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?

41. Chapter 41: Iditarod, Part 2

A/N: This is the second chapter in a two-chapter post, so be sure you've read Chapter 40 before reading this one!

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Chapter 41: Iditarod, Part 2

Bo awoke to the sound of Harper's bark and a tree branch cracking under the weight of the heavy snow. The closest tree was about two hundred yards away, but the echo made it seem it was right over her head. She looked at her canine friend,

"I know. Loud, huh? Weird how sound carries out here," she looked around, "Here. Where is here?"

She looked around, finding her journal at her feet, with the wrappers of what looked like four protein bars sticking out from under her boot, a first aid kit next to her on the sled bench and a piece of thread hanging outside of her pants that was apparently attached to her leg,

"Damn. That hurts."

She tied the surgical knots needed to finish the suturing job, hoping the frozen suture material would hold, then stood, stiff and sore. She was, however, more worried over the confusion she felt. She knew it was likely hypothermia from falling asleep in frigid temperatures while sitting exposed on the bench, her head on the icy handrail of the sled.

She hadn't intended to fall asleep, and she knew better than to put her head down when she was tired but her guess about being anemic from blood loss must have been right. This was more than just fatigue. She was lucky to be awake.

"Stupid, Bo. Really, really super stupid."

She was making mistakes which only solidified her decision to take at least the mandatory eight-hour rest at Nikolai. If Lauren was there and off duty, she would probably do the twenty-four and let her do some serious work on her thigh. She was beginning to give in to the pain, but she had no choice but to keep going. There was nowhere for her to camp with the dogs that did not leave them exposed. She knew, however, during their next sleep break, that she would pull out the shelter Kyle had developed for situations just like this.

She took in as much food and water as she could manage given the nausea that was starting to set in, then pushed on to finish the second section of the Rohn to Nikolai trail. It wasn't much longer before they would be on to the final section from Burn to Sullivan Creek and then another twenty miles to Nikolai.

Bo pressed forward, thinking only of her team being bedded down in the areas around the school and village public works building. Those structures always served to shelter them from the winds of the area. She didn't hope for hot water, since it wasn't always available, but she looked forward to a large campfire and buckets of hot water to bathe in. She would hope for a spare bed upstairs and a spot in the boiler room to hand wash and dry the many layers of clothing she wore.

Her thoughts flashed through images of the boiler room last year… Muk lying on the table with an I.V. in his leg and a bandaged gunshot wound on his side. Even now, the vision of it was heartbreaking for Bo. Looking at him now – running well, head up, ears at attention – Muk was in his element out here on the trail. It was the right decision to include him with his canine sisters this year. Her lone male who never left Jenna's side. She wondered…

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NIKOLAI CHECKPOINT

Lauren pulled off her gloves, mask and gown before pulling on her gear and exiting the tent. Putting her hands on her low back, she stretched, turning her head to the sky before deciding she was hungry. She had no idea when she'd last had anything to eat. She stretched her arms out to the sides, taking a deep breath and releasing it before setting off down the trail.

She thought about her schedule. She had the next two days off after which time, she would report back to the same tent and again await Bo's return. Simple enough to remember… simple enough to bore her out of her mind. Maybe she would take her girls out for a short ride after she ate. This race seemed to bring out the musher in her, but she would not want to be running this course this year.

More mushers than usual were having their struggles, but Lauren hadn't realized that until she arrived at Nikolai. Bo had always told her that the area from Rohn to this checkpoint was the worst, but the thought of having to do it twice this year was causing some mushers to drop out of the race early, complaining about the decision of the race officials. Apparently, there was a lot of ice and ice flows on the course and ice was tough on canine feet which, in turn, meant more peddling for mushers to keep the sleds on the trail.

Of course, Lauren didn't know if their complaints were valid. She had never run the course, but she did know that Kyle, Mark and Tosh had all expressed concerns about having to repeat the most difficult parts of this course at the one time in the race when mushers are physically and mentally exhausted. They felt mistakes would be made… dangerous mistakes.

While Lauren knew that bad things happen in any adventure-style race, she certainly didn't want more tragedy at the Iditarod with the current scrutiny they were experiencing.

She headed up to the Public Building where she knew there were hot meals waiting for the volunteer medical staff. She smiled politely at everyone in the room, ignoring the whispers and pointed fingers. There were likely two topics of conversation about her.

First, the fact that word was likely spreading that she was with Bo Dennis – which of course, could create any number of subtopics – or second, the hospital. She'd accepted eight electronic applications today, one of them actually asking for an interview while she was attempting to reset a broken tibia.

She decided to take her warm food outside and find a back porch where she could sit in silence and await Bo's arrival. The only thing they seemed to know for sure was that she would be stopping – at least for a little while, possibly eight hours. Whatever it was, she would take it. Anything to be around someone she felt normal with.

She was almost at the exit when a tall, blonde woman with her hair up in a bun approached her,

"Doctor Lewis? Doctor Lauren Lewis?"

"Yes. Um… the medical tent is…"

"Oh, I don't need a doctor. What I mean is, I don't need to see a doctor. I just need to talk to one. Well, to you actually."

Lauren gave a half smile, hoping to find a graceful way out of the conversation, but as if sensing her discomfort, the woman continued,

"I really don't want to interrupt your meal. Can we talk when you're finished?"

Lauren's smile grew, "Yes. Are you here for the race?"

The woman shook her head, "No, I'm just here to see you… from Minnesota."

"Excuse me?"

She extended her hand, then finding it awkward that Lauren didn't have a free hand to shake, "Sorry. It's okay. I'm Doctor Everleigh Freeman of the Freeman Clinic in Minnesota."

"You flew here from Minnesota just to see me?"

The woman smiled, "Actually, I drove. I hate planes… and trains… anything with an engine, really but driving a sled to Alaska wouldn't be… well, it's just not feasible so," she pointed to the parking lot out the window, "I brought my big red pick-up truck."

Lauren smiled, "That truck made it all the way here?"

"Hey! Don't hate on the truck! It's a classic. My dad and I rebuilt the engine a few years back. She purrs like a kitten… okay, so she sounds more like a Harley, but she got me here and I'm confident she'll get me back."

"I hate to sound disrespectful of your way of life, but why on earth would you drive all that way in… a beautiful classic truck just to see me?"

Everleigh pointed to Lauren's meal, "We'll talk after you eat while that's still warm."

Lauren smiled, nodding toward the buffet, "Well, why don't you grab one of those tinfoil pouches and a hot… something to drink and meet me on the back porch? We can talk while we eat."

"Working lunch. I like it."

"So, this is work talk?"

Everleigh shrugged, "With a bit of story time built in."

Lauren nodded, "My curiosity is peaked. See you out back."

Everleigh watched as Lauren headed for the door before she rushed to the table, grabbed a warm tinfoil-wrapped meal, a set of bamboo utensils and a cup of coffee before rushing out to meet Lauren,

"Finally, I've got a meeting with the great Doctor Lauren Lewis."

As luck would have it, Bo's team trucks pulled up in the parking lot just as Lauren placed her coffee on the porch by her foot and opened the tinfoil to see a nice piece of meat, some potatoes and broccoli. She stuck her fork into a piece of broccoli and smiled, whispering to herself,

"I feel healthier already."

"Lauren! Lauren!" she heard Elise shout followed by, Rudy,

"You're never gonna guess what happened! You're never gonna guess!"

The two sat on the porch in front of her and immediately, it began,

"Whatcha eating? Is that caribou or reindeer meat? We had fish! Really, really good salmon!" Elise said excitedly but before Lauren could answer, Rudy chimed in,

"We saw a Bison! A real, living, walking Bison!"

"Actually, there were a bunch of them! They were near… what's that trail… Buffalo something?"

Again, Lauren tried to answer, but Rudy continued,

"We have signs for Bo! WE made her signs so that if she just blows on past us again, she can at least see our signs! That's cool, right?"

Lauren opened her mouth, but Elise continued,

"We bought glitter markers so even if it's nighttime when she comes, she can see the letters shining when her headlamp hits them! Cool, huh?"

Lauren only nodded, deciding she might as well eat and listen.

"Who's she? Is she a race doctor too?"

Lauren turned to her left to see Everleigh standing, holding her food. She nodded towards the chair beside her, finished chewing her food and then made the introductions,

"Girls, this is Doctor Everleigh Freeman from Minnesota. Everleigh, this is Rudy Dennis and Elise Morton."

Everleigh smiled politely, "It's very nice to meet you Rudy and Elise."

"You're really from Minnesota?" Rudy asked.

"Yes I am."

"There's mushers here from Minnesota too! Are you a musher?" Rudy asked.

Everleigh smiled, "I drive a sled to work every day during the winter, but I don't race sleds or raise dogs other than the team and a half I have in my barn kennel."

Elise nodded, "That's cool too. Rudy and I take a sled to school in the morning when we're at her house if Lauren isn't going to the hospital and Bo isn't going into town."

"My mom goes with us since… well, since a bear tried to eat me a few months ago."

Lauren smiled, "He didn't try to eat you, Rudy. He was just trying to…"

"Protect his family so he was at least trying to kill me. But Molly killed him first."

"Oh, my," Everleigh said.

"Molly's my mom. Well, my adopted mom. My real mom and dad died from the plague last year."

"Rudy! Elise! Come on, girls! Play time is over. You've got chores to do!" Molly yelled as she walked towards the truck with the backup dogs, "These kids need water and feed!"

"That's Molly. She killed the bear that tried to eat me. Gotta go!"

Elise nodded, "Nice to meet you!"

Lauren laughed, shaking her head as the two rushed through the deeper snow towards the parking lot.

"Well, they're… energetic."

"Yes, like two tiny tornadoes. They are also brilliant, fun, beautiful and just wonderful to have around. They're a constant reminder of everything that's possible and everything that's right with the world."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. Now, how can I help you?" Lauren asked as she balled up the foil pouch and tossed it into the trashcan at the corner of the porch, "Two points."

"Nice shot," Everleigh quipped.

"I have my moments," Lauren smiled, picking up her coffee and taking a sip as she leaned back into the chair to relax.

Everleigh opened her bag and pulled out a folder, handing it to Lauren, "I have a patient… she's homeless."

Lauren's body stiffened and her heart sank when she saw the picture of a young boy who couldn't be more than twelve. She flipped the photo back and began to read Everleigh's notes,

"I'll let you read through the chart and then I'll give you the backstory."

Lauren nodded, taking the next several minutes to read through everything.

Meanwhile, out at the trucks, the team had gathered to discuss what Bo would need at this point and the steps for caring for Harper.

"Elise and I can handle Harper!" Rudy shouted.

Mary smiled and raised a hand, "And I will welcome their help as well as a veterinarian who can have a proper look at her. Do we know if Dr. San will be coming to this checkpoint?"

LJ nodded, "Kurt is flying her back here after they drop off the escapees that we caught earlier in the race."

Mary nodded, "Do we know about what time that will be?"

Again, LJ responded, "Maybe another twenty minutes? I'll send off a text to Kelly and ask."

"Thank you, Child."

"Where is Lauren? Shouldn't we have her input?"

Rudy raised her hand, "She's eating dinner with some doctor friend."

"A doctor friend?" Carolyn asked.

"Yea," Elise said, "She's from Minnesota."

Carolyn looked at Shannon and then back at Elise and Rudy, "Was her name Everleigh Freeman?"

Rudy nodded, "Doctor Evley Freeman."

Carolyn turned to Shannon, "This is NOT happening! I told her!"

"Lynnie, stay calm…"

"I will NOT stay calm! Get Stephen on the phone!"

"Lynnie!" Shannon shouted, but her partner did not turn back, instead just shouting,

"Get Stephen on the phone now!"

Rudy and Elise looked up at Shannon, Rudy asking, "Why is Lynnie mad?"

Shannon looked at Mary, shaking her head before she walked away from the group to call Stephen.

"Momma? Why is Lynnie mad?"

Mary looked towards the back porch, then to Kate and Anna, "Maybe one of you should go over there?"

Kate nodded to Anna who turned to Mary, "I'll go. If Bo comes…"

"We'll keep her busy, but do not let Lauren leave." Molly said, "It is imperative that she be here when Bo arrives."

Anna nodded, "Understood."

They all watched as Anna walked away. When Rudy and Elise turned to Mary to ask a question, she shook her head,

"You have work to do, Children. Let the adults handle the adult matters and you take care of what matters most to you."

"But Lauren matters most to us!" Rudy begged.

Mary nodded, "I am aware of how much you both love Lauren, but she needs help from Lynnie and Anna right now because her problems have to do with her work. Your work is caring for those dogs that the two of you have been helping to raise to be the next great champions."

Rudy and Elise both looked at the porch where Lynnie was pointing a finger, then back to each other before Elise turned to Mary,

"Are you sure she doesn't need us? She's my guardian angel. I have to watch out for her too."

Mary looked at Molly, confused, so Molly smiled at her daughter and replied, "You take care of what Bo needs taken care of because that's what Lauren needs most right now."

"She does?"

Molly smiled, "Well, Lauren loves Bo and Bo loves her dogs, so if the adults are taking care of Lauren, you need to take care of Bo's dogs, right?"

Elise nodded, "Oh. I think I understand."

"Me too," Rudy said, "But you promise if she needs hugs from us, you'll come and get us?"

Molly nodded, "We will."

Mary sighed as LJ lifted the two into the truck. They headed down the aisle of the stacked kennels with LJ right behind them,

"So, do you want to do food and water first or change the blankets?"

Rudy reached into Elektra's cage, "They feel cold. I think we have to turn on the heaters tonight."

LJ nodded, "We'll turn those on after they eat. Remember, they get warmer after eating and exercising."

The girls nodded, "Food first. They eat, they exercise, they drink, they peepee and poo, then we put them back and cover them up."

Elise nodded, "But don't forget you have to be out there for Bo."

LJ smiled, "Another thirty minutes, Roo. Don't forget. Anna and Kate will help us out here and my Uncle Mark will come over once they check Bo's sled."

"Do you think Anna will be done helping Lauren by then?" Elise asked.

LJ nodded, "I know she will be, because Lauren needs to be there for Bo too."

"Right." Elise nodded as the three set to work feeding the dogs.

Back on the porch, things were getting a bit heated,

"No, Lauren. I specifically told her that you were not taking cardiac patients right now. This is completely unprofessional! I cannot believe you are entertaining the idea of doing this surgery for her!"

Anna placed a hand on Carolyn's shoulder, "May I ask what the problem is?"

Everleigh was quick to respond, "I've been calling Doctor Lewis for over a month now and this woman has been telling me she's unavailable. Talk about unprofessional! When a doctor calls another doctor, it's common courtesy for that doctor to respond! Not be cast off by some receptionist!"

"Hey!" Lynnie began, but Lauren held up a hand and Carolyn held her tongue.

Lauren turned to the visiting doctor, "First, it would be inappropriate for you to refer to the Chief of Nursing at our hospital as a receptionist. She is my top surgical nurse who agreed to take a non-surgical position as my personal assistant four years ago. She resumed even greater duties at our hospital to handle all staffing issues. She has been involved in every aspect of my professional life and this hospital from the time we began construction to the time we opened our doors. That said, I do demand that you show her the respect she deserves as a hard-working medical professional, position not withstanding."

"Thank you, Doctor Lewis," Carolyn said, taking a calming breath.

Lauren nodded at Lynnie, "You're welcome, Nurse Donahue."

Turning back to her guest, Lauren addressed the doctor, "While this case is tragic, my Nurse is correct. I am not currently doing surgeries and do not have plans to return to cardiothoracic medicine."

"But…"

Lauren held up a hand, "You don't know me. You only know of my name, reputation and what you have read about my procedures in medical journals, correct?"

"Well, yes but…"

"I understand that you've come a long way – by truck, no less – but that was your choice."

"Excuse me?"

Anna stepped forward, "Lauren, if I may?"

Lauren hesitated for a moment, but waved Anna onto the porch,

"Doctor Lewis has made a personal decision to leave the field of Cardiothoracic medicine. It can't be stated any more plainly than that. She is no longer a practicing heart surgeon. So, while I'm sure she would be willing to consult with you about your patient, she is unable to do so at this very moment."

"Why? I have a patient dying in a hospital bed back in Minnesota and her hands can save her! But instead, she's going to stand here and watch dog sleds race? She has an obligation…"

"Stop! Stop right there!" Shannon said as she walked briskly to the porch, "My name is Shannon McCarthy and I am Lauren's Chief Cardiothoracic surgical nurse. Now, I would be happy to fly to Minnesota and help you through the procedure that you can read in any medical journal. I would also be happy to give you the list of doctors that Lauren is referring patients to…"

She stepped closer to the doctor, "But what I will not do, Everleigh, is allow you to stand here and belittle a woman who has left the field of cardiothoracic surgery better than when she entered it. She has given surgeons like you all of the tools and procedures you could possibly need to save your patients all by yourself,"

She leaned in further, "The fact that you are standing here rather than doing the procedure for yourself proves that you either don't belong in cardiothoracic surgery or should be shipping your patient off to one of the numerous hospitals in the Lewis-Archer Foundation conglomerate."

"This is a homeless kid with no insurance and no family! She has a right to the same care that Dr. Lewis' rich patients can afford!"

"You did NOT just say that!" Carolyn shouted as Shannon said, "You better step back!"

"Ladies, let's keep things professional," Anna suggested, stepping between the three women.

Lauren put up a hand, "Wealth has never stopped me from treating patients – no matter what their background or ability to pay. If you had read about me like you said, you would know that. My guess is you read the social media message boards and made assumptions about me based on the family I have not been associated with in over a decade."

"Okay. Maybe that's true but…"

"No buts," Lauren replied, standing, "Now… you have been rude and unprofessional. You have pushed your way into a part of my life that no longer exists. I, however, will never be rude and unprofessional because I'm better than that. I will make a call to…"

"I've already called Stephen," Shannon said.

"Excuse me for a moment," Lauren said, pulling Shannon from the group, "What did he say?"

"He thinks that by the time she can get him here, he'll have Dala or the Cardio docs in Anchorage and Seattle who you mentored."

Lauren shook her head, "Who do we have that could do the surgery closer to Minnesota? I know her type, Shannie, but we have to think of that little boy. Are you willing to read the chart and find her a doctor? I think when you read everything, you'll understand why I don't want to put him on a plane."

"Fine," Shannie said reluctantly, "But you better take Carolyn with you where she's out of the line of fire or I'm going to kick the shit out of this woman. She has been harassing Lynnie since the day you took your leave. Kate offered to talk to this chick twice, but she said she didn't want to talk to 'Lauren's assistant' as if she was something from beneath my fingernails."

Lauren sighed, "Privilege."

Shannon nodded, "I knew it the minute I saw her name. I'm glad you didn't turn out like her."

Lauren smiled, pulling out her phone. A quick google search told her all she needed to know. She held it up to Shannon for her to have a quick look, then stuck it back into her pocket,

"Be sure she knows that I know exactly who she is. I can't be unprofessional. It would damage the reputation of the hospital, but what happens off hospital grounds at a sled race is hardly a place where the professional lines have to be completely straight and narrow."

"So, I can just be myself?"

Lauren smiled, "It's the best version of you that I know… just speak professionally about that little boy."

"Understood."

Lauren turned back to the doctor, "I hope things work out for your patient, Doctor. There are kids all over the globe with bad tickers and I wish that I had been able to save them all. The reality is, I'm only one doctor and the best use of my time at this point is to teach as many doctors as I can to learn the techniques and procedures I have come to use in my work. Those who have worked beside me and now use…" she cringed, "…my method have learned to create their own unique tools and strategies. The bottom line is, sometimes you have to color outside the lines to save your patient."

She smiled, thinking of Bo, "You never know when a piece of tubing and an old pump from a car might save a life. Now, if you don't mind, I'm actually contracted to watch the mushers driving the dogs in this race. I've had several cases that required hospitalization at this point. Maybe you'll one day volunteer your hands and knowledge for free one day so that you too can help the humans element in this race. As you said, you are a musher in your own right, after all. Good day."

She turned and locked her arm into Anna's stepping off the porch and heading out front to wait for Bo. Anna chuckled,

"Well, look at you, Doctor Lewis. Standing up for yourself and stuff."

"I did, didn't I?" Lauren said as she realized she had just said the word no, albeit in a very wordy way, "Damn that felt good. For the first time in my life, I feel free."

"I'm very happy for you, Lauren," Anna said, patting Lauren's hand as they leaned against each other, "And I'm proud of you. You should be proud of yourself."

"You know, I think I am," the doctor grinned.

Meanwhile, Shannon and Carolyn stepped towards Everleigh,

Carolyn crossed her arms over her chest, "You know, it's a good thing I'm not the doctor. I would have kicked your ass to the curb. Don't you ever speak ill of Lauren Lewis. She's got more class in the tip of her right pinky toe than you've got in your entire body. You have no idea what she's been through and the pressure that has been put on her to save lives her entire life. You had no right to come here and pressure her into a surgery. None!"

Shannon smirked, cocking her hip, "I suppose you just couldn't help yourself… all privileged and wealthy. I'll bet you're used to getting what you want, huh? Well, now we're going to tell you what Lauren Lewis is willing to do for you and trust us when we say, your patient will get what they need even though YOU aren't getting what you want."

Carolyn leaned in, "If you're struggling in your career, check that mirror, sweetheart, because my guess is that reflection is reflecting all sorts of things to everyone around you… and they're not good things."

"Whatever," she replied.

Shannon shook her head, "Wow. You just don't get it. Do you even care about this little boy?"

"Of course, I do!"

"Rescuing the needy of society to make yourself feel better?" Shannon laughed.

"What would you know about the needy of society?"

Carolyn laughed, "Where a person started and where they are now are often two very different places. Sometimes they can lift themselves up all by themselves and don't need a wealthy socialite doctor to help them get there."

Shannon took chart from the doctors' hand and began to read, "He can't be transported here."

"That's not your decision."

"Doctor Freeman, I am simply agreeing with Doctor Lewis," she pointed at the chart, "Here, here, here… three reasons that child shouldn't be put on a plane. The altitude will kill him – likely with blood clots. Oxygen saturation would plummet because you can't carry oxygen canisters in the cabin of a plane. They're combustible… among other things."

She handed the chart to Carolyn, "I'm thinking Lauren's buddy in Madison?"

Carolyn reviewed the chart while Shannon picked up the phone and called Stephen,

"Hey Shannon. We're in the truck that Tosh sent for us. We should be there in about fifteen minutes. Did Bo come in yet?"

Shannon shook her head, "She's didn't. You've got time. Now, about that case?"

"Your socialite doctor?"

"Yea and that is the case, so you can imagine how Lauren feels. This kid is homeless and has no family. Cardiomyopathy is the diagnosis – advanced and untreated. He's in Minnesota. He was found by the police hiding out in a church basement. He's been at the hospital ever since but it looks like they've done everything they can for him without health insurance. They're moving him into the foster system next week. Stephen, we can't let that happen."

"I know, Shannon. But his location rules out any of us helping him."

Shannon nodded, "Lynnie and I are thinking Lauren's college buddy in Madison."

"Wisconsin? That's not such a bad hop. I mean, they can transport him by ambulance, right?"

Shannon turned to the doctor, "How close is he to Madison, Wisconsin?"

"St. Paul is about four hours from there," The doctor replied.

Shannon nodded, "Four hours by ambulance."

"The Foundation can cover that cost," he said, "Hold please."

Hearing Stephen talking to Betsy, she held, knowing they had something in the works. She could hear that Betsy had picked up her phone to call someone and Stephen put her on hold for a moment before she finally had a live person again,

"Shannon, it's Betsy. I've called Penelope to see who she has on the charity list. She seems to think we have a charitable donor in St. Paul and she's also checking on Madison, though she's not feeling good about that area. There are professors at the college that Stephen knows, but as you know, teaching doesn't exactly rake in enough bucks for doctors to donate to surgical candidates. Hold on a second…"

Shannon held again.

"… Stephen wants to know if he's on the transplant list."

Shannon turned to the doctor, "You've registered him on the transplant list?"

The doctor nodded.

"Yes, he's on the list."

"Great." Betsy said, "Okay, we're all set. We're pulling into the parking lot right now. See you in a few minutes to square everything away."

Shannon checked her watch. She had five minutes to be standing by Rudy's side. She turned to the doctor,

"I have to get to my team duty. Those two people coming towards us… the big guy is waving… they are going to make this happen for your patient. Nurse Donahue, do you mind hanging here to be sure all of the dots and crosses are handled?"

"I'd be happy to, Nurse McCarthy," Carolyn winked.

"Thank you, Nurse Donahue," Shannon said before planting a firm kiss on Shannie's lips.

She dropped the folder into her hands and turned to the doctor, "I sincerely hope your patient gets the best possible care."

"Well, we all know that isn't going to happen," Everleigh mumbled.

With that smug remark, Carolyn stayed, making sure Shannie wouldn't do or say anything she'd regret,

"You're right, Everleigh. It won't happen if you don't grow the hell up and start doing the things you have to do to save your patients. Neither you nor the world can expect Lauren Lewis to save every patient."

She shook her head, "If they choose to, doctors can always get better… you can be better. So can nurses. We can all always get better. I learned that from Lauren Lewis. If you stop pouting because you didn't get your way and realize that the learning and studying doesn't end just because you graduated from medical school, you'd be capable of doing this surgery on your own by now."

Stephen and Betsy walked to the porch. Shannon shook her head and turned to the couple,

"Doctor Stephen Archer and Professor Betsy Carnegie, meet Doctor Everleigh Freeman."

Betsy and Stephen shared a glance as Betsy reached out and shook the doctor's hand, "Are you the daughter of Stanley and Beatrice Freeman?"

"Uh… yes, I am. Are you of the New York Carnegies?"

"Yes, I am," Betsy replied.

"And you're Doctor… I mean, you're Doctor Lewis' mentor, right? It's an honor."

Carolyn couldn't stop herself from bursting out laughing. She shook her head, trying to stop, but she just couldn't,

"Wow. Lauren gets belittled and he's… an honor? Wow."

Ignoring Carolyn, the doctor began, "Are you going to do my patients' surgery?"

Stephen shook his head, "I've only come out of retirement to cover Dr. Lewis' duties here until she is finished handling the construction of our new trauma center. Then I will be retiring again so that Betsy and I can travel and watch the northern lights from our porch each night. I'm training a new generation of surgeons with Lauren both through journal articles and virtual sessions."

"It's a shame the two of you are bowing out of the game."

Stephen scowled, "Heart surgery is not a game, Doctor Freeman and performing such surgeries when you do not have the desire and stamina to do so anymore puts your patient and the hospital at risk. It's a professional and responsible choice to recognize when it's time to take down your shingle."

"If we could, I've got to get to the checkpoint," Shannon interrupted, "And I'm sure Doctor Freeman wants to get back on the road to take care of her patient."

"Road? You drove here?" Betsy asked.

Shannon nodded, "Yes, yes. Very impressive. Let's move on."

Carolyn could tell that Shannon was at her wits end with this doctor, so she stepped in, "

"Shannie, why don't you head down to the checkpoint so one of us isn't late. I'll get this handled as soon as possible so that Stephen and Betsy can see Bo before she blows through."

Shannon nodded and walked away as Betsy began, "The reason I asked about your parents is because they are an Archer-Lewis Foundation Donor. They've agreed to fund your patients' surgery."

The doctor frowned, "I didn't want them involved."

Betsy shrugged, "Your patients' needs come first, Doctor. Your parents are donating to the foundation. They are not aware you are the doctor. The foundation pays the bills, not your parents. This is how we are helping patients nationwide get the procedures they are not wealthy or privileged enough to have. This is how Lauren is using her wealth. How are you using yours?"

Stephen shook his head, "If you wish us to walk away now, we will. This offer is only on the table for ten seconds. It's our day off – the first day off any of us have had in a very long time. You showed up against prior direction and without announcement or invitation. That is unprofessional behavior at best, Doctor. So, ten seconds is up. Do you want our help to save that little boy's life or not?"

She nodded, "Yes, Doctor Archer."

"Great. Get in your truck, go home and we will send you all the information you need. Do you have a card with you?"

"Yes," She said, digging through her bag.

Betsy took the card, "Follow the instructions in the email I send to the last letter. It is imperative you get this right. Your patient must be where they are supposed to be when they are supposed to be there. You will be asked to send the name and contact information for the social services representative who is working with your patient. It is very important I get that information so that I can clear him to be transported out of state for the surgery. Do you understand."

"Yes. Can I just say…"

"I think you've said enough," Carolyn said, from the stairway at the end of the porch. She held out a hand to Betsy who took Stephen's hand as they carefully made their way down the steps, "We truly wish the best for your patient."

Everleigh paused, still holding her food in her hands. She followed them around the building, trying to think of what she should say but instead remained silent.

She noticed a bench, so sat down and watched as the group went to the checkpoint where a large group of people were gathered waving signs. She decided that eating first would be wise. She would then head home and get everything set up for her patient. In her opinion, Alaska sucked.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

NIKOLAI CHECKPOINT, TEAM BO

"Brother? When will she get here?" Rudy asked Tosh.

Tosh lowered himself to one knee, "She gets here when she gets here, Little Sister. All we can do is wait."

"There's a lot of waiting in this sport…" she said, lowering her eyes before mumbling, "And worrying."

Tosh raised his brow seeing the struggle in his youngest sibling. He decided to keep things light,

"Not if you're Bo, huh?"

Rudy looked up to see the big smile stretched across her brother's face and matched it, "Yea. She's having all the fun."

"Not all the fun. We got to play with the dogs, nap with the dogs and feed them…"

She nodded and added, "…we got to give them water and put new blankets on them. We got to play board games in the public building and draw pictures of sled dogs!"

Tosh smiled, "And you got to hang them on the wall, too. Plus, you and Elise are getting a ton of great pictures with your camera."

Rudy nodded, "Yea and you helped us charge the battery and switch the magic card that saves our memories!"

He smiled, "The SD card."

"Right."

They both turned when they heard people cheering. Rudy rushed out so that she could see around the big people, but Tosh grabbed her by the hood and pulled her back, lifting her up onto his shoulders,

"You can go up, but not out. You'll get run over!"

"Oops," she said, looking through her binoculars, "Shannie! It's Sister! It's Sister! Get the stopwatch ready!"

Shannon smiled, "I'm ready!"

Carolyn smiled, "I love that kid."

Shannon nodded, "Me too."

Stephen leaned over to Carolyn, "Okay. What do we do?"

"Cheer for Bo as she comes in, wave and then wait and see if she stays or keeps going."

"Do we think she'll stay?"

Carolyn shrugged, "She hasn't stopped yet, so Lauren is certain this is it."

"Where is Lauren?" Stephen asked.

Carolyn pointed, "She's standing with Mary just behind Rudy."

Stephen nodded, "How did she handle that doctor showing up unannounced?"

Carolyn shrugged, "Like Lauren. With professionalism, politeness, manners sent from heaven and grace… until she couldn't and even then, she stayed professional and just turned on the teaching doctor."

"She's a special woman, our Lauren."

Carolyn nodded, "She is. She really is. Now, let's hope that Bo stops because I'm sure they could both use a little time together."

"Oh?" Stephen asked.

"That girl Lauren sent you from the race?"

"Julia?"

"Yea. Bo tried to talk her out of staying in the race. She couldn't and now she's in the hospital. Any good news?"

Stephen shrugged, "They're trying to save her arm. They've done all they can at this point."

"Could Lauren help?"

"None of us want to ask," Stephen said, "And after the speech we all gave that doctor, do we even have a right to?"

Carolyn nodded, "But this one is personal… to Bo."

Stephen couldn't argue with that, "Well, then maybe Bo can ask her – if she has the information she needs."

"Yea, well Lauren has to be the one to break that news," Carolyn explained.

"Agreed, but she won't give Bo details she doesn't have."

Carolyn looked up at Stephen, "You didn't tell her?"

Stephen shook his head, "We're all doing everything in our power to keep her out of the loop on cases that may have fallen into her lap as a cardiothoracic surgeon so that she can live her life. If we didn't, we'd be calling her in every day. It's enough that she's teaching through journals and in the virtual setting. She'll pick up more classes after this break of hers and start observing surgeries to serve as a sort of coach. We're on the right track, Carolyn and I don't want to do anything to stop that. She's teaching twice as many doctors as I ever did and she's got better, newer techniques. Hell, even I can't suture as well as she can and I taught her!"

"Humbling experience, I suppose."

Stephen nodded, "Very, but I'm also a very proud papa."

"I'm sure. She's amazing," Carolyn smiled, "Time to cheer!"

The entire team started cheering for Bo, waving and holding up the signs that Rudy and Elise had made. Bo smiled and waved at the row of headlamps, immediately recognizing her friends and family. She watched carefully to be sure she gave a special wave to Rudy and Elise.

"Sister! Sister!" Rudy said, waving her sign so much that she would have fallen off of Tosh's shoulders if Mary and Lauren hadn't caught her and pushed her back up, "Whoa! That was close!"

"Careful, Roo," Lauren cautioned.

"Read our signs! Read our signs!" Elise shouted from atop LJ's shoulders, "We love you, Bo!"

Bo smiled and waved, "I love you too!" she said as she headed to the checkpoint, waving to girls.

She barely saw Lauren and her mom standing behind Tosh and LJ, but it was a comfort to know she was there. Bo pulled her papers out of her jacket and handed them to the checkpoint official when a Veterinarian came to the front of her sled. It took a second, but Bo quickly recognized her,

"Dr. Harrow! I didn't know you would be here," Bo smiled, giving her a quick hug.

"I wouldn't miss these girls… and Muk, no offense, little boy," she smiled as he let out a bark, then turned to Bo,

"Cassie should be here any minute. She had to take a team into town with Kurt and had to run to the bathroom. They really should put buckets or something on those helicopters."

Bo smiled, "I'll make a note of it for you."

"Thanks," The doctor said, "So, I see ears popping out of the basket. Is that our beloved Harper?"

Bo laughed, "She's hiding because she's afraid I'm going to leave her behind."

"And are you?" The doctor asked.

Bo sighed, "I really don't think I have a choice. I had to put her in there just after leaving the checkpoint and she's been in there ever since. I honestly don't know if she can stand."

Cassie came rushing down the hill, "Hey Bo! How's our girl?"

"I was just telling your colleague here that I'm not sure Harper can walk. She's been in that basket for a long time. When I took my last nap, I noticed the cardboard I put in there to insulated her had a bit of pee at the edge, so I think she's been going through the slats in the sled and missed a bit."

Cassie unzipped the basket and smiled when Harper poked her head out, her ears going up when she saw her,

"Hey, baby girl! How's my lovie? I heard you were running like a champion at the start of the race. Well done! Way to go out strong, Harper!"

Cassie's eyes filled as she cupped her face and gave her rubs, "Yes, you're such a good, strong girl, always doing things that none of us believe you can do. Let's climb on out of there. Come on."

Cassie stepped back, giving Harper room to step out, but when she tried to push up her back legs, her front left leg collapsed,

"It's okay, Lovie. We'll help you out," Cassie said, turning to Bo, "Do you want to take her out?"

Bo's eyes welled with tears as she leaned in and unzipped the entire compartment. She called to LJ who took one look and rushed down the hill, unrolling a long piece of cloth.

"What's that?"

"It's a sling we developed for just this situation. Actually… we're experimenting with it for water rescues this summer, but for now, he brought it to see how else we can use it. It's neoprene, so it's strong and stretches. There are four handles on the side, so if we each grab one, we can lift her out.

LJ came and tucked the sleeve under Harper, he and Bo the worked to pull her legs through four openings.

"Why pull her legs through the holes?" Doctor Harwood asked.

"We'll lift her and hold her up with her feet on the ground and see if we can get her walking right away. If so, then we'll let her stand for a while and see if that helps. If she can't stand, then we know we've got a bigger problem."

Cassie nodded, "That all sounds great, but I want to be sure you understand that the bigger problem may just be due to fatigue, so don't count her out yet."

Bo smiled, "Thanks, Cassie."

"I know you worry, but don't let that worry become hopelessness, Bo. Your buddy Harper has taught us all that she can do amazing things."

The four of them lifted Harper out of the sled, holding her up over the ground. As expected, the back legs and her front left were very weak. While she was able to stand for a few seconds, when the two doctors saw the muscles in the bad front leg quivering, they both decided the best thing was to allow her to lay down.

Rudy and Elise stood holding hands in front of Harper. When they heard the doctors say she needed to lay down, Rudy volunteered them,

"We'll do our magic massage! It works every time!"

Dr. Harrow shook her head, but Cassie stepped in, "That would be the best medicine ever. You know how to change her out of her work sleeves and into her recovery sleeves?"

Rudy nodded, "The purple stretchy ones…"

"…then the green compress ones…" Elise added,

"… then the furry ones!" Rudy finished.

"You've got it. What do we use – ice or heat?"

"She just ran, so ice!"

"Yes, but since it's so cold out…" Cassie began, but Rudy filled in the blanks before she could finish,

"We put her in the heated truck!"

"You have a heated truck?" Dr. Harrow asked.

Rudy nodded, "Since we're not going all the way to Nome this year, the backup dogs' kennel truck is still here, and we have two heaters inside that run from a generator. We turned it on about an hour ago after we put their blankets on them. They were a little cold after their exercise classes."

"Exercise classes?"

Elise nodded, "Yea! We hook them up in teams and then run them fast, then slow, then medium and we take them up hills and down hills. You know, like they're running a mini-Iditarod."

"That's brilliant!" Dr. Harrow smiled.

"Yea. We've got a luxury."

"You do, huh?"

Elise nodded, "That's what Kate said and we've got a super big human team so lots of us to drive sleds to exercise them."

"That's great," The doctor smiled.

Rudy nodded, "We're gonna go take care of Harper! Sister, Shannie has the stopwatch!"

Kate, Anna, LJ and Cassie carried Harper up to the truck in the parking lot, but Bo waved to Mark and Molly. The couple came down the hill,

"This is exactly the situation where some nutjob might try to steal her. You'll want someone up there with those girls who can handle that."

Molly patted her hips and Mark gave a nod, "I've got what I need on my snow machine. We're on it, Bo. One of us will be with her at all times once the girls are finished with her. How'd it going out there?"

She shrugged, "I'm a little banged up and tired, but the dogs are excellent – other than Harper, obviously, but we knew that was going to happen."

"Odd configuration you've got going there."

"Agreed. What is that?" Kyle asked.

Bo smiled, "Hello to you, too!"

"Hi Bo," Kyle smiled, "But really – what is that?"

"We did a complete one-eighty skid on the ice. Having Aphrodite by herself up front is great on the flats and snow, but the ice and that crap from Rohn to here didn't allow her any lateral control, so I put the wonder girls up front and had Aphrodite chasing their asses from behind. It made for great speed and they listen a helluva lot better than Aphrodite. I saw a side of her I never saw in training."

"Really?"

Bo nodded, "She only knows one speed – fast - and she thinks the word whoa means go. Long story. Right now, I need food and sleep in a really bad way."

"What kind of stop is this?"

"Am I still two hours up on the pack?"

"Three."

"Shit. Really? How?"

"Not sure. So you're taking twenty-four hours now?"

"Definitely. Just wish we could take both of those eight-hour rests on the back end. Having to go back up Egypt, Dalzell Gorge, Happy Steps… what the hell are those officials thinking?"

"Bad ice?"

"Worse than it's been in years."

"I guess that explains why you're three hours up."

"Yea. I've definitely got more experience on ice than most."

"Than any, actually," Kyle corrected.

Bo shrugged, "These girls of ours are amazing. It's the perfect blend of speed, smarts and strength. Don't tell Rudy. We'll give her a big head."

"You gonna tell her about Jenna and Muk then?"

"No."

"Bo…" Molly pleaded, "Remember that you've got all of us lying to the girls for you. Please do the right thing."

"I will. After the race. I can't stand to think of them mad at me right now."

Molly nodded, "Fine, but after the race, they learn the history of those two. If you don't tell them, I will."

"If it comes up and you have to tell them, that's fine. I prefer it be Lauren, but I'm sure that Kenzi can tell the story just as well."

She paused, "I'm sorry I can't give more right now. I've just… I don't know…"

She could offer no more and headed for the dogs, leaving the group standing silently. She was anxious to know what Dr. Harrow found. She stood, disconnecting each dog from the center line and handing them off to Tosh, Carolyn, Michael and Mary who took them to an area they had found for Bo to camp at the very edge of the checkpoint area. Bo's team knew all too well that their champion needed to be far away from other teams.

When the dogs were taken care of, she looked up to see Lauren standing on the hill. The blonde turned and walked away, heading towards the backup dogs but walked past them. Bo followed as Lauren entered the nearby brush, continuing deeper into the forest.

Finally, the blonde stopped, turning to face the brunette, "Hi."

Bo smiled, looking at the blankets atop a bed of hay, "What's this?"

Lauren struck a match, the flame lighting up her face until she dropped it into the fire. With a whoosh, the flames soared,

"A little Heet does wonders to start a fire."

"It's also a little dangerous," Bo said her instincts on alert until the flames died down a bit.

Lauren smiled, "Kyle set it up so I wouldn't burn down the mountain. They all knew we would need some alone time."

"We do, huh?" Bo smiled, taking Lauren's hand as she pulled her down to the blankets and covered her.

"Comfortable?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "I thought I wanted an indoor bed, but I guess all I really needed was you."

Lauren smiled, "Me too. I'm exhausted. It's been busy."

"Really?"

"Sleds are clearly not made for ice," Lauren explained, "How are you?"

Bo laid her head down on Lauren's shoulder, "Exhausted. I fell asleep unexpectedly… twice."

"Unexpectedly? You mean while you were moving?"

Bo shook her head, "While I was writing in my journal. It may not make any sense."

"Do you need to write?"

"Not right now. I need to sleep."

"You're really that tired?"

Bo nodded, "I think I may be a little low on iron."

"That's impossible. I checked your bloodwork myself before you left. Your iron was fine and your cycle isn't due for another two weeks. Did you eat the scheduled meals?"

"Yes, and damn that caribou was good."

"I'm glad to hear it," Lauren said, "Did you have a head injury? Any injury? A fall?"

Bo sighed, dreading telling her, "I cut my thigh… but I stitched it…"

Lauren sat up, practically throwing Bo off of her. She looked down and saw the ace bandage wrapped around Bo's pants,

"What the hell is this?"

"Lauren, please don't yell at me. I did what I had to do, I'm really tired and I can't handle any drama right now."

"Well drama is exactly what you're going to get! Geezus Bo! Blood loss and hypothermia! Two deadly conditions on their own but combine them and…"

"I know, I know. I'm lucky to be alive. I used the sutures. I did them just like you said."

"Bo, this cut is very deep," Lauren said, adjusting her headlamp, "Come on. I have to put out the fire. We're going inside. I can't treat this out here."

"I'm so tired."

"Yes. You're tired because you lost blood."

"I only lost what you see on my pants!"

"Oh? And the blood at the knee?" Lauren asked.

"Knee?"

"Yes, Bo. Your knee!"

Bo looked down at her pants, only now seeing the second slit in her pants, "I wondered why this damn leg was so cold. I guess I didn't cover that hole."

"You didn't stitch the hole in your leg either. Come on. Fight through it. Get up. I'm not carrying you."

Lauren walked behind Bo, putting out the fire and then picking up the blankets.

"Can we still have a romantic evening?"

"Yea. In the community building infirmary. Sure," Lauren said, shaking her head as she walked out of the woods. When she got to the brush, she saw her family gathered around the fire by the dogs who were all settled into their hay beds with blankets over them. She smiled politely until Kurt called out,

"Finished already, Lauren?"

She shook her head, "Kelly, I'm going to need you. Can you bring a med kit over to the public house?"

"Sure, Lauren," Kelly said, standing and looking back at Kurt waving him to his feet just as Lauren barked out more requests,

"Kurt, can you help Bo over to the public house. Apparently, she's injured but didn't bother to tell anyone."

Bo exited the brush, limping. Shannon and Carolyn both looked at Bo, using slicing motions over their throats. Bo got the hint and gave a nod. She didn't want to throw them under the bus. If she did, they would tell Lauren they tried to stop her which would make her fiancé even more upset with her.

So, she would take her licks and handle angry Doctor Lauren as she always did when she was stupid about her injuries. She would shut up and do as she was told. Kurt came to her side wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling hers over his shoulder. Together, they made their way to the public building.

"This was not the reunion I had hoped for," Bo whispered in his ear.

"The wrath of Lauren Lewis. It's a rare event, but when it happens, it's interesting that you're usually the source."

"Ha. Ha."

"Yea, my comedic chops are growing stronger every day. I think I'm going to do the open mic comedy night at Shirley's after the race."

Bo laughed, "You'll get booed off the stage."

"Yea, but that's easy compared to angry Lauren needles poking at my angry, swollen cut."

"Cuts, plural. I didn't even know I had the second one."

"Lost a lot of blood?"

"Yea and fell asleep completely exposed for an hour. If it weren't for Harper, you'd probably be doing some search and rescue right now."

"Geezus, Bo."

"Lauren doesn't need to know that. I was cold and tired – bad combination. I have to be smarter. The way back is going to suck big time with all of those uphills."

"We've had more injuries than I can remember this year."

"That bad, huh?"

"Yea. We've got a kid…"

Shit, Kurt thought to himself as he tried to recover with a boldfaced lie,

"… he was coming to watch the race and fell. Cut himself up good. Even non-racers are getting hurt."

"I can't wait to be on snow for a while. I'm looking forward to the section ahead and another eight-hour rest. I'm hoping it's enough to get us through Nikolai to Rohn going back."

"Take the eight-hour in the middle of that section."

Bo nodded, "Depends on how close the pack is."

"Well, if you make it to that section still three hours ahead, I'd do it."

"Merv was so close to me. Do you know what happened to him?"

Kurt nodded, "He's still in the front pack of chasers. I'm just worried that he's holding back hoping to settle a… personal problem."

"Shit. Are you kidding me?"

"I don't know, Bo."

"The way to settle that score is to finish in the money, Kurt! He'll have what he needs to start over! He can flaunt it by buying a new snow machine, a truck, new sleds!"

"He's got a new house to build and kennels to fill, Bo."

Bo smiled, "Well, you watch for him and let him know you know a builder and a good breeder."

"You'd give him your dogs?"

"Oh, no way! But that guy in Maine that called us trying to sell us his dogs back when you were still racing – how about him?"

"That's a great idea. I'm sure I still have his number."

Bo nodded as they arrived at the entrance, "Okay, here goes."

"I'm just here to keep Kelly out of it," Kurt reminded.

"As you should," Bo smiled, noticing that Kurt was looking down at her leg, "That bad?"

"You sure did a number on those pants. My sister's not going to be happy. You only have the pairs she packed for you from the store."

"Damn. I like these pants. A lot. I scraped against a rock or some trees. I'm not really sure. I was busy trying to stay awake long enough to keep the sled upright in the gorge. Or maybe it was before that on the steps. With the ice, I'm like the end of a whip out there, so damned if I remember anything other than staying on my feet."

"Worth a note in that journal of yours. Did you write it down?"

Bo shrugged, "Don't remember that either, but there might be some blood on the pages so that will help."

Kurt laughed, "You're that tired? You've been training like a mad woman and your diet is as close to perfection as it can get. I went over the race menu with the chef myself."

"You did?"

"Sure Bo. Kelly helped too. You know I'm always looking out for you."

Bo smiled, wrapping her arms around him, "I know you are Kurt and I don't thank you enough."

He shrugged, "Well, if my experience isn't good for something, it's good for nothing and all those years on the circuit were a waste."

"Do you miss it?"

"Only when I'm here," he smiled.

"Are you going to quit my team?"

"Hell no! I've gotta get my race fix somehow."

"Any thoughts of coming out of retirement?" Bo hinted, adding a wink.

"Not until you win your fifth in a row. I'd hate to break your streak."

Bo laughed, "In your dreams, my friend. I kicked your ass three times."

"I know and I really owe you for that. Maybe we can do a friendly race around the river some time."

She smiled, "Better than that – maybe we can build a course around my property."

"I think sixteen acres is a great start," he pulled open the door, "How much land does that cottage have?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I started to follow the fence, but I ran out of time. LJ said he was going to follow it by sled and use his GPS to figure it out. Path and Slate put up stakes to mark it. They estimated twenty acres, maybe more."

Bo winced on the first step up the stairway, "Here you go," Kurt said, putting more effort into supporting Bo,

"LJ told me he was really interested in knowing how big the property was and he… well… it's not important."

Bo shook her head, "If it involves LJ, I'd like to know. He and I have been going through a rough spot. I think he feels like I'm ignoring him but I've just only got so much time and we're trying to stay committed to making more time for my mom and Rudy."

Kurt nodded, "He's still a kid, Bo. I think he's honestly feeling a little resentment towards Elise and Rudy. You know… they sort of stole your attention away."

"Well, that's childish."

"Like I said, he's still a kid. Big Jim never helped him to grow into a man with all the control he took from him. Gods know his dad wasn't much of a father. Of course, none of that is my business… just remember – he's never been able to make his own decisions. Mark and Molly are working with him as much as he'll allow, but they're not his parents and he doesn't mind telling them."

They turned a corner to a landing and headed up the final set of steps, as Kurt continued,

"Of course, when he does, they tell him he's free to go back to his dad if he doesn't like their rules. It pretty much shuts him up, but he doesn't change. He lived under Big Jim and Big Jon's rules his entire life. He never had any friends, never went to a party, a school event or even his prom. It's been all work and chores. Otherwise, he just sat in the store or on the store porch waiting for the next thing he was told to do."

Bo gritted her teeth – partly because of the pain from flexing her quad, but mostly because of the abuse her great nephew had endured,

"If Big Jim wasn't already dead, I don't think I could restrain myself a second time," Bo said.

"Second time? Bo, you showed restraint your entire life. Do you think everyone in this town doesn't know you could have taken out all of those men any time you wanted to?"

Bo sighed, "Killing is wrong."

"Yea and they were lucky you felt that way," Kurt sighed.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to upset you with my family shit."

Kurt smiled, "Hey – your family is my family and LJ is important to me. I'm doing what I can to help him get the right focus on life and his expectations of people, but it's gonna take a while. I really wish he would go down to Point Siku and tell his dad exactly what he thinks of how his life was until now."

"Has he talked to my brother?" Bo asked.

Kurt nodded, "He did. Well, actually Tosh did."

"I'm glad Tosh approached him."

"Me too," Kurt said, stopping at the door that had a sign 'med clinic' on it, "This is you."

"It's us. You said you were going to stand by for Kelly."

"I am, which is why this is you."

Bo paused, "So are you going to tell me what you really wanted to tell me about LJ?"

Kurt sighed, looking up at the sign on the door before he turned back to Bo, "He asked why everyone else was offered a free property on your land, but he wasn't."

Bo scowled, twisting her mouth, "Other than the fact that he's not my kid, he's not an adult and he doesn't have the maturity or money to care for and maintain a house? Not to mention the fact that he could end up in another town or hell – another state. He's mentioned moving a few times."

Kurt laughed, "Let me guess – when he was mad at you?"

Bo smiled and nodded, "Speaking of people who are mad at me…"

She opened the door and saw Lauren sitting on a rolling stool, a tray table of surgical instruments under her hands as she opened the packaging. She had donned a gown, gloves, a mask and her surgical magnifier sat atop her head ready for use. Kelly was on the far side of her prepping gauze and bandages. Bo didn't really know what to say, but she didn't just want to lay down on the table,

"Are you going to cut the pants or do you want them off?" Bo asked.

Lauren continued to work, "I'll cut the material away. Taking the pants off will further damage the skin around the wounds. Plus, since you never bothered to stop and check the leg, there could be additional damage that we don't know about just yet."

Bo was silent. Lauren was right. It would have taken fifteen minutes to stop and pull down her pants to check the leg after it happened. Instead, she stitched through the tear in her pants and didn't look further even though she felt blood dripping down her leg.

Falling asleep in subzero temperatures at night without a fire or shelter while bleeding was just plain careless. She was lucky to be alive and if it weren't for Harper waking her, she probably wouldn't be.

"Are you going to lay down?"

"Yes. I was waiting for you to be ready."

"I'm always ready," Lauren replied sharply.

Bo laid down on her back, her injured leg on Lauren's side. Kelly immediately started to cut the clothing away while Lauren observed the wounds as they were revealed. The blonde shook her head,

"Kurt is there anyway you can bring the MediVac portable MRI machine into this building?"

He shook his head, "There's a handicap ramp in the back, but it would never fit through the door – even if I took it off its hinges. That thing is also ridiculously expensive so I don't think I would want to risk moving it even if it would fit."

Lauren nodded, "Can you two take her out to the chopper and get an MRI of her knee? Also, do you have the DonJoy SE-4 Knee Brace in the supplies?"

"Maybe. If not, we have that generic brand that Doctor McFarland ordered. He said it's a strong alternative without the hefty price tag."

Lauren nodded, "Sounds good. I'm going to go make myself a cup of tea and make some follow up calls."

Kurt opened his mouth to speak, but his eyes moved to Bo. He looked back to Lauren and gave her a nod before turning back to Bo,

"Back down the steps, Bo. The chopper is a short hop from this building, so we'll hitch a ride on LJ's sled if he's still out there."

Bo nodded, sitting up and rolling off the table. Her leg was stiffening up and for the first time since the race began, she was truly worried about finishing the race. She hobbled over to Kurt and headed for the door. Lauren turned and watched her gait, shaking her head. Her shoulders slouched.

When the door closed, Kelly turned to Lauren as she zipped up her coat, "She's not going to be able to run, is she."

Lauren shook her head, "I won't let that happen."

"Lauren, you don't have a magic wand and her knee is clearly a mess."

Nodding, the doctor sighed, "I'm aware, but the beauty of sledding and the team she has this year is that we can strip the sled down to only the required items and she can ride the bench or stand on the rails the rest of the race and still finish."

"Kurt said the second half of this race is going to be a real bitch. He said almost all of the worst parts of the first half of the course are downhill – that means the second half worst parts will be uphill and most are ice."

Lauren sighed, shaking her head, "It's Bo's decision. She knows what's out there. She's got more than a three-hour lead and if we get her out of here on time for each of the long rest periods and any short rests she takes, she can still finish and win. The team has to tighten up their schedules and be sure not to miss another checkpoint."

Kelly nodded, "Well, I'm going to head to the chopper. Maybe you should make those calls while on your way to talk to the team."

Lauren nodded, pulling off her gloves and gear, "Let Bo fall asleep on the table if I'm not back. She needs to sleep. Run an IV of the same fluids we would use after a cardiac surgery. Her blood is probably nutrient poor and without a lab, we can't know for sure. Nothing in there will hurt her if she doesn't take any supplements."

She added, "Give her five Slow Fe tablets only and be sure she knows just one each day in the morning. Tell her to pick a time and then watch her set her alarm so she remembers to take a tablet. It's important that she knows not to take more than one a day or she can poison herself."

Kelly shook her head, laughing, "Just what she needs."

"Tell me about it. Let's get going."

As they headed down the stairwell, Lauren stopped Kelly at the door,

"I just wanted to say that I'm so very proud of you, Kelly. I don't want to sound condescending, so I'll just say that you've matured into this stellar surgical and emergency medicine nurse and medic. You have so many options and I hope that whatever you choose in the future, that you are completely in love with what you're doing every day as a professional."

Kelly paused, "Are you… are you firing me?"

"What? No! Absolutely not! Why would you think that?"

"You mentioned me having options and where I'm going with my future as if I'm going somewhere."

Lauren smiled, "Well, I certainly hope you're not but unfortunately, what you do in your future is not my decision. I guess what I'm saying is that we'll have positions open at the new Trauma Center when it's finished and the door is open if you're interested."

Kelly's eyes went wide, "I'd get to work with you again?"

Lauren laughed, "And other doctors who specialize in trauma."

"Not just hearts?"

"Well, I won't lie. There's a lot of heart and vascular work in trauma but there's also a lot of other stuff."

Kelly opened the door, "Like what?"

They stepped through the door and headed towards the team area where Kelly would take a snow machine to the chopper,

"Well, let's see. When I was doing my residency, my first solo patient was a guy who was stabbed in the back with a knife and had no idea it was in there! He was running errands and a man in a convenience store saw it, asked him if he was okay and the guy said he was fine. When he told him he had a knife sticking out of his back, the guy freaked out, so the worker calmed him down and had him sit in a chair until the paramedics arrived."

"I take it he walked out of the hospital fine?"

Lauren nodded, "Yes, but it was a scary first solo surgery. Knowing that if I pulled the knife and turned the blade even a millimeter to the right or left, I could nick a spinal nerve or the spinal cord… it was terrifying."

"So, it was near the spine?"

"The entry was perfect! I mean, if you're going to get stabbed in the back – with an actual knife – he did it the right way."

Kelly shook her head, "That's amazing."

"I love all the different challenges I get as a surgeon and doctor. Figuring out mystery illnesses is like writing a mystery novel. It's invigorating – and exhausting at times. You really get to use all your creativity and all of your knowledge. Of course, there are some very heavy moments since not everyone survives. I mean, these are the patients who are the worst off – but saving people who would otherwise be lost to their families and friends… there's just nothing like it."

"I'd love to hear more. We'll make plans to chat closer to opening, okay?"

"Absolutely," Lauren nodded, giving her a wave as they parted ways.

She shoved her hands into her pockets and pulled up her hood as she walked towards her family and friends. Daylight had finally arrived, and it felt good to see the bright fields of snow even if the sun was hidden behind gray skies.

She arrived at the fire and stood close to the flames, careful not to have her back to anyone. She turned to Rudy and Elise,

"Girls? I wonder if I might ask you for a favor?"

The two popped out of their child-sized folding chairs and nodded, Rudy shouting a big yes.

"It's going to take me a while to work on Bo's leg. Would you be able to go get her two bowls of food?"

Rudy nodded, "She needs meat, right?"

Lauren smiled and nodded, "Yes and if there's any kind of gravy and bread, you know she loves that."

Elise added, "And potatoes and lots of green stuff, right?"

Lauren nodded again, "Yes and Molly can tell you where the cold cups of her protein shakes are."

Molly reached behind her and pulled out a cup, "Take the wagon girls. Use the round cake pans I brought and put foil over them so that they don't spill. Drive the wagon carefully to the door and then you'll have to carry everything upstairs."

Lauren smiled, "She's with Kurt and Kelly right now, but she'll be back shortly after you get the food there."

"Okay! Should we get her water too?"

Lauren nodded, "Yes, please. She needs to drink at least 16 ounces before she sleeps."

The pair nodded and rushed to the kennel, grabbing the red wagon and then heading for the gear truck.

"I take it they're going to the gear truck for hot food because…"

Molly smiled, "I heated a ton of food for Bo since I didn't know what she would want. It's in that fancy new cooler that Kyle bought her. It's supposed to keep everything hot for at least six hours."

"Wow. That's really amazing."

Molly nodded, "They could just wheel that cooler there if LJ is willing to help them lift it from the truck."

All eyes turned to LJ who nodded, "I'll help them out. I want to get seconds anyway."

Lauren smiled, "Still using the growing boy excuse huh?"

LJ laughed, "Not today. Today it's the 'I just chased Rudy and Elise on a sled ten times' before I got a break and I'm hungry."

"I take it they're back?"

LJ nodded, "Back, but definitely more alert than they used to be. They really want to learn axe throwing. I told them they need to talk to their parents about that."

Mary smiled, "Thank you."

LJ winked at her, "I thought you'd like that one."

"You thought right, Child."

They all watched as LJ hustled off, hoping to stop the girls before they could load food into the wagon. Lauren turned to the group, holding her hands out at the flames.

Mary leaned forward and spoke, "Something's wrong."

Lauren took a deep breath and let it out slowly before she answered,

"Bo is in the chopper with Kelly and Kurt having an MRI done on her knee. I have a brace that I can use as well but I'm going to need any and all ideas for how I can keep her on that sled. She hobbled into the medical room, laid down for a few minutes and when she stood to walk, she could barely put weight on it. I fear that when she sleeps and wakes, it's going to be even worse."

Lauren stated the problem clearly, "She's not going to be peddling much for the rest of the journey which puts all the efforts on the dogs… and as we all know, she'll likely be one dog short now."

Kyle was the first to speak, "Strip the sled down. Nothing but what's required and what she feels she absolutely needs. We have the satellite phones if she gets into trouble and the worst part of the trail is behind her. She'll be able to ride the bench pretty much from here on out. With Harper out of the sled, that also cuts down on weight. We may also be able to rearrange weight to lose the trail sled."

Mary nodded, "I agree. Your modern drug…" she clicked her fingers forgetting what it was called, so Lauren filled in the blank,

"Ibuprofen."

"Yes. Max out that dose and I will compliment it with a numbing salve. It can be used on open and closed wounds, but she will have to reapply it directly to the skin every twelve hours."

Kyle nodded, "That can work."

Tosh joined the conversation, "Do you have anything else you can use?"

"The knee isn't stable so to prevent further injury, I'm going to put her in the most flexible brace I have to offer, though it won't allow her the movement she would likely prefer. I've sent a text off to my Chief of Orthopedics to contact Stephen and let him know what he thinks once I read the MRI."

"He'll want to see the MRI," Stephen reminded.

Lauren nodded, "I'm aware. It's standard procedure but I'll remind Kurt to send it just to be sure."

Stephen asked, "Your gut diagnosis?"

"Torn LCL and ACL."

"Shit," Stephen said, lowering his eyes to the fire, "The new DonJoy?"

Lauren shook her head, "If they have it on board. If not, McFarland has them trying a new brace because it's cheaper, but – he feels – still as effective."

"That's the disposable version for the field?"

Lauren nodded, "He switches them to the proper fit and brand once they're ready to leave, but if they're remote and it's going to stay with them, he wants the generic so that we don't bleed money from Ortho by constantly leaving expensive braces with patients they treat that aren't coming back for surgeries."

"Do you think Bo is a surgical case?" Stephen asked.

Lauren shrugged, "I don't know. I hope not. It's a six-month recovery."

"Shit," The group said almost simultaneously.

"That would drastically shorten her training season for next year."

Lauren nodded, "But I've thought of that. If you're all on board with helping, we could all train the dogs while she handles the breeding kennels and her recovery. She'll need two hours of physical therapy every day and that's not optional if she plans to race next year."

Kyle raised her hand, "I'm in. I've been dying to get back on a sled."

"We're in!" they all turned to see Ciara O'Breen and Dyson Thornwood approaching from behind with three kids in tow.

"Doctaw Wauren! Doctaw Wauren!" Dax shouted from the Sheriff's arms. Dyson put him down in the snow.

Lauren held out her arms and waited patiently for him to make his way to her through what was almost waist high snow for him. He fell more times than she could count, but when he made it to her, she smiled, lifting him over her head before bringing him in for a hug and planting him on her hip,

"Did you see the dogs?"

He smiled and pointed, "Doggies. Doggies. Pway doggies."

Betsy stood, "I'll take him over if Tosh comes with me to handle the dogs.

"Your wish is my command, Ms. Betsy."

Dax smiled at Betsy holding out his arms to her, "Bet! Bet!"

Lauren laughed, "Wow! You're not just Sy anymore?"

Betsy smiled, "We're working on it."

Tosh waved to Ciara's two older children, "Cinda and Seth, do you want to visit the dogs? Rudy and Elise will be back soon and can use some help doing their leg massages."

Seth smiled, "Cool! Can we really help?"

Tosh nodded, "As long as you do exactly what we tell you to do, yes. They've been running hard for three days without much rest, so it's really important that we do leg rubs on them every two hours or so to keep their circulation going."

Cinda cocked her head as they walked towards the kennels, "I didn't know they needed so much care during the race."

"Well, not everyone does what we do. It's very important to Bo that her dogs are well cared for. She doesn't take any chances with them. If all of us weren't here, she would be doing this before taking care of herself."

Lauren smiled and nodded, "As she has already done."

Mary asked, "Will racing make her knee worse?"

"I'll have to see the MRI first. If the ligaments aren't torn all the way through, then obviously, she could do more damage. If they're already torn through, she can't do much worse to it in the brace. If she runs without the brace, then yes, she could do more damage."

"It's really going to come down to pain tolerance," Stephen explained, "We've seen most professional athletes sidelines by these kinds of ligament tears."

Tamsin snarked, "Well, first, Bo is a professional athlete, Doctor Stevie, so don't insuinuate otherwise."

He held up both hands, "I stand corrected. You're absolutely right, Special Agent, Tam-Tam."

She scowled her reply, "Second, Bo isn't human so cannot be compared to your average professional athlete. Geneticists are trying to classify her species but it is not yet known."

Lauren rubbed her hands together and tucked them into her pockets, "I wish that were true. Unfortunately, this is going to get ugly for her if she needs to run or pedal."

Mark spoke up, "There's no way in hell she can do Nikolai to Rohn without pedaling."

Kyle disagreed, "I think she can if we strip down the sled."

Mark turned and looked at the dogs, "Reconfigure on the fly?"

"What are you thinking?"

"Something LJ said to me when we were talking about the south part of the course. Sometimes he just throws out ideas. Anyway, we all know there's a lot of gnarly uphill's. Now, we aren't out there, but there are usually ice or ice flows. She needs the big dogs up front when she's not looking for speed and..."

"We get it," Kyle said with a nod.

Lauren nodded, "I'll have LJ talk to her while she's eating."

Kyle added, "Rudy had some ideas too."

"Oh?" Mark asked.

"Unconventional, but she showed me on one of the backup sleds and I think it could work. Remember, that kid helped Bo pick these dogs and her instincts have been good."

Mark smiled at Mary, "Good teacher."

Mary shook her head, "There's a lot of Bo in her thinking."

"Well, you taught Bo and Bo taught her," Mark smiled, "Take the credit, Mary. Your girls are incredible with a sled. I think we're all going to be sitting here watching Rudy fly by twenty years from now."

Molly nodded, "Spirits willing."

Mary turned quickly to her friend, "Talking to the spirits?"

"Have you seen the conditions out here? I had no choice."

Tamsin waved to Lauren, "She's heading in. Kurt's carrying her."

Lauren shook her head, "Okay. Don't lose heart here. I'm going to ask her to do the twenty-four-hour stop now. Everyone is going to need to be on their game if we're going to strip down her sled to lose weight. You guys figure that out and I'll send LJ out with a list of what Bo wants when I'm done with her."

They all nodded, huddling together around Kyle and her clipboard. Shannon walked to Lauren,

"Can you give this to Bo so she can get a good look at the paper version of the splits? I think it's important for her to make her plan with the breaks."

"Thank you, Shannie."

"Of course."

Lauren headed off to the medical clinic, her mind filled with ideas for a plan to get Bo to the finish line.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bo's Team Kennel area, Sixteen hours later

Lauren sat by the fire, sipping her tea. She had slept for about six hours which was the longest sleep she'd had since their arrival in Anchorage. She lowered her face, allowing the steam to funnel up into her mouth and sinuses. It was warm and it felt good.

"She still asleep?" Dyson asked, coming to sit next to Lauren.

The doctor nodded, "She's been asleep since she ate - other than the hour she took to come out here and make a bed on the hay with her dogs."

"Shouldn't she be moving that leg?" Dyson asked.

Lauren shook her head, "I'm doing the moving while she sleeps."

"How is she sleeping through that?"

"A Mary Dennis magic potion. Bo will probably be furious with us, but sleep is what she needs above all else. She knows how to drive a sled and the team knows how to pack it."

"Does she really have everything she needs without a trail sled?"

Lauren shrugged, "You're asking the novice sledder."

Dyson smiled, "Sorry."

Lauren shook her head, "Mary said anything else she needs, nature will provide. I trust Mary. She taught Bo most of what she knows about sledding and practically all she knows about surviving in the wild. We were away for just over a week and I ate more fruit while I was out in the wild with her than when I'm home with a store nearby… and it was winter."

"She is pretty amazing that way," He nodded, staring at the fire, "Well, I can vouch for her ability to catch meat and fish… and to turn the meat into clothing, a blanket or anything else she might need. She even knows how to use the blubber…"

"I don't want to know how she'll use animal fat."

"Whale fat is even better."

"Yea. I really don't want to know about that. Besides, there aren't any whales where she's going."

Dyson smiled, "You're an Alaskan now, Lauren. The oils of an animal are very useful for cooking, salves, insulation and fighting hypothermia."

"Well now you've peaked the doctors' interest," Lauren smiled.

"I knew I could get you with those big medical terms."

Lauren nodded, "How are Ciara and the kids?"

A big smile stretched across the Sheriff's face, "They're great… just great."

The doctor considered his expression and smiled knowingly, "You're in love."

"I'm completely and totally in love with all of them. I mean… Stephan was a friend, so it was a bit awkward at first but now… well, Seth pulled me aside and gave me 'the talk'."

"He didn't," Lauren chuckled.

"Yes, he did. He told me that if I wasn't serious about his mom, I needed to drop any idea of dating her. She needed a serious man that was going to be there for her no matter what – a man who would put her first and not do anything stupid that would get him killed."

"Oh, Dyson."

"I know, Lauren. It was hard to hear, but he's right. I explained to him that as a Sheriff, I carry a gun and guns can always cause a situation to become dangerous, but he said as long as I don't do anything stupid like dive in front of a bullet, he could accept that and so could Cinda."

He looked up at Lauren, "He said he's not worried about himself or his sister. They're going to be grown soon and out on their own. He's worried about Dax loving me and then me walking away. He would lose the only father he's ever known just like he and Cinda did and he doesn't want Dax to go through that."

Lauren shook her head, "The insight that those kids have is amazing."

"She's done a great job with them, Lauren and I want to be there for her… and those kids."

Smiling, Lauren nodded, "You are, Dyson and I know you always will be."

"If she'll have me."

"A woman would have to be crazy to not want you," Lauren smiled.

"Or gay," he said, nodding towards Bo.

She laughed, "Yes, that too."

"I'm excited to watch the race this year rather than chase bad guys through the woods. I thought coming to this specific stop would be a way to sort of support Bo."

Lauren nodded, "She hasn't mentioned it – just that it was a difficult leg to concentrate on for a lot of reasons."

"Well, I can now speak from experience when I say it's a very rough haul on a sled and not for the inexperienced. Tamsin and I lost her until… well… she's fast. Very fast for the terrain. Is that where she got hurt?"

Lauren shrugged, "I suspect, but I'm not sure since I don't have a timeline of where she was. I was handling an emergency, so this is actually the first checkpoint I've seen her."

"And she's injured."

Lauren nodded, "Badly. I'm worried, Dyson but I don't want to tell her team that."

"Your secret is safe with me. If I can remind you, though – Bo is no ordinary human. She's lived off the land most of her life and I've seen her take many a beating and stand back up. She can do this."

Lauren nodded, "Sometimes it's easier to believe in yourself if someone else believes in you first."

"What's that?" Dyson asked.

"Something Bo once said to me," she looked at him, "And she's right. Can you do me a favor while I go stretch her leg? Find Elise, Rudy, Seth and Cinda… even Dax if he's awake. They have this posterboard and big thick markers they brought…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lauren walked to the fire where Bo lay sleeping, an arm thrown over Harper who was on her side, all four legs snuggled into compression wraps,

"Hey, precious girl," Lauren smiled, stroking the gap between her ears, "Dr. Cassie has you all wrapped up, huh? She knows what she's doing, so trust her. I'm sure your legs ache a bit, but you know Mary has a solution for that. Bo woke up for an hour and her leg already felt better."

Lauren sighed, looking down at her fiancé, "I guess we're not going to get to talk. You only have seven hours left until you have to leave again. This has got to be the fastest twenty-four hours on record… in my life, anyway. I suppose it's best we don't talk. It'll give me an excuse to delay giving you the bad news about that kid you met."

She sat up, leaning back against the boulder behind her and stared into the fire, "I spoke with that reporter Gwen. She asked about you… about Harper. She was impressed that you were leaving the Champion behind. She expected you to run her until she dropped. She's been hanging around the veterinary tent a lot…"

She looked up from the fire to where Elise lay sleeping in Tosh's arms,

"… our little Elise is a bold one. Cassie says she's been standing outside the tent telling the mushers she's trained in the Bo Dennis Massage Method for Canines. As soon as they bring a dog over, she whispers to them in that cute little voice of hers, warning them that there's a reporter around trying to make mushers look bad for the way they treat their dogs."

Lauren laughed, "And your little sister – well, she repaired a guys' sled and that guy told her who she was. Your little sister has a little sled repair business going on. She told Kyle she's going to run the kennel one day and design The Roo – that's apparently going to be the name of her sled. She plans to sell a hundred of them after she wins her first Iditarod."

The blonde pulled off a glove with her teeth and opened her phone, setting her alarm to be sure that if she fell asleep, she didn't sleep for more than four hours. That's the time she would need to recheck and rewrap Bo's wounds again. She would give her another round of painkillers and massage in more of Mary's salve. Two hours after that, she would do it again. Hopefully by race time she would be walking well enough to make it to the coming eight-hour rest stop.

Lauren wished she could convince her not to sleep in the wild, but to use the shelters or camps available at the checkpoints instead. She knew Bo had to cover ground while she was awake and she couldn't fault her for that. Still… she hated her lover being in pain and more… she hated how she treated her when she came in hurt. Lauren knew firsthand the risk of getting injured even when you're being careful.

She sat up when she saw Bo move, the brunette stretching an arm up over her head as she twisted back and then forward before sitting up and looking down at Harper,

"Hey girl. How do you feel?"

Lauren watched as she moved her hand down the length of her torso several times before she whispered,

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, but I'm going to have to leave you here with Rudy. She's what's best for you now. You've done all you can for me and our team. Now we have to do the rest. I'm a little banged up, but I promise you I'll do my best to get all of us back safe and sound,"

She smiled, "After all, we've got a cottage to build and a wedding to get to. I wanted to ask you – will you be the ring bearer? Rudy says we need one of those and I thought you'd be perfect. Don't worry – I won't let anyone put you in a dress, but you're going to have to walk to do it, okay?"

Lauren smiled, "Cassie had her up and walking about an hour ago. She's slow, but she's mobile."

Bo looked up, surprised to see her, "I think those are the first words you've spoken to me as Lauren since you got in."

"As Lauren?"

Bo smiled, "Not Doctor Lewis."

"Oh."

"Oh," Bo nodded, "I'm sorry for getting hurt Lauren, but it was a rough section of trail. The dogs were running really well – not tired at all – but I was hitting a wall. Most mushers do and contrary to popular opinion, I am only human, so I get tired too. The trail at that point was icy in spots and I guess I just fishtailed into a rock face or tree when I put my leg out. I must have twisted it or something…"

"Bo, it's okay."

"I swear I wasn't being reckless. I was just not as focused because I was tired and…"

"Bo. Really – it's okay."

Bo stopped, looking up at the blonde, "It is?"

Lauren smiled, "It's the Iditarod. I know this race has its risks and I know it's your job to take those risks. I shouldn't have been so… distant."

"Distant?" Bo asked.

"Fine. I shouldn't have been so… bitchy."

"Well, I can understand your frustration… or was that fear?"

"A bit of both, I suppose," Lauren sighed, "I'm trying hard not to let my fears get the best of me. I'm much better than I was last year. You've got to at least give me that."

"Less fear noted," Bo smiled. There was a long pause before Bo asked the inevitable question,

"So… ACL tear or not?"

"It's a partial tear of both your LCL and ACL, so as of now no surgical repair is advised. But Bo, I would be remiss if I didn't give you the full story. If you continue to race and don't find a way to avoid sticking that leg out and putting lateral torque on that knee, you could end up with a full LCL tear. Running puts your ACL at risk for a full teare."

Bo nodded, "Okay, so how do I avoid both of those scenarios?"

Lauren raised her eyebrows and shook her head, "Well, obviously, you pull out of the race," she held up her hand before Bo could speak, "But since I know that's not an option, we're going to walk over to your sled and you're going to go through every motion you use to drive a sled with Doctor McFarland. He got here about an hour ago and is currently with another musher."

"Is that the new guy in… Ortho, I think it's called?"

Lauren nodded, "He's the guy I would recommend do your surgery after the race – if needed."

"But what about our wedding?"

Lauren smiled, "You'll still be able to walk down the aisle, Sweetie. You may be holding a cane, but I think it will make you look sophisticated."

Bo laughed, "I don't do canes, I do axes, hiking and fishing poles."

"Whatever you feel comfortable with, my love."

Bo smiled, "So you still love me?"

"Always."

Bo smiled, "Well, that's a relief. I wasn't sure how you felt when you were prodding at my leg yesterday. I was surprised to look down and see it wasn't a fork and dull knife."

"I'll admit, I am capable of being much gentler."

Bo smirked, "Oh I know that from a variety of experiences with those hands."

Lauren shook her head, "You're encouragable, Bo Dennis. Behave."

"That's no fun," Bo smirked.

"I mean it. You've got a lot to do, and you need more sleep," Lauren offered, her voice stern, "I mean it. Doctor's orders."

Bo pouted, "No fun at all. Well, I'm hungry and I want to see my dogs. Can you help me up?"

Lauren shook her head, "You've got just under seven hours until departure time. We've got to start getting you moving, so getting up is officially your responsibility at this point. Just be careful because that brace is going to restrict your movement and it's a bit bulky."

Bo nodded, using her right leg to get herself to her feet before putting some pressure on her left leg. She took a few gingerly steps before she looked up at Lauren,

"Well, the pain level is about a five and the brace definitely feels bulky but my leg feels… pretty stable."

Lauren smiled, "Well, that sounds good. That sounds really good. In four hours, we'll give you another dose of Ibuprofen and more of your mom's salve. Then, just before you leave, we'll do it all again. I've hung a small bag from the lower handle on your sled so you can reach your meds while you're moving."

Bo nodded, "Kelly told me. Three ibuprofen every four hours with the salve, one Slow FE every morning – no more, no less and take it on time. Someone will be at each checkpoint to change my bandages so plan on a fifteen-minute stop at each checkpoint. You'll be there to recheck everything at the two eight-hour checkpoints – possibly do another MRI if necessary."

"Doctor McFarland will adjust the range of motion on your brace once he sees the movements you use when sledding. Remember that he's never been on a dog sled in his life, so speak in terms he can understand."

"Got it," Bo smiled, "Now, can we walk over to the dogs? Did they get their privates checked, dry clothes, eat, drink, get their limb care and have some playtime?"

Lauren nodded, "LJ, Mary, Rudy, Elise and Tosh have been taking good care of them while Mark has handled security with Molly. Tamsin, Kyle, LJ, Rudy and Elise split the team into four groups and took them out with sleds to get their legs stretched out."

"Tamsin and Kyle?"

Lauren nodded, "Everyone's chipping in where they can, Bo. Rudy and Elise took Aphrodite, Jenna and Muk for a fifteen-minute run and came back with huge smiles on their faces."

Bo grinned, "They're back."

Lauren nodded, "LJ says they're back, but with the added benefit of being much more aware of their surroundings."

"Good," Bo nodded, "Good."

She leaned down over the kennel fence and stopped at each dog, giving them a rub between their ears and some words of encouragement. Lauren watched from a distance, noting the difference in how the group interacted in the middle of this race versus how they had been back home.

They had truly bonded through the hardship of the race. Lauren had no idea what they had been through so far, but she hoped that Bo would let her read the journal entries once they were back home. She loved reading about her outings – especially the races. It was exciting and helped her to better understand another layer of Bo Dennis.

When she was finished, she joined Lauren and headed towards the community building where they would meet her new doctor. It was strange to think of any doctor other than Lauren doing a surgery on her, but as they walked, she decided that if Lauren trusted him with her leg, she should too.

"Hey Bo! You're awake!" LJ said with a wave.

"LJ! How are you? Lauren told me you took the dogs out in small groups. Great idea. Thanks for helping them stretch out their legs."

LJ nodded, "Of course, Bo. You should have seen Rudy and Elise. Those two had a blast together and their awareness is spot on."

"Thanks for watching out for them, LJ. You're the best big brother those two girls could ever have! I appreciate you!"

Lauren could see the grin stretch across LJ's face and was grateful Bo had found the perfect words for her young charge. She smiled,

"They told LJ that they want to learn axe throwing."

"Rudy already knows how to throw," Bo said.

LJ shook his head, "They want to throw at real targets."

"You mean animals?"

LJ shrugged, "Unless you have human volunteers, yes."

Bo shook her head, "I hope you explained that we don't kill animals for target practice, right?"

"I did and Mary reiterated that fact since I referred them to the parents for permission."

Bo nodded, "Good man. They need to hear that as much as possible."

Lauren interrupted, "I hate to rush you two, but we'd better get over to the doctor, Bo."

"We'll catch up soon, LJ."

He nodded, "I'll hold you to it, Bo. Want me on dog watch?"

"If you don't mind? Mark and Molly have Harper," Bo replied.

LJ nodded, "I get it – the grand prize for a daring thief."

Bo smiled, "Yup, but plenty of these pups would be great targets as well. There's a lot less security this year, so I'd appreciate you hanging out with them."

LJ smiled, "No place I'd rather be."

"You're a great friend, trainer, business partner and musher, LJ. Don't forget it."

"Thanks, Bo."

"No thanks needed. What do you say we get you ready for this race next year?"

LJ shrugged, eyeing Bo's leg, "We'll see."

Bo cocked her head, "Okay."

She watched as LJ turned away and headed over to sit by Harper. Molly and Mark called out to Bo and waved as they walked slowly with the senior champion. It pained her to see Harper so stiff, but was grateful she was alive and moving. She'd done her part now it was time for Bo to finish the job.

She and Lauren waved back as they continued on, Bo speaking softly to Lauren,

"Good. They'll go sit with LJ. I'd hate for him to be alone if anyone tries to mess with the team."

"They've all been taking shifts with the dogs. Everyone went to dinner, so they'll all be back by the fire soon. Your team will get more food, water and sleep… and so will you."

Bo nodded, "Good. That's good."

They entered the building and headed up the stairs, Bo leaning on the railing, "I seem to remember writhing in agony the last time I took these steps. It hurts – don't get me wrong, but the brace is preventing the sharp twangs of pain I was having before."

Lauren nodded, "Restricting the movement means the ligaments aren't being slowly stretched and torn as they were."

"Good for them."

They entered the medical room and Lauren directed Bo to the table over by the window. She walked into another room and came out with a tall, handsome man with relatively long black hair and blue eyes. He was, Bo noted, the type to carry himself with an air confidence that bordered on arrogance. Still – her eyes were kind and she sensed a gentleness in his movement.

Tamsin had once told her that this type of man was a typical high school football jock, so Bo didn't know the type. What she did know was men like this tended to understand her desire to achieve in competition, so she found herself ready to listen to what he had to say.

He immediately extended a hand, something that Bo hated about people in the Lower Forty-Eight. Bo shook hands when agreeing to a deal, saying goodbye to someone she'd come to admire or after a race as a sign of respect.

The idea of shaking hands before she knew someone was unsettling, but she shook his hand for Lauren since she knew it was the way she was raised. Still, Bo would hold back on deciding if this guy was someone she would trust until after the race.

"So, Lauren tells me you had a run in with a rock face or a tree? Was there a fall involved?"

Bo shook her head, "It's not really possible to fall in that situation. You just sort of just get bounced off and back onto your sled."

"Ok and that sounds painful."

Bo shrugged, "I didn't really notice how bad it was at the time. I was kind of busy trying to keep my sled upright."

"I see," he nodded.

"You do?" Bo challenged.

He smiled, "Actually, I don't. Not at all. I've never been on a sled in my life, but I took the time to watch some incoming sleds before our meeting so I could see how they move and the general equipment involved. However, they were all pretty much just coasting in, so, what do you say we head outside, and you show me how a sled really works?"

Bo nodded, "Sure. Wish I hadn't walked all the way up here if we were just going to go back down."

"Yea. I wasn't thinking," Lauren said, "Sorry."

"Yea, well Dr. Mc-D here could have met us, so he just lost a point," she looked up at the doctor, "If you want to help my knee, try not to ask me to do anything that will cause more damage before I actually get back on the course."

Bo turned and headed for the door, now a little less confident in Dr. Arrogant.

Lauren whispered, "She has a point."

"I know," he replied as the pair of doctors followed her downstairs.

When they got outside, Bo gave a whistle.

"Bo?"

"Give me a second."

They waited until they saw Rudy and Elise jump out of the truck and come running.

"Bo! Bo! You're awake!"

"Sister! I missed you!"

Bo smiled, lowering herself to hug the two kids before she stood up straight, "I need a favor, Team."

The two stood up straight and saluted,

"What do you need, Captain?" Rudy asked with a giggle.

"Can you hitch up a team using the backup dogs and take Dr. McFarland here for a wicked run?"

Rudy and Elise looked at each other, wide eyed, then turned back to Bo,

"Are you sure?"

Bo nodded, "Yup. He needs to see what I'll be doing to this leg when I'm back out on the course. Can you teach him a little about mushing? You can have LJ in the drag sled with Elise and the doctor here on the rails with you."

Rudy stepped over to the doctor, "That depends. Do you know how to hang on?"

He smiled, "Yes I do, little one."

"My name is Rudy and I'm a musher, not a little one. Now go put your big boy pants on, Mister. We're taking you for the ride of your life."

Rudy and Elise turned and yelled to LJ who was now sitting with the other adults around the fire. He came running but detoured towards Bo when she waved him over. She stepped away from the doctor so she could speak privately with LJ,

"That's the guy who wants to operate on my knee. I need to know what he's made of and he needs to know exactly what I'll be doing with my knee when I go back out on the course. Heavy torque leans, peddling, uphills, downhill leans – the whole ball of wax. Do you know a trail around here enough that Rudy can drive? She moves like I do, so will be a good example."

LJ nodded, "Sure. It's the trail the girls took earlier. Got some great speed and some real technical practice on the tight turns, steeps – both uphill and down."

"Great. I'll need you in the trail sled with Elise. You'll have to explain to him what Rudy is doing while she's driving to keep him focused on what he's actually there to observe. Elise just needs to keep reminding him to hold on so you don't kill my surgeon before he has a chance to fix me."

LJ winked, "I think I know exactly what to do. This guy ever been on a sled?"

Bo smiled, "Not at all."

"Great. Send him over to the truck in ten minutes. Full team?"

"Full team. He needs to understand the speed to understand the torque."

"Got it," LJ said, "See you back here in about thirty minutes."

"Okay. I'm going to go have some dinner, drugs, bandage change and some more sleep. We have about six hours left…"

"Six and a half."

"Right. You know what to do. See you when you get back."

With that, LJ headed out, allowing Bo to turn back to the two doctors,

"Well, you'd better go get ready, Doctor Mc-D. It's going to be very chilly where you're going."

He looked at Lauren and then Bo, "Can one of you tell me exactly what's happening here?"

Bo smiled, "Well, you want to know how my knee will be used when I go back out on the course and I'm not too keen on the idea of taking you out to show you since my doctors' advice has been to rest my knee since I came off the course. Do you have a different opinion?"

"Uh, no. Of course not. You should rest it as much as you can."

Bo nodded, "Well, my little sister is the closest thing to seeing me drive a sled."

"The kid?"

"Her name is Rudy and she hates being called a kid."

"Right," he nodded, "But I really need to see…"

Lauren chimed in, "Trust me. You'll see all you need to see, William."

He nodded, "Right. Well, I'll just go put on a few more layers."

He went back towards the building, turning to LJ when he waved him over. Bo and Lauren watching, laughing.

The blonde sighed, "I can't afford to lose him, Bo."

"You heard LJ. Rudy's great, but I'm having LJ go just to be on the safe side. If you want me to send another sled along I can."

Lauren shook her head, "You won't have enough dogs for two full teams. I'm sure they'll be fine."

They sat down on the step until the doctor returned, Lauren handing him her goggles before sending him over to the truck with one last piece of advice from Bo,

"Do exactly what they tell you to do and remember, Rudy knows what she's doing. She may be young, but she's a better musher than most adults I know. You're in good hands. LJ will be explaining what she's doing along the way."

"Right," He said, "See you when I get back."

Bo nodded then turned to Lauren, "Now can we go get something to eat?"

Lauren smiled, "Molly's stew?"

"I think I'll get enough of that on the trail."

Lauren shook her head, "Not anymore you won't."

"They tossed Molly's stew to shed weight?"

Lauren smiled, "Jerky is lighter and since you'll be eating at each checkpoint and getting fluids and nutrients by IV at the two eight-hour checkpoints, they did foil packets in a bucket of meat, fish, vegetables and potatoes in precise servings. One of each, three times a day and two pieces of jerky at each meal or as snacks between the three meals. Melt snow for water and add your Mom's tea for added nutrients and warmth."

As they walked, Bo rolled her eyes, "I can feel myself losing weight already."

Lauren smiled, "Less for the dogs to drag."

"Ha. Ha."

They sat down with the family, Bo enjoying several bowls of Molly's stew as they all talked of the changes they'd made to the load before they got into a discussion about team alignment. Rudy had talked to Bo earlier about her ideas and she planned to adopt two of those on the way back. It was unusual, but it just might help. She would need to be more fluid with the alignment of her team from this point forward since she needed to pedal as little as possible.

The rest of the time was spent talking as friends and family which meant lots of laughter until everyone noticed that Bo had nodded off to sleep again. Lauren woke her to have her go lay on her bed and the rest of the group sat and spoke softly so as not to wake her.

"Does everyone know what's coming next?" Kyle asked.

Everyone nodded, Lauren adding, "I'll have to wake her when Dr. McFarland gets back."

"LJ texted me that you were sending them off with him and a full team of dogs with Rudy driving. What is Bo trying to accomplish?" Mary asked.

Lauren smiled, "Rudy has Bo's driving style so he needs to observe the motion of her legs to decide on the brace and its settings to best protect her knee. He mentioned to me adding a sleeve over the brace. I wish I had one of Harper's sleeves in Bo's size."

Mary smiled, giving a nod to Tosh who pulled up his pant leg, "You mean like this?"

Lauren sat up straight, "You… is that…"

He smiled and nodded, "It's exactly what you want. I have an extra in my truck. I've been having problems with the circulation in my leg so Kate had Mary make me one a few weeks ago. They got a little nasty because of sweat, so she made me five and I always keep a backup in my truck."

Lauren looked at Mary and Kate, then back to Tosh, "This is perfect! It's the additional support she'll need plus it will help keep the limb warm so it doesn't get stiff. I mean… as stiff."

Tosh stood and walked over to Lauren, bending down and giving her a hug, "She's going to be okay, Lauren."

The blonde's eyes brimmed with tears, "I know."

She barely looked at the group as she said, "If you'll excuse me."

She stood and walked off towards the back porch. The group exchanged glances before Tamsin stood,

"I've got her."

They all watched as Tamsin followed her friend before returning to their seats where Tosh pulled out his guitar and began picking a calming tune. Everyone stared into the fire, enjoying the time of rest. It was the last they would have before shifting into high gear again in a few hours.

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