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?

32. Chapter 32: Broken Hearts

A/N: Hello all – thank you so much for your patience with updates. I am so grateful for your continued support, reviews and messages.

FrenChi – thank you for the language help! I was going for a more formal version from kids to Bo and more casual from Bo to kids – I guess I missed! Always appreciate your French lessons! Sorry for getting it wrong again! If I ever get to publishing, I'm going to need you big time!

Enjoy the read, everyone!

Cuddles

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Chap 32: Broken Hearts

Talkeetna Hospital, Construction Site

Lauren Lewis had a very loyal nursing staff… possibly to a fault. After Lauren had left, Carolyn and Shannon had called Kelly to find out more about Thea's condition and the plan for surgery. With their combined years of experience, none of them liked the odds and they intended to do what they did best – create the best environment for Dr. Lauren Lewis to do her best work.

So, the two Nurses left Molly and Mary in charge of the girls, called Kyle, LJ and Tosh for a little back up and set out to Talkeetna Hospital to get one surgical room up and running for Thea's heart repair. The clock was against them, but with Kelly's help, they thought they might just be able to pull it off. If not, they would have a backup plan for the clinic.

They called Marty from the local Board of Health and explained their situation. He lived in Talkeetna, so – after some convincing and an unlimited tab at Kenzi's bar for two weeks – he agreed to meet them at the hospital to pass one surgical room. It had to be set up and ready for the surgery with the electrical, plumbing and architectural certificates signed and present when he arrived. Carolyn called Bo's foreman who was going to rush those over in the next fifteen minutes or so.

"Okay, everything is sprayed and sanitized. The scrub sinks are ready. The surgical table, bypass machine…"

"The certified bypass machines, not the unpacked ones, right?" Carolyn interjected.

"Yes. Ten packs of sterile surgical tools are unpacked. The fridge is up to temperature – thank you for turning those on yesterday – and is fully stocked with plenty of Thea's O-negative blood."

Carolyn shook her head, "We got lucky on the availability of her blood."

"Unfortunately, it's also going to be the reason Lauren has to pass on the next two or three hearts that may come available." Shannon sighed, "Anyway, Kelly will bring extra blood from the clinic just to be safe."

"The anesthesia station is set, and all monitors are having their certification stickers put on them now. The only thing I'm missing is the tubing, syringes and normal saline. Did you get the epinephrine?"

"The drug trays are on the counter except those that have to be in the fridge – they're on the right-side door."

Carolyn flipped the page on her clipboard, "Antibiotics?"

"Check."

"Okay, so just bed linens and surgical drapes." Carolyn said, scanning the room.

"Kelly will have to bring surgical gowns, caps and gloves from the clinic. Ours are in a construction zone that is still off limits."

"What's off limits?" Path said, walking into the room with his brother Slate.

"What are you two doing here?"

"We got the call that you needed certificates, so we came. You're really doing surgery in a hospital that isn't open yet?"

"Only if they pass my inspection." Marty said, walking into the room with his clipboard, "And who are you, turning a sterile field into a germ-filled garbage dump?"

Shannon quickly escorted Path and Slate from the room while Carolyn walked to Marty,

"Sanitizing spray in this new hospital comes from the ceiling vents overhead. We'll release the spray once all of us are clear of the room."

She watched as he wandered the room, checking for certification stickers, turning on and off faucets and outlets and running his finger over counters to check for dirt and debris. He asked questions and checked items off of his list as Carolyn answered.

"U.V. Lamps?"

"The latest technology for sterilization." Carolyn replied.

Marty nodded, "You've spared no expense."

Carolyn smiled, "Doctors have built and are running this hospital – not businesspeople. They're putting patients and patient care at the forefront of operations."

"Yea, well we'll see how that goes when they start working with the insurance companies."

Nodding, Carolyn understood his skepticism, but they would cross that bridge when they came to it.

"Okay, so you're missing surgical dressings, drapes, gowns, masks, shields, gloves…"

Carolyn nodded, "They were in…"

Shannon rushed in carrying two boxes and kicking a third, "… a different room. Sorry it took me a while."

Carolyn walked over and opened the first box, "Surgical gowns and drapes…" then the other, "… surgical gloves, masks and shields."

Marty looked at the boxes, then the materials in each, "Well, it looks like everything is in working order and you have the proper supplies. Now, I just need the…"

Shannon held out a stack of forms, "All of the certificates are here."

He flipped through them, nodding and checking off his list before placing his signature at the bottom,

"There's a drain that isn't working properly, but that may just be the construction dust. It's not beneath the bed you're using, so I'll give you ten days to get that fixed."

"Thank you, Marty."

He smirked, "Don't thank me yet. You haven't seen my bar tab. Farewell."

He handed the certificate to Carolyn and headed out of the room. The two nurses shrieked with excitement, embracing while they jumped up and down,

"Quick! Call Kelly!" Shannon said, breaking up their happy dance, "We may have just improved Thea's chances… or at least bought her a few more months."

She watched her partner pull out her phone to call their young friend. Then, planting her hands on her hips, she scanned the room and whispered to herself, "Time to get your groove on, Shannon."

She set to work prepping the patient bed and surgical trays. This was her wheelhouse and when the surgical team arrived, it was her job to be sure everything was ready to go. She had never let Lauren down before and she wasn't about to start now.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Two Hours Later, Hospital Construction Site

Lauren stood, hands on hips at the center of the surgical room with Stephen by her side. He asked,

"Why did Shannon choose the middle of the construction zone for this surgery? This is not one of our more… inspired rooms. Why not put you in the Lewis Surgical Amphitheatre?"

She shook her head, "First, we are not calling it that. It's for students to learn and observe from the gallery while any surgeon performs procedures, for their benefit. It is not a showcase for anyone."

The room was actually large enough for two full surgical teams to operate at the same time. Lauren knew why Shannon had chosen this room instead of the primary surgical amphitheater that was built for the most innovative and difficult surgeries. She used this room because she knew of Lauren's superstition. If she saved a patient in a specific room, that room would be used each time that patient had a surgery. Knowing that a transplant was in Thea's future, Shannon chose well.

Stephen shrugged, "I think the name has a nice ring to it. I mean, come on, Lauren. You've earned it. Don't wait until you're an old geezer like me… or worse, dead and getting a memorial room."

"What's wrong with a memorial room? You promised we would name a room for Doctor Everett."

Stephen smiled, "And we will."

"Well then, it's settled. The main amphitheater will be named after her. This room will be named after Thea because no matter the outcome."

"Lauren…"

"I know what you're thinking, Stephen, but my decision is final. If she is reborn in this room, the name is earned by the miracle of her survival. If she dies in this room, the name will immortalize her strength and courage. That kid has had to fight since the day she was born. No matter what, she's a success story to have lived as long as she has."

Stephen turned to his former student and nodded, crossing his hands behind his back. He recognized the tone and seriousness of her expression. She was readying herself for battle… and he knew she would win. Whatever it took. It's the reason he had shifted the surgical lead duty to her. If, for any reason, things went wrong, she would be the best person to give Thea the best chance for survival.

As she stepped forward, Stephen stepped back, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back against a nearby wall. He watched her as she circled the patient table, her fingers gliding over the sheet, tucking in a loose edge. She moved to the surgical tray and wheeled the table back and to the right. With a hand on the bed, she pretended to pull back the sterile cloth that covered the instruments. She visualized the position of each. Shannon would have placed the standard scalpel to the left.

She closed her eyes and held out her hand as she would if Thea were in the room. She would say, "Patient name?"

Shannon would place the scalpel in her hand and say, "Thea Gauthier."

The instrument would be cold in her hand through the double gloves. It would be the perfect fit for her palm - the weight and scale perfectly balanced as she mounted her index finger atop the edge and held the blade at the top of the sternum, just above the manubrium,

"Her favorite color?" she would make the first incision, down the sagittal plane of the chest.

Shannon would reply, "Lavender… not like the flower, but like the shade of a unicorns' face."

They would both smile at the answer as Lauren held out her hand, quickly feeling the weight of the next instrument. There was no need to ask for anything specific. They had done this routine together a hundred times. They were in perfect sync,

"Pets?" the doctor would ask, knowing Shannon was smiling by the sound of her voice as she replied,

"Murphy, the happy, bouncing Bernese Mountain Dog pup that she received from her grandparents after her first surgery… although she's not much of a puppy anymore. I would think Murph is more precious than ever since the grandparents stayed in Boston."

The crack of the ribcage would lead Lauren to extend her hand, "Spreaders."

"Already in your hand." Shannon would say as she was always prepared for this step.

"Thea would say you're being disrespectful, wouldn't you, Thea?" Lauren would ask, looking at the youngster and then to Archie, the Anesthesiologist who would be sitting at the head of the bed monitoring brain activity, vitals and brain activity.

He would give the doctor a nod that the patient's vital signs were good and Lauren would insert the spreaders into the crack in the ribs and then crank the handle to open the chest, revealing a heart the doctor expected to be almost gray in color.

Stephen smiled. Most doctors would be practicing in the lab right now, but not Lauren. She came here to connect with her patients and her team before the surgery. The first time she had done this was when she was a young twenty-six-year-old who was performing a cardiac catheterization for the first time. She had done it ever since. Some said it was superstition. Stephen believed it was simply Lauren's process. She was successful.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his double-headed quarter. Flipping it in his hand, he whispered, "Heads."

He looked down, "Heads it is. I win."

Who was he to question Lauren's process?

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Four Hours Later - The Homestead

Bo smiled as little Leah rolled over and over again in the straw bed of Harper's pen, the older dog laying atop her house, head cocked curiously as she watched the child. Tomas ran up and down the aisle between the kennels while Rudy's pups raced alongside him. Rudy was the starter and Elise was determining the winner at the finish line.

As Lauren had expected, the four had become fast friends. Of course, Bo was thankful that everything they had wanted to do was outside, but she knew the dinner hour was approaching and it would soon be time to go inside. Besides, they'd been out here for hours and the solar cells powering the lights were beginning to fade, so even if it weren't for dinner, they would soon be forced inside by darkness. Bo looked down to check her phone once again and released a heavy sigh,

"You know, a watched phone doesn't ring." Tamsin said as she descended the small set of steps from the kitchen door into the garage.

"Ha. Ha." Bo said, looking up at the blonde.

"Carolyn said the surgery could take as long as twelve hours, Bo. It's only been maybe five hours tops. You've got to relax. Everything will be fine."

Bo sighed, "I'm worried for her."

Tamsin shrugged, "Now you know how she felt at the Iditarod last year and the Quest this year."

Bo shook her head, "The waiting is so incredibly frustrating."

Tamsin nodded, "Like I said, now you know how she's felt."

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One Hour Later - Hospital Surgical Room

"Coming off bypass." Stephen said, everyone watching the monitors while Shannon, Lauren and Dala stared down at the heart, waiting… and waiting…

"Defib?" Shannon asked.

Lauren shook her head, "Give it a second."

They all held their breaths and waited… until the doctor could wait no longer,

"Paddles. Charge to two-hundred."

Two Hours Later – The Homestead

The kitchen door was propped open, and Bo sat on the steps just outside, a piece of bread in one hand and a bowl of Molly's stew in the other. Leah, Tomas, Elise and Rudy had lined up four sleds, at the garage doors, snow blowing in covering their goggles. The two elder kids were teaching the young ones how mushers race, so had explained that, '…having the doors open would make it just like it would be if they were on the tundra in a real live race…', among other things.

Little Leah's legs could barely reach the rails on either side, and she was looking beneath the handle to see over the sled, but she was grinning wildly and giggling her head off as she yelled 'hike' over and over again to her invisible team of dogs. Tomas was able to find his feet, but he kept slipping off the rails every time he yelled his favorite word, 'mush'. His face had already met the bench once and he had a fat lip as proof of his efforts, but still, he championed on. When Elise and Rudy joined the imaginary race, they were shouting out instructions to their invisible teams leading Leah and Tomas to begin repeating whatever the elder mushers called out.

Bo couldn't help but laugh. Watching them brought back fond memories of when she was young. Just as these four children did now, she too, would stand at the barn doors on her mom's sled, wind rushing through her hair as she imagined crossing the finish line in first place at the Iditarod. Bo wondered if they would grow up to realize the dream as she had.

It was adorable, plain and simple. Bo knew they all needed to eat, but she didn't have the heart to interrupt their play time. Especially since the two youngest could be getting very bad news at some point. She sighed, dropping her spoon into the empty bowl before checking her watch,

"She'll call, Bo."

The brunette looked up to see Molly staring down at her, "I know."

Molly nodded, looking over to the kids, "Okay all of you champion Mushers, it's time for dinner. No arguments or we'll go back to town. Let's go!"

Rudy turned to the two youngsters, "Molly doesn't joke about mealtime. Come on, we have to go eat. We can play when we're done."

Elise helped Leah off of the sled and smiled as she watched her run for the door, her little pigtails bouncing up and down. Elise giggled when she got to Bo,

"She's cute, isn't she?"

Bo smiled, "You having fun babysitting?"

Elise nodded, "It's really fun."

"Good. Run on inside so Molly doesn't yell for you twice." Bo smiled.

Bo watched the group run past her, turning back to the mess in the kennel and shaking her head with a smile. Her dogs were all fast asleep, looking as if they'd just run a full race. They'd never had so much attention all in one dose. She stood and placed her bowl on the step before walking to the end of the row. She grabbed the rake and set to work pushing the straw back into the kennels, careful to avoid the sleeping dogs. When finished, she walked to the stack of hay bales and broke one apart, laying a fresh layer on the walk between the individual dens.

"Need help?"

Bo turned, offering a small smile to her friend, "Hey Kyle. I'm good."

"I didn't ask if you were good. I asked if you needed help."

Bo nodded, "Nope."

"What's going on with you, Bo?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bo asked.

"You're not… yourself."

"Oh?"

Kyle nodded, "Sitting out here, ignoring your family and friends, it's like you left and the old Bo came back."

The brunette chuckled, "I thought you liked the old Bo?"

"Yea, well the new Bo kind of grew on me."

"Like fine mold, huh?" Bo joked.

Kyle sighed, "I just want to know if you're coming back to work at the kennel and sled shop."

"Well, since my Iditarod winnings fund the shop, I think it's best if I train right now."

"You know what I mean." Kyle said, frustrated.

Bo sighed, "Kyle, I just got back. I had a long… race. Lauren is battling for a kids' life and…"

"…and I'm being a shit. I'm sorry. I just…" Kyle sighed, "I missed you, Bo. I missed my friend and business partner. I've been making decisions in your name and it's just been getting really old being constantly reminded that people want to buy sleds from the 'real' Bo Dennis, not the business partner."

Bo's shoulders dropped as she saw the exhaustion on her friends' face. She had left her behind with a promise to return much sooner and now it was race season. It was an impossible situation,

"Kyle, I'm so sorry. What do you say we take the dogs out together tomorrow? It'll be like old times."

Bo watched her friend relax, "I'd love that."

"It's a date then."

"You're engaged, Bo." Kyle said, then froze, "I'm sorry. I mean…"

"It's okay. That's still the plan, but I'm going to propose again just so we can, you know, kind of start over again. We're taking things slow and getting to know each other," Bo explained, "I mean, you're right – I'm different. Lauren's different. We both did exactly what we said we were going to do – we found ourselves again and, well…"

"You're different?"

"Yea." Bo said, dropping the handful of hay, "I think I'm a little too much like the old Bo. I think I'm in trouble, Kyle."

"What do you mean?"

Bo looked at the door, "The thought of going inside that house makes me want to run… far and fast. Being in here is bearable, but…"

"You've gotten back to your roots."

Bo nodded, "Lauren slept outside with me last night. She damn near froze to death."

"It sounds like you're about due for a visit with that doctor friend down in Anchorage."

"Right." Bo replied with a nod, "What if she can't fix me?"

Kyle laughed, "Bo, you don't need fixing. You just need time."

"I don't have time!"

Kyle scrunched up her face, "Why in the world would you say that?"

Bo lowered her head, moving to the garage door entrance. She stared out into the wintery scene that was familiar, but somehow not as much as it once was. She ran her hand up and down the wooden frame, picking at a nail that had popped out just a bit. She'd have to fix that. As a matter of fact, there were probably many nail pops around the house. She should fix them all before they caused a problem. Of course, to fix them, she'd have to go inside first. She sighed,

"Do you really think Lauren is going to wait around for me to be able to live inside with her? What's she supposed to do? Pitch a clear plastic tent for us to live in?"

"I think Lauren is going to do what she has to do to be happy. You are part of that happiness, so she'll do what she has to so the two of you can be happy… together."

Bo followed the wood grain to the upper frame, her eyes traveling across the beams of the ceiling up to the loft,

"Focus on the wood… focus on the craftsmanship…"

"Excuse me?" Kyle said, more than a little concerned about her friend.

"That's how I did it before."

"Did what?"

"Got used to being inside."

"What?"

"I got used to being inside."

"Bo, you're not making any sense." Kyle said, confused by the strange comments from her friend.

"Did they build your house yet?" Bo asked.

Kyle shook her head, "I don't know that I want to live in your little… commune."

Bo turned to her friend, "Commune?"

Kyle moved to Bo's old sled, her hands running over the wood grain, "You know, we really should build replicas of this sled… of your original."

"Change the subject much?" Bo said, rolling her eyes.

"I want… I want to live with Tamsin… wherever that is. I'm afraid if…"

Bo smiled, "You're afraid if you move out here, city girl won't want to live here. She needs to be in the thick of things."

Kyle nodded, "It's ironic, isn't it? I once tried to force city life on you and now, here I am, wanting to live here and Tamsin is the city girl."

Bo looked up, seeing that Tamsin had been standing at the kitchen screen door,

"Uh…" she began, but the Special Agent held a finger over her lips leading Bo to instead ask, "So you're willing to give up the riverfront house you always dreamed of so that you can be with Tamsin?"

Kyle smiled, sitting back on the bench of the sled, "I know, can you believe it? I mean… well, I guess you were right all of those years ago."

"How's that?" Bo asked.

Kyle laughed, "I thought I was so in love with you," she said, running her fingers over the well-worn wood of the bench, "Everything about you was an adventure… was new. Until you, it had just been me and my brother for so long… I think you were just…"

"The shiny new toy?"

Kyle smiled, "Like you said…"

"You were in love with the idea of me," Bo corrected.

"I would have lived in your shadow for the rest of my life if we had somehow worked things out."

Bo nodded, "Like you are now?"

Kyle frowned, "Bo, what I said earlier… I didn't mean…"

"Sure, you did. It's okay, Kyle. I mean – you're working just as hard at designing and making those sleds as I am. There's no reason for people to cast you aside when you're selling them our sleds just because you're not me. I'm sorry people have been showing you any level of disrespect."

"Thanks, Bo, but it's really not your fault. I shouldn't have blamed you. It just stings," she said, staring down at the burns on her arm, "A year ago, I would have been in the race with you… behind you, but in the race. Now look at me. I'll never be able to race like I used to ever again."

Bo nodded, "And I'll always feel the weight of that since it was my father who caused the injuries that won't allow you to tolerate long races in the cold."

"I'll never blame you for this, Bo. I made a choice to save Lauren. She was the first friend I'd had in a long time. She was the best doctor this town had ever know. I had to help her and I got burned… literally. We all knew who Big Jim was, Bo and none of us did anything to stop him from gaining more and more control. If any group of us had gone to Dyson with the information we had on him, he would have been able to build a case against him. We chose to stay silent and that's on each of us – myself included."

They sat quietly for a moment, Bo looking up at Tamsin who began to turn away from the door until Kyle spoke again,

"I love her, Bo. I love Tamsin and I just can't stop. I love her more than I've ever loved anyone or anything in my life." She looked up at her friend, "You know how you said being without Lauren makes you feel like you can't breathe? Well, I feel the same way about Tamsin."

"Then tell her, Kyle." Bo encouraged.

Kyle shook her head, "I just… I mean, she's this big Special Agent – all hard ass and strong. She needs a strong woman beside her. Not some lovesick puppy. I can't tell her all that. I mean, what if she doesn't feel the same way? What if she says, 'Kyle – what are you thinking? We're just fuck buddies' or something like that?"

Tamsin moved to push on the door, but Bo held up a hand, stopping her.

"You know how you sort of helped Lauren process her whole divorce and relationship thing with Nadia when you first became friends?"

Kyle smiled, "She told you about that?"

Bo nodded, "She told me that you told her that love should be about each person being able to walk their separate paths through life. That sometimes those paths are side by side so you can hold hands while you walk, but sometimes the paths take you further apart… sometimes by miles – but if you have love, trust, hope, honesty and know how to compromise, your paths will always converge again."

Kyle smirked, "You're telling me to take my own advice?"

"I'm telling you that you have to trust that Tamsin loves you enough to want you to have all the things you want in life while she takes all that she wants out of life. If you want a house by the river, there's no reason you can't have that. If she wants a house in the city, there's no reason she can't have that. Hell, you already have the farmhouse your parents left you. What's one more?"

Kyle sighed, "Kurt and I have been thinking about selling it."

"Really?"

She nodded, "Kelly likes staying at the hotel and helping out Kenzi – they've got so much in common."

Bo smiled, "They're like sisters from another mister."

"Although I have to say, I'll never understand their fashion sense."

Laughing, Bo agreed, "It's like many layers of black and a random pop of red or pink."

"Usually in their hair." The pair laughed together, "Kelly calls it goth chic."

"Lauren said Kelly came to work in black scrubs and her hair dyed pink when she first started working at her hospital. Evony sent her home."

"I'd imagine." Kyle smiled, "Anyway," she sighed, "Neither of us are there much anymore and it's a big place. It really should be filled with a loving family. It's paid off, so we can price it to sell and put the money into one or more of our businesses. It's close to the train so anyone who works in Anchorage or Talkeetna can get to work in good time."

Bo slowly tilted her head as a thought came to her, "The Gauthiers."

"Who?" Kyle asked.

"The little girl that Lauren is operating on right now. The little boy and girl that are here. Their family – they don't have a home right now. They were staying down at Shirley's and taking the train into Talkeetna every day for Greta to come to work."

"Oh? Where is she working?" Kyle asked.

"She owns an insurance company. I mean, I wasn't around, but from what I heard at the clinic when Lauren was introducing the surgeons to them, it sounds like Boston Insurance Capital – her company - holds the policies for Lewis Archer, Inc., so she'll be working in Talkeetna when the hospital opens. For now, she's floating to meetings wherever Stephen, Betsy, Patrick and Penelope need her."

"What about the husband?"

Bo shrugged, "When I met him in Boston last year, he was driving a cab. Apparently, the daughter's condition has drained their finances dry, but he has to be available to leave on a moment's notice if she gets sick. Driving a cab, he has the option of taking the run or not."

Kyle nodded, "Sounds like they'd be the perfect buyers to take the farm if we can teach him about Alaskan farming. I'll talk to Kurt."

"I don't know that they can afford…"

Kyle smiled, "Well, I have this friend that's building me a house for free. The least I can do is give them half a farmhouse for free. Paying it forward, right?"

"Huh?"

Kyle laughed, "We're really going to have to expand your video library beyond Disney, starting with the movie Pay It Forward. Great concept – tragic ending, but somehow still very heart warming."

"You're a good person, Kyle."

She offered a tight smile and a nod in return, her eyes down, "Bo, I'm sorry for trying to change you all of those years ago. It was wrong."

Bo nodded, looking up at Tamsin, "And is that why you're afraid of losing Tamsin if you live by the river? Are you really afraid geography will chase her away?"

Kyle shrugged, "I'm afraid it will be too much of a hassle to drive all the way out here – especially in the winter. Her schedule – I mean, agents get called at a moments' notice, so…"

Tamsin pushed open the door, "Agents do. But, I'm not the same agent I once was."

Both women turned to see Tamsin coming into the garage, her eyes set on Kyle, "As of yesterday, I'm officially stationed in Alaska."

Kyle stood, her leg moving a little slower than the rest of her, but Tamsin had grown accustomed to taking the extra steps towards her lover,

"I've decided that slowing life down a bit would be the best move for me." She smiled, taking Kyle's hands in her own, "I mean, this mutual friend offered to build us a house on the river… I mean, unless you would rather live alone…"

Kyle grinned, "It would be nice to have an extra person to shovel off the roof."

"Well, if that's all I'm good for… I'll take it." Tamsin laughed.

The two embraced before Tamsin pulled Kyle into a steamy kiss. Bo smiled, turning away from the pair to give them some privacy. She grabbed her parka from the hook on the wall and pulled it on, then her mukluks, goggles and gloves. As she pulled up her hood, she noticed Harper standing by the other garage door. She smiled, speaking quietly so as not to disturb the couple in their moment,

"Well enough to get over the gate, huh? Come on then, let's go for a walk and see if the fishing wheel caught anything. Maybe we can make some fish stew to take to Lauren if she has to stay in town."

Harper moved to the bucket by the door, pulling out a sleeve. Bo smiled, "You want these on, huh? Well, okay then. Leggings and booties it is, my canine friend."

Bo made quick work of getting her best friend dressed before taking a quick peek back at the lovers. She closed both garage doors, the couple looking up at her for a moment,

"Bo?" Kyle asked.

"Just going for a walk with Harper. I'll see you soon."

Releasing Tamsin, Kyle walked to the door, "Bo – your family…"

The brunette nodded, stopping the garage door for a moment, "I just… can't go in there, Kyle – but I know how to get over this."

"You do?" Kyle asked.

Bo nodded, rubbing her hand up and down the wood grain of the garage door frame, "I've got to build you and Tamsin a house."

She turned and walked away with Harper close behind, leaving Kyle to cock her head, "What does that have to do with you being able to go inside to see your family?"

Tamsin wrapped her arms around Kyle's torso, "Some things about Bo Dennis will always be a mystery."

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Talkeetna Hospital

"Doctor Lewis?" Kelly tapped Lauren's shoulder, "Doctor Lewis?"

Lauren sat up straight, swiping the hair from her face, "Kelly. Kelly, what's wrong?"

"Thea's blood pressure is dropping. Doctor Archer and Doctor Mujambi are opening her up again."

"Shit. Did you talk to…"

"The Gauthiers are aware."

Lauren pushed back the chair from the desk she had fallen asleep on and stood, but Kelly shook her head, "Jump in the biohazard shower over there, Doctor Lewis. I'll get you new scrubs."

"I don't need to shower, I need to get…"

"Lauren. Stop." Kelly said, grabbing her shoulders, "You were on your feet for seven straight hours, took a fifteen-minute nap. Listen to me. You've got sawdust and drywall dust all over you. Shower first, then scrub."

Lauren looked down and finally noticed, "Right."

The two went in separate directions, each doing what they needed to do. Kelly rushed back to the shower, finding Lauren naked. Her jaw dropped open as the blonde took the pants off of the pile and pulled them on, then the shirt. When Lauren's head came through the opening, she pulled her wet hair from under the collar and looked up to see Kelly staring,

"Finally got a peek at the goods, huh? Phone?"

"Huh?"

"Kelly, come on! Give me my phone."

"Uh… right." She said with a shake of her head, "Sorry. Those goods are a deadly weapon. I don't know how Bo doesn't just jump your bones every time she's in the same room with you."

Lauren smirked, "Well, I thank you for your restraint."

Kelly nodded, running behind the doctor, "My restraint comes from my love for Kurt."

"So, how's that going?"

"We're moving into the hotel together until our house on the river is built."

"Good for you. I'm very happy for both of you."

Kelly followed Lauren into the scrub room, the doctor turning on the intercom before each of them turned on their respective faucets and grabbing the soap,

"Stephen, Dala? What do we have?"

Dala responded, "Shannon just finished setting up the room and getting Thea in here. Stephen is snipping stitches. We should have her chest open in a few minutes."

Lauren nodded, "Shannon, push an FDG tracer. I want to look for a clot near the pulmonary valve first."

"Lauren, your valve replacement was perfect. There should not be a leak there." Dala assured.

Lauren nodded, "Agreed, my stitches and glue placement was perfect throughout – I'm sure of it. That means…"

"It's got to be obstructed blood flow." Dala concluded.

Lauren nodded, "The kid eats better than I do, so we know it's not fatty deposits or cholesterol. It's got to be a result of the surgery. If it's not in the pulmonary valve, then we check the pulmonary vein and inferior vena cava. My hunch is that the problem is in the blood supply to the heart, not from the heart."

Lauren used her elbows to shut down the faucets and held her hands high, using her back to open the door into the surgical room.

Shannon spoke from her position next to Thea, "Doctor Lewis, that is Adi Sluett. She's one of the latest additions to our hospital nursing staff. She volunteered to come in when Carolyn put the all-call out for nurses who had surgical experience to come in and watch Thea overnight."

The nurse draped Lauren, tying her gown and then opening a pair of gloves, "Shannon said you like two or three pairs. What'll it be?"

"Three, please," Lauren replied, "Lavender cap."

The nurse put the cap over Lauren's head and tied it in the back. The blonde stepped to the table opposite Stephen and next to Dala. She looked up at the screen,

"Shannon, can you move that image just lateral of the median line?" Lauren turned her head, watching the image on the screen, "Rotate to posterior view… stop… there."

"Cracking the chest," Stephen announced.

"Hold tight." Lauren said, "Shannon, remember Mrs. Berkowitz?"

Shannon smiled as Stephen turned to Lauren, "Want to let us in on your plan?"

Lauren smiled, taking a large syringe from Shannon, then a piece of tubing and a catheter. She explained as she worked, "Well, if you take the needle off, then attach the surgical tubing… add a dab of surgical tape to be sure you have airtight suction, take the needle and insert it into a smaller piece of tubing… glue that together and insert it into the catheter behind the deflated balloon, then take the tube and attach it to the catheter… insert the catheter until it's just before the clot…"

Everyone looked up at the screen, watching as the catheter went up the pulmonary vein and into the right atrium. As it approached the clot, Lauren inflated a small balloon,

"Now, we inflate the balloon on the catheter and go right… up to… the clot…" Shannon took hold of the catheter, keeping it steady while Lauren moved her hand to the syringe, "…and now we push the needle through the balloon using a little pressure on the attached tubing to slide it through until… pop… needle through the balloon…"

As she watched the image, she talked to Dala, "Now, slowly… very slowly and without bending the tubing… retract the syringe… keep going… slowly and the suction will connect… and… gulp! Like a little PacMan getting eaten up."

Lauren smiled, "Now we retract the balloon just slightly. Dala push 5 milligrams of Heparin into the balloon."

"Into the balloon?" Dala asked.

Lauren nodded, "Well, we can't very well pull out an inflated balloon."

"But why…"

"The clot is in the balloon, the balloon is in the atrium and we can't get it out inflated. Luckily for us, we poked a hole in the balloon, so as soon as the heparin kicks in…"

Dala's eyes went wide, "The clot dissolves and leaks out through the hole in the balloon…"

Lauren nodded, "Now we deflate the balloon… retract that tube with the needle since we don't want to risk losing that needle in our patient. Once it's securely in the tube, pinch that tube off."

"Got it." Dala said.

"Shannon, I've got the catheter. So, I retract the cath and, Shannon applied direct pressure on the entrance site…"

Stephen shook his head, "Completely non-invasive. Did you want to tell me not to snip the sagittal sutures you put in originally?"

Lauren looked up at her mentor, smiling, "You needed the practice closing."

"Did I, now?" His eyes showed his smile despite the mask covering his mouth.

"I've got them, Doctor Archer." Dala said.

"No, Dala. Lauren is quite right. I've got skills I need to practice if I'm going to be doing surgeries again."

"Stephen…"

"Actually, Lauren, I think I'd like to be able to do some small procedures once in a while. I'd like to get back in the game – give you some days off once in a while."

The smile was visible in the big brown orbs of the blonde, "I'd like that."

"You with days off or me with a scalpel in hand?"

They all laughed as Lauren confirmed it was both. Lauren went on to remind Shannon and Dala that working next to Stephen would be the opportunity of a lifetime for both of them – that her pioneering spirit was because of his tutoring. They both agreed that they would take full advantage of any opportunity to assist him.

Once Thea was stable and her wounds closed again, the group left Shannon and Adi to tend to Thea. They headed out to where the Gauthiers were waiting and gave them the good news,

"We'll be monitoring her closely for the next several hours." Lauren offered, explaining more about the medications, treatments and monitors that were in use so they would not be alarmed when they saw her.

"So, does she need another transplant?" Greta asked.

Lauren shrugged, "Honestly, I'm not so sure at this point. As you know, the donor had been in an accident among other things. It is possible that the tears we found in the tissue that led to Thea's problem were there from the accident – that they were just very small, and we didn't see them at the time. If that's the case, they may heal without incident. If they do not heal or there is another cause, then we're back to considering her for transplant."

"So will she be on the list?" Greta asked.

Lauren nodded, "Yes. We don't want to be caught waiting if she needs one."

Henri took Stephen's hand, "Thank you, Doctor Archer. Thank you for assisting, thank you for discovering the problem and thank you for all you did to make Doctor Lewis the surgeon she is today."

Stephen smiled, "That is very kind of you, Sir."

"They're going to move her back to her room. Just give them a few more minutes. Shannon will come and get you once she's settled."

Lauren smiled and walked away with Stephen, "Is there anything else we can do to prevent anything else from going wrong? We just need to stay ahead of any other issues for the next forty-eight hours."

"My opinion is that you maintain the current medications and treatments. I would plan to give a nutrient cocktail to avoid any more rhythm irritability."

Lauren nodded, "She did have some abnormal rhythms during the procedure. I wasn't completely happy with some of the longer episodes of A-Tach, SVT or the multiple PVC's, so I think we'd better check her potassium levels as well."

Stephen nodded, "Does she tolerate swallowing pills?"

"Like most young kids, she struggles."

"Well, we've got to get potassium into her somehow. I wonder if she'll tolerate a green smoothie."

Lauren shrugged, "The problem is finding greens in Alaska in winter. Come to think of it, that's something we should be ordering for the hospital in bulk. I wonder if we can find a good supplement shake that isn't full of sugar but is still palatable for kids."

"That's a job for Betsy. I have interviews lined up for the hospital nutritionist."

"When are those?" Lauren asked.

"Next Wednesday and Thursday. Will you be back then?"

Lauren sighed, "I suppose I'll be here, right up to the Iditarod. Who do we have covering during the race?"

"We should have all of our department Chiefs in place next week, so I think we'll be all set. The biggest thing right now is housing, Lauren. It's a real issue. Kenzi can only house so many people on a permanent basis without alienating the tourist businesses that she has contracts with. She has already cut the number of rooms she's offering them."

Lauren nodded, "Well, it sounds to me like it's time we go to Phase III."

"Betsy has everything in place at the bank. Vex has signed everything. We just have to talk to Kenzi."

Lauren pulled out her phone and sent off a text. She laughed at the reply and sent another text. Stephen watched as Lauren laughed harder and harder with each text until she finally put her phone in her lab coat pocket again.

"She's a pistol, that one," Lauren smiled, shaking her head, "I can understand why Bo came to love her like she does. She puts on a good front, but she has such a kind and generous heart."

Stephen lowered his eyes, "Have you noticed the similarities to Katie?"

Lauren looked up at her mentor, "I have. It was my first thought when I came here. They would have been fast friends."

Stephen nodded, "She would have loved Alaska."

"I wish I could have done more for her." Lauren said, looking down at her hands.

"You did everything you could, Lauren. You gave her years she never should have had. I still remember the look on the Pediatric Cardiologists face when she was born. I saw the word cardiology on his coat, then he said her rib cage was deformed… that was all I needed to know. Seventeen surgeries in her first five years of life. Seventeen." He smiled, "When she was seven years old, she told me she felt like her grandmothers' pin cushion."

Lauren nodded, "She used to tell me the same thing. Still, your sister would have been proud of how you raised her, Stephen – of all that she accomplished in her short life."

"Eighteen… she would say 'at least I lived to be an adult and get a license, Uncle Steve – that should not be the highlight of any child's life – adult or not."

"As I said, I wish…"

"That wasn't a comment about you, Lauren. You fought so hard and so long for her. You did everything I asked – you spent so many extra hours in the lab – more than any other Intern or Resident under my tutelage."

Lauren shrugged, "And now we're using 3D printers to literally print tissue. New hearts and other organs aren't that far off. If we could just solve the rejection problem, kids like Katie would live full lives."

Stephen nodded, "I talked to that Bill McFarland."

"The new orthopedic chief?" Lauren asked.

"Yes. He's working with this new material to create grafts for bone. Amazing stuff. Real cutting edge."

Lauren nodded, "I read his proposal. I sent him an email telling him we'd allow him to do his trials on our patients if the FDA clears them and he's got funding. He said he's working on both."

"Just another thing that could put us on the map," Stephen acknowledged.

"Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Patients first, exceptional care for those patients, then we'll worry about the map."

"Just remember that patients pay the bills, Lauren."

"If we invest the money we earn from our patients properly, we should be able to pay the bills with the investment incomes, Stephen. That's the whole concept of this hospital. Please don't fall back on the old ways. This hospital…"

"Of course, Lauren. I didn't mean…"

"It's in the oath that everyone signed, Stephen – including you. Fame, power, perceived superiority, perks and the like – we're not here for those. If people want those things, they can go to Seattle or back to Boston for all I care. I have a vision and I intend to stick to it. If you don't like it, I'll buy you out."

Lauren stormed off, surprised that she had spoken to her long-time mentor in that way. Still, he wasn't her mentor anymore. He was her business partner and he had agreed to her vision for the hospital she wanted to build. She would not be pulled back into the same old version of health care that had gotten this country into the situation it was with regards to patient care. Everyone deserved the best a doctor had to offer, and every doctor needed to be able to offer the same kind of care that she could offer. That was going to start with Kate and Dala. They were both going to learn everything she knew. No more relying on 'the great Doctor Lewis' – it was time there was more than one of her.

She pulled out her phone and sent off a text to Bo. She was probably busy with her family and friends, but on the off chance she was wondering about Thea, she decided to let her know she would be staying in town for the night. Of course, where that would be, she had no idea.

She walked to the end of the corridor and looked, right, then left. It took a moment, but she finally figured out where she was… maybe. She took the left and headed down the hallway. Sure enough, she hit a dead end at what was to be the solarium. Holding her breath, she opened the door and sighed with relief when she saw a room full of furniture covered in plastic. The propped open the doors on either side of the room to let some of the remaining paint fumes to disperse, then cracked each window.

"Where there are stacks of mattresses for patient beds, there must be bed linens, right?"

She checked the labels on each box, finally finding a box that looked promising, "On the bottom, of course."

She popped open the box and smiled when she saw blue blankets wrapped in plastic. She ripped open the plastic on two of them and then ripped open the plastic on one of the couches.

"Sleep. Just two hours of sleep," She said, laying down and covering herself. She set her phone alarm, then sent off a text to Shannon to let her know where she was and what she was doing.

Closing her eyes, she thought of Bo and allowed sleep to claim her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The River

Bo reeled in the measuring tape and tossed it into the bucket that held the survey stakes, hammer and spray paint. Over the next few minutes, she walked the property line she had just marked and checked the angles she had used to mark the corners of the house with flexible fiberglass stakes. Finally, she came to stand by the riverbank once more,

"Definitely a front porch property. Tamsin won't want as many windows as Kyle would, so we'll have to compromise and add high windows in the back to let in the eastern light. We'll use tinted windows on the river side so that no one can see in."

She walked to the northern side of the site, "This would be the right space for the kennel house and garden. The shed on the other side. Tamsin will need a safe inside the house for her weapons – maybe something in the floor like what I installed over at The Homestead. She also needs a shooting range."

Bo turned towards the land across the river, "A place where a stray wouldn't run the risk of hitting anyone who lives along the river – especially the kids."

She eyed the full-sun land she had considered for building a larger greenhouse and gardens for her Mom = something similar to what Doctor Gray and her husband had built. Maybe she could start on that project while her team worked on a house for Tamsin and Kyle. It would serve the same purpose, wouldn't it?"

FLASHBACK…

Bo stood on the bank of the river taking deep breaths in and out while the dogs barked and tried to run into the water. Once she had calmed herself, she made her way over and released each dog from their line. One by one they each headed into the water, jumping, running and playing together.

She loved seeing them like this. Once she had built a fire, they would all find a spot in the sand, dig a small den not far from the fire and fall asleep for the night. She would sleep on a bed of hay near the fire, her eyes on the stars over the mountain that she had grown to love so much over the last few months since she'd purchased the land.

She looked beyond where she'd built a fire pit at the plot of land she'd chosen as the perfect spot for a kennel to grow Harper's family line. It had been three years since Big Jim had killed her team. It was time she set the boys to stud. Harper was going to be in season soon and she needed to get started on rebuilding the line. All of her male dogs from her Mother's line were still secretly boarded in Kenzi's barn just behind Doctor Snyder's medical clinic.

Doc was going to retire in the next three to five years, so she needed to figure out her next move… a safe space for her to raise a kennel full of dogs without Big Jim coming after them. Old Doc Snyder kept an eye on them, fed them and handled their medical needs to make everyone believe they were his. Everyone thought that Bo just came to 'exercise' them because Doc Snyder couldn't do it for himself anymore. It was a win-win situation for both because he loved spending time with the dogs.

Maybe somewhere public was best – now that she had Dyson, Hale and Tamsin all on her side – most of the time – she could start building the kennel hidden away in the woods. She would trap the surrounding lands and post private property signs. That was enough under the law to give her right to defend herself and her property should anyone come snooping around. It was time for Bo to take her life back and this is how she would start again.

Six months later…

Bo stepped back and admired the structure she had begun with the help of a few of the guys she had been working on small construction projects with. They had formed a company, but since all of the others had additional work and no money to back the projects, Bo had become the reluctant owner of the company. What the hell had she gotten herself into? Owning a business where she was dependent on other people to work with or for her? This was not going to end well.

Still, they had done good work together over the last half a year in their spare time and she seemed to have earned their respect and trust. Most of them had trade school educations or at least apprenticeships and licenses. Bo had faked it through the build and learned what she could, journaling each night after they left the property. They were sworn to secrecy about the land, each of them having had their own problems staying off of Big Jim's radar. They had families and didn't want his brand of trouble coming into their lives.

At lunch today, they had talked about building a large barn to store their common construction materials. Bo had agreed. None of them had much free time as winter was coming, so Bo said she would do what she could to get the barn up if they could help her with the main frame. They were going to work through the weekend and complete what they could. They would arrive under the cover of darkness and work through the night since the moon would be full.

They'd picked Bo's brain about off-grid living for most of the day and expanded on her ideas. Bo had never installed a solar panel, but after their discussion, it sounded like a great piece of technology – one she was looking forward to exploring since it would allow her to remain disconnected from society while still connected to nature. She smiled, stroking Harper's head,

"Looks like we're going modern, Harp. We're going to have electricity." She sat down, imagining a house – modest, but a roof over her head, "I don't know, Harper. We're not too fond of small spaces, huh? I mean, every time we go into the General Store down in Point Siku or into Selene's yurt down in the village, we can't wait to get out."

She considered the structure for a moment, "Maybe if we build it with a steep, high roof and wide open rafters… with a ton of windows… the huge picture window kind like at that fancy house we built out on Bear Lake, right? Yea, those would make it feel just like we were outside. If we tint them, we won't get creeped out by the thought of people looking in."

She laughed, "Not that anyone could see us." She sighed, leaning back, one arm behind her head and the other draped over Harper, "Yup. Spending all our Iditarod winnings on a small county's worth of land was the best investment ever, right?"

Bo laughed as Harper responded with a long howl of approval, "I'm glad you agree. We're going to build a house, my friend. A big house with very few walls, high ceilings and a lot of glass. It will have a big fireplace that the whole team can lay in front of after race season, then in the spring and summer, you can all play in the river to cool off. It'll be great. You'll see. It'll be fine."

Bo sighed, imagining a roof over her head. The truth was, she wouldn't know until after the roof was actually on the structure if she could tolerate sleeping under it or not. Maybe a bunch of skylights would help her feel like she was outside.

END FLASHBACK

Bo was surprised she hadn't thought of it sooner. Building The Homestead was what had allowed her to get over her claustrophobia before. One plank of wood at a time, the sky disappeared, and she barely ever noticed it until she was actually sleeping inside. By then, she had Lauren to keep her company, so staying in bed hadn't bothered her. Of course, she still had her moments, but if she climbed the ceiling or went outside the windows onto the roof, she was fine.

She would start building Tamsin and Kyle's home in her spare time. Little by little, the house would go up and little by little, she would be able to go in. It would work. It had to. For now, she would give the dogs a little more time to sleep, then head into town to see Lauren with some of Molly's stew in one thermos and her fish stew in another. It was time she got back onto a training schedule which meant the dogs needed to start running on rest intervals of three to six hours, depending on how they looked.

She headed to the shed and pulled out her fishing gear. One of the things she loved about this river was that, while the fish slowed down in winter, there were still plenty to keep one person and her dogs fed for the training season. Bo would make some salmon jerky for the snack bag for her and the team. She would have Molly's stew for dinner and have fish stew for the training runs today and tomorrow. This week was a training week – four days at least. She dreaded having to tell Lauren she was leaving for four days, but she knew the blonde would be busy prepping the new hospital all week, so hopefully she wouldn't be too upset.

Four Hours Later, Talkeetna Hospital

It took Bo about thirty minutes to actually enter the hospital, deciding that if she put on a construction hat and picked up a punch list clipboard, she would be able to trick her brain into believing that she was there for work. She couldn't pinpoint the moment when she began to notice the small imperfections around the construction site and definitely didn't remember the first note she wrote on the clipboard. She was, however, aware of the excellent work her crew had done in her absence.

On the first floor, she picked up an amp meter to confirm power levels. On the second floor, she stopped and checked the oxygen installation since that was an area Lauren was very concerned with. When she accidentally wandered into the maternity ward, she decided to check on the backup power system that Lauren insisted on for incubators. Everything checked out. As a matter of fact, all of the concerns her foreman had addressed with her via texts and emails seemed to have been resolved.

She smiled, knowing that Path and Slate were likely behind the well-oiled machine her company seemed to have become in her absence. The boys were young, but knowledgeable and ambitious. They were proving to Bo that they were worthy of running her company until she was ready to sell it to them. Of course, that would be when they were able to afford it. She had wanted to turn the business over to them, but their mother reminded her that they weren't permitted to take handouts. They had to earn the business and purchase it outright. So, Bo agreed that they would create a work-to-buy agreement.

Now, Bo was wandering the hallways of a hospital that the two boys had helped to build. She was proud of the work – it was quality work. They really were brilliant. They were perfect to take over her business. They would be honest and trustworthy – Bo would make sure of it before she handed over the reins. She would stick around to do some woodworking or carpentry when they needed it, but she really did want to build her own furniture full time… well, as full time as the kennel would allow.

As for her trapping business, she would talk to LJ about assuming those duties. He was an off-gridder at heart, so she would do what she could to give him the opportunity to spend as much time outdoors as she could. She realized that all of the years she had denied him her teachings, he had been right. They were cut from the same cloth. Of course, now she knew it was because he was her great nephew.

She continued to wander the halls and when she finally snapped out of business mode, she realized she was in the surgical wing. Surely, she would find a nurse or doctor. Lauren couldn't have done the surgery on her own, but she was definitely the type to let everyone else leave while she stayed up all night watching over her patient. Of course, Bo knew nothing about this type of surgery… hell, she didn't even know what they were doing to Thea. She just knew it was very serious.

She smiled when she arrived at a long hallway of windows that gave a spectacular view of the wooded skyline and mountain range. Of course, right now it was almost midnight, so the view was just the darkness with the backdrop of reflective light of the distant sun off of the snowswept mountains.

To her left, she saw a small light coming from beneath a set of double doors, so carefully turned and walked to the door wondering if the electronic mechanism was working. She smiled when the doors swung open revealing a Nurses' station. She walked straight ahead and found Shannon sleeping with her head down on the desktop. Kelly was on the floor behind the desk, a tablet perched on her thighs, her head in her knees.

Bo shook her head, speaking softly, "They look like they just ran the Iditarod."

She moved carefully and slid the tablet out from beneath Kelly's arms. She went to put it on the desk but noticed that it was four different squiggly lines. Bo remembered this from the day they had brought Lauren in half frozen. They had warmed Lauren up when Russ, Jet and Nick brought in Hop who had a heart attack. Lauren had pointed to the same sort of squiggly lines. She wasn't sure if the lines were the exact same squiggles, but she figured she'd better ask.

She decided to nudge Shannon awake since she knew she had seniority. She carefully tapped her shoulder and whispered,

"Shannie?"

The Nurse sat up bolt straight, standing up at the desk and turning to the monitor, instead seeing Bo.

She squinted, "Bo?"

The brunette nodded, "Sorry to wake you. Is this normal?"

She handed Shannie the tablet and then followed when she took off sprinting down the hallway, calling to Kelly before she'd left the desk and telling her to get to Thea's room. Bo wasn't sure what to do, so she decided that staying out of the way was the best choice right now.

Soon enough, Lauren and Dala were sprinting back towards the Nurses' station with Shannon, both women looking down at the tablet now in Lauren's hands. The blonde was spouting instructions to the pair as she turned into the Nurses' station and came face-to-face with Bo.

"Bo… I…"

"Go. Take care of Thea."

Lauren grabbed a chart and took off a short distance to what Bo surmised was Thea's room.

Bo stood watching the door of the room where only moments later, Thea was being wheeled past the Nurses station and back around the corner towards the surgical rooms Bo had passed earlier. Kelly stopped in front of Bo,

"Lauren asked if you would tell Thea's parents that she had to take her back into surgery for what she believes is another clot in her heart. One of us will come and give them an update as soon as we know more."

"Okay. Where are they?"

"Straight down that hallway, last room on the right."

"If they're asleep, should I bother waking them?"

Kelly nodded, "If they don't want the surgery done, we need to know now. They know where the operating room is. If for any reason, they're not giving permission, bring them to the surgical room. Otherwise, down this way to the left is the solarium Lauren was sleeping in. They can wait there if they want to be a bit closer to the operating room."

"Got it. Is she going to be okay?"

Kelly shrugged, "This is the third procedure since the original surgery. I just don't know, Bo. That poor kids' heart has been through hell and back. You might pray to those spirits of yours. I've got to get down there. Lauren is probably already scrubbed in and I've still got to wake up Stephen."

Bo nodded as Kelly turned and hustled down the hallway. She stood silently for a moment, realizing that it was now her responsibility to go tell two parents that their daughter might die. No. She was going to tell them exactly what Kelly told her to tell them, but she would tell them to have hope. It was the single most important thing they had to hold onto right now. After she told them that, she would pray to the Spirits. They would know what to do.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Five Hours Later, Solarium

"Bo?" Lauren said, tapping Bo's foot from the bottom of the couch, "Bo?"

The brunette sat up, lifting a fist before she realized there was no knife in it. She looked up to see Lauren standing at her feet,

"Lauren? Is Thea okay?"

Lauren nodded and smiled, "Yes. About twenty minutes in, the stent and pig valve I was waiting for arrived, courtesy of Kurt."

"Kurt made a… what did you call it?"

"A stent. It's used to hold blood vessel walls open. It came from Seattle General. The pig valve came from a farm in Northern California."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, but good for you… and Kurt."

Lauren smiled, "No, good for Thea. I think we've repaired all of the weakest parts of her transplanted heart, so with any luck, it will keep on ticking for a few more years, at least."

"That's all?

"Bo, the heart was not very healthy when we transplanted it."

"Then why not wait for a different heart?"

"Her original heart was failing. It was a miracle it waited until the transplant. It looked more like a brain than a heart by the time I took it out."

"I'm sorry, Lauren. I'm sure you did everything you could."

"She's back on the transplant list, so with any luck, a heart from someone about her age will come available so that it can grow with her." Lauren replied, "I hate saying that."

"Why?" Bo asked, surprised.

"I'm wishing for another child to die so this one can live." She shook her head, "I've got to perfect printing organs. It's got to be my sole focus moving forward."

"No surgery?" Bo asked.

Lauren shook her head, "This is a teaching hospital, but it's not just for students. It's for doctors as well. Every doctor will know all that I know by the end of next year. I can't continue to be the only doctor who can do my procedures. So many more could be saved if they didn't have to wait for me to be available."

"You're sure?" Bo asked.

"Why do you ask?" Lauren wondered.

"That just seems like the equivalent of me selling blueprints of my sleds."

Lauren smiled, "Do you really think the sled is what makes you special?"

"My customers seem to think so."

"Well, I happen to believe it has something to do with Bo Dennis, her dogs and the relationship they have with each other. Every musher out there has a sled engineer who knows enough to build a fast and durable sled, but only one sled out there has you and your team."

Bo nodded, lifting up her backpack, "I brought enough thermoses filled with Molly's stew for everyone," she held up an additional thermos, "But this one is my fish stew… share if you want."

Lauren smiled, "Gimme gimme! I'm starving."

Bo handed Lauren the thermos and a spoon, then opened a paper bag full of small rolls, "One roll or two?"

"Two. I'm hungry." Lauren repeated, "I don't know when the last time was I ate."

She handed Lauren the rolls and then gave her a cloth napkin, "Molly said not to use your scrubs as a napkin."

Lauren chuckled, "Would you mind taking Molly's stew around to the others? I can do it if you'd like, but…"

"You're hungry." Bo smiled, "I'll go give it to Shannon."

Lauren closed her eyes and moaned at the warm, soothing taste of the best food Alaska had to offer. She ate quickly, desperate to satisfy the burning in her stomach. She only looked up when Bo walked back into the room,

"So, there was talk of the great Bo Dennis in my operating room," Lauren smiled.

"Oh?" Bo asked.

Lauren nodded, "Kelly was thanking Shannon for noticing the tablet that she fell asleep on, but Shannon said it wasn't her."

"Oh?" Bo feigned ignorance.

Lauren smiled, "She said you told her. How did you know, Bo?"

Bo shrugged, "I didn't. I mean… I picked up the tablet because Kelly looked uncomfortable. When I looked at the screen, I remembered when Hop had his heart attack. You were looking at squiggly lines that looked something like Thea's, so I figured it was better safe than sorry to wake Shannie and ask her."

"Squiggly lines, huh?"

"Well, that's what they look like to me."

"You saved that little girls' life, Bo. Any longer and she would have been brain dead. She was getting very little oxygen to her brain."

Bo nodded, "So you really think she'll be okay now?"

"I hope so." Was all Lauren would say right now.

"You must be exhausted," Bo said, frowning.

Lauren nodded, taking a seat on the couch, "Four surgeries? I'm fine. Thea's heart is exhausted."

"Still, you need to sleep, Lauren." Bo replied, "So I'll get out of your way so you can do that."

"You aren't going to stay?"

Bo sighed, focusing on the large picture windows, "I mean… if you want me to, I guess I can stay."

Lauren suddenly realized that Bo was indoors… had been indoors for hours. It was morning. Unless she had gone outside for a while, she had been indoors for at least five hours,

"Being in this building must be… very difficult."

Bo shrugged, nodding to the window, "The view is helping."

Lauren nodded, "I understand if you need to leave. I just can't take the chance on going home. Just when we think she's improving, another clot forms."

"Of course, I understand, Lauren. Look – let's just get you settled in on the couch. I'll curl up with you and stay as long as I can. I'm actually pretty tired too, so maybe I'll fall asleep for a while. Are you okay with a wet head or do you want me to get you a towel?"

"The shower felt great, but I just didn't have the energy to use a dryer. I was so hungry I was ready to walk over to Kenzi's for some food. Thank you for bringing Molly's stew. It was fantastic and really hit the spot."

"I'm glad you didn't try to walk to Kenzi's. You do realize it's not next door, right?"

Lauren smiled, "That's how hungry I was. I thought I was still at the clinic. We'll need a shuttle running from the hospital to the hotel at breakfast, lunch and dinner every day."

Bo nodded, "Well, for now, your belly is full. Sleep."

Lauren nodded, laying down on the couch, pulling the pillow under hear head and curling into fetal position. She patted the space behind her. Bo smiled, slipping out of her boots and tossing a few layers off to the side before settling in behind the blonde. She pulled the blankets off the back of the couch and laid them out over Lauren before slipping beneath them herself. The blonde reached back and grabbed her arm, pulling it over her body. She intertwined their fingers and pulled them to her chest before releasing a long breath and settling into her pillow.

"I love you, Bo," Lauren said before suddenly lifting her head, "Is this too… I mean… too crowded? Can you breathe?"

Bo smiled, "I breathe much easier when you're around. I love you, Lauren. Now turn that big brain of yours off and get some sleep."

Bo relaxed pressing into the blonde's body, her libido going into overdrive. She inhaled the scent of Lauren's shampoo and body wash, knowing it would relax and calm her. It felt good to hold her again. Somehow, in this moment, she was okay with being under the roof of the building she had built over the last year and a half. She remembered when it was just a big, gigantic hole in the ground. When the ground pipes were laid, the forms set and the foundation finally poured, Bo worried that she had bitten off more than she could chew in saying yes to Evony's vision for a hospital.

Now, here she was in the building she had helped to transform into Lauren's modern vision for a hospital. This place would become her second home… maybe – at times – her first home. No matter – as long as she was happy and achieving her next level of success, Bo knew that Lauren would be doing what she needed to do with her life. She wanted the world for the blonde, and she could only hope that she had given her the foundation to create her dream… a place for people to heal… a place that was so much more than a mere building.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Morning…

Lauren found herself being awoken by another shift Nurse named Sarah. Bo was nowhere to be found. She wasn't surprised, but she would be lying if she said she wasn't disappointed.

"Um… Doctor Lewis, there's a note on the table with your name on it."

Lauren sat up, picking up the folded piece of paper. She recognized Bo's handwriting immediately. Rather than open it, she tucked it into her pocket,

"How is our patient?"

Sarah smiled, "Carolyn is here. She sent me to get you and said to tell you the patient is awake and asking for a smoothie."

Lauren smiled, "Sarah, do you think you could call over to the owner of the Talkeetna Hotel? Her name is…"

"Kenzi. We've met."

"Good. Can you ask her if she would by any chance have ingredients to make a strawberry-banana smoothie for Thea? If not, something similar would be great."

"Potassium?" Sarah asked.

Lauren nodded, "Give her options for ingredients if she doesn't have bananas – but something a young girl would like. Thea misses her sweets."

"I'll get right on it." Sarah smiled, "Oh – and this is a small bag of toiletries. Shannon found the boxes intended for patient rooms last night and put a bag together for everyone who would be working for the next week. Hopefully by then, the guys will have one of those staff lounges furnished and stocked."

"Thank you." Lauren said, accepting the baggie, "I could really use a shower."

"Well, that will have to wait. Carolyn wants to see you a-sap."

Lauren nodded, "Do I have time to use the bathroom and brush my teeth?"

"Of course."

"Okay. Please tell Carolyn I'll be there in ten minutes."

Sarah rushed off leaving Lauren alone. The blonde went into the bathroom and tended to her personal needs, then came back out and headed down to Thea's room,

"So, how's our patient this morning?" Lauren asked as she entered.

Thea offered a weak smile, "Tired. Hungry. A little cold. Mostly tired."

Lauren nodded, "Well, you remember how you felt after your transplant, right?"

"Actually, I felt pretty good compared to this."

"That's because your original heart was barely beating before you had your transplant. Anything would have felt better than that." Lauren said, putting her stethoscope in her ears, "You know the drill."

Thea looked up at Carolyn, "I told you. I bet it's cold too."

Lauren took the bell and diaphragm of the instrument into her hands in an attempt to warm them, but knew either side would still feel cool against her skin,

"Okay, let's sit you up. Carolyn?"

Lynnie and Lauren hooked their arms under the youngster's armpits and lifted, leaning Thea forward,

"Do you have your coughing bear?" Lauren asked.

Thea held up the stuffed animal, "This thing feels like a brick."

Lauren smiled, "Well, that brick will keep your sutures from popping when you sneeze or cough. Be sure to keep it on your chest and hug it when either of those things happen."

"I know. I remember. It hurts like crazy if I don't use it."

"Let's have a listen, kiddo." Lauren said.

Thea nodded and hugged the pillow, knowing that her doctor was going to ask her to cough. When the exam was over, she was exhausted. Lauren and Carolyn helped her lay back again, then the doctor scribbled all sort of notes on the clipboard before sending the nurse to get her parents.

"Am I sick like before?"

Lauren smiled, "What do you remember from last night?"

Thea shrugged, "I felt really bad. Kelly came in. My chest started to hurt. I got dizzy."

"That's all?"

She gripped the stiff Polar Bear pillow to her chest and squeezed it tight as she changed position.

"Yup. What happened?" Thea asked.

Lauren nodded to her chest, "Well, obviously I operated."

"I know that silly." She smiled.

"I mean, I operated again… and again… and again."

"So, it wasn't just one surgery?"

Lauren shook her head, "Harry is stubborn."

Thea nodded, "But he was stubborn enough to help me live, so that's good, right?"

The blonde looked to the door to see Henri and Greta walking in, "Harry is definitely the reason you survived the first surgery, but as I told you… Harry was sick."

"And old?" Thea asked.

Lauren nodded.

"You know, old people just need a little T-L-C… at least, that's what Maman says."

Lauren smiled, sitting on the end of the bed, "Really? What else does Maman say?"

"That old people are the kindest people in the world. They just look grumpy because gravity pushed their smiles down into wrinkles. She says you have to look at their eyes."

Lauren nodded, "The eyes are the window to the soul."

"Hey! That's what Papa says! But what does it mean?"

Smiling, the blonde replied, "If you look – and I mean really look – into a person's eyes, you can see all of the happiness of their entire life in the little sparkles in their eyes. When they're happy, their eyes sparkle even more."

"Like Nurse Marnie? She sings all the time – even when she's cleaning the toilet. I never saw anyone so happy all the time."

Carolyn smiled, "She has her health, she has her three daughters, she has a home, she has her husband and he's in good health and she has two new grandbabies. She doesn't need anything else."

"Does she have dogs like Bo's?"

Lauren was surprised, "You saw Bo's dogs?"

"My brother and sister called me with a picture phone and showed me the dogs in their boxes."

Carolyn smiled, "Shannon called this morning. I guess she gave the phone to Rudy so they could all talk."

Thea nodded, "It was cool. I talked to my little brother and little sister just like they were here in the room with me only they were at Bo's place with the dogs."

The words stung a bit… Bo's place… not Lauren and Bo's or your place… Bo's place. Would it ever be their place? Would it always be 'The Homestead' where everyone in Bo's family and friends gathered for the weekly family dinner? It was strange. Bo had spent her entire life alone while Lauren had always had a family… a Mom and Dad, Grandmother, Nanny and her brother. Now, the doctor had no family and Bo had it all. Sure, she had friends, but Kyle and Tamsin were Bo's friends first. She had Carolyn, Shannon and Kelly but they were work friends. Did it matter? Was she allowing social norms to dictate her feelings about the circle of people around her?

Carolyn cleared her throat, getting Lauren's attention. Her eyes were on the doctor as she spoke, "Yes, Henri. Of course, Doctor Lewis has a plan for next steps."

Lauren gave a half nod of appreciation for the coaching as she turned to the parents,

"Harry… Thea's transplanted heart… is not healthy. Now, I believe that the surgeries we did are going to keep her stable in the interim…"

"Interim?" Greta interrupted, her eyes welling with tears.

Henri put an arm around his wife, "Greta, we knew this was a possibility. That's why Doctor Lewis put Thea back on the transplant list," he looked to Lauren, "Right?"

Lauren nodded, "Yes. Now, we believe that the Harry will last until a new heart becomes available, but to be sure, I am going to put some restrictions on Thea for the time being."

"Please don't keep me out of my gym class at school. Please? And I just have to have recess!" Thea begged, her hands slapped together as if in prayer.

Lauren smiled, "Well, let's just do your post-surgery rehab and see how you do on your stress test, okay?"

"I promise I'll be good. I'll wear my vest to protect my heart and I'll sit down if my heart monitor goes off and I promise I won't take it off, even if the patches are ripping the skin off of my chest," she frowned.

Carolyn reached over to the shelf behind her and pulled out a box, handing it to Lauren,

"Well, about that. You see, technology has changed since your first heart surgery. Now, you'll just wear this watch and any time you have certain symptoms, you'll click on a symbol on the face of the watch, put your finger on this button on the side of the watch for thirty seconds and then send me a recording. If it's anything to worry about, I'll send you a message through the watch and tell you what to do."

"I won't have to go to the Nurse or call the ambalance?"

Lauren smiled, "Only if I tell you to and remember, we don't have an ambulance in Talkeetna. We have a helicopter, snow machine, dog sled or truck."

"Right. I keep forgetting we don't live in Boston anymore."

Carolyn knew the look on Thea's face. She'd had it when she was a child… many times. She sat on the other side of the bottom of her bed,

"You know, Alaska is a very cool place. When we left Boston to come here, we had planned to go back there in a year." Carolyn explained as Lauren nodded her agreement.

"Why didn't you?" Thea asked.

Carolyn smiled, "Well, for one thing, we love working for Doctor Lewis."

"Was that why you stayed?"

"I guess you could say it was a part of it, but we found friends that are like family here. The pace is slower, there's a ton of things to do and, well let's face it, the scenery is top notch."

Thea smiled, "I like the mountains. I haven't seen much else. Just the hotel, my bed, the clinic and this hospital room. I wish it wasn't so dark all the time."

Lauren grinned, "Well, that's all going to change now. You'll go to school, you'll go to piano lessons, you'll learn all about Alaska and the wildlife here. If you want to, you can learn about Bo's dogs and maybe you can go to the kennel once in a while and work with the veterinarians. It's not medicine for humans, but the canine species actually has a lot of similarities to humans."

"You mean go and work with doggie doctors?" Thea asked.

Carolyn laughed while Lauren grinned and replied, "Exactly. But they don't just work on dogs. They work on all sorts of animals. Some are just too big for them to see in their clinic, so they have to go to the animals' home to help them."

Thea looked up at her parents, "That sounds like fun. Can I go, Maman? Papa?"

"Once you get caught up at school and if Doctor Lewis says you are well enough, I don't see why not." Henri replied while Greta smiled and nodded.

"Cool." Thea replied, "Guys? I'm really tired. Is it okay if I sleep now?"

Lauren nodded, "Of course. Someone should be here with your smoothie in a little while. Remember that it's important to eat, so anytime you're awake, eat something – smoothies, peanut butter crackers, soup, stew or anything else they have to offer."

"Shirley's stew?" Thea asked.

"Well, you're going to be in Talkeetna now, but I think I know someone who makes a stew you'll like just as much as Shirley's."

"Good." Thea said, closing her eyes, "Thank you for saving Harry, Doctor Lewis."

Lauren nodded, "You're welcome, Thea."

Carolyn pulled the covers up over the youngster before turning to Lauren, "I still can't get her temperature regulated. Okay to use heat packs?"

Lauren nodded, "Yes. Whatever it takes to get her body temperature up to normal. Can we get anymore heat in this room?"

Carolyn shook her head, "Slate and Path are trying to find a way to warm things up, but right now the only thing hooked up is solar power."

"I'll make a call." Lauren said, standing and shaking her head, "I'll see you soon Henri, Greta. Do you have any questions before I go?"

"You're leaving?" Greta asked.

Carolyn saw Lauren glance her way and knew from years of working with her that it was her turn to provide answers,

"Remember, even Doctor Lewis needs sleep and as with any other doctors, she does have other patients. I can assure you that one of the three nurses and three doctors who are part of Thea's team will be on the premises at all times should they be needed. The other four are just a short distance away at the hotel or clinic."

Lauren nodded, "We can be here in ten minutes."

Greta hesitated, "It's just that… a lot can go wrong in that amount of time."

Henri took his wife's hand, "Greta, we can't expect Lauren to be here around the clock. She is only human. Sleep, food and her family are necessary for her just as they are for us. She'll be no good to Thea if she's not rested, fed and mentally prepared for the hours she is here."

"I'm just worried."

"I know, Dear, but she does have other patients as well and you know Thea's team is the best there is… all of them, Greta. That's why we came here. Please, don't…"

"I know. I know. You're absolutely right. I'm just… I can't lose her, Henri. I can't." Greta said, the tears falling as she planted her face in her husband's chest.

Lauren offered a tight smile, "It has been more than eight hours since Thea's last surgery. It was less than two hours between each of her prior surgeries. There is really no reason to believe that she will not make a full recovery at this point. The real question is how many years will we have to find a new heart."

Henri nodded, "You said you would add her to the transplant list again?"

Carolyn interjected, "I just received confirmation this morning that she is on the list."

"Thank you." Henri replied.

"Of course."

"I'll see you in the morning then." Lauren said before turning to Carolyn, "A moment?"

"Of course, Doctor Lewis," Carolyn said before turning to the parents, "If she wakes, please try to get her to drink as much water as possible and eat whatever is brought to her room. We've hooked up a small refrigerator on that counter. We'll stock it up. Now, if you'll excuse me."

Lauren was waiting in the hallway, "Thank you for getting everything going this morning."

Carolyn smiled, "It's why you pay me the big bucks. Shannon gave me a full update on what happened last shift. Sounds like it was quite a night."

"And morning. I can't believe it's almost one o'clock."

"How time flies when you're having fun." Carolyn smiled, "So what do you have on tap for today?"

Lauren sighed, "Bloodwork every four hours. CBC, cardiac enzymes, the usual."

Carolyn nodded, recording the order on Thea's chart, "Normal vital checks or do you want those to be more frequent?"

"Let's keep those to hourly for now. Can you set up her watch and start teaching her how to use the apps and how to send them? Create a hospital email address for the device. I don't want the parents receiving what she sends me. Greta is already expecting the worst every minute of the day. I don't need her thinking that every blip that Thea sends me is the end of the heart."

Carolyn nodded, "Good thinking. Anything else?"

"Nope. I think that's all. Who's in next?"

"That would be me, Doctor Lewis." Stephen smiled.

"You're back already?"

Stephen shrugged, "I drew the short shift. I've got eight hours, then Dala will be on and then your new girl is handling the night."

"Kate is here?"

Stephen nodded, "Yup. They flew in with Kurt last night. Betsy didn't want to tell us since she wasn't sure if the flights were going to work out because of the weather. Kenzi put them up in Bo's old room for now since we need her here for Thea's case."

Lauren smiled, "That's great. Carolyn can adjust the schedule so that one of us can rotate into the clinic."

Carolyn shook her head, "We're fully staffed at the clinic for the weekend and the coming week. Now that all of our hospital Chiefs are here, we're good to go. The two of you, however, are scheduled for meetings all week. The Board of Health inspection is on Thursday."

The nurse could see the two doctors take a deep breath in unison, Stephen rubbing the back of his neck while Lauren shoved both hands in her pockets and sighed,

"Great."

Stephen nodded, "When is the first meeting?"

She looked at Lauren, "Doctor Lewis' first meeting is a staff meeting at nine o'clock Monday morning. You still have some decisions to approve with my nursing staff as well."

"Can we walk to the Nurses' station now and…"

"I'm sorry, Doctor Lewis. The files are on my desk at the clinic. I guess moving everything over here is another thing we'll have to add to the list."

Lauren nodded, "it's going to be a busy week."

"Well, as long as Thea doesn't suddenly show up on the to-do list, I think it will be a good week, agreed?"

"Unless it's for a transplant. That would be a good thing, right?" Lauren asked.

"Definitely."

"Well, why don't the two of you go get ready for Lauren's meeting on Monday and check on things at the clinic while I go in here and check on Thea – say hi to her parents," Stephen suggested.

"Good enough." Lauren said, "Call me if you need me, Stephen."

"Hopefully that won't be the case. This child has been through enough for one lifetime."

Lauren looked past the two into the room and nodded, "True, but unfortunately, she has another transplant in her future."

Stephen nodded, "Well, we'll worry about that when the time comes. For now, let's try to give her as normal a life as possible."

Carolyn agreed, but she had a concern, "Have we considered therapy for Greta? I believe that she could be detrimental to Thea's recovery."

"How so?" Lauren asked.

"Evony had you elsewhere fairly quickly after the first transplant, so you didn't see, but Greta was interfering with her physical and occupational therapy. Henri had to intervene to allow them to do their work. If he hadn't shown up, Greta would have had her lay in that bed all day long."

"I see." Lauren nodded, "Well, we'll have to get ahead of that with Henri. Stephen, maybe a man-to-man chat is in order? We do need those insurance contracts taken care of this week. Perhaps you can schedule Thea's therapy when you have Greta scheduled to meet with Penelope?"

"Will do." Stephen replied, "I'll call you if I need you."

"Thank you for being there, Stephen," Lauren smiled, placing a hand on Stephen's.

"It's good to be back in the saddle," he replied, patting Lauren's hand.

The blonde nodded and walked away with Carolyn just behind her. They would stop by the clinic, check on things and then take the rest of the weekend to spend some time with her friends and family. The onslaught of overtime days was coming, and she would need to be well rested and prepared.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Talkeetna Clinic

Lauren sat at her desk, looking across the clinic. Some of the new clinic staff had arrived in Talkeetna just today, but according to Amelia, they had jumped right in without hesitation. The doctor exhaled a sigh of relief and leaned back in her chair, observing the smiles and pleasantries shared among the staff. The positivity seemed as infectious as the conditions that had brought patients to the clinic on this day. Never had she seen so many smiling sick people in one place. This was everything Lauren had dreamed of for this clinic – a place people came to heal – body, mind and soul. She was a true believer in the power of laughter to cure the ills of the body and this climate would do just that.

She smiled, thinking of the contrast to a year ago. The clinic was basically a rundown shack running with Lauren and three nurses who were always running behind. Now, there were more than six doctors and ten new nurses who would share the responsibilities between here and the hospital. Lauren was pushed into the background in a supervisory capacity and honestly, she was shocked to find she enjoyed the role.

Penelope and Betsy were handling the books and budget with approvals coming from Stephen, Lauren and the board once a month. Eventually, Betsy would resume her retirement and Penelope would supervise the accounting department on her own. Patrick was handling all of the legal work and had informed Lauren that he would officially be hanging a shingle in Alaska within two years – possibly sooner. He had called about an hour ago and told Lauren that two young lawyers from Seattle had called inquiring about working in his "firm" even though he didn't actually have one yet. Lauren had agreed to meet with him at Kenzi's in twenty minutes to talk about what he was going to do.

"Lauren? Can you sign these supply orders?" Amelia asked, "And these are the new signed contracts from me and Dala plus the new hires. Let's see if I can remember them all…"

Laughing, Lauren interjected, "I hope you can, because interviews have been such a revolving door by video conference, phone call and meetings that I barely remember who we actually hired out of the huge number of applicants we granted interviews."

Amelia smiled, "Well, we are running a unique hospital with a unique philosophy."

"You mean the philosophy we should have been using with hospitals all along." Lauren nodded, paging through the pile, "So, how about instead of a list of doctors, I give you the names and you give me your first impression of each?"

"Deal." Amelia said, taking a seat across from Lauren.

"Doctor Taylor Kane." Lauren began.

Amelia nodded, "Super energetic, fast talker. Reminds me of Kenzi. She's a General Practitioner and I plan to schedule her when Dala is here. Hopefully a little will rub off from the other on each of them."

"Doctor Cynthia Drake?" Lauren asked.

"Your Co-Chief of Family Medicine with her wife Ashley at the hospital. I have a concern, Lauren. A personal concern."

"Personal?"

"Look – it's not really my place, but as Co-Chiefs, they're supposed to split shifts. I mean… have they thought that through? When will they ever spend time together?"

Lauren offered a tight smile, "They plan to work simultaneous shifts – one at the clinic, one at the hospital and always daytime hours so that they can be home with their young son and daughter in the evenings."

"And you agreed to that?"

Lauren nodded, "Amelia, that is standard practice for doctors in Family Medicine. They will have the largest patient load of any other doctor on staff. They get all of the school physicals, cuts, scrapes, bruises, colds, fevers, sore throats and have to do all of the referrals to our specialists and their staffs. One of them will be on call each night until they've hired a staff and opened their offices in town."

Amelia nodded.

"Problem?" Lauren asked.

Amelia shrugged, "It's just that I gave this whole 'teamwork' speech to the staff this morning and if they're not going to work evenings, how is that fair…"

"Amelia, you cannot micromanage an entire specialty. Family doctors work round the clock. When they finish here at the clinic, they will have mountains of paperwork from all of the patients they've seen. As a specialist, in the time that you see and run tests on a single patient, they will have seen and ordered tests from the lab for at least five and/or written referrals to a specialist on each. Consider them a clinic of their own within the clinic. They are the reason you have any patients at all. Their ability to see the big picture behind all of the patients they see is the reason you even know an epidemic exists."

"But they…"

"No, Doctor. I want you to think about what I've said. Watch and observe the family doctors. Listen to them, Amelia. I mean it. Learn about what they do and how they work. Give them space to do their job, their way. They are the Chiefs of their specialty and have knowledge you do not. Every patient that comes in this door who is not bleeding or coding will see them in their offices or here before they ever see anyone else. Respect them, Amelia or they will send their patients around you to the hospital to avoid you slowing them down."

Amelia nodded, "I'll try."

Lauren shook her head, "Saying you'll try tells me you don't respect Cyndi and Ashley. If you don't respect the people Stephen and I have hired, it tells me you don't respect us or our decisions."

"Lauren, you know that's not true."

"Do I, Amelia? Are you not questioning my orders right now?"

"No, I'm merely suggesting…"

"That I'm wrong and you are right and that the way Family Medicine handles its patients is wrong - that in your position, you should have the right to dictate the hours of the Family Medicine doctors while all of the other departments are permitted to set up their own schedules because – what – somehow they're more important, more prestigious, more necessary or more overworked than a Family Practitioner?"

"That's not what I'm saying…"

"It is and if you do as I ask and take a step back to think about this discussion we're having, you'll realize that you are functioning with the same prejudices doctors have applied to the medical hierarchy since the inception of specialties by implying that we as those specialists are 'special' above and beyond your 'average' doctor. Well, I would ask you – if I took all of the surgeons and specialists out of this clinic and moved them to the hospital – which we've said could happen – would you have been able to treat every patient who came into this clinic over the last four months?"

"I have been able to handle…"

"Answer the question, Amelia. Were you referring patients elsewhere? Were you calling specialists in on their days off? Before I left, were you relying on me for some cases?"

Amelia sighed, "Yes."

"Did you get any phone calls when a Family Doctor was in this clinic?"

"I didn't, but…"

"Again, answer the question."

"No."

"And that is because they are trained to handle anything we are trained to handle that isn't a major surgery, but if they had to, in an emergency they could deliver a baby, treat arterial bleeding, perform an obstetrical exam and much, much more. True?"

"Yes."

"Good. Then do the homework I'm asking you to do. Observe, listen, learn and then adjust your attitude, behaviors, thinking and scheduling practices to accommodate what is in the best interests of each member of your staff or I will replace you. End of conversation."

"Can I…'

"End of conversation." Lauren repeated without looking up.

"Yes, Doctor Lewis."

"Now, I believe Mr. Kramer is here for you." Lauren said, nodding in the elderly gentleman's direction, "I reviewed his chart. Is he going to lose that leg?"

Amelia shook her head, "If he has been following instructions, it's unlikely. What's also unlikely is that he has been following instructions."

"Well, he would not allow you to admit him. You gave – from what I can see – very detailed step by step instructions about how to care for the wound to both him and his wife. What happens next is on them, not you. Did you send notification to the EPA of the parasite?"

Amelia nodded, "They sent a team to the property and found the source. They're on top of it. Of course, the Kramer's aren't particularly happy that their grounds are being torn up."

"When they're not getting sick anymore, they will be grateful."

Lauren's phone rang, so Amelia excused herself so she could answer. Lauren gave her a wave and a nod before lifting the receiver to the old landline,

"Talkeetna Clinic, this is Doctor Lewis, how may I help you?"

"You can tell me you're coming home sometime today."

Lauren smiled at the sound of Bo's voice, "As a matter of fact, I'm planning on heading out within the hour. I promised Patrick I'd meet him at the hotel in… well, about five minutes now. He's got news. How about you?"

"I'm heading back to town right now. I've got Tomas and Leah in the basket of my sled. Molly has Elise and Rudy in hers. I can pick you up if you'd like. Can you see Patrick later?"

"I'll give him a call. A pick up sounds perfect. If I'm not here, I'm at the hotel. I'll see you soon."

"See you soon."

Lauren smiled, running down the list of things she had to do by the time Bo arrived. She didn't want her to have to wait. The truth is, she didn't want to wait. She just wanted time with her. They'd been apart for four months and the moment they had returned, they'd both been thrown back into work and family. Something had to give. She had to find the balance she had told herself she would find, and she was pretty sure Bo wanted the same.

She looked up at Amelia, watching her work with Mr. Kramer. She was a great doctor, she really was, but Lauren wasn't sure she was the one to run the clinic. The truth was, she didn't know if anyone would ever run the clinic the way she wanted it run. It had become the hub of all medical decisions in the area and after spending a night at the hospital, she'd gained some much-needed perspective.

She picked up the phone and called Patrick, asking him if they could call him later because she needed to deal with some infastructure issues with the Lewis-Archer group. Of course, he agreed and offered a gentle reminder that he really needed her advice as soon as possible.

When they hung up, Lauren put a reminder in her phone. Patrick had been there for her for months. It was time she gave back by lending her ear for his needs as well. She looked up at Amelia again and it hit her – she knew exactly what she wanted to do.

She picked up the phone and dialed, "Stephen? Can you talk? I have an idea."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Kennel

"Bo?" Lauren called as she walked into the kennel.

She had finished up at the clinic, made all of her calls and handled Monday and Tuesday's meetings by video conference before talking to Stephen for the third time between calls. Her idea was well-received by her business partner so they had decided to push the staff meeting to Wednesday so that they could have some interim individual meetings with personnel about the changes they had decided upon. They knew it may mean losing some of their staff, but they had to do what was best for the hospital and in keeping with the vision for their company.

"Hey Lauren! How are you?" LJ said, his broad smile bright as he pulled off his gloves and wrapped his arms around the blonde, "I've missed you, Doc. We've all missed you."

Lauren's eyes sparkled, "I've missed all of you, too. It's so good to be back home."

"So… you've decided this is definitely home now?"

"I don't know if I was more excited to leave Boston or to come back to Alaska. I will miss the short drive to my beach house and watching the sunrise during my morning runs but I'll get back there a few times a year. Doctor Grace – the Seattle physician working on Mary's poisoning case – is trying to talk me into selling the beach house on the east coast for one in Washington or Oregon. He swears I'll love the beaches there just as well if not more."

LJ smiled, "I wouldn't mind hanging out in either of those places."

"So, what about you? I swear you've gained a good twenty pounds of muscle since I left. I guess you're doing the heavy lifting for your job and Bo's?"

He nodded, "I'm not gonna lie – it's been hell with her gone. Sam and Scott help out every day, but for every bale they move, there's two bales worth of loose straw I have to sweep up."

"I really need to stop by and see their Mom…"

"Wendy? She's been working here three days a week. She'll be in tomorrow."

"I thought I stole her from you!" Lauren said, though there was a question in there somewhere.

LJ laughed, "You did, but so far Carolyn, Betsy and Penelope have everything handled. Penelope said that once you start billing patients, you won't be able to do without her for more than a weekend."

Lauren shook her head, "I'm going to have to hire an entire business department – especially when Betsy goes back to being retired."

"Betsy and Penelope are already on it. That Gauthier woman was helping until her daughter got sick. Sorry about that, Lauren. Aunt Molly says she's real important to you."

"All of my patients are important, but she's been a special case from the start. Apparently, she was somewhat of a prodigy in a swimming pool. They thought she would qualify for Olympic Trials in the next five years based on her times."

"So, what happened?"

"Well, you know I do heart transplants, so connect the dots… let's just say, the heart that came available at the time she needed it was… imperfect. Now it's giving her trouble."

Lauren wished she could explain how a simple bacterial infection took a very strong heart and turned it into the heart of a 90-year-old, but doctor-patient privilege prevented those details from being shared. She could only hope that Amelia would come to understand the importance of Family Medicine doctors so that there were less Thea's in this world.

LJ nodded, busying himself with coiling some line until he finally asked, "I took the three of them for a sled ride when they first came into town. I was working in my Dad's store down there but staying at Shirley's. The Gauthiers came down to eat and she introduced me as your friend. The kids wanted to play with the dogs, but some of my young pups can get a little rough, so I offered them a ride instead… with parent permission."

"That was very kind of you, LJ."

He scratched his head and hung the line from a kennel post before asking, "Did I make her sick?"

"Oh, LJ – of course not. There is nothing you could have done to prevent this. People don't get sick from being out in the cold. They get sick from viruses, bacteria, parasites or another microscopic critter. There is no way you could have prevented this from happening to Thea, I promise. As I said, the heart she received in the transplant was not a good fit for many reasons. We moved forward because she wouldn't have survived without it."

He nodded, "So that's it? This kid is just going to die?"

Lauren shook her head, "You know me better than that, don't you? I'm going to fight like hell to save her, LJ. She's back on the transplant list and we did several surgeries over the last twenty-four hours to fix her existing heart. If all goes well, it should last for just about two more years. She'll have to take it easy, but she'll be alive."

"She doesn't seem the type of kid to take it easy."

"Nope. She's not. She's already asking me to let her take her gym class and go out for recess with the other kids… and that was after I told her she was going to have to stay low key until we got her a new heart."

"Those were my two favorite classes in school. I can't say I blame her."

Lauren chuckled, "Recess isn't a class."

"Well, I took it more seriously than I did my English class."

Cocking her head, the doctor replied, "Really? But you write so beautifully."

LJ sighed, "You read one poem that Kyle wasn't supposed to show anybody."

"Well, where there's one, I'm sure there's others. Speaking of school, have you decided what you're going to do about college?"

He shrugged, "I don't know that college is for me, Doc. I know that's probably not something you want to hear, but I love sledding, I love working at the kennel and I love raising and training the dogs. I don't need some fancy degree to do those things. As for money, I have everything I need, so I don't spend much. If I run out of clothes or need to buy feed or sled parts I can get more clients beyond the ones that Bo has given me for my sledding and trapping business."

Lauren nodded, "It sounds like you're planning on living Bo's life."

He smiled, "Sounds like you don't approve."

"It doesn't matter if I approve or not. I'm just making an observation. Life is short, LJ. Be sure that the path you choose to walk in this life is of your heart and soul's own choosing."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"I thought we agreed you would never call me that."

"So, we did. Apologies, Doc."

Lauren smiled, "So, where is Bo anyway? She was supposed to come to the clinic about thirty minutes ago."

"Right. Sorry I didn't call sooner. I was supposed to come over to tell you she would be late. Kyle finished the sled prototype for the Iditarod and she wanted Bo to take it out for a quick spin. She only has two weeks to get it fine-tuned, so she told Bo it couldn't wait. Every day counts from here on out."

Lauren nodded, "I remember. Did she train today?"

LJ shook his head, "She took a fifty-mile morning run, then came here and now she's probably doing another ten miles round trip, so she'll log about seventy miles today. She goes back to the heavy training again on Wednesday. I'm going to run with her."

"I had heard you hadn't put in your paperwork for the race, but now I heard you did put in your paperwork. What's the story?"

"I put it in, but no one's too happy about it. Pops is barely talking to me and... well, I already said I stayed at Shirley's and not my Dad's. I don't know what the big deal is. I take five teams out every day for fifty miles or so each. I'm in the best shape of my life."

"You're talking to the wrong person, LJ. I don't know anything about racing in the Iditarod other than the toll it takes on the human body."

"So, what's your opinion about my body in the Iditarod?"

"I know that you don't get breaks, a warm kennel, a hot lunch and a fresh team every fifty or so miles. I also know there's no one around other than the strangers at the checkpoints for the large majority of the race. I know that there are things that happen during the race that Bo has not talked to me about because I overheard the racers talking last year when I was serving as a medic. There may be written rules and a rules meeting to start the race, but no one is out there to enforce the rules on the course and when you get back, it's your word against someone else's."

LJ nodded, "That's why Bo wants me to sit down and talk to this Scout guy that's in the clinic."

"The guy that helped Bo at the finish?"

LJ shook his head, "Nope. That would be Jake Mammoth. Bo hasn't talked to him yet. That was on her list of things to do today, but I guess she'll be doing that tomorrow now. The guy she wants me to talk to is the guy who lost half of his body weight in blood."

Lauren chuckled, "He didn't lose that much, but he did lose a lot."

It was all becoming clear to the doctor that Bo agreed with Tosh about LJ running in the race. Scout had clearly been attacked by those men in the Quest and if LJ challenged mushers of a similar mindset, he would be no match for them. While he was an excellent Musher and great with a shotgun, he was not a fighter and would be at risk out on the trail if he couldn't outsmart or outrun an opponent who intended him harm.

"Well, apparently Scout has a lot of experience and he really helped Bo while she was living with his people in his village while she was away and training for the Yukon."

"She lived in a village?" Lauren asked, surprised.

LJ scratched his head, "I'd better not say anymore. I don't want to repeat anything Bo wants to tell you herself."

"Of course." Lauren said, diplomatically, although she was feeling a sting at the news that Bo had told LJ something about her time away that she had not told her. As a matter of fact, her time away was still a blank page to the doctor despite the fact that Lauren had spilled every detail of her trip… mostly.

The two turned to the sound of dogs barking, "There's the Champion now."

Lauren nodded, folding her arms across her chest, her mind filled with thoughts of what Bo was hiding about her time away… if anything. Why wouldn't she talk to her about where she was and what had happened there?

She followed LJ into the barn where Bo had driven her team. Once inside, they set about getting the dogs fed and into their kennels before Kyle came out,

"Hey! You're back! So… what did you think?"

"Two thumbs up. What did the engineer say about stability with how thin we've made the frame?"

"He's confident in where we've placed the reinforcing braces, but remember that he hasn't run a sled in the races you have, so it's definitely going to require some additional testing before the race."

"Well, the speed test was a big success. Tomorrow I'll run the stress test. Might as well bust it up early on in the process if it's going to break."

Lauren cleared her throat. Bo turned and saw the blonde standing, head down, arms crossed, leaning against a kennel post kicking at the dirt. She didn't look up, she didn't speak. Bo turned back to Kyle,

"LJ, can you help me put the sled in the back of my truck?" she turned to Kyle, "I'll shoot you a text if I have any problems. If you don't hear from me, we'll move on to the next tests."

Kyle nodded, "Okay. I'm going to close up here a bit early. Tamsin and I are meeting up with Shannon and Carolyn for dinner at Kenzi's before Shannon has to go back to the hospital. You guys are welcome to join if you'd like."

Bo looked up at Lauren who was now standing at the barn door, staring out across the snowy landscape. She turned back to Kyle,

"We're going to do our own thing. We really haven't had much alone time together since we got back, so we planned on a quiet evening of catching up. Raincheck?"

Kyle nodded, "Of course." She paused, "Is she okay?"

"I was supposed to be at the clinic more than thirty minutes ago. She had a really long twenty-four hours, so I'm sure she's really tired. I should have told her I was taking the dogs out so we wouldn't have to come into town tomorrow."

"Honestly, I thought you were coming in tomorrow."

Bo nodded, "If it's okay with you, I need a day or two. I'll be doing short runs with the team, but just need a little more time to prioritize my life and the race."

"I've got her covered, Kyle." LJ interjected, "Michael is handling the store tomorrow, so I'll be here for the full day."

Kyle nodded, "It's just that… well, I planned a meeting with that client who has been asking to meet with Bo directly about a sled."

Bo shook her head, "Kyle, I'm not running a fan club here. Buying a sled from our business doesn't come with guaranteed sit-down time with me. You need to set him straight. If he won't take no for an answer, I'll be happy to talk to him so that I can explain that you are just as knowledgeable – if not more so – than I am."

Kyle looked shocked, "You really feel that way?"

"You seriously have to ask? Kyle, you're the resident expert on all things sledding for everyone who lines the Anchorage-Talkeetna corridor. You've been helping me tune my sled and pick gear for my teams for almost a decade now. I've been sending people to you for sledding lessons for years – hell, I even sent you Lauren."

"Accidentally."

"I still sent her to you. So, you tell that guy…"

"I can give him your number?" She begged.

"No – absolutely not, but you can text me his and I'll give him a call if that's what has to happen. Just know that I'm willing to lose a sale over this. You're my business partner – my expert, not my employee."

Kyle offered a smile and a nod as she stood up just a little bit taller at Bo's words. She picked up her phone, "Sending it right now. Give him a call before ten tomorrow. That's when he said he was leaving home so that I would know what time to have you here."

"He said that?"

"Like I said, Bo, the pressure from some of the clients who want us to build their sleds has been ridiculous."

"Yea, well we don't do business that way. Our hours are our hours and whoever is working at the time is who the customer deals with. If he's looking to say to his friends that his sled was made by my hands, I'm going to disappoint him just to spite his sorry ass."

"Bo, let's not alienate our customers."

"Okay, so how about I don't call him, you can tell him I promised I'd be here, then you can call and put me on the phone with him. I'll tell him my Mom is sick, my girlfriend just got back after four months away, I've got four construction projects going on and one is a hospital that our town needs. Geezus, where is this guy from anyway?"

"He's from New York."

Bo laughed, "Figures. So, he's leaving at ten in the morning?"

Kyle shook her head, "No, he's staying down at Shirley's in Anchorage. He's some big wig with one of the cruise lines."

Bo shook her head, "Great. Let's build him a sled now so the idiot can go out and get himself killed on it tomorrow… and I'm kidding."

"Sounds like a good idea to me." Kyle replied, "You haven't been dealing with this a-hole for months on end."

"I'm sorry, Kyle. How do you want to handle him?"

"I agree with letting him come to the store. I'll call you when he gets here. Maybe you'll have some time to talk to him on speakerphone? Just tell him you're on a very strict training schedule and won't be back into the store until after your post-race vacation."

"I'm taking a post-race vacation?"

Kyle leaned in a whispered, "I'm hoping you'll be on a honeymoon."

Bo nodded, looking at Lauren, "A girl can dream. Right now, I'll be lucky if she'll talk to me."

She turned to Kyle, "Look, I've really gotta go if I don't want to end up single."

Kyle nodded, "Me too. LJ and I will close up."

"Thanks for your patience." Bo replied, "I promise I'll be back to work later this week."

"You know, I talked to Tamsin about it and she reminded me that I would still be a one-store owner without the money you sunk into this place – and your name. I'm supposed to run the store – that was our agreement. I'm sorry for coming down on you earlier. It was out of line."

Bo shook her head, "I did promise to be around."

"Well, you showed up when I needed you. Now you're going so you still have a fiancé. Go."

Bo nodded, waving LJ to her. They lifted the sled and carried it out to the bed of the truck before saying their goodbyes. Lauren gave LJ a hug and then got into the truck with Bo before they drove off.

Kyle turned to LJ, "In the doghouse already and it's been less than three days."

"They'll work it out."

"I know they will." Kyle smiled, watching the truck drive away.

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"So, are you going to tell me which mistake that I just made you're the maddest about?"

Lauren sighed, "I'm just tired, Bo. I'm worried about Thea and I'm tired."

"I missed you." Bo said, reaching out and placing her hand on Lauren's.

Lauren was also too tired to hold back, "Did you miss me enough to tell me what you're keeping from me?"

"Keeping from you?" Bo asked.

Lauren turned in her seat to face the brunette, "Why won't you tell me about where you were and what happened? I told you all about where I was."

"I thought we would talk about your trip first and then we'd talk about mine. What do you want to know?"

"Honestly, I think I'm too tired to listen. My sleep schedule is all out of whack and…"

"Lauren, it's okay. Listen, nothing happened while I was away. I promise. Do you want to lay your head down until we get home?"

The blonde nodded, putting her seatbelt behind her and laying her head down on Bo's lap. The brunette flipped the shade down and pulled out the sea sounds CD that Doctor Gray had given her and popped it into the player. The cab of the truck was immediately filled with the sounds of waves on the shore.

"Mmmm… sounds like my beach house." Lauren whispered.

"I thought you might like it." Bo smiled, taking a peek down at the blonde before looking back up at the road. They traveled quietly, the brunette stroking Lauren's hair while they both relaxed to the calming sounds. About ten minutes into the drive, Bo was surprised to hear the doctor's voice,

"Bo?"

"Yes?"

"If you had slept with someone else while you were away, would you tell me?"

"I wouldn't want to hurt you, but if you asked me, yes I would."

Lauren was quiet for a moment, but held her breath and asked, "Did you sleep with someone while you were away?"

"No."

"No?"

"No."

Lauren sat up, looking at Bo, "Tell me. Please?"

"I honestly did not sleep with anyone, Lauren."

"But something… happened. I can tell. Am I right?"

Bo sighed, "There's a story that leads to that something but I promise you, I did nothing to betray us."

Lauren nodded, "Tell me."

Bo sighed, "Scout – my new friend – he is a member of the Han people of the Yukon."

"The man who almost bled to death at the race?"

Bo nodded, "Yes. Anyway, the Han people… they have a tradition – an oath of sorts – that if someone saves their life, they must dedicate themselves to that person until they are able to return the favor. They are duty bound until that time to provide for your every need."

"Every need?" Lauren asked.

"That's what I'm told." Bo replied.

"Oh God. You slept with that old man to fulfill your sexual desires?" Lauren asked.

"Hey! He's in his forties. That's hardly an old man and no, did you not hear me when I said I did not sleep with anyone? And I definitely did not sleep with him, Lauren!"

Lauren sighed, "Sorry."

"He's a kind man and we've become very close. He's a sort of friend and mentor… I mean, as much as he can be considering he's sort of duty bound to me. I'm not sure how much is because of this oath and how much is real… which kind of bothers me a little. Anyway, the race is not the first time he was injured. I met him in a similar situation. His team was dragging him, we caught up to them, Nike and Diana took hold of the snapped line in their teeth and pulled them to a stop. The girls were amazing, Lauren. I wish you could have seen them. I was so proud of my team."

Bo sighed, "Anyway, I traveled until I finally found a village to get him treatment. The village turned out to be his. He had been missing for days. He was in bad shape, so at first, he couldn't live up to his oath to me for saving his life. In their tradition, the next of kin must follow through. His sister, her name is Storm, was the one to stand in. She was… insistent… in providing for my every need – and I do mean every need."

"From your tone, I take it she was an older woman as well?"

Bo shook her head, "No. She was only a few years older than us and very attractive."

"So, she was the one." Lauren said, the corners of her mouth dropping as her eyes began to fill with tears.

Bo pulled the truck to a stop and turned to face the blonde, placing a hand on her cheek,

"Lauren, I told you that I didn't sleep with anyone, and I meant it. I will be honest with you. She was pretty persistent, and she did manage to plant a kiss on my mouth when I wasn't expecting it. She literally stripped down in front of me and offered, but I grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around her. I was flattered… and disturbed… then… very upset."

"Because you considered it?"

Bo shook her head, "It wasn't like that. It was just… well, in some strange way, she reminded me of you. I mean, you were absolutely nothing alike and yet I couldn't get you out of my head. It was the night where everything just clicked for me. I almost turned around and came home right then and there, but I knew I had to stay and figure out what it was that was making me feel so drawn to you."

"You mean to her?" Lauren asked.

"Lauren, stop trying to twist this into something it isn't. I'm serious when I say to you – it was like she was sent to me as a sign. She felt like the yin to your yang – even though I was pretty sure her spirit wasn't evil or dark. Her hair and skin were dark where yours are not. Strangely enough, her eyes were light green while yours are big and brown. I didn't know why at the time, but she was key in revealing to me all of the good that you possess and how you are the light in my life. I just… I wanted you and I told her that… repeatedly."

"So does that mean she tried more than once?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "As I said, she was insistent but so was I, Lauren. I wanted to leave that first night, but my dogs had run over two hundred miles that day and I couldn't risk hurting them. The next morning I spent with the village elders who explained the oath and why it was important that Scout be permitted to complete his duty. The longer I stayed, the more I learned about what a true native community should be and… well, honestly… who I am. They helped me, Lauren. They helped me more than I can say. Scout has become a very important person and I was not about to let Storm ruin that for me. She's just… well, honestly… I think somehow, she may blame me for… something."

"Something?"

Bo nodded, "Do you remember last year when you explained the meaning of the phrase 'it's a small world'? Well, that applies with me and Storm. Apparently there's history in her life that connects to mine."

Lauren sighed, shaking her head, "Your Father?"

Bo gave a slight nod and put the truck in gear, "We'll talk about that later, okay?"

Nodding the doctor lowered her head to Bo's lap once more, "Thank you for sharing that with me."

Bo nodded, "You're welcome. I promise, I'll tell you all about my time away – anything you want to know. You've dealt with enough broken hearts today. You have my word that I will not be the cause of another, so please believe me when I say, I honored our relationship, Lauren… I honored you."

The cab of the truck grew silent with only the sounds of the ocean coming from the stereo. Bo stroked Lauren's hair as she drove down the snowy road to The Homestead. She was grateful that she was able to get that off her chest but had a feeling Lauren felt she was lying. If so, that was something Lauren would have to work through. For her part, Bo was going to have to move past the hurt she felt that the blonde may think she would lie to her.

They were home and back together, but it seemed there was still a bag or two to be unpacked and sorted.

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