear. So, to prevent your hand from warming and then refreezing due to exposure, we wrapped it, then packed it in snow to keep it cold. I realize that's not the first aid method of the lower 48, but here, things freeze much more rapidly and once they do, if you don't keep them frozen until they can be permanently thawed, they cause infection, loss of limb and death. It's a time-tested method – one that saved your finger. If I had tried to warm it out there, it would be gone now."

Lauren slowly unwrapped the hand, but Bo protested,

"I wouldn't…"

"I need to see it."

"Seeing it won't help it heal faster." Bo replied.

"Yea, well wrapping it doesn't change the fact that the tissue is dead."

"The tissue is not dead. You have a pulse in the finger and the discoloration has not spread into your hand. It does have blisters and removing the wrap may threaten the tissue."

"I thought you said I was the doctor?" Lauren huffed.

"Sorry."

Lauren looked around, "Warm water?"

Bo nodded, going to the sink and filling the bucket they'd used to thaw her hand. She brought it back over to Lauren who slowly sat up and placed her wrapped hand slowly in the warm water,

"Shit." She hissed, swirling her hand around in the bucket, making sure it did not touch the sides. When the bandage fell loose, she looked down at her hand through the clear water,

"It appears cyanotic. You said I have a pulse?" Lauren asked, her eyes welling up with tears.

Bo nodded, "Best I can tell. I didn't want to touch the skin too much since I didn't have gloves. They're in one of these boxes, I'm sure. All I could find was the Hibiclens."

"Thank you for attempting to keep it as sterile as possible." Lauren said, trying to see the damaged limb through the water.

"The blisters look clear to cloudy. They don't seem to be holding bloody fluid. We agree that's good, right?" Bo asked.

"Very good." Lauren nodded.

"Okay then, let's keep our thoughts on the bright side here." Bo encouraged, awkwardly patting Lauren's shoulder.

"You really don't understand, Bo. The work you do requires what we call gross motor skills. Swinging a hammer, driving a sled, setting traps. What I do requires what we call fine motor skills."

"Doc, no offense, but it's just a pinky. You have four other fingers on that hand and I've been around you enough to know that you're clearly right-handed. It's your left pinky." Bo said, trying to force a smile and be… friendly. It was awkward territory to deal with someone else's tears over a little finger. Everyone knows that our index finger and thumb are the most important ones.

"I'm a surgeon. My hands are crucial." Lauren replied.

"Your pinky is crucial to surgery when you're clearly right-handed?"

Lauren shook her head, "Surgery is a two-handed skill and… well… the surgeries I do are… delicate."

Jon laughed as he entered the room, "Delicate? Bo, meet Doctor Lauren Lewis, WORLD-renowned Cardiothoracic Surgeon and Chief Surgeon in the Critical Coronary Care Program at Boston General Hospital."

Bo looked unimpressed, though she knew she should be, "So… she's super smart."

"The smartest and the most skilled." Jon replied, "And very modest about her smarts. Although, taking a dog sled out with no lessons and no experience – not to mention alone in the darkness with no knowledge of the trail – does not demonstrate much intelligence… or common sense for that matter."

"Wow. I thought my Mother was back in Boston reminding everyone of my long list of failures. Apparently, she followed me here to add to everyone else's incredible need to insult me every chance they get." She laid back, "Damn I'm exhausted. You still didn't tell me how long I've been out."

Bo and Jon looked at each other, then back at Lauren.

"Well?" Lauren asked.

Jon looked at Bo and shrugged before he replied, "It's about seven o'clock now."

Lauren nodded, "Not too bad then."

She lifted her leg over the dog and turned away from the two natives. Slowly, she stood, pausing for a moment when a wave of nausea caused her to wobble.

"Doc, what are you doing?" Jon asked.

"I need to aspirate these blisters. I need a rectangular white box labeled sterile. Did you happen to see it?"

Jon went looking or the box, while Bo turned to Lauren, "What are you going to do?"

"Right now, these blisters are… well… think of your icebergs up here. You see a small part of the berg on the surface, but there's a massive chunk of ice below the waterline, correct?"

"That sounds about right." Bo replied.

Lauren nodded, "Well, these blisters are small on the surface and while damage to my skin is of concern, below the surface, the pressure of a larger mass of fluid pressing on my nerve and/or blood vessel is of greater concern. Popping the blisters could cause bleeding. Aspirating the blisters will draw the fluid out."

"Aspirating?" Bo asked.

"Yes. I'm going to insert a fine, sterile needle into each blister and draw out the fluid. It will relieve any pressure and also allow me to be sure the fluid is clear or slightly cloudy."

"Doc… I mean… Doctor Lewis…"

"Would it really kill you to call me Lauren?"

Bo sighed, "Lauren…" the brunette hesitated at the feel of the name rolling off her tongue so naturally, "Are you really going to do that to yourself?"

"Well, I'm the only doctor here and as you were quick to remind me, I am right-handed."

Bo nodded, "I'll help Jon find the box then."

She turned and moved immediately to Jon, whispering, "Are we really going to let her stick a needle in frostbite blisters?"

Jon shrugged, "Bo, I've seen the articles Evony sent my Dad and Selina about her. She's like a Rockstar Goddess in the medical world. I think you're selling her short. She knows what she's doing."

Bo shook her head, "Jon, she doesn't know anything right now. She was hypothermic big time. She was unconscious for over twenty-four hours."

"Yea, but she doesn't know that." Jon smiled.

"I can't believe you lied to her." Bo replied.

"I didn't lie. It was around seven o'clock when she asked."

Bo shook her head, "She thinks you mean seven o'clock yesterday! She doesn't know she was out for over a full day which means she has no idea just how hypothermic she was! She's making medical decisions with incorrect medical information!"

"Okay, then you tell her the truth."

"No!" Bo said, before she realized the word was coming out of her mouth. Dammit! What was her problem? Why was she so… weird… about this woman?

"Got it." Jon said, holding up the box.

"Great." Bo said watching him carry the box to Lauren, "Just great."

She watched from across the room as Jon helped Lauren get everything set up. She watched… and watched… and watched… until finally, she couldn't watch anymore,

"Wait!"

The pair turned to look at Bo who was tapping her fingers on a stack of boxes, looking at the floor trying to gather her courage to speak.

"Bo, what are we waiting for?" Lauren asked.

"Seven o'clock today."

"What?" Lauren asked.

"It's seven o'clock today."

Lauren placed the syringe on the blue sterile cloth of the surgical tray, "What are you talking about?"

"It's seven o'clock today… not yesterday. You left the bar at about eleven or twelve o'clock yesterday. Kenzi wasn't sure how long it took you to hook up the sled and actually leave. We found you around three o'clock yesterday. We got you back here and thawed out around four-thirty yesterday. You woke up at seven o'clock today."

"Wh-what?" Lauren asked, her bottom lip quivering as her eyes squinted, trying to take in what Bo was telling her."

"You've been unconscious due to hypothermia, the head injury and frostbite for…"

Lauren slowly walked to a chair and sat down, "Minus an hour or two when I was conscious, I've been out for over twenty-nine hours. I'm still tired. My hypothermia would have been classified as severe. You would have been unable to warm me externally. What else did you do?"

When there was no response, Lauren turned to Bo, "What else did you do!"

Slowly, Bo moved to Lauren. Reaching out, she took her right hand in her own. The two looked at where their hands were joined for a long moment before Bo used her other hand to raise the blonde's fleece and two under layers, revealing an adhesive strip on the anterior side of her arm at the elbow joint,

"What did you do?"

"Well, Seline would have done something called reperfusion with ECMO, but I don't know how to do those things."

"I needed ECMO?"

"She said it would help the reperfusion along since your vitals were so low."

"How low were they?"

"Low." Bo replied, her face twisting into what Lauren believed resembled fear.

"Bo?"

She looked up at the blonde, "You were near death, Lauren. You were laying outside in the snow for over an hour in an outdoor temperature of minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit or less. You were clearly dehydrated – we knew that because either Jon or I had been with you every minute for the prior twenty-four hours and you weren't drinking much other than coffee or tea, both of which dehydrate a person."

"So, you had to hydrate me while restoring circulation to my hand and countering the hypothermia."

Bo nodded, "But again, I don't know how to do… uh… I think Selina spelled it C-A-V-R?"

"Continuous arteriovenous rewarming. It's a relatively new procedure that is done with SR… standard rewarming – externally."

Bo grinned, "Yea, well Selina reads up on all of the newest procedures and adapts them to our life here."

"Reads up on?"

"Village medicine isn't as archaic as you think, Lauren. Selina graduated from the University of Alaska medical school. She just chose not to practice traditional medicine."

"Then why am I here if you already have a doctor?"

Bo cocked her head, "Uh… did you not just hear what I said? Selina is not going to work in a big hospital. She is only going to treat her village."

"I see. So… Bo, how did you save me?"

"I did all of the usual things on the outside once we got you out of your wet clothes." She blushed, remembering the blonde's soft pale skin and… well… everything else.

"Bo?"

"Uh… right. Uh, Selina had me find a bag of normal saline, warm it to a very specific temperature of 106 degrees and then pump it in through your arm there."

"My arm?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "I learned how to put needles there to hydrate myself or my dogs during races. I've never learned how to find any other arteries, so that's the one we used. She wanted me to use one in your leg so it wasn't so close to your heart, but she didn't trust me to not pump it into your leg if I missed the artery. She said your heart would have to work harder to pump the excess fluid off if I did that – not to mention you could lose your leg."

Lauren whispered, "Thank you, Seline."

"Anyway, you're alive," Bo said, "And you're lucky to be so. Lauren, you really can't do stuff like what you did yesterday. You could have gotten yourself killed."

"Right and then you'd lose your job with Evony and the financial benefits that go along with that. Her hospital wouldn't have me around to take care of it and you wouldn't have a cardiothoracic surgeon to treat your mystery virus – which, by the way, should be treated by an infectious disease specialist! You would have much more time to do your important jobs like training for the Iditarod, hammering nails in Evony's precious building and setting traps to kill helpless animals!"

"Hey! We have to eat and stay warm!" Bo countered.

"You have rooms stock-piled with fruits and vegetables! You have rice and all sorts of dry goods with canned sauces to go with them! There's an ocean full of fish not far from here and I've heard you can drill through lake ice and fish through a hole! Don't tell me you need to kill animals! You also have all sorts of synthetic options for clothing! Add a layer and they can be just as effective as fur!"

"Wow. It must be nice to know everything about a land that almost took you to an icy grave not 24 hours ago!" Bo yelled in return.

Lauren marched across the room to where she had seen a phone perched on the desk. She leaned on the hard wood surface, knowing that when she picked up the receiver if there was no dial tone, she'd look like an even bigger idiot, but right now, this was a call she had to try to make. Lifting the receiver to her ear, she felt relief at the sound. She immediately dialed, hearing a familiar voice on the second ring,

"Well, well. If it isn't Doctor Lewis, finally checking in. I cannot believe you'd be calling to tell me I missed something. I thought of everything."

"Evony, get me out of here. Now! I'm done with this frozen fucking hell hole! You completely misrepresented the situation. This is a job for a general practitioner, a general surgeon, and an infectious disease specialist! This is NOT my wheelhouse at all!"

"Oh really? And I'm making you my Chief of Staff when you return because all you do is cardio? Or is it just that you miss me that much, darling?"

"I mean it, Evony. Get me out of this frozen abyss or I will sever all ties with you and the hospital."

"Is a little cold too much for you?"

"A little cold? I am in the fucking frozen tundra out here! There will be almost 100 inches of snow on the ground by spring! How are you planning to build a hospital in this?"

"I take it that animal Bo Dennis hasn't managed to get you to the site of the new building yet?"

"I've only just gotten to the clinic. It's not like there's a subway to hop on, Evony and you know it! What's your angle here? Why did you really send me here? Tell me this doesn't have anything to do with Nadia!"

"You two were unbearable! And you have been moping around endlessly since she broke your little cardiothoracic surgeon's heart. This will be good for you. A new experience in a new land. Darling, challenge yourself. Find your resilience! There's more to life than cutting open hearts and writing another boring journal article. I'm telling you that I was there for a month in the summer and it absolutely inspired and energized me!"

"Summer? Summer! You want to compare what you did in summer to what I'm going through right now!" Lauren countered, absolutely furious now.

"Lauren, don't be so dramatic. A few more months and you'll be home for spring break in Cancun!"

"Cancun? I'm not going to Cancun, Evony! I want to go back to surgeries… if I can." Lauren said, looking down at her blue finger.

"If you can? What happened! That Trapper was supposed to keep you safe!"

"So now that your top surgeon that does wonders for the public relations department of your hospitals may not be able to perform her miraculous surgeries, you worry?"

"What's wrong!"

"I have frostbite on a finger of my left hand and have lost all sensation!"

Evony screamed, causing Lauren to pull the phone from her ear, "Where is that Trapper! She was supposed…"

"Evony, just stop it! Bo is not my guard dog! She can't control my every action, nor would I ever allow her to, just like you cannot control my every action! I am not some little girl who needs a fucking baby sitter! Besides, even if she had been with me, Bo can't prevent frostbite in the conditions here! Did you happen to see her? She's got frostbite damage from head to toe – everyone here does!"

"Oh, believe me, I saw all of her… from head to toe. She's very good at… sexual healing."

Lauren looked up at Bo, shaking her head, "I have no desire to hear of your sexcapades with Bo, Evony."

She turned her back on the Trapper, feeling the sting of knowing that she'd slept with the one woman in the world that Lauren had been forced to tolerate throughout her relatively young career to access the best care for her patients. She had no reason to feel… whatever it was she was feeling. The woman was bull-headed, stubborn, rude and anti-social. She could barely stand to be in the same room her. She wasn't jealous. She wasn't. She was just… appalled that an attractive, independent, strong woman like Bo fell for Evony's games. Despite her obvious sexual appeal, the fact that she had slept with Evony was simply… revolting. It certainly wasn't jealousy.

"I just want to hear you say you are sending a replacement so that I can return to my duties in civilization."

"I am not sending a rescue... or a replacement… or anything else you'd like to call it. You have a job to do. Need I remind you that the contract you signed allows me to move you to any hospital owned by my company? If, in two years, when your contract is up for renewal, you wish to leave my employ or renegotiate the terms of our agreement, you can do so at that time. Until then, you will remain in Alaska or you buy out your contract. You know the deal."

"Buy out my contract? That would be millions of dollars!" Lauren argued.

"I didn't hear a complaint when we were negotiating your salary." Evony laughed, knowing she was definitely getting under the blonde's skin.

"Evony Fleurette Marquis I despise you!"

Evony laughed, "Well, I'm sure that's not the first nor last time you'll say that. Ta, Darling."

With that, the boss hung up the phone, leaving Lauren with nothing to do but slam the phone down. She leaned forward, planting both hands on the table before cringing at a surge of pain that ran through her little finger. She gripped the injured hand at the wrist with her other hand as tears brimmed in her eyes.

Her young companion took a step forward, "Doc, is there…"

"Jon, I appreciate your concern, but there's nothing you can do for me. I know you're supposed to be back home soon. Hell, I don't even remember what day it is."

Jon shoved his hands in his pockets, "It's okay. Actually, while you were out, I called my Dad. He told me to stay nearby in case you needed anything. My Uncle lives… well, what you city people would call a block away. His son, my cousin, went down to Anchorage to go west with Pops on an ice fishing trip, so my Uncle had him stay to help out my Dad while I stay here to help my Uncle at his General Store. My cousin is staying to learn how to do the books for the store, so they made the switch until next weekend. My Dad and Uncle want me to help you get this place set up while Bo's doing her other stuff during the day. She'll do all the carpentry stuff, but I can unpack boxes, clean and do other stuff, like teach you how to do the petro and the other day to day stuff."

"That's really not necessary." Lauren replied, walking towards the windows which showed an illuminated gravel road and a town that looked like something out of the wild, wild west.

"It's no bother, Doc. My Uncle's store is just like my Dad's. They're just trading sons for the week. We do it all the time. Little Jim and I are basically interchangeable."

"Convenient." Lauren replied, her eyes traveling down the street to the sign for a pub, "Well, I'm going to drain these blisters and then head down there for something to eat."

"Okay, but you really shouldn't go out there, Doc." Jon cautioned.

"It's a short walk. I'll make sure to cover every inch of skin and protect my cheek and finger." She turned and walked across the clinic, stopping when she saw her three dogs looking up at her. She knelt down,

"Come here, girls." The three two-year-old dogs ran to her, excited. It only took a moment before she was forced to sit back on the floor, the dogs rolling on and around her as she tried to give them each attention, while keeping her hand away from them, "Good girl, Elsa." She tried not to tear up as she spoke softly in her ear, "You did it, baby girl. You saved us." She looked at the team, "You saved us all. Good girl."

Bo stepped towards the small group and nodded, "She did do good. Real good."

Lauren stood, smiling down at the pup, "Definitely."

"Doc, what happened out there. I mean, don't get me wrong… you made it just over a mile to your destination which is a small miracle considering your level of training and theirs. You got so far. The snow was getting deeper, but it was pretty much powder. They should have been able to pull through another couple of miles if they made it as far as they did. I just can't figure out… what went wrong?" Bo asked.

The blonde shrugged, "I said gee, Elsa heard haw, the sled flipped unexpectedly, and I flew off, hitting my head on what I can only guess was a rock. I managed to keep myself conscious long enough to get the sled upright. I was confused and it was getting dark. I thought about sending the sled back, but then I thought I'd freeze to death if I didn't have something to keep me warm. I was able to start a small fire using the small rocks I found to make a base and walls. Then I remembered hearing that you sleep with your dogs to keep yourself warm during races, so I kept two with me and sent one back."

"Good thing you sent this one." Bo said, rubbing Elsa's head.

Lauren looked down at her lead dog, "That bartender, Kenzi, told me that you had been training Elsa as the lead dog, so I figured – with you being the expert and all – that you picked her because she was the fastest, smartest and had the best sense of direction…"

A few of the dogs barked. Lauren smiled down at them, "No offense, girls…"

She gave Anna and Belle each a rub on the head, "I bought a book at Jon's store the other day on the Iditarod after watching you take off into a blizzard that day. On the train here, I started reading about the best breeds, choosing and raising the dogs, how you line up a sled… that sort of thing. Based on what I'd read, I decided that if you were in my situation, you would have sent your lead dogs for help since they'd have the best shot at making it back. Since I only had one lead dog, I sent Elsa since you had picked her as the lead."

Lauren looked down at her dog again, "The hard part was figuring out how she would know where I wanted her to go. I hoped she had the instinct, but wasn't sure, so I gave her the scent on the pack that Jon had carried. I wasn't even sure if dogs can catch scents in snow, but thought it was worth a try. At the very least, I thought she would want to be home where she would be fed and have a bed. I kept the other two with me to keep me warm."

Bo was surprised at the resourcefulness of the blonde. Maybe she had misjudged her a bit,

"Wow. That was… smart."

Lauren laughed, knowing that was probably the best she could expect from the highly critical woman,

"Yea, well… thanks."

Bo nodded, "Really, Doc…tor Lewis." She stumbled, remembering that the blonde didn't want her to call her Doc. She really couldn't understand why. After all, she didn't seem to have a problem with Jon calling her that.

"You see, most people would have panicked and tried to ride the sled back. If you had kept all three pups together and sent them back, they probably wouldn't have made it. Elsa is far from the alpha at this point. Belle and Anna probably wouldn't have listened to her lead, so they all could have been lost. I noticed the neck lines were cut. Why not just unhitch them?"

Lauren shrugged, "Just another message. I figured if they were cut, whoever found the sled would have at least sent law enforcement or a search party knowing someone may have abducted me. Probably a stupid idea, but I was just trying to do as many things as I could think of that would appear abnormal."

Bo nodded, "You mean other than a doctor who had no experience with either the Alaskan climate or dog sledding doing both of those."

"Look. I don't need another lecture on how…"

"Doc, that's not… okay well, maybe I was but… it's my job to keep you safe while you're here and…"

"And heaven forbid you don't get your precious paycheck from my bitch of a boss. Don't worry. I'll follow orders from now on. I wouldn't want her to punish you by withholding sex now, would I?"

Bo watched as the blonde pumped some Hibiclens into the warm water bowl next to the surgical tools on the table. She swirled it around with her hand, slowly lowering the injured digit into the water. She allowed it to soak, counting aloud,

"One-one thousand, two-one thousand, three-one thousand…"

Bo watched while Jon moved over to sit in front of Lauren by the table in case she needed any help.

"Pump a small bit of that solution onto your hands and scrub vigorously. Don't miss any surface of your hand. Your job will be to open the syringes, one at a time after I use each one."

Bo tapped the counter, feeling like she should be helping, but not sure if the blonde wanted her help. Still, she supposed a show of some social skills might help to bridge the ever-growing gap between them, so a polite offer – even if the blonde didn't take it – was worth a try,

"Can I do anything to help?"

Lauren nodded, "Actually, yes. Can you grab the red plastic biohazard container out of that white box, please?"

"Sure." Bo said, doing as asked.

"Bring it over here and put it on the counter. Each syringe I hand you, stick the needle in the hole there and squeeze those scissor-like handles together to cut the needle off before tossing the syringe into the bin as well."

Bo nodded, "Got it."

Lauren pulled her hand out of the solution before laying it gingerly on the sterile cloth. She held her other hand out to Jon who placed a syringe in her palm. Lauren gave him a nod, before slowly inserting the needle into the first blister and drawing out the fluid. Bo and Jon watched as the blister slowly deflated. When finished, Lauren studied the fluid,

"Cloudy, but not bloody. That's good."

Jon and Bo nodded before Lauren looked at Bo, "I'm not steady enough to do this on all of my blisters. It's really a two-handed job. You said you know how to insert a needle. Do you think you can handle what I just did?"

Bo stopped short of a reply, instead staring at the blonde for a long moment before she asked, "What if I put it in too deep?"

"Well, that would hurt and you could damage a nerve or blood vessel, so please don't. Just the tip goes in, Bo. The fluid is just beneath the surface of the blister."

"Right." Bo said, coming around in front of Lauren while Jon moved to her side.

"You've got this, Bo. Just like putting in the I.V. of warm normal saline. She's alive. You got this."

Bo took a deep breath, "Shut it, Jon."

Lauren shook her head, "No, he's right. You've got this, Bo."

The brunette took a needle from Jon, slowly leading the point to the next blister. She hesitated twice before she finally inserted it on the third try…

"I did it!"

Lauren grinned at the brunette's smile, "Yes, you did. Two down, five to go."

"This really is a blistered mess." Bo said.

Lauren nodded, "It is, but I think it will be okay – thanks to the two of you. Really… thank you… both of you."

The pair smiled and nodded as Bo moved on to the next blister. They worked quietly from that moment on until they were finished. At that point, Lauren had Jon make a new Hibiclens bath for her. After a good long soak, Bo re-wrapped her hand in light layers before tying off the bandage. While Jon got to work cleaning up the mess, Lauren sat back in the chair for a moment, waiting for the throbbing to stop,

"Pain is good." Bo reminded her.

"Pain sucks. This place sucks. Evony sucks the most." Lauren frowned, "I swear I'm going to suffocate here."

"You won't suffocate here if you take the time to learn the rules and live by the rules. You just need to make sure that I'm with you when you want to go somewhere. Or Jon's with you. Don't take chances." Bo explained, knowing that she sounded like a chaperone on a high school field trip, "Not yet."

Lauren laughed, "Right. Follow my masters. Well, master…" she spat, "… if you could kindly direct me to the cage where I'll be kept while I'm here so that I can clean up before walking down to the pub to get some dinner?"

"Doc, you're not…"

"Again… my name…" Lauren began, before realizing she was raising her voice. She took a deep breath to calm herself and spoke more softly as she continued, "… is Lauren. I would appreciate it if you would call me Lauren or Doctor Lewis and not Doc. I don't call you Trap, do I?"

"Trap?" Bo asked, "Why would you call me Trap?"

"The Doc equivalent to Trapper?" Lauren reasoned.

Bo nodded, "Right. Jon calls you Doc."

"He does."

"Preferential treatment?" Bo asked.

"Something like that." Lauren replied.

"Hungry?" Bo asked.

Lauren nodded, "I guess I haven't eaten in over a day."

Bo looked at Jon, "You up for a run?"

Jon nodded, "I'm starving and I've got to drop my gear off at my Uncle's, so yup!"

He started gathering up his gear, "Okay for me to take Belle and Anna?"

Lauren looked up at Bo, "What?"

Bo explained, "You're keeping Elsa here because she needs to bond with you. Belle and Anna need to bond with the rest of the dogs."

"You mean with your dogs?" Lauren corrected.

"With any dogs. You'll be adding to your team for next winter, so they need to learn how to socialize."

"And you don't?" Lauren replied, regretting it when she saw the look on Bo's face, "Sorry. Your words, not mine."

Bo nodded, "I did say I'm anti-social."

"I believe you said you don't need friends… or people." Lauren amended.

Bo offered a tight smile, "Yea, I guess I did say that."

"Well, it seems that people need you, Bo. Maybe you should reconsider that social policy of yours." Lauren walked to the examination table, her head throbbing again. She laid down on her side, pulling the pillow beneath her head and curling up.

Bo walked over to her, handing her two blankets, "You might be more comfortable on the sofa over there in the corner."

"Now she tells me." Lauren grumbled, removing herself from the table and heading to the couch. Bo shook out the two blankets and pulled each one over the blonde, "Wow. You're getting more social already. Thank you."

"Don't confuse chivalry with socializing." Bo grinned.

"I'll take chivalry over insults any day." Lauren replied.

Lauren closed her eyes as Bo sat down in an easy chair not far from her,

"So is this the waiting room?" Lauren asked.

Bo smiled, "It is. A sofa, two chairs, a radio and a black and white TV. You like it?"

Lauren chuckled, "State of the art. Love it."

"Sleep a little. Jon will be at least an hour with the food." Bo said, wanting desperately to move the long sliver of blonde hair that lay across the Doctor's cheek and lips.

Jon moved into the space, "I've got everything together. I've got two neck lines, but no lead. Do you have a spare lead for those two princesses?"

Bo nodded, "On top of my pack."

Jon hustled across the room and grabbed the lead, "Come 'ere, girls!"

All three dogs ran to Jon, tails wagging. Bo called Elsa back, "Elsa, come."

The silver and white Siberian ran to Bo who redirected her to Lauren, "See Doc."

Elsa ran immediately to Lauren's side, the blonde opening one eye to see two bright blue eyes staring happily back at her, "What?"

Bo grinned, "She wants to know where you want her. If you want her keeping you warm on the couch, you just say U-P. If you want her to stay on the floor, tell her to L-A-Y-D-O-W-N."

"I take it she doesn't know how to spell?" Lauren asked.

Bo laughed, "I didn't teach her that yet, but she does know those commands."

Lauren looked back at Elsa, "How can I ever resist you and your wonderful body heat. Up."

Elsa jumped up, laying in the space between Lauren's knees and the back of the couch. Once she was settled, Lauren lay her head back down, pulling the blankets over her shoulder with a shiver.

"Are you cold again?" Bo asked, the concern in her voice evident.

Lauren nodded, "A little."

"Jon's bringing plenty of soup and tea back."

The blonde nodded, her teeth chattering, "Bo, do we have anymore blankets?"

Bo shook her head, "Not unless you had them shipped here. I think they're back-ordered from what Evony sent."

Lauren nodded again, "My coat?"

"All of our clothes are still damp. We were worried about warming you, not drying clothes." Bo replied, "Dammit! I should have kept the other two dogs here. You need their body heat. I'll have to turn up the heat and risk burning through the petro."

Lauren shook her head, "Yu-you can… body heat."

Bo's eyes went wide, but when her eyes fell on the discoloration in Lauren's lips, she knew she had to do something. They were keeping the temperature down in the clinic to avoid mold and other bacterial growth. She would have to talk to the mayor about adding another petro tank to the old building. She moved across the room and broke open one of the plastic emergency bins that Evony had sent. Sure enough, there was a blanket inside as well as a pair of wool socks.

"Lauren, pull these on your hands up and over your forearms. Be careful with your finger."

The blonde did as asked while Bo went over to the other side of the room and opened another bin, pulling out the blanket and another pair of socks.

"I'll put these on your feet. I'm sure you'll have trouble pulling them on with that hand."

Lauren sat up and turned over so Bo could add another layer to her feet. She then watched as Bo climbed over her legs and lay on her side behind her,

"Elsa, come." She patted the area in front of Lauren's abdomen where Elsa settled obediently.

Bo pulled the other two blankets over them, wrapping her arm over Lauren's midsection and pulling her close to her body,

"You're too cold again, Lauren. I don't like it." Bo said, feeling the cold of the blonde's skin against her.

"Give it a chance to work, Bo. I think I was just up too long, burning fuel I don't have. I don't suppose you checked my blood sugar, did you?"

"Dammit! Dehydration and glucose levels! You need…"

"Insulin while unconscious, sugar once conscious – especially after twenty-four hours with no food." Lauren laughed.

"I'm so sorry." Bo said, jumping over Lauren to run across the room and search the emergency bins for some sort of food that didn't need to be heated, "Jackpot. Powerbars."

"Ugh. I hate those." Lauren replied.

Bo shrugged, "Sorry, you're going to learn to love them right now. Peanut butter. Sugar, fats and protein. Your new best friend."

Lauren nodded, "Fine."

She sat up, taking the offered nutrition, downing it in record time, "Guess I was hungry."

"I guess. Want another one?"

"No, I really want to close my eyes. My head hurts and I'm cold."

Bo frowned, "Lauren… you really shouldn't…"

"Sleep. I know. Hypothermia. Lower body temp means lower body function including my brain. It's shutting down which is why I want to sleep, but I'm really not up for fighting how I feel."

Bo hesitated, "How about a dance?"

"Wh-what?" Lauren asked, through eyes clearly more interested in closing than opening.

Bo crawled over the blonde and stood, holding out her hand, "Dance with me."

"Wow." Lauren said, closing her eyes, "If you'd behaved more like this when we first met, we might have actually liked each other."

"You don't… like me?" The words escaped before Bo had a chance to think about why she would care, but the truth was, the thought of Lauren not liking her bothered her… it hurt, even.

Lauren groaned, pulling the blanket over her head, "Arghhh! Can we not do this right now?"

"Do what?" Bo asked, pulling her hand back and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Fight. We always fight. Can we please not fight?"

Bo sighed, "I didn't ask you to fight. I asked you to dance and you responded by telling me you didn't like me rather than telling me you don't like to dance."

"I like to dance."

"Oh. So you just don't like to dance with me." Bo replied.

Frustrated, Lauren rolled over and sat up… too fast. She gripped her head, squeezing it between her hands until the room stopped spinning,

"This isn't about you. It's about how I feel… physically. I want to sleep, Bo. I'm tired."

"Because you need to be warmer."

Lauren threw back the covers, "Fine. I'll dance."

She wiggled her body, spinning in circles before she stopped and turned back to Bo, "There. We danced. Satisfied? Now can I please go to sleep?"

Sighing, Bo took several steps towards the counter. She looked up at the walls she had painted the week before Lauren's arrival. She had tried to picture the doctor who would occupy the space over and over again. She never believed she would be as beautiful as Lauren. She never believed she would be so stubborn and at the same time, so curious and full of life. Now, she was sick and being just as stubborn as ever about letting Bo help her. Why didn't Lauren know she just wanted to help her? Maybe…

She reached into the dark corner and slid the paint-speckled black boombox over to the outlet and plugged it in. She turned it on, slowly increasing the volume until sound filled the room. The voice of her old friend Hop who ran the evening radio station streamed into the room. She smiled. He was such an old romantic, something he always told her she was not. She turned, leaning against the counter as she looked at the blonde from across the room.

Lauren stood, eyes closed, arms folded over her chest. Was she asleep? Standing?

Bo felt bad. She'd been through what Lauren was going through on more than one occasion. She knew how desperately the body could crave sleep in this state, but she also knew if Lauren went to sleep right now, things could go south very quickly. She was finally awake and Bo intended to make sure she stayed that way… at least for a little while longer. At least until her skin didn't feel like icicles.

She pulled off her jacket and her T-shirt, leaving herself in just a tank top. She wanted as much of her warm skin in contact with Lauren as possible. Her heat and physical support of the blonde's body was truly all she had to offer her right now.

"And now, a not-so-old rock ballad for all of the couples out there – young and old – on this cold arctic night. Whether you've been married for decades or are just getting to know each other, this oldie but goodie is sure to stoke a fire that will warm your hearts. So, don't close your eyes, because you won't want to miss this…"

Bo smiled at the appropriateness of her friends' words in this moment as she walked slowly to the blonde, sliding one hand around her waist. Lauren's eyes opened, hazy,

"Bo…"

"I know you want to sleep, Lauren. But I'm asking you… please… for everyone else you do like… stay awake. Just a little while longer. My body will help to warm yours and you can lean on me the entire time. I'm stronger than I look."

Lauren lay her head on Bo's shoulder, unable to keep it upright any longer, "You look incredibly strong to me."

She wrapped an arm under Bo's arm and over the back of her shoulder, then put the other arm on her chest,

"Mmmm… you are definitely warm." She pulled Bo closer, the brunette responding by wrapping her arms tightly around the blonde as the voice of Steven Tyler filled the room,

I could stay awake just to hear you breathing

Watch you smile while you are sleeping

While you're far away and dreaming

I could spend my life in this sweet surrender

I could stay lost in this moment forever
Every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure

"Did you call the radio station and tell them to play this to keep me awake?" Lauren asked, her voice soft and raspy.

Bo chuckled, "No, but I am friends with the DJ and will thank him for giving you these words of encouragement.

Lauren smiled as Bo gently swayed them back and forth, her legs pressing up against her own, encouraging her to move with her,

"You know, Bo. I don't not like you."

"Lauren, you don't have to…"

"No, Bo. Let me say this. Please."

"Okay." Bo replied, looking down to see the blonde's eyes were open and set on where her fingers were tracing slowly up and down along the stitching of the fabric on her chest,

"From the first moment I laid eyes on you, I was… curious… and… I guess, impressed by your strength. There was… something… I couldn't quite label that drew me to you. I still don't know what it is, but I… I want to know you. It's just that every time I start to feel like we're about to talk…"

"I snap."

"What?"

"I tend to… put up walls. Anytime anyone starts to get too close… I snap."

Lauren sighed. She really was too tired for this conversation, but as long as Bo was opening up a bit, she didn't want to shut her down. Of course, she also didn't want to press too hard,

"So you felt me getting close?" She could feel the brunette's arms tense around her at the question, so she lifted her weary eyes to see the expression on Bo's face only to find dark brown eyes focused down on her own,

"I think I felt me getting close." She cradled Lauren's head and pulled it to her chest, "Honestly, I didn't think you felt anything, so I guess it's nice to know that you don't not like me."

Lauren smiled, "I like you, Bo. I just don't like when you yell at me."

Bo nodded, "You should know that lately, I've been talking to… Seline a lot… about… my past. She's helping me to figure out how it affected me… especially about what happened to Jon. That moment… it changed me."

Lauren could feel a quiver in Bo's arms, "How?"

"I think it was the first time I felt fear… real fear… of losing someone I cared about."

"You love him." Lauren concluded.

Bo nodded, "I never had a little brother. Anytime I came into town to sell my furs or get the dogs treated by Seline, he was right there at by my side. He would follow me around like a pup. He was adorable when he was younger. Little Jon was excited about everything. Hell, he even got excited when I had to clean the poop out of the kennels. He just wanted to help me with anything and he wanted to learn. Lauren, he wanted to learn everything I knew about everything. He had a question for every minute of the day."

Lauren smiled, "He had a crush on you."

A light laugh escaped as Bo nodded and replied, "His Dad warned me. So I started to harden my demeanor to him just a little bit at a time."

"Awww… you wanted to let him down easy."

Bo laughed, "I did. I loved that little boy. How could anyone not? He was adorable."

Lauren felt the laughter die in Bo's chest, replaced with a silence that just felt… dark, "So what happened?"

Bo shrugged, "You heard the rest, right? He followed me out with his three-dog sled…"

"You didn't know he was following you and he fell through the ice."

"Luckily I had figured it out and circled back around behind him. Still, I was too far away to keep him from going under. The sled dragged him down. I thank God every day for my dogs and their instincts. He'd cared for them like they were his own and they were not about to let him drown… even if it meant they died doing it. I guess that's what I love about dogs more than humans. They are loyal to the point where they would do anything for the people who care for them."

Lauren smiled, "It sounds like you and your dogs have a lot in common."

Bo shook her head, "Oh believe, me, I have nothing on those dogs. They're amazing."

"Well, you'll excuse me if I call it a draw. You saved Jon with the help of your dogs and you saved me with the help of my dogs and your own. I'd say you're all amazing."

Bo gave a slow nod, "Only the dogs that saved Jon aren't the dogs that saved you."

"Bo, I'm so sorry what they did to your dogs. I can't imagine…"

"Sure you can. That's why you understand the complicated relationship between me and Big Jim."

"I do?"

Bo nodded, "Lauren, you're a doctor. I think in the short time you've been here, you've figured out more than you let on about this land and these people."

"I try to preserve judgement in all situations except for the ones I must provide urgent judgement for, such as surgical situations."

"Fair enough." Bo replied, feeling Lauren shiver, "Maybe we should get you to the apartment upstairs."

"There's an apartment upstairs?"

"Um… yea, well… Evony said you sometimes went days in your lab studying… dishes? I just thought maybe you had a thing for fine china." Bo replied, suddenly remembering the jokes that flew around the clinic that day during the remodeling project. Honestly, she had chimed in with the rest of the guys talking about the crazy doctor that was coming to town with a fetish for dishes.

Lauren looked up at Bo, her face twisted, "Fine china? Really? Who would have a… thing… of any sort for fine china?"

"Well, what's with the dishes then? I have to admit, it seemed really… strange." Bo cringed.

Laughing the blonde agreed, "I think strange would be an understatement. In my lab, I study petri dishes. They're samples of various infectious diseases that invade cardiac tissue cells and cause various strains of cardiac disease that result in heart hypertrophy, a condition that can lead to heart failure and death."

The blonde looked around the lab, suddenly awkward, "Uh… the music stopped."

Bo stopped, reluctantly allowing the doctor to step back, "That's strange. Hop never signs off until early morning."

"You look worried." Lauren replied.

Bo nodded, "I am."

She walked to the phone, "Any idea how long since the music stopped?"

Lauren shrugged, "Honestly, I don't remember another song playing after we started our dance. I mean, I was quite enthralled with our… uh… conversation, but usually, the last song I hear – consciously or not – gets stuck in my head and I hum it incessantly for the rest of the day. I only have Steven Tyler."

Bo nodded, picking up the receiver of the hard line, "Me too."

When the door suddenly burst open, Bo dropped the phone and ran to Lauren, stepping in front of her, a knife pulled in front of her.

"DOC! DOC! Are you the doctor?"

Lauren was startled at first as three large men covered from head to foot with snow-covered fur practically broke down the door. She looked down to see them struggling to carry a man on a blanket.

"HOP!" Bo shouted, running to help the men, "Oh God, Hop!"

She grabbed the loose corner of the blanket and helped the men hoist the unconscious man onto the table where Lauren had laid for days. They all went to work, removing his clothing as Lauren stood, still startled by what was happening.

"Lauren? Can you help him?" Bo turned to Lauren, the look on her face one of fear and desperation.

The blonde scanned the clinic, "I… I… I don't know. Do I have… are there any supplies here?"

Bo ran from the room while Lauren moved towards the older man. She looked up at the three men, hoping one of them would have some information,

"What happened?"

What looked like the youngest man of the group pulled his hood back and removed his gloves before running both hands through his long, snow-covered hair,

"The music stopped. The music never stops. My Dad has never missed a shift. He's never shortened a set. He plays until five a.m. every morning without fail. When the music stopped, I knew something was wrong. I got there as fast as I could. Jet and Russ here got there almost the same time for the same reason."

"What did you find?" Lauren asked, stepping between the men and Hop to check for a pulse.

"He was like this. Is he okay?"

"Shit. No pulse." She hopped onto the table and straddled the man, beginning chest compressions, "BO! You're looking for a machine on a cart that has…"

"These?" Bo asked, rolling three carts into the room, "Evony set them up and put them in the storage cart with strict instructions that they were not to be plugged in by anyone but you."

Lauren turned to the man who seemed the calmest, "You. Give me your hands." She positioned the man's hands, "Press down two inches every second. Don't stop until I tell you to. His life depends on it."

Jumping down from the table, Lauren stumbled, falling to her knees as her head swooned.

"Lauren!" Bo ran to her side, but the blonde shook her off, using her arms to help herself up.

"I'm fine." She looked around the room, finally spying the plate on the wall, "Is the oxygen tank hooked up yet?"

Bo nodded, "It's in the crawl space behind the wall. Evony said it would be fine to have it on."

"Thank you, Evony." Lauren said, handing Bo the plug, "This end goes in the blue port on the wall."

Bo looked at the tube, "Right. Oxygen flows from where we connected the tank to… where? What am I hooking the other end to?"

Lauren tossed Bo a mask, "Open that mask. There's a small valve that the tube will fit over. Once the oxygen is flowing, put the mask over your friends' head so it covers his mouth and nose."

Lauren found the crash cart and went to work getting everything connected before plugging it into the wall. She rolled the cart next to Hop just after Bo got the oxygen over his head.

"Tear his shirt open, big guy." She said to the man performing CPR.

With one mighty pull, Hop's bare chest was revealed.

"Everyone clear." Lauren said, taking a beat to allow everyone to step back as she rubbed the gel together between the two defibrillator pads. She repeated herself once more, "Everyone stand clear. Charging."

She turned the switch on the machine and watched the meter rise before the familiar beep sounds, "Clear!"

Placing the pads on the man's chest and ribs, she pressed the switch and watched as the shock was delivered. The monitor showed no conversion, so she charged again,

"Clear!"

Again, there was no change. She increased the voltage and charged again, "Clear!"

Nothing. She looked up at the big man, "Continue CPR."

Everyone stood still, looking at Hop, then at the doctor who shouted, "Continue CPR! He's hypothermic! It may take a while for his blood to warm. Continue CPR! He's not dead until he's warm and dead!"

They all stood, standing. Lauren turned to Bo, "I'd do CPR myself, but I'm barely standing. Someone has to do CPR or this man will die!"

Bo nodded to the big man, "You heard the doctor, Russ. She's smarter than all of us. Get busy. Let's bring Hop back."

Russ nodded, "Right."

They all watched as he went back to work circulating blood through his friend's body. Lauren turned to Bo,

"Is there a heater around?"

Bo took off up the steps, returning quickly with a small space heater, "Where do you want it?"

"Under the table. The metal table will take on the properties of the heat and warm his body slowly." Lauren explained, helping Bo with the extension cord.

"Two more minutes." Lauren said, sitting in the chair not far from the table as she watched Russ do compressions, "Russ, if you get tired, just say so. Someone else can take over. We want those compressions to be at least two inches every second or this won't work. Of course, I'm not making any guarantees here, but I have seen this work on drowning victims before."

Bo leaned over and whispered in the blonde's ear, "Lauren, if he didn't have a pulse when they found him and then they carried him two miles here, do you really think…"

Lauren looked up at Bo, "They didn't cover him or put a blanket on him, Bo. They put him on the blanket and carried him through sub-zero temperatures. The conditions were perfect to put him into a more or less hypothermic shock. People who drown in cold water are saved every day, Bo. Little Jon is an example of that."

Bo stood, her face twisting into a frown as she remembered more details of the day she had tried for almost a decade to forget,

"He had no pulse. When they pulled him from the water, he had no pulse. They warmed him slowly by Seline's fire." The scene replayed in her head, "She attached tiny pieces of metal to his hand and put his hand in water. Then she plugged in… a lamp? I remember a lamp? It's all pretty scattered. Big Jim was screaming at me and the elders were arguing while they tied my hands behind my back to one of the beams of her clinic."

Lauren's eyes went wide as the pieces of Bo's past were revealed.

"That's two minutes, Doc." The young man announced, pulling Lauren from Bo back to the situation at hand.

"Stop CPR, Russ." Lauren said, watching the man climb down from the table before she stepped in again with the paddles.

She repeated the process twice more before the monitor came to life, announcing a steady heartbeat, "We have a pulse!"

She checked the monitor, "Oxygen saturation is low, but I expect that to climb as he warms."

She looked at Bo, "Can you increase the oxygen flow on the wall to a seven, please?"

Bo nodded, rushing over to the wall and doing as asked before walking back to the table where her friend lay still and unconscious. She looked up to see Lauren swaying for a moment before reaching out to try to hold herself up on the crash cart. Unfortunately, the wheels weren't locked and the entire cart started to roll. Bo rushed to stop the cart, allowing her to hold herself upright.

"Lauren, it's time for you to rest. You were in no condition to do all you just did. You're recovering as well."

Lauren shook her head, "My patients come first, Bo."

"Well, if you're unconscious or worse, you won't be of much good to him, will you?"

"No, of course not. But we still haven't determined why Hop was unconscious or why his heart stopped. If he has a blockage or damage to his heart, this will happen again."

"Are you saying you think my Dad had a heart attack or something?" the younger man stepped up and asked.

Bo ran a hand down his arm, "Nicky, this is Doctor Lewis. Doctor Lewis, this is Hop's oldest son, Nick."

Lauren nodded, "Good, you're next of kin. Does Hop have a partner?"

Everyone's eyes lowered, giving Lauren the answer she had feared upon asking the question. She looked at Bo who shook her head,

"We lost Alice last year. She had her second stroke and didn't make it. Hop hasn't been the same since. It's why he took the late shift at the station."

Nick added, "He doesn't want to sleep in their bed."

Lauren nodded, "I see. Well, it may be that your Dad's heart is simply broken. We've seen it and studied it a great deal in recent years. When couples have been together for a long time and the bond is strong, the partner left behind often literally suffers from a broken heart. Now, I won't know for sure until I get him under a scanner."

She looked at Bo, "Any chance…"

"There back rooms are these huge machines." Bo nodded.

"Take me there." Lauren said, taking Bo's hand for support, but Bo shook her head,

"Stay put for a second."

She left the room and came back, pushing a wheelchair, "Let's do it this way."

"Bo, I am not getting in…"

"You are or I'm throwing you over my shoulder and carrying you up to bed and locking you in the room until you get some sleep. It took too much for us to get a doctor here. Hop needs you. This town needs you. We're not losing you now because the brilliant doctor was stupid."

"I beg your pardon!" Lauren retorted.

"Don't argue with me, Lauren. I mean it. Now sit."

The blonde stood for a moment her arms crossed over her chest until she was too tired to battle the brunette over this issue. She needed to see what equipment she had and if it was ready to go. She relented, taking a seat in front of the brunette who wheeled her to the back room.

The three men stood around Hop, watching the two women leave the room. When the room was clear, Jet pulled his hat off of his head and took a seat in the chair Lauren had been using,

"Well, that's interesting."

"What?" Nick asked.

"Those two? I think Bo has finally met her match."

Russ laughed, "In more ways than one."

"Huh?" Nick asked, running his hands through his hair.

"Never mind, boy. Never you mind." Jet laughed.

They were all silent for a long moment, their eyes set on Hop until Jet spoke, "That Doc done good."

The other two nodded.

"She saved Hop, that's for sure."

Nick admitted, "I was preparing myself to have called Cap to have him make plans to put Pop on ice til we could do a spring thaw burial."

"Looks like Doc ain't lettin' that happen anytime soon if she has a say."

Jet nodded, "Word has it the Doc took out her pup sled team to get here."

Russ nodded, "Word has it Doc almost got herself killed, weren't for Little Jon and Bo."

The two looked at each other and grinned, "Balls of steel."

All three men laughed until they saw Hop coughing and trying to sit up. Nick put his hands on the big man's shoulder,

"Pop, relax. Lay down. You're okay. We're at the new clinic. Just relax. Keep the mask on. It's good air, Pop. Just relax and breathe."

"Whu… Whu…" He started, but Nick interrupted,

"The music stopped and we all came running. You were unconscious on the floor. What happened, Pop?"

Lauren and Bo came back into the room as the question was asked. They waited to hear a response from Hop who stuttered around for a moment before he finally replied,

"Damn short! Trying to fix the relay and the damn thing blew. Last thing I remember was getting the shock of my life."

They all looked at Lauren who visibly sighed, "Oh, thank God."

She reached up to her shoulder where Bo's hand had found her shoulder, "I guess that buys us some time to get those machines set up."

Lauren nodded, "It does."

They all watched as Hop sat up, "I gotta get back to the station."

The blonde stood and walked slowly to the bed, "Hi. Hop, is it?"

"Who's the blonde?" Hop asked, looking at the group.

Bo came to stand next to him, "Hop, this blonde is the new Doctor in town."

"The dish lady?" He asked, causing everyone – especially Bo – to cringe.

Lauren glared at the brunette before looking back down at her patient, "Yes, the dish lady. Petri dishes, for the record."

"What?" Hop asked.

"Petri dishes. They're small plastic cylinders that biologists use to study cell samples of various contagions and tissues."

They all just stared at her like she had two heads, so she shook it off, "Mr. Hop…"

"Hop. Just Hop." He corrected.

Lauren nodded, "Well, just Hop, your heart stopped and you were hypothermic when they brought you in."

"Well, I'm fine now." He replied, pulling off the oxygen mask.

"Pop…" Nick began, but his Dad held up a finger to him,

"I'm fine, Nicky. Now get me back to the station. How'd we get here?"

"We carried you on a blanket between two snow machines."

"You what?" Hop asked looking down at his ripped shirt, "Is it any wonder I went deep freeze."

Lauren shook her head, "If they had covered you or tried to keep you warm, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"Wouldn't be such a bad thing."

"Pop, please…"

"Excuse me. If everyone would please allow me to speak with my patient for a moment, I'd appreciate it. We'll need some privacy."

The men went to argue, but Bo knew that Lauren would put up a fight and she looked like she was ready to pass out. She intervened,

"Guys, let's step over here and let Doc and Hop get better acquainted. She saved his life. We owe her that much."

They all nodded and headed to the other side of the clinic. Lauren came to stand next to the man,

"Look, I've had a very long day and I have no desire to argue with you."

"Good. Then don't. I'm leaving."

She put a hand on the man's chest, effectively stopping him from jumping down from the table, "Hop. I'm asking me for two minutes of your time. Please. Hear me out. Then, if you want to go, you can go… hopefully with a different attitude."

"Nothing wrong with my attitude."

"Right." Lauren said, crossing her arms over her chest, "Those three men, one of them your son who apparently has already suffered the loss of one parent, just not only ran to the radio station to check on you in this massive snow squall in sub-zero temperatures but also carried you here in blinding whiteout conditions to get you to me, the only cardiothoracic surgeon in this town where, by some strange stroke of luck, I'm alive and able to bring you back."

Lauren took a breath as a bout of nausea struck. She swallowed hard, fighting off the need to run to the sink and continued,

"So, if you don't see all of that as an omen that you're meant to survive, then I'd suggest you look very closely at those four people standing over there who worked with me to bring you back from the land of the dead. I can't imagine the pain you feel over the loss of your wife, but you need to wake up and recognize that it's not your time yet. You're here for a reason and if you haven't yet found that reason, start searching. And if you're not sure where to search, start by looking inward and finding that man that these people think it important enough to fight through a snowstorm from hell to save."

He sat there quietly, staring at Lauren before he slowly lowered his eyes and laid back down on the bed. She took that as a sign that he was going to wait a while longer, so she decided to move on to discharge information,

"Now, if you would like to go home, I would be fine with that as long as you can be transported by vehicle and it will take no longer than ten minutes of fully protected outdoor time. Hypothermic shock would likely cause dangerous arrhythmias or cardiac arrest this soon after electrocution."

He lifted the oxygen mask, "So I can go back to the radio station?"

Lauren shook her head, "You can go home to lay down and sleep."

She thought it best not to mention his bed, but added, "And drink plenty of warm fluids. No alcohol, no smoking and no caffeine for at least seventy-two hours."

"You're really no fun, Doc."

"Yea, well you don't really know me now, do you?"

He shrugged, "Fair enough."

"Fair enough." Lauren nodded, "So, you'll stick around for a bit? Let us figure out some proper transportation?"

"For a bit." Hop replied, "And thank you, Doctor… about my son… you're right. He shouldn't have to bury me so soon after his Ma. Up here, it's a long wait 'til you get closure. Can't very well dig a grave in frozen permafrost."

"I hadn't thought of that." Lauren replied, "I didn't realize… but, it makes sense now that I think of it."

Hop nodded, "Different world forty-eight states away."

"So I'm learning." Lauren smiled.

"Heard you had a run in with a bout of hypothermia yourself."

Lauren blushed, "Not my finest hour."

"Yea, well when you did what you did, everyone thought you were crazy. When you survived it by using your smarts and staying put, you earned everyone's respect. Gutsy move, Doc."

Lauren laughed, "Maybe, but I'm still labeling it a stubborn streak that led to an irrational moment of stupidity."

Hop nodded, "Not surprised she likes you then."

"Who?"

"Bo." He replied, casually.

"What?"

"Never mind. Gonna sleep a bit, Doc."

"Me too, Hop. But I'll talk to the guys first." Lauren smiled, placing a hand on his shoulder and giving him a nod.

Lauren stood for a moment, looking up at Bo who was in conversation with the other men. She pondered Hop's words as Bo's eyes glanced over, finding hers. The brunette gave her a soft smile before returning to the conversation. Lauren made her way to the group,

"So, we'll need a safe method of transportation for Hop. He needs to be fully covered and not be outside and exposed for more than ten minutes. Any way we can do that?"

It was like a domino effect, the way glances were exchanged before Jet replied,

"How about those greenhouse covers Evony bought for Doc to grow her plants?"

Lauren's eyebrows raised, "She bought me a greenhouse?"

Bo nodded, "The greenhouse itself isn't built yet… well, a green dome, actually, but for now, there are shelves that have these covers that allow sunlight in while being waterproof and windproof… supposedly."

"Supposedly?" Lauren asked.

Jet replied, "Well, they're from a company in Virginia, so we're not really sure how much they know about what's considered waterproof and windproof in Alaska. It's kind of like all of these outdoor gear companies that think they make clothing that is suitable for wearing here. If you really want to manufacture something for use in all parts of Alaska, you have to live in all parts of Alaska for at least a few years."

Lauren chuckled as she nodded, "I certainly understand that more than most from my state now."

"If we use the frame from the shelf, we should be able to use the parts from the shelves to make a frame that fits over one of the snow machines. Then we put the cover overtop and you'll have him protected." Bo explained.

"Sounds good to me. Nicky, you're the builder. Wanna see if we can put something together?"

Nick nodded, "Let's pull one of the snow machines into the portable garage out back and work in there."

"Let's do this." Russ said, grabbing his outdoor gear and heading for the door, "I'll drive hop on my machine."

"Thanks, Russ." Nick said, pulling on his gear while Jet did the same.

"You need any help?" Bo asked.

"Nah. Doc looks like she's ready to collapse. Why don't you get her settled upstairs in that bedroom we built for her. We'll let Hop sleep until we're ready to go and then head out. Russ will come back in and sit with Hop until we're ready to go so Doc can sleep without worrying." Jet explained.

"Lauren, does that sound good to you?" Bo asked.

She nodded, "I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to sleep."

Bo noticed Lauren's arms were wrapped tightly around her torso and she was shivering. They shared a glance, the brunette offering a tight smile before she lowered her eyes to the floor when she noticed Lauren's lips were not the healthy pink they were after they'd shared a dance. She was overdoing it and Bo was worried about the potential consequences of that. Selina had always warned her of things like sudden cardiac arrest in victims who were not fully recovered pushing too hard. While Bo didn't think she was that bad, she was still concerned. Sure, Lauren was strong but… she sighed, reining in her emotions. She didn't want to seem to overprotective…

"Bo?"

She looked up to see Lauren standing beside her, "I'm going to head up to bed. I'm cold again and I'm not feeling well."

Bo raised the back of her hand to Lauren's forehead, "You're freezing, Lauren."

The blonde took gentle hold of Bo's hand and gave her a strained smile as she lowered it to hold it between her own hands,

"Like I said… I'm cold."

Bo nodded, calling out to the men, "You guys good?"

Jet nodded, "We're good. Go take care of your Doc. We'll handle Hop."

"You'll lock up when you go?" Bo asked, cringing at Jet calling Lauren her Doc. She hoped Lauren didn't take offense.

"We've got it, Bo. We'll slip the keys back through the mail slot after we lock all of the doors."

"Thanks, guys." Bo replied.

"You bet. Thank you, Doc. We appreciate you working so hard to save our Hop when you're feeling like shit yourself."

Lauren smiled, "It's what I do, Jet. Take care gentlemen."

With that, the blonde turned back to Bo, "Lead the way?"

Bo nodded, offering her elbow for Lauren to take for support. She picked up the extra blankets from the sofa before they reached the stairs, then allowed Lauren to go ahead of her up the winding narrow loft staircase. At the top, Lauren moved immediately to the bathroom and was quickly back out after a quick flush of the toilet and a run of the spigot.

She crawled into bed and pulled the covers over herself before lifting her head again to fluff the pillow. She closed her eyes, but her face was twisted in discomfort. Bo felt horrible seeing the blonde look like she did, but there was nothing more she could do at this point. She reached for the light switch, but before she could turn it off, she heard Lauren's voice,

"Bo, are there more blankets? Or can the dogs come in and sleep with us?"

"Us?"

"Well, you're sleeping here, aren't you?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "I… I thought you would want me to sleep down in the clinic."

"I still need your body heat. Do you mind if I use your body?" Lauren asked, her eyes reflecting the pain as another shiver ran through her body, "And can you get my dogs? You can bring Harper up too if you want. I just need…" She shivered again, "God, I'm so cold."

"I'm on it." Bo replied, hustling down the stairway.

When she reached the bottom, she moved quickly past the bed where Hop lay and moved to the cold room door. She opened it and squatted down by the dog door to call out to the guys in the garage,

"Nick! Jet!"

"Yea, Bo?" She heard Nick's voice.

"Do me a favor and let Lauren's dogs out of the kennel? And Harper too?"

"You got it Bo. Give me sec. They'll be in."

"Thank you!"

She moved back inside, closing the cold room door behind her so Hop's space stayed warm. She thought for a moment. Knowing that Hop would be leaving soon, she decided the extra space heater was no longer necessary down here. It was warm enough without it. So, she moved to the wall and pulled the extension cord hooked to the space heater and radio. She grabbed both devices, then moved back to the cold room door, opening it to reveal four dogs, sitting obediently inside. She turned on the large blower and smiled as they all moved around in front of it, their thick fur floating in the warm breeze.

"You know, you guys better not get too used to this. Evony really overstepped on this one, but she insisted the good Doctor would not appreciate having dog fur in her sterile clinic. I tried to explain that the cold kills germs, but she insisted."

She laughed as Harper backed up against the machine, her back leg kicking reflexively, "Okay, you weirdo. Give the other girls a chance."

Elsa came to her first, sniffing at the air. She sat by Bo, staring up at her with her big blue eyes, "You smell your Master, don't you?" Bo knelt down, checking to be sure her snow white fur she was dry, "You're nice and warm. That's exactly what Lauren needs right now. You keep her warm tonight, you hear?"

Elsa's tail wagged as she excitedly ran through the clinic and up the stairs as soon as Bo released her. Bo hoped that she didn't scare Lauren when she jumped on the bed, but she figured the sooner she was there, the faster the blonde would warm up and get some sleep.

One by one, the dogs tired of the blower and moved to Bo. She sent each of them on their way to Lauren after a quick check of the fur, all except Harper, who would always insist on waiting for her to just about anywhere. She closed the door to the cold room and headed for the stairs, giving Russ a nod as she passed.

When she reached the bedroom, she found Lauren still shivering as the three dogs lay on the floor beneath the windows,

"Girls, she needs you on the bed, not on the floor. Elsa, come on. Up. Up, girl." Bo said, patting the bed behind Lauren, "Anna, come. Up." The red-haired dog hopped up and settled between Lauren's legs. Finally, she called to Belle, "Come on, girl. Right here."

She moved to plug in the space heater as Belle settled in front of Lauren's legs, then added the extra blanket over Lauren. Harper settled in front of the small heater on the floor. Bo didn't try to move her. She knew that getting her up into the bed this late at night would be tough. She was already limping a bit. She moved into the bathroom to relieve herself before coming to sit on the chair opposite Lauren's bed.

"Bo?" Came Lauren's voice just as Bo allowed her eyes to close.

"You okay?" Bo asked, standing and walking to Lauren's side of the bed, "Do you need anything?"

"Get in bed."

"Lauren, the dogs are all around you. Just let their heat work. They're much warmer than I am." Bo insisted, now truly nervous about climbing into bed with the blonde.

"Please, Bo. It helped when we were laying on the couch earlier… and when we danced. Your skin felt good and I don't want the dogs under the covers with me. Please." Lauren said as another pained expression filled her face.

Bo moved over to the heater and turned it to high. It was going to be awfully hot in here for her and the dogs, but they could slip outside after Lauren fell asleep to get some air. She stripped off her clothes and quickly climbed beneath the covers, sliding over closely to Lauren.

"Thank you, Bo. I just want to sleep. I want to sleep for days."

Bo shook her head, "No, Lauren. You're going to sleep for one or two hours at a time. I'll be nudging you awake to make sure you're going to wake up."

Lauren mumbled a barely coherent no causing Bo to smile. The woman was exhausted and she deserved rest after pushing her body beyond normal limits,

"Lauren, if there's no change in your body temperature, what's next?"

"Is there more normal saline?" She asked.

Bo nodded, "A whole case. I only gave you one bag."

"That's enough. Too much fluid… not good." Lauren said, already beginning to nod off.

Bo pulled the blonde closely too her, feeling a strange tug in her chest when the blonde covered her hand with her own and pulled it to her chest. She kept her eyes open, locked on the blonde's face as the words of Steven Tyler replayed in her head,

Don't want to close my eyes
I don't want to fall asleep
'Cause I'd miss you, babe
And I don't want to miss a thing

Finally, she felt the days' event catching up with her as well. She decided getting some shut eye herself wasn't a bad idea,

"Sleep tight… Lauren." She whispered, before closing her eyes and nodding off herself.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bo felt a wet sensation on her lips. She opened her eyes to see Elsa standing over her. She lifted her head and checked the clock,

"Midnight. Time to wake up Lauren, huh?"

Elsa moved to Lauren, licking her face as Bo called her name, "Lauren?"

She didn't move, so Bo checked her skin. She was still cold, but she had a bit more color in her cheeks. For her part, Bo was just plain hot. She noticed that the other dogs had moved to the floor near Harper. Only Elsa remained on duty,

"Good girl, Elsa. Good girl." She turned back to Lauren again,

"Lauren, you need to wake up. Lauren?" She gave her a shake and finally, to Bo's relief, the blonde opened her eyes,

"What's the matter? Is it Hop?" Lauren asked, pushing back the covers.

Bo smiled. Naturally, the woman thought of her patient before herself,

"No, Lauren," Bo started, pulling the covers back up and over the blonde, "Hop and the guys left, remember? I just wanted to give you a quick wake up… you know… just to make sure… well, that you wake up. You can go back to sleep if you want."

Lauren frowned, "Still cold. My eyes are closed and I'm trying to sleep, but I'm kind of in and out."

"More saline?" Bo asked.

Lauren shook her head, "Not until I'm going to be up and moving. Too dangerous. You already gave me an entire bag and my pee is clear. I'm plenty hydrated. I'm just still thawing."

Bo nodded, allowing Lauren to move in close again, her hands curled up against Bo's chest, her leg sliding between Bo's thighs. The brunette swallowed hard as her heart raced and her body was awakened to sensations and desires she hadn't felt in a very, very long time. Too many dark cold nights alone she had squashed any needs of the flesh to keep herself from going insane. A few times, she had sought the comfort of another to settle her body's needs, but she hadn't felt that need go beyond the physical… not like this… ever. What was it about this woman?

"Bo? Are you okay? I can feel your heart racing."

Bo stayed silent, trying not to release the moan struggling to remain in her throat.

Lauren pressed up onto her elbow, "Bo? Are you okay?"

The brunette opened her eyes to find the big round compassionate orbs she'd come to love staring down at her from just above. She could feel the warmth of Lauren's breath close to her lips,

"Always the doctor, huh?"

Lauren frowned, "It's who I am."

Bo shook her head, taking a chance to brush a loose strand of hair back behind the blonde's ear,

"No, it's your title. Compassionate, caring, strong, smart, quick-thinking… those are just a few of the characteristics that make you who you are. You put the needs of others before your own."

She ran a finger down her cheek, "I've never met anyone like you. You are stubborn, impatient and relentless when you want something yet you're shy and reserved around people and things that are new to you. Well, except for dog sleds. That was new to you and yet you literally took the reins and headed into the unknown."

"Pretty stupid, huh?" Lauren said, settling her head on Bo's chest.

"Maybe. Pretty brave considering your level of knowledge about what extreme cold can do to the body." Bo replied.

"Yea, I'm still going with stupid… and impulsive. I do things like that sometimes. I think I've thought things through when in reality, I'm just following an instinct. Sometimes my instincts are wrong."

"I think we all have that problem sometimes." Bo replied, her breath hitching when Lauren slid her hand beneath her shirt, her hand settling just below her breast, her fingertips landing on the rounded tissue at the side, "Mmmm… warm. Your skin is so warm."

Bo ran her hand over Lauren's arm, "Damn! You're still so cold. I don't know what else to do, Lauren."

The blonde shrugged, "We just need to get my blood circulating. Warm the blood, circulate the blood."

Bo felt the blonde move in closer, her thigh pressing in tightly to her core as her hand moved to cup her breast,

"Want to help me warm up?" Lauren giggled.

"Uh… Lauren… I…"

Lauren stopped, pulling her hand back and rolling away, "I'm sorry. I thought… I guess I just…"

"No, Lauren. Please. I just… it's been a long time. A very, very… very, very long time. I'm just not sure that I know how…"

"Oh God, you're not into women? I've totally misread this…"

Bo rolled over and gathered the blonde into her strong arms, rolling back towards her body, "Stop. Just… stop. You haven't misread anything. I'm just… awkward… at best… in social situations… in these situations. I'm so… Lauren, I live with dogs, not people. Seline, Little Jon, his Dad and grandfather, Dyson and Hale, Kenzi, Hop, Russ, Jet and Nicky… a few others… that's my people world. You… you are just at a whole new level for me. I don't know what it is, Lauren. I just… since I met you… your eyes… they spoke to me."

Lauren smiled, "You kind of scared me at first, but then I saw how fiercely you protected the people in that store and… well, I consider myself very good at reading people, but you… you were a mystery to me and I found myself wanting to know you… to really know you."

"Most people just want to stone me. They want to judge me for my past actions… well, Big Jim's interpretation of my past actions. A lot of people are afraid of me. They don't trust me…" She sighed, "Which I suppose is fine because I don't trust them either… not after almost everyone sided with Big Jim. Anyway… I want to know you, Lauren. And for the first time, I feel like… maybe… I can let you know me."

Lauren smiled, "I'd be honored to know you, Bo. I don't want to do anything you're uncomfortable with, but I will say that I find you very attractive and for the first time in a long time… well… maybe ever… I'm not afraid to say it. I feel… bold… when I'm around you."

Bo nodded before pulling back from Lauren, "I have to pee. Give me a minute?"

Lauren nodded, "Of course."

The brunette disappeared into the bathroom and reappeared moments later. She walked over to the space heater and turned it down a single notch before turning on the small corner lamp. She then walked to the side of the bed,

"So, we're going to be… bold?"

Lauren smiled, "It's a foreign feeling to me unless I'm in surgery, but yes… I want to go with it. I feel like there's this new Lauren that's been buried deep since I was a kid who is ready to claw her way to the surface. I think she's the Lauren who took the sled out."

Bo smiled, "I think I'd like to meet this new Lauren… because maybe she'll introduce me to a new Bo."

The blonde propped her head up on her hand, watching as Bo pulled her tank top up and over her head. As beautiful flesh was revealed, Lauren's eyes zeroed in on the strong chest and arms, heavy, round breasts, taut nipples, slender torso and the small tattoo just above the hem of cotton sweatpants.

"Cotton shorts? I thought cotton was useless."

Bo smiled, "Wow. I take off my shirt and you see cotton pants? Quite a blow to my ego."

Lauren giggled, "Sorry. I had heard you didn't wear undergarments up here, so…"

"Well, I didn't feel it was appropriate for me to get into bed with you dressed in what I normally wear to sleep if I'm sleeping on a bed, so I pulled these from the stock room while you were unconscious since everything else was wet at the time."

Lauren smiled, "Well, I think I need your skin against me to get warm, right?"

Bo watched as Lauren reached beneath the covers and wrestled around with her own clothing before tossing a top and pants out from under the covers. She quickly began to shiver, so slid under the covers. Instinctively, Bo pulled off her pants and began to climb into the bed, but Lauren stopped her,

"Wait."

Bo stopped, standing at the bedside, "I can put my clothes back on if you're uncomfortable."

Lauren shook her head, "No. I just… can you just stand there… just for a moment… I just want to… I want to remember this moment… I want to have this image of you in my mind."

Bo watched as her eyes traveled up and down her torso, the heat building from her loins to her face while Lauren's voice whispered,

"So incredibly beautiful. I knew you were beautiful, but… I never imagined… your body, Bo. It's so strong and beautiful. Come here… please."

Bo crawled into bed, Lauren's body instantly wrapped around her own. Flesh against flesh, they held each other closely, Lauren rolling Bo onto her back while Bo pulled the covers up and over the blonde, shielding her from the air of the room. Her skin was cold and it concerned her,

"Lauren, I don't know exactly what's happening, but I'm worried. Can your heart handle this after just a few hours of being in hypothermic shock?"

Lauren smiled, "I know the human heart very well, Bo. I'm afraid I don't always know mine, but right now, I think my heart will break into a million pieces if we don't bridge this damn divide that's been keeping us from one another."

"But… I can't… I couldn't stand seeing you lying unconscious again."

"You won't, Bo."

"But…"

Lauren silenced her with a single finger over her lips, soon joined by other fingers exploring the plump, pink, moist flesh,

"Bo, trust me… I don't want to fight… I want this… I want you." Lauren smiled, her lips grazing over Bo's.

When she pulled back, Bo nodded, "God, how I've wanted to feel your lips against mine."

Lauren lowered her mouth again, capturing the brunette's softly, carefully… her eyes set on the brunette's. She pulled back earning a smile from the brunette,

"I've never kissed anyone with my eyes open before."

"Oh?" Lauren asked.

"I guess I've never wanted them to see the truth of what I was feeling."

Lauren slid her lips over Bo's ear, "And what truth was that?"

Bo took a breath and replied, "That I didn't feel what they were feeling. It was purely physical. I had nothing else to offer."

"And I'm different?" Lauren asked, her eyes filled with hope.

Bo nodded, "I don't want to try to label this, but yes… you're different. You're definitely different."

"How?" Lauren asked.

"I feel… everything with you."

"Everything?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "I want… I don't know… more… with you. More than just… uh… sex."

Lauren smiled, thinking how adorable Bo was talking about intimacy. She could only reply, "Me too."

"Good." Bo said, swallowing hard as she felt her cheeks heat up.

"Are you okay?" Lauren asked.

"Yea. Just… I mean… have you ever been… I don't know… nervous… with someone?"

"Nervous?"

Bo rolled her eyes, "If you have to ask, you probably never were."

"I've definitely been nervous, Bo. I just don't know what you're nervous about?"

She shrugged, "I dunno. Just… around you I get this feeling in my stomach and my chest and I just feel… nervous. I don't want to screw up and start fighting with you again, but for some reason, that's what always seems to happen with us."

Lauren laughed, "Well, some people would chalk that up to sexual tension."

Bo froze causing Lauren to laugh even harder, so the brunette's face morphed into a scowl. Lauren rubbed the crease above her nose and smiled,

"Don't be mad, Bo. I'm laughing because all of this back and forth we've been doing is just silly. We both feel the same attraction and the same nervousness about what the other person will want and think… and look where we are."

"In your bed?" Bo asked.

Lauren nodded, "Exactly. All of that worrying for nothing. I'm not going anywhere, Bo. I'm right here."

Bo laughed, "You're not going anywhere because you are trapped mid-squall in this… what did you call it when you were talking to Evony? Oh, right… I believe it was a 'frozen fucking hell hole' and a 'frozen abyss'. You may or may not have thrown another f-bomb out there with that second one, I can't quite remember. I was trying very hard not to listen."

"I'm sorry."

"No you're not. This place is a frozen fucking hell hole and I don't blame you for saying it after what you'd been through. Personally, I have no idea how you work for that woman, but honestly, I don't want to go there. I don't ever want to talk about she-who-shall-not-be-named in bed with you."

"So you think there will be other times you're in bed with me?" Lauren asked with a smirk.

"Uh… well…"

Lauren slapped Bo's shoulder, "I'm kidding."

"Oh. Well. Uh… okay."

"Relax, Bo. Really."

Bo sighed, "Lauren, I'm really messed up over you. I just don't know how to be."

"Well, I believe you said you didn't want to label us." Lauren reminded.

"I don't." Bo replied, looking down and fingering the necklace hanging around Lauren's neck, "I just want to be able to just… be… when we're together. Sort of like we are now. I want us to be honest and just go with whatever hits us in the moment. I just want it to be natural… and yes, sometimes for me, natural means nervous or unsure of how to handle when I feel strong emotions. I'm not very good at understanding them because I've spent most of my life just pushing them aside. Seline says that's why I'm not good with socializing."

"And what do you think?"

Bo stared at Lauren for a long moment, her mouth open before she replied, "Honestly, you're the first person that has ever asked me that question. Probably because I tend to do most of the questioning when I'm with Seline."

Lauren nodded, "Well, how about we make a deal right here and right now."

"Okay. What's the deal?" Bo asked, wrapping her arms around Lauren's back and locking her fingers.

"We both just say what we want to say and do what we want to do. If the other person doesn't like or want what we're doing, you say that to and the other person respects that."

Bo smiled, "Works for me."

"And you don't get shy on me and I won't get shy on you. I like you naked, so if naked is how you sleep and you're sleeping with me, then naked you shall be. I don't want you to change for me, Bo… and honestly, I don't want to change for you. Change should happen because it's what we want in life. People who have tried to change me have always driven me away."

Bo nodded, "Me too. There was this one woman in the village who told me she wanted to help me become more 'civilized'."

"Civilized?" Lauren asked.

"Living in the woods, living off the land, only sleeping with my dogs, always working, not having friends… apparently they were all on her list of no-no's for a civilized woman."

Lauren laughed, "Well, I find your way of life very interesting and adventurous. It's exciting to me and I want to learn everything you know. Sorry… school and learning have always been very important to me. I'm a natural student. Get used to it."

Bo smiled, "I'm sure I will. First lesson… how to train your team."

"Train them? I thought that's what you've been doing."

Bo shook her head, "I've been working with them, yes but they need to trust and obey you, not me."

Lauren looked over her shoulder and smiled at her girls all huddled together, sound asleep, "They're amazing, Bo. Thank you so much for all of the work you've been doing with them."

Bo smiled, "You're welcome."

They shared a long moment, each looking into the other's eyes before Lauren leaned down and grazed her lips over Bo's again. This time, she used her tongue to beg entrance and was received. Despite the obvious desire both felt, the kiss was languid. They took their time exploring this new sensation before Lauren's mouth moved slowly down the brunette's neck, her tongue licking and nipping along her collarbone while her body slid down until she reached the firm, rounded flesh of her breasts.

Taking one nipple in her mouth, she looked up to see Bo watching her every move, her chest lifting to offer more of herself to the blonde. Her hips rolled as Lauren slid between her legs and began a slow, rhythmic dance before mounting Bo's leg to move with her. Her mouth was replaced by skilled fingers, that continued to pleasure the sensitive flesh on Bo's chest while the brunette's hands slid further down Lauren's back and clenched her firm buttocks, pressing her closer to allow more contact.

"You have no idea how often I've dreamed of this moment. I never thought…" Bo began, but Lauren shook her head,

"I always knew… I hoped, anyway… that when I finally got the nerve to try to connect with you that you would allow it."

Bo lifted blonde's chin, reaching up to capture her lips, quickly deepening the kiss before pulling back, "This feels so good, Lauren… so right."

The blonde nodded, "So good."

Lauren could feel Bo's grip tighten, her pace quickening, "You're close."

Bo nodded, "How can I not be. God, you're beautiful."

Lauren smiled, "Don't hold back, Bo."

"You either. I want you to enjoy every moment you're with me, whenever that is."

"Believe me, I'm definitely enjoying this." Lauren smiled, a small groan escaping.

Bo smiled, "Me too. So much. You're close."

Lauren nodded before the two held each other close, their foreheads together as they shared the same breath until finally, they reached their peak together and slowly fell over the edge before their lips met once more. When they finally parted, Lauren was laying half on and half off Bo,

"That was… wow."

Bo grinned, "It was." She paused, wanting not to ask, but decided she simply had to, "Are you okay?"

Lauren nodded, "I'm fabulous."

The brunette laughed, "I know that. I meant…"

"I know what you meant, Bo. My pulsed is rapid, strong and even. I'm not shivering, though I'm sure you've noticed my feet are still very cold. And I've just had an amazing orgasm that warmed me from head to toe."

Bo smiled, "Good. I just wanted to be sure."

"That my orgasm was good?"

Bo laughed, "Yes, that's it exactly. Glad to hear it was." She twirled a strand of blonde hair around her finger with one hand while her other moved back and forth on the slender, muscular thigh that was thrown over and between her legs, "Want another one?"

Lauren smiled, "I thought you'd never ask."

"Good." Bo said, rolling the blonde onto her back and sliding a hand up her inner thigh. She wasted no time sliding her fingers between swollen folds, finding them saturated with the remnants of their first encounter, "Wow. I really like how wet you get."

"Hmmm… let's see," Lauren said, slipping her hand between their bodies to reach Bo's center, "I believe I like how wet you get as well."

Bo grinned, "So I suppose you're not just going to let me touch you without you touching me?"

Lauren laughed, "Well, since we've both been waiting since the day we met to do this, I think it only fair that we both allow the other to satisfy the initial neediness period. What do you say?"

Bo hit a particularly desireable spot, causing Lauren's hips to lift, "Oooh… found a good spot."

Lauren returned the favor, "As did I, it seems."

"I like getting to know you're body. I like how you don't seem to want to rush."

Lauren smiled, "I don't and I don't think I'm going to want to stop anytime soon either. I think I'm just going to want more and more and more."

"You really do have to get some sleep tonight."

Lauren nodded, "I know, I know. But for now, while I'm up to it, I want this, Bo. Please don't worry."

She smiled, "I'm trusting you to take care of yourself."

The blond nodded, "I promise, I will… just as soon as you take care of me and I take care of you."

Bo barely got a chuckle out before it became a groan of pleasure as Lauren entered her, penetrating her deeply before slipping out to offer more, earning her another moan,

"God, Lauren. I love feeling you inside me." Bo reciprocated, receiving a whimper of approval as Lauren's free hand latched on to her forearm,

"More."

Bo did as asked, lifting her hips just a bit to gain better access. The brunette slid just a bit to the side, looking down to see this quiet, personal act taking place between them,

"I still can't believe this is actually happening. God, this feels so good, it looks so… amazing… what we're sharing… this is… just… this feels…"

Lauren followed Bo's eyes to watch how they were touching each other and felt her core ache even more, "This is… I've never felt like this, Bo. I've never taken the time to be this… intimate with someone." Her eyes traveled back up to look at her lover's face. The expression on the brunette's face was one she'd never seen before. Bo was truly in awe of what was happening between them and Lauren had to admit, she was as well,

"Bo?"

It took a moment for the brunette to pull her eyes away from what she was watching, but when she did, she saw nothing but honesty, caring, kindness and desire on the blonde's face,

"Are you okay?"

Lauren smiled, "I'm better than okay. I feel amazing. You?"

"I feel incredible, Lauren. The way you're touching me… it feels incredible."

"I've never felt this way with anyone, Bo. I barely know you. I've just met you and yet I feel like we've done this hundreds of times before." Lauren smiled, "Now, could you spread your legs just a little wider for me?"

Bo smiled and did as asked, grateful she did when Lauren adjusted the angle of her fingers, finding the perfect spot to make Bo's eyes slam shut for a long moment. The brunette quickened her pace, bringing Lauren with her,

"Damn, Lauren. You sure do know how to use those fingers."

Lauren smiled, "And I could say the same about you."

The blonde groaned out Bo's name as she added another finger, filling Lauren's core, "God, Bo!"

She wrapped her arm around the brunette's neck, pulling her tight as she whispered in her ear, "I'm so close, Bo."

"Come for me, Lauren." Bo replied.

"I so badly want that… and to hear you come too."

Breaths quickened with the rhythm of their touch as their bodies moved in a languid dance until Lauren let out a long moan, Bo's orgasm hitting at the sound of the blonde's voice until they tensed, silent for a long moment and then fell back onto the bed, breathing hard.

Bo released the blonde to pull the covers up over the two of them, knowing that the body heat that they were generating right now was precious to Lauren's recovery. She lay by her side head propped up on her hand as her free hand continued to explore the blonde's chest, torso, hips and just about anywhere else she could manage to reach. Lauren lay watching Bo's eyes travel over her body, one arm behind her head, the other cupping one of the brunette's breasts, her thumb working gently back and forth over the hardened nipple.

"I still want you." Bo said.

Lauren smiled, "I'd be disappointed if you didn't."

Bo smiled, "I'll let you rest for a bit."

"Not for too long, I hope."

"Of course not. I crave you, Lauren. I don't think I knew how much until this very minute."

When the blonde didn't respond, Bo looked up to see her face, her eyes telling her she was somewhere else,

"Lauren?"

The blonde's eyes slowly traveled to Bo's, "Sorry. I was just… thinking."

"May I ask?"

Lauren nodded, "Of course. I want us to be honest with each other. I want to do a lot of things with you that I've never wanted to do with anyone, Bo."

"You mean… toys?"

Lauren laughed, "Well, that wasn't exactly what I was talking about, but yes, toys are on the table."

Bo grinned, "Sorry."

"For what?"

"For mentioning toys."

"Why? Toys were on your mind in that moment, so you asked. No apologies, Bo. Never apologize for being who you are or saying what you're thinking. We agreed. Right?"

Bo smiled, "Right. But just… remember, this is all new for me."

Lauren nodded, "I know and it's new for me, too. But… well, I feel like a woman on a mission with you. I don't want anything to hold us back from enjoying every moment we have together. I want us to be different, Bo."

"Different from what?" Bo asked.

Lauren shrugged, "From anything I've ever experienced before. I've never had anyone who was as honest with me as you have been. We may have fought for days when I arrived, but I think one of the things that attracted me to you was that you said what you thought, did what you wanted and were completely unapologetic about any of it. I admire that in you and I don't want you to lose it."

Bo nodded, "And I like that you didn't ask permission for anything from anyone. I like that 'take the bull by the horns' attitude and I think that as you heal and you start to learn this way of life, that I'll only see more of it. I have a feeling you are a force to be reckoned with, Doctor Lewis and I can't wait to see that force in action. Actually, I think I got to see a little of that last night. You in doctor mode was pretty cool."

"Doctor mode?" Lauren laughed.

Bo nodded, resuming her caressing of the blonde's body, "I think I understand what you mean. When you say open and honest, it's like I said before… we need to just… be. Open, honest, true to ourselves."

Lauren nodded, "Just be. I'm not sure that I'm going to 100% get it right away, but I'll sure try."

Bo smiled, "That's the beauty of 'just be'. No need to try. Just… be. However you are, whatever you feel and whatever you want."

Lauren smiled, pushing Bo onto her back, "Well, right now, I want more of you."

She slid down beneath the covers, Bo holding them up so she could see what she was doing. The blonde laughed,

"This is very good therapy for me."

Bo cocked an eyebrow, "Therapy?"

Lauren nodded, "It's very, very warm in here. I'll be better in no time if I stay here."

She slid her fingers between Bo's legs, parting glistening folds, "So wet." She said as she watched her fingers easily slide along the soft, swollen skin, penetrating the opening deeply so Bo's hips would rise up,

"Let's see if we can turn up the heat." She said before pressing her tongue into the entrance and licking the length of Bo's heat.

"Oh. My." Bo's breath hitched, "God."

The blonde smiled, "Lauren will do."

The pair giggled as Bo replied, "You're going to get it when I get you back up here."

"No, I'm gonna get this first." She dove back between Bo's legs, the brunette holding on tightly to the sheets as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the unexpected pleasure that Lauren Lewis had suddenly brought into her cold, dark life.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lauren came running into the ward, pulling her stethoscope around her neck, "What is it, Carolyn?"

"Oh, Doctor Lewis, thank God! Mrs. Gardner is coding and we couldn't reach you."

"Why didn't you call my cell?" Lauren asked, sprinting down the hall.

"We did. Dr. Anastas answered and told us you quit."

"She what?!"

"She…"

"I heard you!"

Lauren ran into the room, looking up at the monitor, "Charge to 300."

The nurse handed Lauren the paddles and did as she was told, watching as the alarm sounded and the doctor shocked her patient.

"Nothing. Charge to 350."

Lauren repeated the procedure, then waited, watching and hoping… relief following as normal sinus rhythm was restored,

"Okay, check her fluids and continue to monitor." She turned to Carolyn, "I did not quit. How did she answer my phone?"

"I don't know."

"Are you sure you called the correct number?" Lauren asked.

Carolyn nodded before she vanished. Lauren stood staring at an empty room, Mrs. Gardner coding again.

"What the hell…"

She called for help, "Carolyn! Kelly! Shannon!"

She shocked her patient… nothing.

She shocked her again… nothing.

She shocked her again… nothing.

"No, no, no. How is this happening?" She shocked her again with the same result.

Shannon entered the room, "Doctor Lewis? You killed her?"

"No! I didn't kill her! Where did you go?"

Kelly arrived, "Happy hour. We invited you, but you didn't want to come." The nurse moved closer, placing a kiss on the doctor's neck, "And if you came… just once… I'd bet you'd want to… come… again. I'd make sure of it."

Lauren stepped back, clearing her throat and smoothing down the front of her lab coat, "That is unprofessional, Kelly. I expect better of my nurses."

"Suit yourself." Kelly said, walking out of the room, with Shannon, "We all know Nadia's the fun doctor. Look at all the fun she had with Evony and it took you forever to say anything to her about it."

Lauren called out to them, "Evony did that! She was just trying to prove to me that Nadia wasn't worth the trouble she was giving me!"

She looked to her left, seeing Carolyn standing there staring at her, "Where did you go?"

"Doc, I think you're a bit stressed. I didn't go anywhere."

Lauren replied, "You did. And don't call me Doc. It reminds me of Bo and I don't want to be reminded of Bo. I'm supposed to love Nadia."

"But Nadia released you. You're free to go after Bo, Evony or anyone you want." Carolyn reminded.

"I don't want Evony! I want Bo!" Wait… what did I say? She turned to Carolyn, "I'm free. If I'm being honest, I've been free for a long time. I just didn't want to admit it." Lauren whispered to herself, "I'm free."

Carolyn offered a sympathetic smile, "Well, since we're being honest, everyone here has been concerned about how much you work. We've tried to get you out for Friday happy hours when you're not on call, but even then, you've refused."

Lauren checked around her before she spoke, "Honestly, my wife was not comfortable with the idea of me going out without her."

Kelly entered the room again, laughing, "Jealous much?"

"You have no idea." Lauren said before stiffening in horror. She was never this unprofessional, "Sorry. That was very…"

"Unprofessional?" Shannon said, walking back into the room, "God, you need to loosen up a bit, Doc. You're allowed to laugh and have a little fun. We're all experienced medical professionals who spend a lot of time in life and death situations. We need to take our work seriously, but we also need to take care of ourselves. Having a little laugh during the day is okay… in my humble opinion."

Carolyn smiled, "Besides, you're about to start a whole new life! You're helping EFM to start up that new clinic in Alaska where you've met that totally hot brunette with the amazing rack and you're soon going to be single and ready to mingle."

Kelly laughed, "Hell, if I were you, I wouldn't wait for the official papers to be signed. Nadia already fucked your boss. I'd say that's grounds for mingling whenever you damn well please. Carolyn's totally right. You're so hot for the Tracker. Go for it. You should have a whole new outlook on life. Besides, you gave Doc Anastas permission to chase her dreams. Doesn't that mean you should be chasing yours too… even if you need a dog sled to do it?"

"That's a fair assessment." Lauren replied, "Well, I've got to run, Ladies."

"Your new life awaits!" Kelly replied while Carolyn offered a fist pump from beside her.

Lauren suddenly found herself by the elevator. She thought about what the nurses had said. Maybe they were right. Maybe a new life was ahead. One with adventure and a new direction. She grinned as she stepped onto the elevator and hit the button for the parking garage. As the doors closed, the symbolism hit her.

"The doors close on the last chapter of my life." She laughed when she reached the floor and the doors opened. Stepping out she smiled, "Watch out, world. A new state means a new Lauren Lewis."

Suddenly, Lauren felt cold. It was dark and cold. She looked around her and all she could see was snow and ice. She was laying on the ground, a smashed sled to her left. There was blood. Reaching up, she found the source,

"Okay, so not as easy as it looked. Definitely not Boston. I could really use some skis."

Lauren was suddenly standing on skis, "Okay. Now I'm definitely dreaming. Right?" She pushed with her poles, "When you dream, is it possible to ski? It feels like I'm skiing. This just… it seems so real."

Her sled dogs came to stand in front of her, "Elsa! Good girl! Anna! Belle! How are my girls! Why didn't anyone tell me about you? I thought I'd have a car, but this… you're beautiful!"

Bo sat up, looking over to see Lauren calling to her dogs. She tapped her on the shoulder and whispered, "Lauren."

The blonde smiled, mumbling something about skiing. Bo thought that maybe she was dreaming of being home in Boston. Did they ski in Boston? Wasn't it a city? Honestly, she didn't really know anything about any of the other 49 U.S. states. Why hadn't she ever ventured out of her home state? Probably because she'd never acknowledged herself as anything other than an Alaskan native. Probably because she was comfortable with her uncomfortable life here. Probably because... well, she probably had no idea why she had never left this state.

She leaned in and whispered again, "Lauren?"

"Bo! I'm skiing!" Lauren said enthusiastically, her eyes still closed.

"That's great, Lauren. Do you maybe want to wake up?"

"Wake up? We're skiing! Isn't it great?" Lauren called out, eyes still closed as her arms moved in tandem.

Bo laughed, wondering if the blonde often talked in her sleep, "Sure. It's great. Are you hungry?"

The blonde sat up, her eyes popping open, "I'm starving."

She went to stand, but Bo stopped her, "Where are you going?"

"There's this fabulous steakhouse right down the street. I know the owner."

Bo reached out and grabbed the blonde's wrist before she could get up and try to walk around an unfamiliar place,

"You do?"

"Yup! She was homeless and kept coming to the hospital to get free meals." Lauren turned towards Bo and laid down, pulling the covers over her shoulders, before mumbling, "I kept finding her in the hospital galley, telling the staff how to cook different foods. Turns out, she was a chef! Imagine that! A homeless chef!"

"Wow." Bo smiled, "That's… something."

Lauren nodded, "So I bought her a steakhouse. Now she's doing great! Of course, Nadia wasn't too happy that I gave the woman three hundred thousand dollars to open a restaurant. Bad business decision, she said. But she's been paying back the loan regularly! I set up an autopay system right back into my savings account!"

"Well, what does Nadia know." Bo said, having no idea who Nadia was, but it was the second time she'd heard the name. Could that be the wife that Jon said was divorcing her?

Lauren laid back down, "Tired."

"O-kay." Bo said, confused. She reached down and checked to be sure the blonde didn't have a fever, then checked her pulse. She seemed fine. Did she do this often?

She tapped her on the shoulder again, "Lauren? Lauren?"

The blonde's eyes fluttered open, "Bo?"

Bo nodded, "Yea. It's me. Are you okay?"

Lauren looked around the room. Slowly she sat up, "I just had the strangest dream."

Bo nodded, "I'll bet. How do you feel?"

"Cold." The blonde replied looking at Bo who nodded to her body, "Oh."

She quickly pulled the covers up around her, covering herself up, "I… uh…"

Bo laughed, "We promised we weren't going to be awkward, right?"

Lauren smiled, "Awkward is my middle name. You haven't noticed?"

Smiling, Bo replied, "I've only noticed that you're smart, daring, determined and super sexy."

Lauren blushed, "Wow. No one has ever…"

"Complimented you before?" Bo grinned.

Smiling, Lauren laid down, propping her head up with her hand and patting the bed in front of her. Bo moved closer and mirrored the blonde's position,

"Actually, no. Not like you have in the last little while. I've been complimented for my work as a professional, but… well, honestly, I don't usually put myself in a position to be complimented personally."

Bo frowned, "But, you were married. Didn't your wife every compliment you?"

Lauren cringed, "Honestly, not really. And… there's something I want you to know. Um… well… the divorce… it's not… official just yet. I mean… she filed and the papers should be here any day, but…"

"She was the one who filed?" Bo asked, "You mean, you still love her?" Bo sat up, uncomfortable laying as she was with Lauren, but the blonde shook her head,

"Oh, no. Nothing like that. Actually, I'm not sure I ever loved her, really. I know that must sound horrible, but… well, I was sort of married to my work. I was very honest about it from the very beginning, but we were young, and I guess she thought things would change over time."

"But they didn't." Bo concluded.

Lauren shook her head, "Honestly, if I'd ever taken the time to really think about it… to really look at her so I could see how unhappy she was, I probably would have suggested divorce a long time ago. I think I'm starting to realize that I was just content. I had someone to go home to, someone to go to hospital events with, someone who finished my medical sentences and someone who shared expenses and household duties."

"Wow. Sounds romantic."

Lauren slapped the brunette who feigned pain, "We haven't shared a bed in months and I didn't even notice that she was intentionally picking up shifts to keep us apart until about three weeks ago. I'm sorry if that was deceptive of me… to sleep with you as a married woman, but I just… well, I guess I haven't really considered myself married in any sense other than living arrangement for a long time."

"I see." Bo replied.

Lauren continued, "We were basically roommates. I don't even know when it happened. Maybe we were never anything else. I don't know."

"Lauren, you don't have to explain any of this to me. I'm not exactly the poster child for good relationship decisions."

The blonde smiled, "So you have been in a relationship?"

Bo shrugged, "I uh… well…"

"Hey." Lauren smiled, "No awkwardness, remember?"

Bo smiled, "Last night was the closest I've ever come to a relationship."

"Last night was a relationship?" Lauren laughed.

"I hope last night was the start of a relationship… of some kind." Bo clarified, "Look. I don't want to label this… I don't want to label us. I just want us to… be."

Bo reached up over her head and pulled the small picture off the wall, "Evony asked me to put some pictures up for you. She said you liked scenic pictures."

Lauren smiled, "I do."

Bo flipped the photo around so the blonde could see it, "This is Denali. I took the picture during one of the climbs I did as a guide."

"You're a guide up there?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "Just another way to make money. I haven't gone up for a really long time… over a year actually."

"Why not?" Lauren asked.

"I lost someone up there… a tourist. He insisted on going. His wife didn't want him to go. They had two kids." Lauren could see Bo's mind take her back to the events of the climb, "I told him that he wasn't properly trained for a climb like that. His buddy said that he would take full responsibility for him… that he had climbed Everest and trusted this guy could make it. He'd climbed with him many times."

Bo rolled onto her back, staring at the picture, "His wife clarified that he'd been rock climbing... on dry, sunny rocks. I refused again and walked away, heading into the restaurant to get some breakfast."

"So, you didn't take him up?"

Bo shook her head, "I refused. This guide named Rocket took him up. We've got different… philosophies… about who we take up. He'll take anyone willing to pay. I'll only take people qualified to make it up and down."

"Bo, I don't understand how that makes you the one who lost someone."

She turned onto her side, laying the picture between them, "It was about six hours later that his wife came to find me in my room at the lodge. I was supposed to take another group up the next day, so I had stayed the night hoping to make up the money I lost for not taking the group Rocket took."

"What did she say?"

"She told me they hadn't heard from them – that search and rescue wasn't willing to go up because of the weather." Bo sighed, "You see, Denali has its own weather system because of how big she is. That's why one day, you see what's in this picture and… well, on other days… most days, you wouldn't even know a mountain was there. The weather up there is bad... really bad and it can change in a minute."

"You went up." Lauren concluded.

Bo nodded, "I went up to try to get them all down. Six went up, four came down."

"The husband?" Lauren asked.

Bo shook her head, "His friend made it back, Rocket made it back and two other people from his party. One guy was never found. I found the husband. He'd broken both legs and was losing a lot of blood…"

"Femoral artery tear?"

Bo nodded, "I tied a tourniquet and used Rocket's inflatable sled to drag him down below the storm line where a helicopter picked him up, but… well, by the time they got him to the hospital in Anchorage, he was gone."

Lauren covered Bo's hand with her own, her thumb rubbing over the single finger that was just a big shorter than the others,

"That's my reminder from that day."

"You lost your fingertip up there?"

Bo nodded, "Pulling the rope in combination with the cold… I cut off the circulation and didn't even notice until it started to warm. Then I felt the pain. When I pulled off my glove, it was already black, so I had Selina cut it off. I got real sick from the bacteria that formed and got into my blood, but… well, I'm alive."

"Thankfully." Lauren replied, "I'm sure you did all you could."

Bo nodded, "I did. As Selina says, you can't fix stupid. I just can't wrap my head around why a man would risk not coming home to his wife and kids. It just boggled my mind."

Lauren shrugged, "Well, I'm pretty sure everyone thought that Nadia and I were the perfect couple. One of the Nurses told me we finished each other's professional sentences… whatever that means."

Bo laughed and Lauren replied, "I know. Romantic, right?"

"Very." Bo nodded, unable to compose herself.

"I'm just saying that sometimes people don't see what's right in front of them and they risk it all because they don't realize what they're risking until its gone."

Bo nodded, "That picture… he had me take it so his family would know that he died happy. That he had achieved something he never thought he was capable of."

"So why is it here?"

Bo shook her head, "His wife didn't want it. She didn't care that he was happy. His kids lost their father and no picture of any mountain would ever make that right. She said he was selfish leaving them behind so he could climb some stupid mound of snow that he knew he had no right climbing."

Lauren nodded, "Kind of like me taking a ride on a dog sled."

"I promise I'm not going to lecture you, because I really was sort of impressed, but I have to know…" Bo began, "… why on earth did you take the sled out?"

Lauren shrugged, "You know, I think it had to do with the dream I was having."

Bo nodded, but Lauren said nothing. Bo smiled, "Um… are you going to share? I can't hear or see your dreams."

Lauren laughed, "Right. Of course. Sorry. I think my brain cells are still coming back."

Bo smiled, "Do you ever sleep walk?"

"Oh, all the time when I was a kid. My Mom used to have the Nanny put a string of bells across the staircase at night. If I tried to take the stairs, the Nanny would be alerted and be able to get to me."

"Nanny?" Bo asked.

Lauren nodded, "Elisabeth. She basically raised me. My parents believed that kids should be seen only at appropriate times and never heard. I have no idea why they even had a kid, but since I have no siblings, I think they learned their lesson after having me."

Bo nodded, "I guess my parents learned the same lesson. I'm an only child too, although I was raised by dogs, not a Nanny."

"We're probably both better off. My Nanny taught me to be self-sufficient, confident and resilient. She got me through the terrible teens, undergrad and med school. I've never given up on a patient or a patient problem which is probably why I'm a highly valued surgeon. Of course, my boss just sent this highly valued surgeon into the middle of a barren land where there's no hospital, so maybe I've gotten too big for my britches."

Bo smiled, "I doubt it and there is a hospital in Anchorage, it's just not so easy to get there during the winter… and of course, Evony thinks she can do better."

Lauren smiled, "The nurses call her Evony the ego."

Bo laughed.

Lauren asked, "So what did you learn from your dogs growing up?"

"I'd say the same things your Nanny taught you, plus survival skills. I watched how they stayed warm, how they ate… for them, it's all instinct. My Mom had already taught me a lot of things about surviving. We lived off the grid up north all my life. If you can survive there in Alaska, you can pretty much survive anywhere. Of course, I also got my social skills from them."

They shared a laugh, before Bo asked, "So, are you going to tell me about this dream?"

Lauren nodded, "Why did you ask about sleep walking?"

Bo laughed, "I guess it was part of your dream, but you were talking about skiing. You then told me about a steakhouse that you bought for a homeless chef?"

Lauren rolled her eyes, "I was sleep… talking?"

Bo nodded, "In full sentences… and demonstrations."

"What?" Lauren asked, laughing.

Bo sat up and moved her arms, "You showed me how you ski."

"Oh dear god." Lauren blushed, covering her face.

"It was adorable." Bo smiled, kissing the top of Lauren's head when she face planted on the mattress between them.

Lauren raised her eyes to meet Bo's, "You know, now that I think about it, the entire dream was like a re-enactment of a conversation I had with the nurses on the cardiac intensive care unit before I left."

"Oh really?" Bo asked, twisting a lock of blonde hair around her finger, "Care to share?"

She sat up, staring down at the covers between her legs, "I think my mind was subconsciously telling me that being with you was a good thing. It was reminding me that I was free… free to pursue the life of my dreams… to go on an adventure… to do things I've never done before."

She turned to Bo, "Ohmagod! I think… I think that's why I took the sled out! I was tired of everyone telling me what I could and couldn't do! I felt trapped! So damn trapped! Then, I came here, and it was more of the same… only worse! I had no one telling me I was good at anything! Nothing at all! I've never felt more useless in my life! You… you were the standard for excellence!"

Turning onto her knees, she clapped her hands together, "I took out the sled to prove that I could do something you could do. It was completely and totally insane, but I wanted to be free – at all costs! It was reckless and careless and idiotic, but Bo…"

She turned to the dogs who were laying quietly on the floor in a group by the ceramic heater, "… when we took off running…" she turned back, "…it was… exhilarating! I was terrified… I was freezing… I had no idea what I was doing, but… I trusted them."

She turned to the dogs, "I trusted them with my life, and I think they knew it. I think they wanted to take care of me. I think they knew I needed them, and I think they trusted that they could get me here."

She turned back to Bo, "I know that probably sounds absolutely insane to a world class musher like yourself, but… it's what I felt. Now, they didn't get me here, but I think they could. With training… for all of us… I think we're going to be a great team."

Bo smiled, "It doesn't sound insane, Lauren. It sounds like a musher's instincts."

"Really?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "Really."

Lauren smiled, "I think that what I saw in you when we first met…"

"Rude, anti-social, hot-headed, stubborn, arrogant…"

"Okay, I'll admit a few of those did cross my mind and I'm embarrassed to say that I may have judged you without knowing anything at all about you."

"And I'll have to admit I stereotyped the hell out of you. Big city know-it-all Doctor who came here to mess with our way of life."

Lauren smiled, "I guess we've both been taught well."

Bo shrugged, "I think we've both been taught by our experiences. People have wronged me often, so I don't trust them as a rule. That makes me seem rude, anti-social, arrogant…"

"I get the picture." Lauren smiled, "I've been forced into this role of perfect surgeon who never makes a mistake and has all of the answers all of the time. It makes me a bit… difficult." Lauren paused, "And it also makes me a bit obsessive, impatient and yes, stubborn and maybe a tad over-confident at times."

"So, now that we know we'll never put each other on a pedestal..." Bo laughed,

"…We'll never have to worry about the let-down of seeing each other's weaknesses." Lauren smiled.

"High five." Bo said, putting her hand up.

Lauren swung and missed, "Damn! I can never get that right."

Bo held up Lauren's hand by the wrist and smacked it, "There you go. You got it right that time. You just needed a little extra support from moi."

"Wow. You speak French." Lauren laughed.

"Bon-Jure." Bo replied to which Lauren laughed even harder.

Lauren laid down on the pillow, "So, why did you take this picture off the wall?"

Bo laughed, "I totally forgot about that!"

"We were talking about not labeling us. You said you just wanted us to… be. Be what?"

Bo smiled, "Just be as in just be like this mountain."

"You want us to be a mountain?" Lauren asked.

Bo shook her head, "This mountain is what it is. It doesn't try to be beautiful. It doesn't try to hide. It doesn't decide to show itself. It just does what it does. It just… is. We're the ones that gave it a name. We're the ones that decided we should climb it. We're the ones who may decide it's too dangerous to climb. We're the ones that try to own it, claim it or make it more than it wants to be. It just wants to be."

Lauren smiled, "I get it."

"Do you?"

"Whatever we are… let's just let us be whatever that is and not label it." Lauren replied.

Bo frowned, lowering her eyes.

"Bo?"

She shook her head, "I guess when you put it that way, it sounds… non-committal at best. I don't want you to think I'm…"

"Not interested in anything long term? Looking for an out?" Lauren asked.

"Exactly." Bo replied, "Because that's not the case."

Lauren nodded, "Look. I'm about to get divorced after being in a relationship for a very long time… the only relationship I've ever been in, actually."

"So you don't want a relationship?" Bo asked.

"No. I mean… not no to wanting a relationship. No to that's not it. I just… I don't want you to be a rebound. I mean… I don't want you to feel obligated. I just want to be sure about what I'm feeling before…"

"Before you commit to anything? Lauren, I'm not asking for a commitment. I'm just asking that we just… be."

Bo picked up the picture and gave it to the blonde, "This is what I know. I like being around you. I like the way I feel when I'm around you. I like that I'm becoming a better person for being around you. I like that you're daring and inspired to try new things here – I just want you to calculate the risks as you would in… say… a surgery, before you do anything not because I'm trying to control you, but because I want you safe. I want you safe because I want you around for the reasons I've already stated."

Lauren smiled, "This is what I know. I like being around you too. I didn't think I would, but I do. I'm attracted to you like positive and negatively charged magnets. I like the way I feel around you. You remind me of a part of me that I lost a long time ago. It's like I've been reborn and I want to do… everything. I don't want to be caged anymore and thinking about you out there running with your dogs is just… inspirational. I want to be a part of your world and I want to show you what it's like to live in mine… if you're ever interested."

"Yes." Bo said, quickly.

Lauren laughed, "What?"

Bo smiled, "When you were sleep-talking, I realized I had no idea if skiing was a thing in Boston. Then I realized I didn't really know anything about big cities or little cities or anything in the Lower 48. I really didn't know anything about the rest of the country. I've just always been an Alaskan with the intent of living Alaskan and dying Alaskan. You made me realize that I've remained here, trapped in a past that kept me angry and alone. You make me want to change that about my life."

Lauren nodded, "So we should just… be… in whatever moment we're in, wherever we are… we should just be."

Bo nodded, "Just… be."

Lauren giggled, "Well, what I've got to be right now is a girl on the move to the bathroom. I've gotta pee… badly!"

Bo laughed, "You pee, I'll let the dogs out back to pee, then I've gotta pee too!"

The two hopped out of bed, Lauren stopping, "Bo!"

She turned quickly, "Lauren, what!" She laughed.

"Are you going outside naked?"

Bo laughed, looking up at the clock, "Are you worried that someone's going to see me naked at three in the morning?"

"Oh gawd! It's that early?"

"Your biological clock is a little off, Doctor."

"Actually, I wasn't worried about someone seeing you. I was worried about you freezing those very fine tits off out there! Now that I know it's three in the morning, I'm even more concerned about the temperatures."

"Cold room, Lauren. The dogs are going out into the cold room. There's a double door in the cold room. The second door has a doggie door in it. They can't get in until we open the inside door, but they can get out while I stand behind the inside door, less exposed to the cold. I give them three minutes, then open the door and start counting heads. When they're all back in, I'll be back up to pee. Or… maybe I'll pee downstairs, cause I've really gotta go."

"Go!" Lauren said, turning to go to the bathroom while Bo headed down the stairs,

"Come, girls! Outside!" The dogs all raced past Bo, nearly knocking her down the stairs.

Lauren relieved herself, then stood to wash her hands, looking in the mirror,

"Whoa. Lewis, you look like shit!" She examined the cut on her forehead for a long moment,

"Wow. Nice job with the stiches. Very nice." She ran her fingers over her frost-bitten cheek,

"Ow. Damn, I didn't notice how nasty you were. This is going to be a scar, Lauren. Very attractive. Very attractive."

"My thoughts exactly."

Lauren looked up to see Bo standing in the doorway flanked by Harper and Elsa. She giggled, "Well, I could say the same about you, but having two Alaskan Huskies on either side of you kind of takes away from the sexy just a bit."

Bo looked down, shaking her head, "You two are taking away my game. Go lay down."

Harper whined but did as she was told. Elsa took it as an invitation to lay at Bo's feet. The brunette shook her head,

"You know, Lauren, we really have to work on her listening skills."

Lauren laughed, walking to Elsa and squatting down, "Go lay with Harper, my good girl."

She kissed her head and smiled as she walked away, doing a few circles in front of Harper before laying half on top of the older dog. Harper laid her head on the pup, her eyes on Bo,

"Oh, don't look so pathetic. You are loving the attention of that pup and you know it." Bo laughed, offering Lauren her hand,

"Back to sleep?"

Lauren smirked, "Back to bed, yes. Sleep, after I burn off a little bit of this early morning energy… mind if I use you as my treadmill?"

"Mmmm… if that means what I think it means, I would love for you to use me in any way you'd like."

Bo and Lauren made their way to the bed, crawling under the covers and wrapping their limbs around each other,

"You sure you feel okay? You're probably still recovering, Lauren." Bo reminded, "I just don't want to do anything that might jeopardize your recovery. We've been quite… active. You must be exhausted."

Lauren pushed Bo down onto her back, straddling her torso, "If you don't give me what I want, it might jeopardize my mental health, because right now, looking at this beautiful body is driving me crazy."

She leaned down and captured Bo's lips in a fiery kiss, deepening it almost immediately while she ground her center into Bo's. The brunette let out a low moan, responding immediately to the blonde's pace. When the blonde pulled back, she looked down at the desire-filled eyes of the brunette,

"You want me." Lauren stated.

Bo nodded, "I want you… I want you to want me… I want us… I want us to just be… just like this."

"Well, I think I can take care of all of those wants. Hold on to your sled. I'm driving."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Lauren rolled over, gripping her head, "What the hell?"

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

She threw down the covers, hearing a whimper. She sat up, pulling the covers back, finding Elsa laying at her feet,

"Well, hello there my good little girl. What are you doing here?"

The young dog crawled up and into Lauren's lap and rolled onto her back, "Belly rubs?" The blonde laughed.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Okay, so what is that noise and who's making it?"

She looked next to her to see empty sheets. She smiled, thinking of all the wonderful things she had done to the body that once occupied the space. She looked at Elsa,

"Want to know a secret?"

Elsa licked her cheek, "Yea, I think so too. But keep that between us, okay? We don't want to rush things."

She rubbed her neck, seeing a long silver tube on the collar, "What's this? That wasn't there before."

Lauren examined the 2-inch long silver tube to find a small lid on the end, "What's this?"

She used her nail to pry off the cap, finding a small rolled up piece of paper inside, "It's a secret message, Elsa! How exciting!"

Unrolling the message, she smiled when she saw Bo's name at the bottom, "It's from Bo. She says… there's a bit of sun, taking advantage to work on the insulation, bring coffee."

Lauren smiled, jumping out of bed, only to be hit by a wave of nausea, "Damn concussion. Gotta get up slower." She held herself steady using the wall, "Of course, it could be blood sugar. If the sun's up, it's close to three in the afternoon. Damn, my sleep is all messed up!"

She went to the bathroom, to get ready for the day. Pulling up her hair, she turned, "Clothes. Where are my clothes? Boxes. Where are my boxes?"

She turned again to see a dresser with a note on it, "Open me."

She smiled, "Awww. She put my clothes away."

Pulling open the top drawer, she saw another sign, "Don't wear these."

"What is it with these people and underwear?"

She went to the next drawer down, and found another sign over her jeans, "These are okay for inside work."

"Okay, well I do plan to work inside, unpacking boxes and turning this building into an actual clinic, so jeans it is."

She pulled on the jeans, "Interesting sensation. No undies. Hmmm."

She opened the bottom drawer and pulled out a long sleeve T-shirt, ignoring the sign about them being useless. Pulling back the door, she yanked a sweater from the coat rack on the wall and headed downstairs with Elsa close behind. She smelled the coffee before she hit the last stair,

"Smells good." She went to the cabinets and found a thermos, "What do you think, Elsa? Black? Cream? Sugar? Both? I think black, yes?"

Elsa barked once, her ears perking up as her head cocked to one side, "You are too adorable, but even so, if I'm wrong on the coffee, I'm blaming you."

Elsa barked again, before trailing Lauren to the cold room. The blonde pulled on her goggles, a mask and a parka before donning a pair of gloves and opening the two outer doors. The wind hit her immediately, she was thankful the air was clear of the whiteout conditions that had become her norm. She looked up to see Bo laying on the snow-covered roof, hanging over the eaves,

"Coffee?"

Bo looked up, "You are an angel! I'd love some!"

Lauren watched as the brunette, rolled over onto her back and slid down the roof,

"BO!" She ran over to the side of the building, expecting to have her first patient, but instead, Bo was standing upright in waist-high snow.

"What?" Bo asked, matter-of-factly.

"Don't do that! You had me scared half to death! I thought you fell off the roof!"

Bo grunted, climbing out of the drift that had blown up against the building,

"Well, I sort of did. Do you want to kiss my boo-boo?" she asked, bending over and thrusting her ass at the blonde.

"I think I've done enough ass-kissing for a while." Lauren quipped, planting her hands on her hips.

Bo walked to her, "How long a while?"

Lauren laughed, slapping the brunette, "A little while."

Bo smiled, taking the offered thermos, "Make it a very little while and you're got a deal."

"Miss me already?" Lauren asked, placing her hands on Bo's upper chest, as the brunette wrapped her arms around the blonde's waist,

"I crave you." Bo said, wrapping her arms around the blonde, "And I can't wait until spring when I can throw you on the ground and have my way with you."

Lauren laughed, squealing with delight when the brunette grabbed both of her ass cheeks and gave them a squeeze,

"Bo Dennis, I am not that kind of girl." She slapped the brunette's shoulder, pulling away, "I am not some piece of meat you can just throw around."

Bo lowered her eyes, "I'm sorry. I just… I mean… I was just trying to be playful. I would never disrespect…"

"Hey. I'm kidding." Lauren smiled, walking back up to the brunette, "I'm just kidding… being playful."

She gave a half smile, "I'm sorry. I just… social norms and all… I don't want to screw up with you. I like you, Lauren. I honestly don't understand it, but I like you."

The doctor chuckled, "Well, maybe it's my ballsy sled dog escape."

Bo laughed "That did take balls." She paused, "But I don't recall seeing any balls on you last night and I believe I saw ever itty-bitty inch of you."

Lauren laughed, "As a witness to the events of last night…"

"…except for when the blindfold was on…"

"Yes, except then…" She said, stepping towards Bo again, "You definitely saw all there was to see of me."

"As you did me." Bo said, as Lauren pushed her against the back wall of the building and pressed up against her. She pulled up the neck of Bo's mask, revealing swollen lips, "Hmmm… I was pretty hard on those lips last night, wasn't I?"

She watched as the puffy red skin morphed into a smile, "You were wonderful on these lips last night."

Lauren pulled up the neck of her own mask and grazed her lips over the brunette's, slipping her leg between Bo's thighs. The brunette groaned,

"As much as I would love to do this right here, there are certain dangers to revealing any skin out here." She thumbed Lauren's lips dry before pulling down her mask, then did the same to her own.

Lauren nodded, "Damn Alaskan weather."

She could see Bo's smile light up her eyes through her goggles, "It does have its disadvantages, but then again, we'll have an excuse to stay inside for long stretches of time every day."

She turned to walk around the building with Lauren, "There's no expectations up here, Lauren. There's very little judgement… unless you're around Big Jim. He makes the village elders out to be people who rule with an iron fist, but that's not the case at all. Maybe everyone's experiences are different, but for the most part, they're teachers who are trying to keep their traditions alive despite the rest of the world coming in to have an electronic influence on the young."

Lauren could see her eyes change behind the grayed lens, "But they've treated you so badly."

She nodded, "But we've slowly been making amends. Seline has been a big part of that for me. She's been sort of… I don't know… a mentor, mother and sister all rolled into one. She has stood with me against Big Jim and…"

She looked over at Lauren, "Could we not talk about this anymore?"

The blonde nodded, "Of course, Bo. I don't ever want you to feel uncomfortable around me. Talk, don't talk… it's completely up to you."

They stood in awkward silence for a long moment before Bo laughed, "I guess that conversation went sideways real quick. It seems to be our thing."

Lauren's eyes lit up as she smiled, "Oh, I don't know about that. It seems to me like we've made tremendous progress on that front in the last day or so. I mean, we were getting along fine, then we weren't, I got a little stir crazy…"

"Understatement." Bo quipped.

Lauren nodded, "Okay, I got a lot stir crazy at the thought of being stuck in my apartment above that bar… for a year… so I relied on a mind that has helped me to solve all sorts of problems… I admit, I got a little cocky thinking that I could actually take a three-team sled out into whiteout conditions even for a few miles…"

"Yea, we haven't really talked about that."

Lauren waved her hands, "No lecture needed, it was stupid."

Bo shrugged, "Actually, you made it a little over a mile with a team who has never made a whiteout trip. You stayed alive by using survival techniques that were actually quite brilliant. Laying the rock foundation to protect the fire you built – hell, building a fire in those conditions was impressive. It helped to protect your body from frostbite."

"Tell my cheek that." Lauren said, raising a hand to where the marred skin lay protected by the mask. The pain was starting to kick up a notch. Time for some more ibuprofen and whatever that salve was that Bo gave her, "Hey Bo, what's in that salve you gave me?"

"Devil's club and a few other local plant extracts. Why?" Bo asked.

"Well, I guess I owe you an apology. When I saw you packing my hands in snow and putting snow on my face, I thought I was going to lose my limbs. Now, here I am with just a little damage to my cheek. If I'd have lost my hands… well… I don't know what would have happened."

"Well, we've still got to keep an eye on that little finger of yours, but it all would have been much worse if you hadn't done all you did to help yourself." Bo replied.

"Much worse being I'd be dead now?" Lauren quipped, "I was lucky you cared enough to come and find me. I guess I have Evony and her paycheck to thank for that."

"I guess I should expect that's why you'd think I came. Of course, that is what I was telling myself, too… and Kenzi and Jon. But the truth is, I couldn't let you die. I would never have forgiven myself."

Lauren nodded, "You know, while I was lying there, I couldn't think of anyone who would bother to come for me. I thought maybe Jon would try to get a rescue team together, but all I could picture was him yelling out to a crowd of people in the hotel restaurant who laughed when he even suggested it. I did think that maybe he would come… or try to come. But then it got worse and I worried that he would come. I didn't want anyone to die for me."

"Always the doctor."

Lauren nodded, "Hypocritic oath and all, yes I wouldn't want harm to come to others for me. I've been in situations before – opening other hospitals for Evony where I knew no one, but I also knew I could pick up the phone, dial 9-1-1 and have help within twenty minutes. Thirty at the most if it was more rural. Out here… well, I haven't even tried my phone."

Bo laughed, "You know, you're not in the desert. Cell phones do work here."

"They do?" Lauren asked, "I mean, no one seems to have one."

Bo opened an inner pocket on her parka and pulled out a small wool sack, "Phone."

Lauren shook her head, "I just assumed."

Bo laughed, "Haven't you called home?"

"Who would I call?" Lauren asked.

"I guess I would have thought you would have called that Nadia."

Lauren laughed, "Why, so I could listen to her blame me for our failed marriage?"

"I see what you mean." Bo replied.

Lauren nodded, "She can blame me all she wants. I was always honest with her about it. In hind sight, I never should have married her, but she pushed and pushed, so I caved thinking it was the next logical step."

"Next logical step in what?"

"You know, fulfilling the perceived climbing of the social ladder. Graduate high school, graduate college, graduate medical school…"

"I can assure you that graduating from medical school is not a normal part of your social ladder – even on the east coast." Bo laughed.

"Okay, so bad example. Anyway, you get a job and a partner, a house and then you get married, have kids, buy a mini-van, take care of the kids, grow old, take care of the grand kids, go live in the home and then die."

"Wow. I can't wait to climb my way up your social ladder." Bo said, sarcastically, looking down at Lauren.

"I think at some point, I realized what I had become a part of and when she started talking about who would carry our first baby, it hit me."

"What did?"

"That I didn't want kids… I mean… not yet anyway… maybe not ever. Honestly, as a kid I thought I would, but as an adult, I have a lot of things I want to do… accomplish. I've always been very driven to achieve."

She stood up, looking around them, "Maybe Evony did me a favor sending me here."

"How do you mean?" Bo asked.

"Just look at all of this. I mean, seventy-two hours ago, I was completely out of my element. I had just watched a teenager take down a polar bear."

Bo nodded, "Yea, well they're not usually down here, so that surprised everyone. They're more common on the west coast and much farther north."

"How did he get here?" Lauren asked.

"Found out a few days ago that he escaped from a local preserve where they treat ill or injured animals. They also raise cubs who have been abandoned by their moms."

"Is Jon in trouble?" Lauren asked.

Bo shook her head, "It was a warranted shooting. It was the two of you or the bear. He'd been wandering for weeks. I'm sure he was hungry and just looking for food. Poor guy."

"I'm ashamed to say that 'poor guy' was not what I was thinking at the time."

Bo chuckled, "I'm sure." She looked down, "So, you were saying that Evony did you a favor?"

She shrugged, "I'm starting to realize the opportunity I've been given here. This place is like a gigantic playground for someone who loves learning as much as I do."

"So, you're not angry with Evony for sending you here?" Bo nodded.

Lauren leaned in to Bo, "Yea, I'm angry, but I suppose this place has its perks."

Bo grinned, "And am I one of those perks?"

Slapping her chest with her hand, Lauren laughed, as she slid her hand up to her neck and lay her head on her shoulder,

"I wasn't sure at first, but now… definitely a perk."

"You weren't sure?" Bo asked.

"Well, we were at each other's throats for a minute."

Bo laughed, "But just a minute."

Lauren laughed in reply, "And now that we've had many hot minutes…"

"Very, very hot minutes." Bo replied.

"I'm not as worried about the cold."

Bo laughed, "Well, taking that sled out didn't exactly hint at someone who feared the cold."

"When you live in the northeastern states, you think you know all about snow, ice and cold. I may have underestimated the difference between east coast cold and northwest cold."

"Ya think?" Bo asked.

Lauren nodded, standing up to face Bo, "It's sad to admit, but yes… I was wrong."

"How is that word going down?"

"It's choking me, honestly. I pride myself on being right."

"Strong willed."

"That too." Lauren nodded.

"Stubborn?"

"I guess you could say I tend to… dig in… when I think I'm right."

"Definitely strong willed."

Lauren chuckled, "I got you into my bed, didn't I?"

"Is that the way that happened?" Bo chuckled.

"You could not bed me if I didn't want you to, Bo Dennis."

Bo nodded, "You are definitely a woman who knows what she wants and gets what she wants."

Lauren smiled, "Most of the time, I guess that's true."

"I have to say, this morning when I rolled over and realized where I was, I was a bit surprised. I mean, it wasn't a dream. It really happened. I thought you hated my guts."

"Hate is a strong word… but I guess it's a word I had associated with you in varying minutes over the last week." Lauren admitted.

"Me too." Bo replied, "But now… we're good, right?"

Lauren nodded, "Last night never would have happened if we weren't, Bo. I'm not one to jump into bed with people I don't know… even before I was married. I tend to have difficulty giving up control of… well… a lot of things, I suppose. I'm a little OCD, so when things aren't going the way I expect…"

"You hitch yourself to a dog sled and make it happen?" Bo smiled.

"Yea. I guess I'll never live that down, huh?"

Bo nodded, "Sadly, you will be hearing about that one for years to come… or at least… a year."

Lauren looked up at Bo, "It's funny that yesterday, I was thinking that a year felt like an eternity. Now, it seems like it's never going to be long enough."

Bo nodded, "Well, I guess we just have to remember to just… be."

Lauren leaned in, "Yes and I can't wait to just be with you in my bed again."

Bo grinned, "I give fair warning. I don't think you'll have that entire king-sized bed to yourself any time soon."

Lauren grinned, "I don't think I want that bed to myself any time soon."

"Great minds think alike." Bo smirked, releasing the blonde and pulling up her mask to take a sip of her coffee.

"So, what are you doing out here?" Lauren asked.

"First, let me congratulate you on appropriate dress." Bo grinned.

Lauren laughed, "The signs helped. Nice secret message."

"My Mom used to leave messages for me that way." She lowered her eyes, "So if she was going to be late, I'd know where she was and when she'd be back. I thought I'd bring back a family tradition."

"I'm honored." Lauren replied, "Now what is all of this?"

"I'm a carpenter. I'm nailing it. Haha. Get it?"

Lauren laughed, "You're silly. Now tell me what you're doing to my clinic."

"Evony's clinic and I'm removing the outside boards to put spray insulation inside, then hammering the boards back up. You'll be warmer and I'll feel better about you being here when I can't be." Bo replied.

"Right." Lauren said, quietly.

"Hey, I won't be gone often." Bo replied, "Like I said. I like being here with you. I want to be here with you."

Lauren nodded, "It's not about you being gone. It's… you don't have to take care of me, Bo."

"Right. You can take care of yourself."

Lauren sighed, pulling back from the brunette, "I know I don't know everything I need to know to survive here… hell, to even live here, but I want to learn. I don't need you to be here to take care of me, Bo. I need you to teach me so I can be here without you."

Bo scowled and lowered her head, "You… you don't want me here with you? But I thought…"

"Bo, I want you here. I love having you here… I mean… I like you and…"

"I know what you mean."

"I want more nights like last night… many, many more. I want to get to know you and your lands, but I also want to be self-sufficient. I don't want to be… cheechako."

"Don't call yourself that!" Bo yelled, causing Lauren to take two steps back, "I'm sorry. I… I don't like it when you call yourself that. I don't…"

"You don't like that word."

"Not one bit."

"Why?"

"I have my reasons." Bo replied.

"Okay. I won't press, but I hope you understand. I don't want you to be here to take care of me because you feel like you have to be here to take care of me. I want you here because you want to be here with me. I want you to know me so that I know you're not just with me because I'm the only available bachelorette."

"That's what you think?" Bo asked.

Lauren shook her head, "I don't and I don't want to ever think that."

She moved towards Bo and took her hand, "Please, Bo. Show me your world. Teach me about your world. I want to be a part of this… for as long as I'm here… I want to know what you know so that I can just… be. I don't want to be a burden to you… I need to be my own person, but I want that to be a person who walks… or races a sled… beside you. I don't want you to carry me. Do you understand?"

Bo nodded, "I guess we're more alike than we wanted to admit. I would never want to rely on someone else to live my day to day life."

"And from what I've seen, you don't. Back east, I don't either. I tend to want everything my way which is probably why that marriage thing didn't work out."

"Maybe she couldn't match your level of independence." Bo suggested.

"Oh, she's as stubborn and strong-willed as I am." Lauren replied.

Bo shook her head, "That may be, but maybe she needed you too much. Maybe she wasn't independent… secure enough to be your partner, Lauren."

"I don't know. It's still a lot to process… the divorce. There's been so much said and I just keep playing our conversation over and over in my head. Everything comes back to it being my fault."

Bo nodded, "Because she said so?"

Lauren shrugged, "That's what I hear in my head. She sure said it enough times."

"Her saying it doesn't make it true. You believing it is what makes it true… well, makes you think it's true… but neither of those makes it so. The way I've always seen it, marriage… any relationship… takes two people. Both have to be willing to give as they take. Both have to be willing to make sacrifices for the other, but one should never ask a person to sacrifice themselves or the very things that make them who they are to be with the other. It sounds to me like she may have been trying to force you to do something that would ask you to be someone you weren't."

Lauren looked up at the brunette, having nothing to offer but a shrug.

"You're a doctor, you're an explorer… an adventurer. You're not a mother, you're not someone to prop up next to for some social ladder."

Lauren looked out at the vast wilderness, "I've never thought of exploring or venturing beyond my lab. Finding new treatments for conditions of the heart has always been… well… the journey into the unknown that I sought. Now, I have this strange feeling. I know I almost died and, well… I guess I should be terrified… but as I look out at this sea of white… I feel a strange sense of peace."

She looked back to Bo, "And a desire to know more about what's out there. Ever since last night, I don't want to be anywhere else."

"I do tend to have that effect on women."

"I thought…"

"I'm kidding, Lauren. I really don't have a love life to speak of."

She nodded, "I know you don't really know me, but… well, with this new clinic and hospital to prep, I should be obsessing over ever single cabinet, drawer, shelf, and table. I should be complaining about the angle of the lights so that I can see what I'm doing when I'm treating a patient. I should be through the inventory of a hundred supply boxes by now, but honestly, I don't really care if any of it gets done."

She knelt down, and her dogs came running instantly, "All I care about is being behind these little girls and feeling the wind on my face. Well… maybe not on my face, because my face really hurts, but… I don't know. I just… I want to be out there."

She pointed to the woods, but Bo leaned down and whispered, "Baby steps, Doctor. What do you say we set up a schedule for training runs."

"Really?" Lauren stood, clapping her hands together.

Bo nodded, "Really. I have to make sure my team gets appropriate rest, but we can do small runs here in the street for now."

"How long do you take your dogs out when you train?" Lauren asked.

"It's race season, so we usually run about five or six hours a day, five or six days a week. Today is an off day since they ran every other day this week. Of course, I'm counting last night as a run, but it was pretty short."

"So should my girls run today?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "Do you want to help me with their training routine?"

"Can I?" Lauren asked.

"They're your dogs. The more time you spend with them, the more they'll listen to you."

"Great. Do we have to fix my sled? Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "We do, but Lauren… these girls haven't been pulling a sled. That's what's so amazing about what you did with them. Until you took them out, they've only been pulling logs to learn turns and control."

"Logs?"

"Yes, logs. It's how my Mom trained our dogs." Bo pointed to a pile of wood behind the kennel, "See those?"

"Telephone poles?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "Shortened telephone poles that have mounts screwed in so I can attach leads to them or attached two or more dogs to one pole so they learn to work together."

"That sounds very interesting."

"I'm glad you think so." Bo replied, "I have five more boards to do, then we're supposed to go to Jon's Uncles place for dinner. His wife is cooking Moose Stew and the new Doctor is the guest of honor."

"Uh…"

"You can't say no, Lauren. These are your people now. You've got to meet them and start doing a little P.R. for your clinic. Otherwise, they'll take the train to the village to see Seline. She's overworked caring for her own. That's one of the reasons Evony's building the hospital."

"Fine, but for the record, I'd rather be curled up in front of the fire with naked Bo." Lauren said, walking inside.

"For the record, me too, but we have time after dinner before I need to sleep."

"Sleep is overrated." Lauren quipped.

Bo sighed, "Not when you have to drive a sled for maybe six hours."

"True." Lauren replied, "Hurry up with those boards. I need a proper good morning."

Bo climbed the ladder back up to the roof, "It's almost evening, rookie."

Lauren looked around, trying to figure out what time it was, "But your note said…"

"I wrote that note early this morning. I've already let the dogs out here on the run, fed them, brushed them, put their new booties on and let them into the kennel. Then I got your mail and put that on your desk, made the coffee, went over to the store for a sandwich and picked up these nails. Then I started taking the slats off before prepping the insulation. And now, as you can see, the insulation has been sprayed and I'm putting the wood back on before the next squall moves in. Full day's work while you slept."

"I'm so sorry. I should have helped."

Bo shook her head, "You should have been unpacking your clinic. You'll have to do that while I run the dogs tomorrow. After that, I'll settle the dogs in while you give Harper her massage in front of a nice warm fire."

"And then I'll give you a massage in front of a nice warm fire?" Lauren asked.

"Most definitely." Bo replied.

"I'll even warm up the oil… strawberry flavored okay?" Lauren asked, causing Bo to stop her climb to the roof. She looked back at Lauren who was walking around the building. She quickly crawled up to the roof and leaned down over the edge,

"Are you saying…"

Lauren looked up giving Bo a wave, "I'm saying that I have flavored oils that will make getting rid of all of that tension from running the dogs leave your body so much faster."

Bo watched as she disappeared into the cold room door. She looked up at the dogs in the kennel where Harper and Elsa sat side-by-side watching her.

"I'm in trouble, aren't I girls?"

Elsa barked, causing Bo to laugh and shake her head as she slid back to the other side of the roof to finish her roof. Maybe if she got finished more quickly, Lauren would let her sample those oils as an appetizer before dinner.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lauren walked inside and looked around the clinic. There were boxes everywhere, not to mention the dishes they'd left from the night before. She put her hands on her hips and sighed,

"Guess I should tackle some of this now. I can do the rest tomorrow over the course of the six hours that Bo will be gone." She smiled, "Wow, I sound so whipped. Damn this woman."

She started at the sink, cleaning up the dishes. Her finger hurt like hell when she put it in the water, so she grabbed a glove to finish the job. She then took out a spray bottle of disinfectant and a rag to begin the process of sterilizing the shelves, cabinets, counters, drawers, beds and other large equipment items.

A little over an hour later, the place smelled much more like a hospital and less like a dog kennel. Tossing the rag into the trash, she opened a box labeled sterile linens and tossed a set on each of the fifteen beds in the clinic. She opened another box labeled curtains and tossed one of those in each cubicle holding a bed. Finally, she found the bags labeled pillows and tossed one over by the row of ten beds, then tossed the other over by the other five.

Finally, she started the process of ripping open the plastic bags for the bed linen and making each one with precision. Each bed received a pillow in a fresh case, a set of sheets and a clean blanket. She then slid the metal balls into the ceiling track to divide each bed with a curtain before stepping back into the middle of the room to admire her work.

"Wow. It looks like a hospital emergency room in here."

The blonde turned to see Bo pulling off her hood,

"No, no, no! Take that stuff off in the cold room! I just disinfected and sterilized everything in here!"

Bo laughed as Lauren scooted her out of the treatment area and into the cold room, "Lauren, your patients are going to come through that front door covered in ice. You'd better get used to it."

"No, you better get your carpenter on and figure out how to build me a foyer where they can stow their clothes before they get to the treatment area."

"Lauren, if people are bleeding, they're not going to care about hanging up clothes."

The blonde nodded, placing her hands on her hips and looking around the treatment area, "There. Can you bust through that wall and create a sort of emergency room for me? An area that would allow me to treat trauma victims but not risk bringing contaminants into the central treatment area?"

Bo ran her hand back and forth over her neck, "I'm not gonna lie. That's a big ask this time of year, Lauren. If it were spring, it would be no problem at all to do that."

Lauren nodded, understanding that the weather would make things difficult at best, not to mention very cold in the entire building. She looked around again, but stopped when Bo asked,

"What about using the cold room as the emergency entrance? Your office could hold two beds and we could do that right now."

"Where will I do work?" Lauren asked.

Bo smiled, "Well, putting up some dry wall and creating a new office space is a piece of cake. It's indoor work and I can bring the supplies over from the hospital site. It's all the same bill for Evony and we won't need everything we have over there right now."

Lauren nodded, "That would work."

Bo watched as the blonde moved over to one of the beds and bent over, unlocking the wheels. She began sliding it over to her office,

"What are you doing?" Bo asked.

"Creating the emergency room."

"Now?"

"Of course. I'm almost finished with everything. I want to get this done so I can start seeing patients next week."

"But… now?"

"Is there somewhere else we have to be?" She lifted her watch, "We have an hour until we have to leave for dinner, right?"

Bo sighed, walking back to the cold room, "Yea. I'll help. Give me a second to get out of these clothes."

Lauren went into her office and got behind her desk, pushing it through the doorway. She lowered her shoulders to get a running start and ran it across the room like an NFL football player pushing a practice sled. Bo walked out, turning her head to get a better look at Lauren's bottom as she worked to move the sled,

"I guess this is the 'little bit OCD' she mentioned." She shook her head, "Damn do I miss that ass." She scratched her head, "And I've only been without it for about six hours. I am totally whipped."

Lauren turned around, "Come on, then. Help me move the filing cabinet out of my office. Then all of the boxes I haven't unpacked. At least there's that. I'm so glad I didn't get it all set up only to have to move it. Do you think this is a good place for my office? Or should I put it over there? Maybe over there is better? Although there's better light over here. No, over there is definitely more spacious. It will be easier for you to frame and mount drywall. Of course…"

"Lauren. Here is fine. Really."

"Are you sure?"

"Better light is better for your eyes. This will be a nice, quaint, quiet little corner for your office. Over there is really close to all of the traffic. We can put a small desk over there as a sort of mobile checkout area. The hospital has these rolling computer carts that are supposed to be used as portable desks for the nursing staff. Maybe one of those for over there with one of those bar-height rolling chairs that are adjustable?"

Lauren nodded, "That actually sounds like a fabulous idea."

Bo smiled, "Great. Okay then, let's get your office moved over here. I'll work around it to put up the walls and door."

Lauren smiled as she watched Bo walk across the treatment area, dragging a dolly with her to move the stacked boxes. The blonde watched as she bent down to unlock the wheels, her strong lower body peeking out from behind the door,

"Einstein! That woman is so damn sexy. I cannot wait until dinner is over and she is back in my bed."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Talkeetna General Store, Upper Level Residence …

"Hey, Doc! Good to see you up and around. You gave us quite the scare." Jon said, taking Lauren's offered bottle of wine.

"Yea, well you and Bo did a great job of getting me through those forty-eight hours. Thank you, Jon… for coming to find me. It means a lot that the two of you did that for a total stranger."

Jon laughed, "Well, I'd hope you'd call me friend by now, Doc. We did stare down a polar bear together."

Lauren smiled, shoving her hands into her pockets, "That we did."

Bo entered the living area from the General Store, "Hi Jon. I changed over your petro. The gauge read empty."

"Oh, crap. Thanks, Bo. I was supposed to do that earlier and totally forgot. My Uncle would have been plenty pissed at me, so thanks for saving me."

"No problem, Jon. You've always had my back. Call it even." Bo smiled.

"So, you want to come in and have a seat? My Aunt and Uncle are just getting changed. The faucet sprung a leak while they were making dinner and soaked them both to the bone."

"Do they need me to take a look at it?" Bo asked.

Little Jon grinned, "I fixed it already. Installed a new one, so all good."

"Wow. Good job, my young apprentice." Bo smiled.

He nodded, "Thanks, Bo."

They all turned to the sound of a deep voice, "So, this must be the new Doctor Lewis."

Jon introduced the doctor, "Uncle Mark, this is Doctor Lauren Lewis and, well you know Bo."

"Bo."

"Mark."

"Doctor Lewis, it is very nice to meet you. Evony speaks very highly of you. I can't wait to see if you hold up to the hype."

"Really, Uncle Mark?" Little Jon asked, cocking his head to the side until his Aunt came into the room,

"Mark. Go back to your game and leave Lauren to me and Bo." She slapped her husband as he obeyed, leaving the women in the room with Little Jon.

"Doctor Lewis, you ignore my husband. He just hates that he has to work early morning shifts to feed the men going to the construction site there. I assure you that our expectations are quite low after the previous doctor. Anything you do is better than what he did."

"I'm sorry to hear you had a bad experience with the previous doctor."

"A horrid experience, dear, but that isn't your fault. Just know that we're here if you need us."

"Thank you, Ma'am."

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Little Jon replied, "Lauren, this is my Aunt Molly."

Lauren extended a hand, "Aunt Molly, it's very nice to meet you."

"Dinner will be ready in about fifteen minutes. I understand you want to eat and run. Good idea considering what you've been through. We'll warm you up from the inside with the best Moose Stew in the state and a little native company, then send you on your way to sleep another day or two away. You'll be right as rain after that. Bo will see to it... make sure you're okay. Seline has taught this one well."

"I'm still here, so I guess you're right about that and the stew sounds perfect." Lauren replied.

"So, you girls need anything else?" Molly asked, "I need to get back into that kitchen and finish up supper."

"We were handling the dogs before we left. Can we wash up before we eat?" Lauren asked, while Bo wondered, what she was talking about. Sure, they'd fed the dogs before they had left, but they'd certainly washed their hands.

"Sure thing. Bathroom is upstairs. Go on, Bo. You know where everything is. Give her a tour if you'd like. She'll be spending time here to get supplies. Lauren, you're always welcome if you run out of petro over there, need a place to sleep or just need a hot meal. General store means this whole house is generally for sale to those in need."

Molly gave a general wave around the house before she walked away with Little Jon just behind her. Lauren looked around the room and, seeing that they were alone, leaned in and kissed Bo firmly on the lips, her hand traveling down to pinch a nipple through Bo's top,

"I love knowing that you have absolutely no underwear on you right now." Lauren smiled, "And that thought just won't leave my mind. Now show me where that bathroom is."

Bo stood staring at Lauren for a moment, confused, but when the blonde headed towards the base of the staircase, pulling Bo behind her, the brunette finally moved with her. When they got to the bathroom, Lauren shoved Bo inside and closed the door. She turned on the faucet before pushing Bo up against the wall,

"You look shocked, Trapper."

"Uh… yea. I guess… I wasn't expecting…"

Lauren grinned, slipping a hand beneath Bo's thick sweater and into the hem of her pants,

"Knowing that I could reach in here right now and have you coming in just seconds, is making me so wet."

Bo swallowed hard, frozen to the spot at Lauren's words. The blonde turned Bo around and reached over the hem of her pants and shoved her hand down between Bo's legs,

"Think you can come in less than thirty seconds? I do." She whispered in her ear,

She heard Bo's breath hitch and pulled back to see the expression on her face. She watched as the rush of blood moved up her neck to her cheeks, her lips forming a perfectly round 'O' before she finally let out the breath she'd been holding and fell forward, limp, onto Lauren's shoulder. The blonde removed her hand and licked her fingers clean as Bo watched,

"You are going to be the death of me, woman." Bo breathed out, straightening her clothes.

Lauren scowled, "Don't you dare die on me now, Bo Dennis. I have plans for us… I'm not fully sure what they are yet, but I have plans… and I also have plans for that fine body of yours. Now, come on, we don't want to be rude guests. We need to eat and run so that you can get me home and return the favor."

Lauren smirked as she walked away, leaving Bo standing there, stunned.

"Yup. That woman is definitely going to be the death of me." She smiled as she took a step forward, "But what a fine death it will be."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: Notes to readers with "concerns"...

As for the person who DM'd me to tell me that I've been "phoning in" what I'll refer to as the "intimate scenes". It's not that I "lost my sexy times mojo" (at least I hope not) or that I want to "disappoint my readers", but that I'm focused on the important points of a story. Sure, BoLo sexy times are important, but Finding Our Way was just a different animal because Bo was a Succubus, so lots more sexy times were required to survive. Still, I hope this chapter satisfied your comments to have something more "ala Finding Our Way".

For the reader "concerned" about my portrayal of Lauren, I thought about what you said and respectfully disagree. I write Lauren as I envision her based on the character she is portraying in the story. This is not LG – it's an AU story set in a completely different world. I see Lauren as a woman believes her only strength/contribution is through her science and her smarts. By the end of each story, Lauren has found that she is stronger than she thought. Weak? Not in my opinion. In FOW, she overcame what scientists did to her to overcome the various Fae who were trying to snuff her out. Not only did she win out over them all to maintain her sense of self, but she also became a Queen in her own right, equal to Bo. In Turbulent Seas, she overcame an abusive, drug lord spouse. In The Hunted, she stood by her childhood friend and found the strength in her own blood when she became Fae, helping Bo to defeat her Father. Personally, I don't see that as weak. Your call if you continue to read or not. If you'd like to discuss further, feel free to DM me.