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?

44. Chapter 44: Iditarod Conclusion, Part 1

A/N: Last two chapters of the Iditarod incoming… with a big BoLo moment! Reminder to those catching up, this is the third consecutive double-chapter update. This one is posted Sept 23 and includes Chapters 44-45. Enjoy!

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Chapter 44 – Iditarod, Conclusion Part 1

ROHN MEDICAL TENT

Lauren watched from a distance as Bo hugged Rudy for the second time.

Lauren laughed as Bo walked to the checkpoint and hopped on her sled only to have Rudy call out,

"Don't be a loser, Sister!"

It warmed Lauren's heart to see Mary wrap her arms around her youngest daughter from behind, the pair watching as Bo waved one last goodbye to her family and friends… her team.

Lauren felt an ache in her gut and chest when Bo pulled out, turning back towards the medical tent and held her gaze.

Neither one waved or smiled. Neither mouthed the words 'I love you'. Neither gestured any form of farewell or affection.

Finally, Bo pulled her goggles over her eyes and turned to the trail. Lauren watched, taking one step, then two, towards the checkpoint until Bo faded from view.

"May I ask what stopped you from saying goodbye to your fiancé, Lauren," Anna asked from inside.

"I wrote a note in her journal. She'll get it at her next stop."

Anna nodded, "I see. Is there a reason you chose to write it instead of speaking your truth face-to-face?"

Lauren shook her head, "She wouldn't have believed me."

"Is that true?"

Lauren looked up, tears in her eyes, "Yes," she lowered her eyes, "Because what I wrote was a lie and I couldn't have hidden that fact from her. I wrote what she wanted to hear. I'll avoid her until the race ends and someone tells me she's back and in one piece."

She wiped her cheeks, "My next shift is Deshka Landing and it starts at noon tomorrow. I'm prepping the medical tent and then helping to prep the kennels for the plane."

Anna nodded, "I see."

"She said she doesn't think she's going to race next year," Lauren said, turning back to packing her compounds and beakers into a box, "I just have to get through this one."

Anna shook her head, "So Bo has a chance to break the all-time consecutive win record for women and – if she races the next two years, break the record for both men and women – and you're going to just let her stop racing?"

Lauren dropped a beaker into the box and turned to Anna,

"Yes! Yes, dammit! I'm going to let her stop going out into an icy hell where bears, hypothermia and an infection from a fucking splinter can spell death for the only woman I've ever loved! Yes! I'll support her stopping! I'll give her a million other fun things she can do to take her mind off another one of these races!"

"Wow," Anna said, shaking her head, "Now… this is the new friend talking because the professional is being silenced by shock right now… I didn't know you could be so selfish."

"How dare you!" Lauren shouted back, "I have given up my life back east for her! I have give up surgery for her! I have given up…"

"Stop right there, Lewis…"

The two turned to see Kyle standing in the doorway. She stepped inside before she continued,

"…because you personally swore to me that you gave up Boston because you wanted Alaska – that you loved Alaska. You told me that you came back here after your little Bo break whether she wanted you or not," Kyle pointed a sharp finger, jabbing it into Lauren's chest as she spoke,

"So no, you don't get to play the 'what I gave up for Bo' card! By your own admission, you didn't give up your life for her… but damned if you aren't asking her to give up her life for you. How dare you!"

Lauren stood, looking between the two women before she turned to Kyle,

"Fine!" She shouted in reply, face red, tears streaming down her face, body shaking uncontrollably until she dropped to her knees.

She sat back, leaning against the portable cabinet, her elbows on her knees, hands folded,

"You told me you loved her, Kyle. How did you ever just sit here and watch her go out there knowing that she may never come back?"

Kyle sighed, pulling an envelope from the bottom of her clipboard,

"Bo asked me to give you this."

Lauren stood, taking the envelope. She held it, flipping it over in her hand, "From Bo?"

"She sent me to town to have that printed out for you. She thought you might need to see proof that the odds are in her favor," Kyle began, waiting for Lauren to unfold the piece of paper inside, "As you can see, not a single musher has ever died during the Iditarod. Not one."

Anna looked over Lauren's shoulder, reading the information from the internet that Bo had printed,

"Oh, horff! A musher killed his sled dog with his snow hook?"

Kyle nodded, "That was rumored to be true, but as Bo has said, rules need to be changed to protect the dogs further. They don't track the deaths so we really don't know everything we should know about the death of race dogs."

"So that reporter has a point?" Anna asked.

Kyle nodded, "Bo has never denied that which is why Bo invited her in, so to some extent, yes. My brother and I explained our family's thinking on that."

"And that is…" Anna asked.

"People have thrown numbers around for years about how many of the dogs have died in the Iditarod. For the last few years, I keep hearing one-hundred and fifty, but there's no way additional dogs can die each year over three years, and that number never change.

That's because – despite the technology available to us today – we don't do more to track what's going on with the dogs. Obviously, there are some places GPS doesn't work, but most places, you could pick it up with drones positioned over the course carrying some sort of WiFi set up. Kurt said it wouldn't be easy, but it could probably be done."

"How would that help?"

"Well, for one thing, mushers could call for a pickup rather than carry a sick or injured dog in their basket for another fifty miles."

"Does it really matter if a dog gets back sooner?" Anna asked as Kate walked into the tent and came to sit beside her.

Kyle nodded, "The total weight of the sled and gear is about one hundred pounds. Add food, supplies and the musher and you're talking close to four hundred pounds or more. That means each dog is hauling about twenty-five to thirty pounds plus their own body weight."

"I suppose that's a lot?"

Kyle nodded, "Particularly if they're going uphill – particularly a hill that's icy. You're all doctors so you can imagine the additional strain on the muscles, attachments and joints not to mention the calorie burn on each dog."

Kyle held up the map, "This is where Bo is headed now. There's a bunch of steep hills, ice, dirt and stuff. Bo's not afraid of the terrain. She's not afraid for herself and she's not afraid of losing the race."

Her gaze moved to Lauren, "She's afraid for her dogs during this section. They've already struggled through it once because the conditions are shit and now, she has to go through it again. Lots and lots of water and ice while hauling that cumulative weight."

Lauren nodded, "And because Harper is gone…"

"The weight that she was pulling is now passed on to the others when they're most fatigued. Now, usually, that would just mean that Bo takes Harper's place and pedals, but because…"

"…of her knee, the dogs will have to pull the weight," Lauren concluded.

Kyle nodded, "But because her knee is feeling good she'll pedal and then, once on the other side of Rainy Pass, pretty much ride the bench the rest of the way. If she can, she'll probably pedal the most difficult parts – something Lauren and William don't want to hear, but it's the truth."

She turned to Lauren, "You love those dogs. You can't say you wouldn't do the same if you were the one out on that sled. You have the same damn protective nature that Bo has. Tell me if you saw Elsa and Anna up there with bleeding rub marks on their shoulders that you wouldn't jump off with busted ribs and a busted leg to try to help them."

Lauren sighed, glancing at Anna before she nodded, "I would."

"Okay, so get off Bo's back about her doing what you know she has to do. She's been doing this long before you came into her life. This is who you're marrying, Lauren so get on board, or get out."

Kyle held her jaw as Lauren just stared at her for a long moment. Satisfied the blonde had let her words sink in, she continued,

"I'm not afraid to say you made her angry, Lewis and I can't say I blame her. If you're not going to come to this race and support her, you should fly to do your Boston business in February-March and fly back when the race is over."

She smiled, "I believe Penelope would call it a mutually agreeable contract. You get your meetings done while she gets to stay here and run the race. You both do your jobs and get some breathing room from each other. Bonus – you don't have to spend two weeks worrying about her getting killed – which she won't – and she doesn't have to spend two weeks laying around waiting for you while you're in meetings in the big city. Win-win."

Since no one else was chiming in, Kyle continued,

"We all know you took the medical shifts because you needed the distraction. You don't want to be in here sewing up cuts and blisters. That's a nurses' job… at least that's what Carolyn told me. Shannie says this is beneath you and from what I've heard about what you do, I'd have to agree as a non-professional."

Lauren sighed, only offering a nod in response.

"Anyway, by this time in a normal year, Bo and these dogs have already gone a solid eight hundred miles on little to no rest and a lot of food. The problem with the food is that there's very little time for the nutrients to get into their bodies since you need sleep for nutrients to be absorbed. Consequently, the deficit grows and grows."

"Is that why they have the mandatory rest intervals?"

"It is, but like Bo, most mushers don't plan them around maximizing nutrient absorption. They base it on win strategy, weather and where they are on the trail. Bo's in the worst weather right now, but remember that mushers wear goggles and respirators in cold weather. We don't give those to the dogs because they're 'made for this snow', but the truth is, they're not made for this weather without proper shelter, food and rest," she explained.

Kyle shrugged, "So, in many ways, I agree with what these animal rights groups are laying down. We didn't know any better back in the day. We know better now."

"So your suggestion is to end the race?" Kate asked.

Kyle shook her head, "Kurt has a draft sitting on his desk of a proposal he wrote years ago. He's going to give it to Mary and ask for a meeting when we get back. He's hoping she'll take it to the new committee."

She put down her clipboard, her hands now actively emphasizing her points,

"First, instead of these super long layovers, force shorter mandatory layovers at each checkpoint and make the racers win the race when it counts – between the checkpoints out on the course."

She pointed to Bo on the map,

"Second, if people want to stop and take a long sleep on the side, let them just like Bo will – probably here, here, here and here. Make a pop-up shelter like the one we've designed large enough for dogs and musher a mandatory piece of equipment."

"Third, make the team size eighteen to twenty so that each dog hauls less weight. Better for the dogs and less strain on them if a dog has to drop. It also adds to how deserving a musher is of the win because they've put out the money and training effort to build great kennels. It's easy to find a great core of ten dogs but try finding a solid fifteen that will work well together… now that's a champion."

Kate asked, "What about mushers that can't afford the extra dogs? How is that fair?"

"There are always plenty of dogs in this country and around the world that are good, strong working dogs in this climate that deserve a chance to be a champion. My best dog was kept in a home for two years with a family that tried to keep her for a pet. They gave her up to a shelter because of her aggressive behavior. She just wanted to run, and they rarely took her out of the house."

Lauren nodded, "There are an awful lot of huskies and mixed breed working dogs in shelters. I saw just in Boston. Imagine how many shelters that have dogs with potential."

Kyle nodded, "Fourth, there's been people accused of doping just like in human sports. They put stuff in the food. Kurt wants this addressed. He has several ideas but none are full proof - short of drug testing every dog at each stop. That would be expensive."

"I can't believe there's doping in this race!" Kate said, shaking her head, "What's wrong with people! They're dogs!"

Anna agreed, "That's sad."

Kyle nodded, "You're preaching to the choir here, Ladies."

She sighed, continuing on with her brother's plan,

"So, number four is to arrange for that WiFi system I mentioned so dogs are airlifted as soon as they're sick. Keep in mind that some dogs just stop running. They're just done. So, if that happens, get them out of there. They're clearly not happy. Why should they have to travel in that cold weather in a bumpy basket for another fifty miles when we have choppers and snow machines close enough to get them back faster and into a vets care sooner?"

She looked at the doctors, "I've seen the poster in Lauren's clinic – when a heart stops, seconds count. Well, that's not just humans. It's dogs too and if we're not recognizing that, we're exactly who those protestors think we are. Besides, when you drop a dog, remember that the team is now hauling the additional weight of that dog in the basket."

Kate went to speak, but Kyle held up a finger, "So, to prevent the team from having to haul extra weight as dogs are dropped later and later in the race, Kurt's plan is to let the mushers replace the dogs that get sick or have to drop throughout the race."

Kyle paused, "Now, we know they want to keep it even and some mushers can't afford to have a kennel of thirty dogs or more but hell, some of these guys have two hundred dogs and that's where we have to send PETA. There's no way all of those dogs are getting the treatment they deserve."

"Sounds like the puppy mills back east," Lauren nodded, "They've got to make sure the kennels have the necessary personnel to give each dog the love and care they deserve."

Kyle nodded, "And they need to limit the number of dogs a team can carry to the race and when they drop below twelve able-bodied runners, they're out of the race, plain and simple. No more of this rule that they only need five dogs to finish the race."

"Only five? That's ridiculous!" Kate protested.

Kyle nodded, "We're rewarding mushers for having dogs that can't cut it – probably because of poor treatment or training - and penalizing the strongest dogs by making them carry the most weight when they're the most tired just so they can be called a champion and what do we give them for a near-death experience? A fucking medal."

"Last year one of those small teams finished and one of the dogs died a week later," Lauren added.

Kyle smiled, "From pneumonia he got during the race. The musher ran him despite what had to have been bad lung sounds well before the finish."

"Why run him?" Anna asked.

"He needed five dogs to finish and collect the prize money. First place isn't the only position that pays," Lauren explained.

Kyle nodded, "I rest my case… actually, I rest Kurt's case."

The doctors all cheered, and Kyle laughed, taking her bow, "Now, we've got a checkpoint to get to. Lewis?"

Lauren sighed, "I agreed to go to the finish line for my next shift. They're coming to get my gear in thirty minutes."

Kyle nodded, "I'll let Bo know you had agreed to the shift before you got the envelope."

"Or… one of us could take your shift?" Kate and Anna said, looking at Lauren.

The doctor smiled, "It's your first race. I know you'll want to see the finish line, so I don't want you to miss it."

Kate shrugged, "Everyone said it's going to be boring this year with just a few family members and a gaggle of reporters around. We'll catch the next full-blown race when you're not volunteering for the medical staff."

Lauren smiled, "Thank you so much."

Anna laughed, "Ah, but you haven't gotten our bill yet."

"Whatever you want, it's yours," Lauren smiled.

"Okay. We'll take three weeks off after you guys get back from your honeymoon so we can go get hitched!" Anna laughed, picking Kate up and spinning her around.

Lauren smiled, "Done."

"Really?" Anna asked.

"Really."

"But we're already…" she stopped when Kate elbowed her and said,

"We've already taken so much time off for this race."

Anna quickly plastered a smile on her face and nodded, "I'm not so sure the other docs will be too happy about covering us again."

Lauren shrugged, "Life is long and hopefully so will be their tenure with us. Holidays, weekends, vacations – there will always be a way to pay them back. I'll have Penelope draw up an official "IOU" card for the salaried staff. We'll put a blank on them for you to fill in the hours and signature line. Unless you have a death in the family, the birth of a child, blizzard, avalanche, accident or a flight you cannot change, you have to take the shifts when asked."

Kate and Anna shared a glance before nodding, Anna stating, "That sounds completely reasonable."

Kate smiled, "Agreed. I've never known a hospital or workplace of any kind to use something like that. It's always based on sick time."

Lauren shrugged, "Workplace autonomy program. I just invented it."

Kate held up a finger, "But add in there a patient you don't want to leave. I don't want to have to cover the floor if I'm monitoring a transplant patient post-op."

Lauren nodded, "Agreed."

Kate held up a finger again, "That goes for nurses too. I'm getting used to Shannon and Kelly. I'd hate for them to bale on me to go snowboarding when we may have to go back in two hours after surgery."

Shannon poked her head through the tent flaps, "Did I hear my name and something about how wonderful I am to work with?"

Kate laughed, "You know, your head barely fits through the opening of that tent."

Shannon blew her a kiss, "You know you love me. Just don't tell your fiancé or mine. They might get jealous."

They all laughed until Lauren stopped, looking at Shannon who grinned widely, as Lauren shouted, "Wait! Wait a minute! You mean…"

Shannon smiled brightly as Lynnie popped through the tent opening, holding up her hand, "I said yes!"

Kate shook her head, "What were you thinking, Lynnie?" before she laughed, "Come here and give me a cuddle! Congratulations!"

They all laughed and hugged, each taking a moment to look at Lynnie's ring who looked up at Lauren and shook her head,

"I know, it's perfectly imperfect for work! I mean, how can I even put on surgical gloves with this rock! But it's so shiny and beautiful and I love it even though I'll have to take it off for work every day."

Lauren smiled, "It's okay. The ring that really matters will always stay on once you have it."

Kate smiled, "We just claimed April for our wedding. When are you two getting hitched?"

Shannie shrugged, "When you've been together as long as we have, there's really no rush…"

"Except for the fact that we've decided to have kids… well, one for now, maybe two, so we are going to get married this summer… on the lawn at your cottage?" Carolyn said, looking at Lauren, hopeful.

Shannie smiled, "If you'll have us."

"Are you kidding? We'd love to host your wedding. I mean, I'll have to talk to Bo, but I can't imagine she'll say no."

Carolyn walked to Lauren, taking her hand, "Will you walk me down the aisle?"

Lauren smiled, "I'd be honored, Lynnie."

Shannon grinned, "Thanks, Lauren. It means so much to us."

"What about you?"

"I'm going to ask Bo if she'll do the honors for me," Shannon said, "Do you think she'd mind?"

Lauren shrugged, "You know she's not big on attention, so if she hesitates, just remind her that all eyes will be on you. She's just there to make sure you don't trip over your own two feet."

Shannon smiled, "Or pass out from nervousness that Lynnie will finally wake up on her way to the alter and realize I'm an idiot."

Lynnie smiled, shaking her head. She kissed Shannie on the cheek and said,

"Don't worry, Baby. You know I already think you're an idiot and I love you anyway."

Shannon leaned in and kissed her before she looked up at the group, a goofy grin on her lips, "She's so romantic, isn't she?"

Again, the tent filled with laughter before Rudy and Elise came running into the tent. Lauren could see Molly and Mary chasing them, trying to catch them before they could speak, but it was too late,

"We're planning another wedding? Can we see your ring? Huh, Lynnie? It's gonna be so good! Rudy knows all the flowers in Alaska! She has a big book she's using for Bo and Lauren's wedding!" Elise began.

Rudy nodded, "Uh-huh! And Elise got the book for the invitations – all the pretty stuff that goes on them and the way everything gets typed and then the cards go in the printer and you print them out and then lick the envelopes which is pretty icky and then you seal them and then you put the sticker on that mom and Molly give you and then the other sticker just in case it gets lost and then the stamp and then you take them to the post office and people will come to your wedding!"

Carolyn knelt down in front of Rudy and Elise, now noticing Mary and Molly behind them,

"It would be an honor to have the two of you plan our wedding. We'll get started after Kate and Anna get married in April, okay?"

Rudy threw her fist pump and Elise threw her arms around Lynnie's neck.

"Come 'ere, Squirt," Shannie said, picking Rudy up and spinning her around, "Thanks for your help. Now, I have a very important question for you both."

She put Rudy down next to Elise and knelt next to Carolyn, "Lynnie and I have talked about it and we've decided that we want the two of you to be our Maidens of Honor. Can you do that for us?"

The two girls looked up at their respective moms who now had a hand on each child's shoulder,

"Momma? What does that mean?"

Mary lowered herself to Rudy and Elise, "It means that you will each stand beside your friends while they promise to love and stand by their partners for the rest of their lives. Whether their healthy or sick, whether times are easy or tough."

"So, no matter what? They never leave each other?" Rudy asked.

"They never stop loving each other?" Elise added.

Molly nodded, "That's right."

They both turned back and in unison, said, "We'll do it."

Lynnie hugged Elise and Shannie hugged Rudy before they all stood back up, "Depending on how tired Bo is, let's plan on a hot chocolate campfire after the race at Deshka Landing, okay? I mean, Bo has to stay until all of the other racers are finished, right?"

Kyle nodded, "That's right, Shannie and – as a surprise for you all – Bo purchased tickets for everyone on the team to the awards dinner. She absolutely hates the damn thing and wait til you see the awkward moment when she gets an award…"

"Tell me she has to go up on stage in front of everyone," Shannie begged, her hands clenched in prayer.

Kyle laughed, "She has to go up on stage in front of everyone."

"This is gonna be hysterical!" Shannie laughed.

Lauren just shook her head, knowing that Shannie was going to make things worse for Bo, but it was all in good fun. Maybe she would help to lighten Bo's mood at the dreaded event.

"Also, you should know that the race coordinator contacted me which is why I was coming to the tent to talk to you when I got… distracted."

Lauren nodded, "So what happened?"

"Well, apparently, everyone thought that Harper's condition was a lie. They thought it was a P.R. stunt because Bo didn't use any sponsors this year. They also thought she was trying to get the other racers to let down their guard but apparently, that Gwen check got some pictures of Harper when she was on the table after the race…"

"She didn't!" Lauren shouted.

Kyle nodded, "I'm afraid so, Lewis. Cassie had just put the salve on her and didn't want to cover the wounds. She also wanted to get nutrient and fluids into her right away. Harper was tired and she didn't want to delay her getting a meal. She was eating kibble out of her hand – literally a handful at a time, but Elise was working with three other dogs and Cassie had two reports to write up on two other dogs that race officials were waiting for. It was a little crazy in the tent and somehow Gwen got in there and snapped the pictures. She went into the communications lodge back in the town of Iditarod and asked for them to fax a proof of an article."

"Oh no!" Lauren said, her hands over her mouth.

Kyle shook her head, "There was a vet who walked in behind her and saw the picture of Harper before the operator could lay it in the fax tray. She asked to see it and Gwen tried to stop her, but several race officials were in the common room who walked over when they recognized the vet. I think her name was Ari or Laurie."

Lauren shrugged, "I don't know her."

"Well, anyway, she told Gwen she recognized the dog as one that was being treated after she was dropped from the race because her musher felt she shouldn't continue. There was no pneumonia or cardiac issues. There were no physical problems that occurred during the race. The musher stopped the team and put the dog in the basket against the dogs wishes."

"So that was it?" Shannie asked.

Kyle shook her head, "No, Gwen pushed for them to look at the injuries on the dog, accusing the musher – who she knew damn well was Bo – of beating or whipping the animal to get her to run faster."

"Ysabeau needs to file a protest now," Mary said from behind.

Kyle shook her head, "This Ari or Laurie called Cassie over from the medical tent and told her what was happening, so she brought Harper's file over and showed the race officials Harper's history. One of the race officials – a guy named Greg – has apparently known Bo and Harper for a long time."

"He knew about the attack on Bo's team this year?" Shannie asked.

"Well, like everyone else, they thought it was just a story. But then, he read the medical history from Cassie – he saw the photos of Harper's injuries from the Bear attack. He was shocked that she was alive at all let alone running full stride when he saw her in the race."

"So that works in our favor?" Kate asked.

Kyle nodded, "He agreed that Harper would do anything to protect Bo and did, likewise, Bo would definitely have pulled Harper from the race if she couldn't continue… which she did when Harper finally cried Uncle and let Bo put her in the basket."

"But did she do it too late? How does that help?" Shannie asked.

Kyle continued, "Well, he also said he had seen Harper snap at Bo when she tried to remove her from the team at an earlier checkpoint. He further told the group that the commissioner, or whatever the head dude's title is, had talked to Bo about Harper and she had explained the whole situation and he had agreed to allow her to race if Harper looked in good condition."

"Which she clearly did at the start of the race," Lauren replied.

"And he agreed. Further, Cassie stood up big time and told them all that the decision was hers and hers alone. She is and has been Harper's vet. She has seen her through the worst injuries a dog could suffer in Alaska."

"So that was it?"

Again, Kyle shook her head, "Then Gwen started with her mistreatment of animals thing, so the operator stood up and handed the race official three faxes. He read through them doing a lot of nodding, eyebrow raising and smiling before he shook his head and called Gwen 'a piece of work' an 'unprofessional reporter' and someone with 'no press ethics'."

"Wow," Shannie said, "So someone finally put her in her place?"

Rudy pulled on Kyle's shirt, "Can I tell them? Huh?"

Kyle smiled, "Our little spies here are the reason I knew to head over to the communications hut to witness all of this. I just got the official word…" she looked at Rudy.

"They sent her packin'!"

They all laughed as Rudy threw a thumb over her shoulder before she and Elise spun in a circle pumping their fists and shouting, 'Mean girl is gone! Mean girl is gone'!

"So, did you tell Bo?" Lauren asked.

Kyle shook her head, "Similar to Mary's suggestion, a complaint against the reporter has been filed on Bo's behalf. The committee is taking action against the paper based on what was in the fax copies that the operator handed over. If Bo chooses to, she can sue for defamation and ruin the paper and the reporter for good."

Lauren nodded, "She won't want her name in public."

Kyle nodded, "I've already thought of that and so did Cassie who has the most to lose as the Vet of the animal in question. She has agreed to be interviewed by the race committee and has the full backing of the veterinary team who all backed Harper's participation in the race. They're likening it to human rights… that these dogs have a right to do as they please regardless of what humans think."

"Anything else we should do for Bo?" Lynnie asked.

"Believe it or not, the operator in Iditarod has a little experience with the press. She suggested a petition signed by the mushers supporting Bo's decision to allow Harper to run. Of course, since she made a public bet at the meeting, it could work against her if any of the mushers have a bone to pick with Bo."

Shannie shook her head and laughed, "Oh, you mean like kicking their collective asses for four years straight?"

Kyle shrugged, "She would have stuck to her word and pulled Harper after a mile if Harper had let her. There are several people who saw Bo try to unhitch her from the team – apparently three different times – each time, Harper either growled at her or tried to bite her. Gwen was one of them, believe it or not."

Lauren nodded, "We were all there. We saw that when they were in camp the first night."

"Yea, but we're considered biased," Kyle replied.

"Team Bo, all the way," Kate added.

"What did those faxed letters say?" Anna asked.

Kyle smiled, "Oh. I'm not supposed to know this since the copies were given to the race officials who will be sending the evidence via email to Cassie and Bo but… well, one fax was from Gwen. It was sent after she first met Bo and pretty much said it was going to be tough to prove abuse. The reply to that one was from her boss and she told her to keep digging. Someone would talk."

Kyle took a moment and then spoke about the second fax,

"In the next one, Gwen said she had tried to dig deeper, but got snagged eavesdropping on a medical conversation and they threatened to sue her. The boss said to send the information anyway and they would print it as an anonymous source. Gwen refused to send the information since she had been caught by the two doctors on call."

Lauren nodded, "That was me and William. Rudy and Elise actually caught her that time too."

The two children high fived each other, "Detective Dyson couldn't do any better!"

Kyle smiled, before she continued, "Since the race officials know how she acquired the information, it could literally land Gwen in jail if the information were released, but her boss could still leak it if she got her hands on it. That would force the committee to have to defend themselves after the fact. Of course, if Gwen had a backbone, she could then turn around and sue her boss, but her boss is probably the only thing standing between her and her next job."

"So Bo's private medical information could be leaked to the world?" Lauren asked.

"Like I said, the officials doubt it will be, but…"

Lauren shook her head, looking at Kate and Anna who nodded, "That's not good enough. There are repercussions for us and our hospital as well," she held up the satellite phone, "I've got to call Stephen."

Kyle placed a hand on Lauren,

"Hang on. You should know that the third fax was Gwen telling her boss that she didn't have anything. There were no signs of abuse and everything that she had learned about the dogs being used was that they were work dogs bred and trained to do exactly as they were doing."

Mary added, "She changed her tune from the top fax that they read first. She now believes – and wrote in the fax – that these dogs are no different than horses being used to plow a field. She explained that Alaskans were not in a place where you can just run a snow machine out across the tundra. Machines need fuel and appropriate temperatures to run. These dogs are built for the tundra."

"She said that?" Lauren asked.

Kyle nodded, "Apparently. She was becoming an ally."

"So, what happened?"

"Her boss," Kyle replied, "Her boss said that she either sends some kind of incriminating evidence or she will be looking for a new job."

"And you have that in writing?" Anna asked.

Kyle nodded, "It's one of the return faxes Gwen had in the stack."

"I'd suggest we find this Gwen and find out what her aspirations are for her professional future," Molly said, from the tent entrance, "Don't you all have connections to newspapers?" She turned to Lauren, "Or have friends who do?"

Lauren smiled, "So you're saying we turn the tables on this boss lady?"

Molly shrugged, "I'm not keen to the ways of the Lower Forty-Eight, but I've watched enough television and learned from Mary's time in witness protection. If this woman is willing to move, aren't there a lot of papers in Boston who might need a reporter? Maybe she can even get one of those remote gigs I've been hearing the young folks talk about."

Kate nodded, "Or maybe she wouldn't mind the small-town life if she heard from a group of big city gals how wonderful our new home is? I mean, it can't hurt and I saw a help wanted sign in the Gazette's window last week. I don't know if the position…"

"It's not filled," Molly smiled, "That's a great idea too. If she came here and learned about life in Alaska, she might be willing to take on the fight to defend our way of life."

"And she could follow all of the positive changes we're making in the race for coming years by sitting on the board of the committee," Mary suggested.

Kyle nodded, "Hell, I'll train her for free if we can get her behind a team. She can come when Bo starts breeding her dogs this spring and see the whole process. She'll see first-hand that a dog has to choose to be a racer, a worker or a pet."

Carolyn sat down, putting her elbow on the patient bed, admiring her ring as she spoke,

"You all should run for office. You chicks put your mind together and you could end all war and finally give us world peace... maybe even save the planet!"

The group laughed, Kate tossing a pillow at Lynnie's head before bombing her with a hug.

"Ladies, I hate to break up the party, but we've got a checkpoint to get to," Molly said, causing everyone to stand at attention and head off to work.

Anna and Kate stood by Lauren, "You go."

Lauren shook her head, "You know what? I'm going to cover my shift. You two go. I'll get everything set up as I promised. By the time I'm finished here, I'll be ready for a long nap. By the time my shift starts, you'll be there to cover the finish to see Bo as she comes across. I'm sure I'll still have time to make it there."

"Are you sure?" Kate asked.

Lauren nodded, her eyes closing with sincerity before she smiled and said, "Please. I insist. It's sixty-seven miles from Skwentna to Deshka Landing so by the time I finish waiting for Bo to pass Skwentna, I'll have plenty of time to beat her to the finish."

"How long do you think sixty-seven miles will take her?"

They all turned to Mary who gave her best explanation, "If the weather is bad, the dogs will run about eight miles per hour. If the weather is good and she still has all fifteen dogs, they'll run ten to fourteen miles per hour depending on the incline. If they're on a wide-open flat trail, her current team was clocked at twenty miles per hour."

"Wow. Is that fast?" Kate asked, looking at Anna, "That seems super fast. I mean, top human speed is about what now – thirty maybe? These dogs are going at that clip carrying a sled, supplies and Bo? That's crazy."

Anna frowned and Kate shook her head, "Sorry. I know you hate that word. It's incredible. Okay?"

She leaned in and kissed Anna's cheek.

Kyle shook her head, "Not fully loaded – only about three hundred pounds with Bo's weight included."

Lauren smiled, "Bo took a risk this year and gambled on speed since she knew she wouldn't have Harper. Aphrodite, who's running as her single lead, used to run next to Harper at the Wheel position."

"That's the back of the sled, right?"

Lauren nodded, "She's a powerful dog who just happens to be almost as fast as her usual leads, Nike and Diana."

"They're beautiful dogs," Anna smiled.

"They are and they're so kind. Of course, she said I'll see a different side to them when she breeds them in the spring. Last year, we had the females at her house and all of the males stayed at the kennel so that LJ wouldn't have to handle the moody males, not to mention preventing an accidental pregnancy."

"I take it saying 'no' doesn't work?" Kate asked.

Lauren shook her head, "Absolutely not. When dogs mate, once they… lock together… that's it. There's no way to separate them without physically harming the genitalia of both. Some of Bo's dogs have never mated, so it may be painful for them. They'll cry if it is which is why Bo insisted we get married before they go into heat. She said we'll sit with them through the process and calm them which will help with the pain."

"Oh my," Kate said, "How long do they stay locked together?"

Lauren shrugged, "Bo said she's seen it last as little as five minutes and as long as sixty. There's no rhyme or reason."

Anna asked, "So she's just what – gonna let all the dogs out in that big pasture and whoever nails who, that's it?"

Lauren shook her head, "No. Actually, she'll build kennels for each pair she wants to mate. If she puts more than one male in with a female you can have what I think she called a superfecundation. I think I'm pronouncing that correctly. Basically, she can lock up with one male and he can insert his sperm, then the other dog can lock up with her causing all of the sperm from the two dogs to mix together."

"So, she won't know who the dad is?"

Lauren smiled, "He's called the sire and that's correct. Which means her blood line will be unknown which means that if she decides to sell her dogs, mushers won't want them because they won't know the history of the parents. People know Bo's dogs well, so they're going to want her best dogs. The rest would be considered pets or work dogs."

"This is probably a ridiculous question, but do female dogs get periods like we do?"

Lauren nodded, "Yup and for seven to ten days like us. The problem is that they can't use feminine hygiene products like we do, so apparently, I've signed up for diaper duty for our entire kennel… well, the ladies, anyway… and only the ones we're not breeding."

"Oh my," Kate smiled, "I don't think I'll be available for dog sitting, but I'll be happy to puppy sit after the dogs are born."

Lauren smiled, "Of course you will. Actually, we'll keep the ones we're not breeding at The Homestead. It will be spring, so they'll all want to be outside anyway. If the kennels at the cottage are built by then, Bo will keep her top females there with us because it's just a more secure space."

"Valuable dogs means unscrupulous neighbors?"

"Neighbors? No. Strangers? Definitely. Shannie and Lynnie also said they would take a few if we needed more space to split them up. The smell will apparently make the males crazy and they'll do just about anything to get to the females. Bo said that's how she got… I think it was either Clara and Katie or Shadow and Elektra. Apparently Julius or Apollo – sorry, I don't remember who is who just yet – broke down a door to get to their mom. Bo had her locked in a room, but left the male out with just a gate in the hallway."

"No way!" Kate said.

Lauren nodded, "Apparently. Mary said that when they lived on the North Slope, a friend of hers had a male that broke through a window to get out of the house, then broke through the window where the female was to get into the room. You have to lock them both in rooms on opposite sides of the house. If your house isn't big enough, you have to put them in separate houses. The barn has windows, so her Mom advised against that as a location. The kennel – well, you've seen that. It's outside and has only fencing separating them…"

"And the one field is just houses and no fencing accept the perimeter."

"That's actually a training field for keeping dogs together that she wants to run together," Lauren explained.

"So, you have that indoor spot at The Homestead. Doesn't she have less males? Why not just keep them there?" Anna asked.

Lauren shook her head, "Because you could have any stray from town going after her females just like the males she owns. Plus, they'll need the veterinarians nearby throughout the pregnancies. These dogs will need daily care to breed the best dogs."

Anna nodded, "Right."

"So that's why Bo has mostly females?" Shannie asked.

Mary smiled, "That was my teaching, I'm afraid but they do have a better temperament and they do beat all of her males. They're just tall, thick, brooding, bumbling boys with big egos. They're meant for work and breeding."

"Is tall bad?" Shannie asked.

Mary nodded, "When the rest of your dogs are four inches shorter? Yes, because it can cause chaffing from the line angle."

Shannie shook her head, "I've got so much to learn. I would love to help out with the breeding."

"Good. She'll need the help. Just protecting Harper will be a full time job."

Mary smiled, "The last thing she needs is some stray knocking up Harper."

Lauren closed the lid on the last box, "Well, everything is ready to go and so are we."

The three women headed out of the tent, Lauren waving when she saw a man named Matt who was running the supply deliveries. She waved,

"Thank you again, Matt. You really should get a trophy for this!"

He smiled, "Thank you, Doctor Lewis! I'll tell the race officials I want a gold helicopter trophy with a nice base carved into those two eagles I keep seeing at every checkpoint. It's like they're following the race."

Lauren turned to where Matt was pointing and smiled, "They're still here."

Kate and Anna smiled, allowing Lauren the time to watch what they had learned were Bo's spirit animals. They stepped around her, Anna stepping towards the tent,

"Matt? Do you need any help?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry. Doctor Ricci, Doctor Myer. Nice to see the two of you again. Enjoying the race?"

Anna smiled, "It's amazing. We're having a blast."

"It is something to see. I wish I had room to take you up with me so you could see the racers from above. It's amazing to watch how fast they move."

Anna turned to Kate, slowly cocking her head to the side before they shared a smile and Anna turned back to Matt,

"Do you have any room for any passengers?"

He shrugged, "Only the co-pilot's seat, so I could only take one of you."

Kate nodded, "But you could fly over the course? Show us the leader?"

"Of course," Matt said, "That's part of my job. I'm supposed to look for racers in distress and call command to have them send a snow machine out to check on them. I watch for loose dog teams without a musher too."

Anna grinned at Kate, "Sound like you could use an eagle eye in that extra seat."

Matt smiled as he loaded the last box onto the sled, "It wouldn't hurt. Do one of you want to come? I mean, I'm flying this to the end, so I won't be able to come back for the other one."

Anna and Kate smiled, Anna explaining, "Our rides are up there. We're traveling by snow machine to a river boat, then river boat to a plane to Deshka. Lauren, however, is waiting for Kurt but he's apparently got a run to the Specialty Hospital he's on his way back from. Think you could take her?"

Kate whispered, "Point out Bo Dennis to her?"

Matt smiled, "Bo's so far out in front, I don't know if we'll catch her, but I can try."

Kate smiled, "We're on Bo's Team. She just left about an hour ago."

"Oh, we can definitely catch up to her then. Maybe out on the open tundra too. That would be really cool to see."

"Great. Don't leave without her, okay?" Kate asked.

Matt nodded, "I'm the big bird up there on the hill."

Anna gave him a thumbs up, "She'll be right there."

They turned and walked to the tent entrance where Lauren was closing up the tent, "Come on, Lauren. Let's get going. You'll probably see Bo's birds at the finish line."

"It's like they're waiting for me to leave," Lauren smiled, staying put, "It's curious…"

Anna rolled her eyes, mouthing to Kate to do something, so Kate asked,

"Lauren, is Bo going to breed Harper?"

Lauren turned to the pair, "I'm so sorry. We were talking, weren't we?"

Kate shrugged, "We can walk and talk. The Morton Family is waiting on us."

"Right," Lauren said, looking up, "Oh, I missed saying goodbye to Matt," she pointed behind her, "Are we sure he got everything?"

Kate nodded, turning Lauren back towards the chopper, "You still haven't answered my question. Is something wrong with Harper?"

Lauren smiled and began walking with the two, "No. Actually, Cassie said she shouldn't have any problems with pups, but this is the last year for Bo to try if she's going to do it. Twelve years old is it for breeding safely so she'll be pushing it with Harper, but Cassie is willing to give it a try if she goes into heat."

She paused, looking down at her feet, "Actually, Bo wasn't sure about doing it, but my guess is that this race may have changed her mind. Harper was strong at the start, so I think Bo may be seeing her a bit differently than she did before the race."

Lauren looked up to see Matt opening the door for her. She looked at Kate and Anna, "What's this?"

"Kurt is delayed, so Matt is going to fly you. Of course, Matt's job is to fly over the course to check on the mushers and dog teams. He can use an extra set of eyes. You're looking for runaway teams without a musher…"

"How am I supposed to see that from the sky?" Lauren asked, leaning back as the two women tried to nudge her into the seat.

Anna reached up on the dash, "With these binoculars."

Lauren took the lenses as Kate continued to explain her job, "You're also looking for any teams that look like they might be in distress – mushers trying to get your attention. If you find them, tell Matt and he'll call it in to those snow machine the rescue teams."

Anna added, "If it's an emergency, he'll land so you can get them prepped for transport to hospital services. Of course, if that happens, you may not make it to your shift, so we'll stop there and cover for you if you aren't there."

Kate added, "By the way - he said Bo is crushing everyone, so you're not going to see too many teams once you pass the pack, but you will eventually see Bo."

"Really?" Lauren asked, offering a crooked smile and watery eyes in response.

"Really," Kate said, "Now go! We'll see you at Deshka Landing where we'll all cheer for Bo when she crosses, then have hot chocolate and S'mores around the team fire before this banquet thing."

"Thank you. Thank you both," Lauren smiled, climbing into the chopper and taking the headset from Matt.

"You ready, Doc? You've gotta strap in. First time in a chopper?"

"No, actually. I've been in the medical chopper and Bo's chopper," Lauren said, pulling on the headset, adjusting the microphone and then snapping the harness before giving him a thumbs up, "Ready."

"So, you know Bo Dennis?"

Lauren smiled, "Yea. She was actually my tour guide when I first got here."

"Wow. A friend of Bo Dennis. You're like Iditarod royalty."

Lauren just laughed, putting the binoculars to her eyes and beginning her search as she listened to Matt call the tower,

"Supply One, supply one. Airborne for Deshka Landing. Doctor Lauren Lewis onboard as scout. Please call MediVac One and let Kurt know I have his passenger. No need to return unless he's been called to the trail north."

"Roger that Supply One. We have a report of a possible loose team about a mile from Skwentna. We think there's a musher south of the team who might be able to grab them."

Lauren looked at Matt who looked at her, shaking his head, "Roger that, tower. We'll see what we can see. Supply One out."

Matt asked, "You understand what we're hoping for here?"

Lauren nodded, "That the team will catch up to Bo, she'll be able to stop them and secure them off trail."

Matt pushed his mic down and nodded, "They may be out of reach with a driver on the sled but take the average driver off the sled and you lighten the load by almost ten pounds per dog. Plus, the dogs don't care if the sled flips. They'll drag it on its side, losing gear and weight as they go, making them even faster."

Lauren nodded, "So if we see the dogs, how do we tell Bo they're coming?"

Matt shook his head, "We don't. We just keep an eye on them until they reach her. She'll hear them coming since they'll probably start barking when they see her. I've seen Bo stop a team before. She'll handle it. No problem. Feel bad for the guy whose gotta catch up to his team though. This close to the finish line, probably in second place. Sucks to be him."

Lauren nodded, lifting the binoculars to her eyes again, spotting a lone figure on the trail below, "Musher, my three o'clock."

Matt spun around, coming back to face the musher, "Can you get a bib number for me?"

Lauren nodded, "Twenty-three. That's Bo's friend Dan."

Matt pointed behind him, "Another sled coming behind that. He'll keep going because he sees me here."

Lauren smiled, "That's Merv. I'd heard he was out of the race?"

Matt shook his head, "Yea, there was all kinds of stuff going around about him. Dogs died, team got away. I don't know who started the rumors. Anyway, sled got good and busted, but he ran next to his team, dragging his sled behind him to the next checkpoint. Pulled a backup sled and got back on the road. Man must be crazy tired. Good to see him recover like that."

Lauren nodded, "You know him?"

He grinned, "Merv's been my best friend since childhood."

Lauren grinned, "Good for him."

"You know about his wife?"

Lauren nodded, "Bo told me."

"Bitch."

"Wench," Lauren replied before the two busted out laughing, "I can't believe I just said that."

"Me either, but you're right. That man is the best man on the planet. He just doesn't deserve what she did. I mean, if you fall out of love with a guy, fine but cheating… just no excuse. Taking a man's dogs he's raised from the first two dogs he ever owned? Just not right. At least he got his two boys."

"Wow," Lauren said.

"Actually, Merv just told me about Bo. Good for her, too."

"Excuse me?" Lauren asked.

"Merv told me we scored a wedding invite. I can't believe Bo Dennis is getting hitched! We never did believe the crap Big Jim talked about her. We did what we could to help her. I've got a big kennel on my property. My dogs aren't like these – I've got haulers… work dogs. Anyway, when her dogs went into heat, she'd keep them with her and leave the males with me to stud my females for work. Her males are big and husky like my girls. She got me started and then I bred my dogs with Merv's. Our dogs are family."

"Oh. I didn't know."

"How could you?" Matt smiled, "Anyway, Merv told me that Bo finally came out to him after all these years. I ran rescue on Denali with Bo in winters for years and we knew that Ranger – girl named Katrina or something – she was always hitting on Bo, but we knew she wasn't her type. Then she got friendly with some Federal Agent and we thought they were finally going to nail Big Jim, but then we heard Bo was nailing her down at Shirley's in Anchorage. But, we figured that wouldn't last because… I mean, Bo Dennis and law enforcement? And then that dude… everyone knew that Sheriff was all, I can protect you, I'm perfect for you… guy's got no pride whatsoever."

Lauren laughed, knowing that Matt was talking about Dyson. Bo never wanted a protector… a protector… is that what she'd been doing to Bo? Was worrying equivalent to trying to be the savior and protector?

Matt took a break from his gossip, pulling his microphone down,

"Tower, this is Supply One. Snow machine rescue is on site for the musher. Turning south to search for loose team."

"Roger that, Supply One. Tower out."

"Supply one out."

Matt turned the chopper and continued his story, "We'll catch up to Merv again soon. You can watch how fast they go from up here. It's really cool. He'll probably give us a wave once he sees my logo on the belly of the chopper."

He straightened them out and continued, "Now, where was I… oh yea, the Sheriff and the Fed… anyway, she supposedly went back east, but Merv said Bo didn't seem to care. We lost track of her for the last two years. Heard Big Jim killed her twice, then she showed up for the race last year. Guess he missed. Anyway, after that Fed left, she started hanging out with her buddy Kyle again. Kyle never hid anything. We all knew she liked women, but around here, most people are cool with whatever as long as you don't go flaunting it in someone's face. Still, there are those busy bodies that just can't help judging people for all kinds of shit."

He shook his head, "Anyway, we figured Bo and Kyle were a thing for a while there. I mean, Kyle left her family farm and was living off grid with her, but then she moved back home, so we figured maybe Bo was just helping her train or teaching her. Who knows and who cares, I say."

He smiled, "I'll tell you one thing, though - next to Bo, Kyle is the best damn instructor around for sledding. She's good with training dogs and good with training mushers. She's a wiz with a sled too. She'll say she learned most of what she knows from Bo, but Merv went out with her a few times and said she's got a different style from Bo. Similar, yet different. Like I said, I'm not a musher, so I'm not sure what that means."

Lauren nodded, "I've had lessons from both, and I agree. Similar, yet different. I'm glad Kyle's getting back on her sled."

Matt looked at Lauren, slowly becoming aware of who she was,

"You're the doctor that got Kyle into that hospital in Seattle. You saved her life, Doc."

Lauren kept her eyes on the ground, uncomfortable with the statement, "Actually, a Doctor Grace is the man who gets that honor. I just got her onto his burn ward."

"Big Jim went after the clinic because… you're her? You're the woman that Bo's gonna marry? Damn! I did not see that coming! It's like Beauty and the Beast!"

Lauren turned to Matt, scowling and he quickly backpedaled,

"I didn't mean Bo's a beast. I mean… she was… she had an edge to her before, but now… they said someone changed her. It was you. As my niece would say, you turned the Beast into a Prince again... or Princess."

Lauren chuckled, "Never let Bo hear you call her a Princess."

"Uh yup… I'm well aware. She'd have me roped and dragged behind her sled for a mile," he laughed, looked over at Lauren.

Lauren could see the affection he had for Bo. There was a softness in his eyes,

"Bo has changed," she said, looking down at the harsh landscape below, "Let's just hope she's still got enough of the old Bo in her to finish this race strong."

Matt smiled, "No problem. Sledding? It's like riding a bike. Put Bo Dennis on a sled and a woman none of us know comes out. I've had this view of her racing for five years now. She puts on a show like no other racer I've ever seen. I mean, she put on a clinic back at Rainy Pass. Hard to believe a human can do what she does with a sled."

The cockpit fell silent for a long while as the chopper whizzed up the trail. Finally, about twenty minutes later, they caught site of Bo,

"There she is, Doc! That's Bo and dang the girl is moving!" he said with a fist pump for good measure, "Judging by where we are, she's got about forty to forty-five miles to go? So maybe three hours. Dang, she'd be on record pace if they were giving records this year."

"They're not?" Lauren asked.

"Two hundred less miles. Bo wouldn't accept it if they tried to give it to her anyway. She's too honorable and stuff. I had my kid at the General Store one day and Bo was there trading her furs and skins off to that Big Jon Morton… asshole. He never would have gotten away with the way he was treating her if his Dad was there, but Tosh was up at his other son's place in Talkeetna."

He waved off the thoughts, "Anyway, my kid walked right over to Bo, stuck out his hand and said, 'Hey. I'm Kenny. Nice to meet you.', then Bo shook his hand and introduce herself. She even smiled… you know, not a mouth smile, but that smile that you see in somebody's eyes?"

Lauren nodded, unable to hold back her own smile as he continued,

"Anyway, my kid tells Bo that I just brought him in for his first ever axe and that he saw her win an axe throwing contest. He tells her he'd like her to pick out his first axe – one that's good for someone who's not as strong as she is, but that would be a good axe for someone his size."

Lauren smiled, "What did she do?"

Matt smiled, "She looked at me and I could tell she was asking my permission. I mean, we hadn't met yet at that time and I kind of wanted to ask her for an autograph, but damn she was… sorry, but she was kinda scary back then."

"Oh, I'm aware," Lauren smiled.

"Okay, so no offense. Anyway, I gave her a nod and she walked right over to the wall, pulled down two axes, had him hold one at his ear and extend it out until his hand almost met hers, but didn't touch it, then did the same with the other axe. Smart woman, that Bo. The second axe, he couldn't hold out – she caught his hand before the axe went down and cut open his leg. She took that one back and put it on the shelf, then handed him the other one. I'll never forget it, she says…"

"I'll put this one back up on the shelf. You see it?"

"I see it, Miss Dennis."

"Okay, so you're going to take this one and your Daddy's going to teach you how to throw. If he doesn't know how to teach you, he'll come back here and tell the tall guy named Tosh and he'll let me know you need me to come by and give you a few lessons. Okay?"

"Gee, thanks, Miss Dennis!"

"Call me Bo. Once you can hit the target with that axe from a solid twenty-feet away, ten times, you'll be strong enough to come back here and trade this axe for that one up on top, okay?"

"You really think so?"

"I know so, Kenny. Nice to meet you."

"It was nice to meet you too, Miss Dennis. And you're not mean at all."

"Call me Bo or I'll have to get mean."

"Oops. Sorry, I forgot already, Bo."

"Well, I won't forget the kind young man named, Kenny."

Matt smiled, "It was a year later that my boy ran into Bo again and when we left the store, he couldn't stop talking about how Bo Dennis remembered his name. He was so excited that she knew who he was. My kid was teased and picked on by the kids at school every day because he's doesn't have the smarts that some kids have but Bo Dennis made his face light up like a Christmas Tree. I'll forever be her greatest fan and whatever makes her happy in life is fine by me."

Lauren couldn't take her eyes off the sight below. Matt was right, they were moving hard and fast with Bo leaning into the turns and pedaling occasionally. This was Bo in her element – this was Bo unaware that her doctor was watching.

"She's got a dog in the basket," Lauren noticed.

Matt nodded, "But the dogs head is poking out and you can see the head move, right?"

Lauren used the binoculars to zoom in more closely. She smiled, "It's Aphrodite, her single lead since dropping Harper. She's barking at the team."

Matt smiled, "Bo's probably resting her after coming out of the steeps about twenty miles back. It's common for mushers to rest dogs if they've had a rough spot. I wouldn't worry about that since she's not flagging us. She's got to know we're here, but I know to keep my distance from her. She doesn't like choppers hovering over her dogs. Most don't – it's a distraction."

"Well, maybe we shouldn't stay then?"

Matt nodded, "Let's fly these supplies back and see how long before you're all set up. If we have time, we can fly back and follow her in if you want an aerial view of her big finish."

Lauren smiled, "I'd love to come back up with a camera if I can."

Matt smiled, pointing down between Lauren's legs, "There's a camera mounted beneath the chopper. Turn on that screen and we can get some shots before we go."

Lauren's eyes went wide, "Wide angle?"

He nodded, "Any angle you want, that baby can get. I take aerial view for real estate developers, marriage proposals written on mountains in rocks, whatever people want. You'd be surprised at the requests I get. I even filmed a proposal at the base camp of Denali. People proposing at 7200 feet. Go figure."

Lauren smiled, "This camera is amazing."

Matt agreed, "It is. Best investment I ever made. It pretty much paid for itself. Now it pretty much pays my fuel costs."

"Good for you."

He nodded, "Yea. Merv and I are going to do fishing tours this spring for the outsiders who come our way. Lots of great fishing in these rivers out here, so gonna put his boat and my chopper into service and see if I can't help him pay some of his bills."

"That's very kind of you."

"I'll do what I can for the poor shmuck," he looked over at the screen, "Click that lower left corner with the four arrows and you'll be on video, then just hit the record button on the camera joystick."

"Got it," Lauren said.

"If you give me an email address, I can send everything right from the chopper to you when we I land at the airfield."

"That would be fantastic. Thank you so much, Matt. This is so kind of you."

He shrugged, "Hey, us volunteers gotta look out for each other. Besides, I've gotta reward my spotter somehow."

Lauren smiled, "You can find my email on the Talkeetna General Hospital website. I'm told it went live last night. I just haven't seen it yet, so I can't tell you exactly where it is. I think it's my title and name at TGH dot com."

"Doctor Lauren Lewis, right?" Matt asked.

"That's right and if you ever decide you want to get into emergency medical care, I'll have a job for you with an amazing work vehicle."

Matt grinned, "I may just take you up on that. I got to see the inside of Kurt's chopper. It's sweet. I can't summit Denali in this thing, but Kurt's is like a damn Coast Guard Chopper."

"Well, the doctors agreed it was time no Alaskan was left behind, so we're doing our best to start to bring medical care to each region rather than force them to fly hours to a hospital if they can be treated closer to home by skilled medics."

"You're the real deal, Doc. Thank you."

"Happy to do what I can for people to live long, happy lives, Matt."

He nodded watching Lauren close out the video, "Okay. Let's head for the supply drop, then we'll circle back."

"Okay."

With one last look at Bo, she gave a silent wish for her safe return as they passed over her and on to the finish line. The image of her fiancé on that trail would be forever in her mind. While she looked so very small amid the vast, snowswept wilderness below, she imagined her calling out to her dogs, all of them running with their tongues wagging, mouths turned up as they rushed towards the finish line. She whispered softly,

"Eagle Spirits, guide her safely home."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

DESHKA LANDING – ALTERNATE COURSE FINISH LINE FOR 2021

"When will Sister be here, Momma? I'm really cold and would like some hot chocolate if that's okay," Rudy smiled.

Kenzi, who had arrived for the race finish with Hale, Vex, Dyson, Ciara and her three children waved Mary off, placing a hand on her chest to let her know that she had a plan.

"Hey there, short stack. Why don't you go over and tell Vex that Kenzi said to give you the goods to keep you warm."

"The goods?" Rudy asked.

Kenzi nodded, "Yup. The goods."

She turned to Elise, then back to Kenzi, "Can Elise get the goods too?"

Kenzi smiled and nodded, "Elise can get the goods too."

Rudy waved Elise over, but then hesitated, looking up at Hale, "Deputy Hale?"

"What's up, short stack?"

"Are the goods legal?"

Hale chuckled, covering his mouth before he leaned down and said, "If they're not, I promise you that I'll throw Vex in jail and not you, okay?"

Rudy hesitated before pulling off her glove and holding up her hand,

"Pinky swear?"

Kenzi covered her mouth to hold back her laugh as Hale extended his pinky and wrapped it in Rudy's,

"Absolutely. As a matter of fact, I'll do one better…" he turned to Dyson, "Sheriff? Can we deputize these two young ladies so that if Vex is doing anything shady over there, they can arrest him?"

Dyson looked at Kenzi who nodded before he walked to Hale, pulling a small metal badge from his inside coat pocket. Hale did the same and the two knelt before Rudy and Elise. Dyson spoke,

"Okay, little ladies, are you ready to become Deputies of the Talkeetna Sheriff's Office?"

They shared a glance before both replied with big nods, Rudy looking up at her Mom, unsure of what was about to happen.

"Raise your right hands and repeat after me," he paused, waiting for the girls to hold up their hands, leaning into Rudy, "Your other right hand, Champ."

"Oops," Rudy said, switching hands, "I get that messed up sometimes."

Dyson laughed, "Well, there's a trick to that. Hold up your left hand and stick out your thumb."

Rudy did as told while Elise watched Dyson trace the shape her friends' index finger and thumb made,

"See this? What letter is that?"

Rudy smiled, "It's an 'L'."

"And 'L' stands for left. Your right hand makes a backward 'L', so that's how you know it's not your left."

Rudy and Elise held up each hand, checking out what Dyson had told them.

"Whoa! That's cool!" Rudy said, "I won't get them mixed up now!"

Dyson nodded, "Which is a good thing so you don't make a wrong turn on a trail."

"That would be really bad," Rudy smiled.

"Okay. Right hands up and repeat after me… I, say your name," he waited for the girls to respond, "Do solemnly swear… to support and defend… the people and visitors of Talkeetna… against all bad people… in the name of the Sheriff's Office of Talkeetna."

Dyson turned to Hale, "Deputy? If you will finish the swearing in?"

Hale's eyes went wide, caught off guard by Dyson throwing the make-believe ceremony back at him,

"Uh… right. To finish, say these words… I will do so in sickness and in health… forsaking chores or other boring jobs… until I'm full grown and find another job."

Dyson shook his head and said, "You are now Deputies of the Talkeetna Sheriff's Office and hold all of the powers of the office… except shooting the bad guys with guns."

The two men leaned down and pinned the stars to the outside of each child's coat. Hale stood and said,

"Okay. Go get the goods from Vex. You're still young, so if you're not sure, you show one of us what you got, and we'll let you know if he's up to no good."

The two girls smiled and raced over to where Vex sat with Mark, LJ, Patrick and Jake. Rudy walked up to Vex,

"Vex? Kenzi said that you should give us the goods."

He eyed the badges on their jackets and held up his hands, "Are you here to arrest me, Deputies?"

Rudy crossed her arms over her chest, Elise planted both hands on her hips and said,

"Only if you give us goods that break the law."

"Yea," Rudy replied, "Cause then we'll have to take you to jail."

"Oh my. Well, I don't think that the goods are against the law, but if they are, you should really keep it to yourself."

"Why?"

Vex smiled, "Because the goods that I have for you are so good that they'll keep you toasty warm for at least a full day."

"Really?" Rudy asked.

"Really," Vex replied, "What body part is coldest?"

Elise sighed, "My hands."

Rudy nodded, "And my feet!"

"My feet too!" Elise nodded.

Vex smiled, "Well, take off your boots then. Go on."

"Take them off? It's freezing out here!" Rudy said.

Patrick held out his arms to Rudy, "Come on up, Squirt. I'll keep your feet out of the snow."

LJ lifted Elise, "I've got ya, little Sis."

"Thanks, Big Brother."

The two smiled at each other and for a moment, Mark felt tears well up in his eyes. He coughed several times, covering his mouth, then rubbed his eyes to disguise his emotions before opening them again to see Vex opening a suitcase. He leaned over and whispered,

"A suitcase? Is whatever you have illegal?" Rudy asked.

Vex shook his head, "Why is it that everyone always thinks I'm up to no good?"

Mark laughed, "Because you had… a moment… that lasted almost a decade!"

"I'm reformed. Besides, Kenzi would bail on our partnership if I screwed up again," he pulled two pairs of furry mukluks from the suitcase,

"I've started a children's clothing line. It's ridiculous that we dress kids in the same clothing as adults when they are much more susceptible to frostbite than we are. Plus, nothing fits, and furs are very heavy for a youngster to carry around."

Mark scowled, "Since when are you interested in what's hard or easy for kids?"

Vex winked, "Since I learned I could get rich selling products for them."

"Yup. Still honorable," Mark snarked.

"Yes, well these are from the first collection to come off of the production line. I had planned to give them to Bo to give to the girls, but since Kenzi obviously thinks they need them now, now it is."

"Well, I'm not putting anything on my daughters' feet without knowing what's in there," Mark demanded.

"Uh… kids with freezing cold feet here!" Rudy yelled.

"Yea! Have your adult arguments later! We're the deputies and we demand our boots back!" Elise added.

Vex stood, showing a boot to the group,

"Rubber boots – a favorite on the east coast because they are simply more waterproof than anything else on the market. Lining – mukluk fur – a favorite in Alaska for reasons unbeknownst to me. Outside logo for this first and very special edition – Iditarod Kids by Vex. You can see the detailed image of our very own Bo Bunny's dog sled and team, led by the one, the only… Harper and her daughter, Aphrodite!"

Rudy and Elise smiled, clapping their hands as Rudy asked, "Are they really ours?"

Vex nodded, "Yes, but there's more!"

"Can you hurry?" Elise asked, "Our feet really are freezing!"

LJ and Patrick reached down and covered the girls' feet with their hands as Vex continued,

"Between the rubber and fur lining, there is a thin layer of flexible plastic piping that runs as a serpent through the whole of the boot, except on the bottom. At the top in the front is a push button. You push the button and – as long as the battery is charged – a small pump begins to heat the serpentine of heating elements that run through the piping, thereby providing warmth to the boot."

He smiled, chest out, proud of himself until he remembered, "Oh and for safety, the top temperature is a toasty seventy-four degrees. Not too hot, not too cold. The plastic keeps the heat in, the fur makes it super comfy and protects the skin if you're barefoot in the boot!"

"They're heated?" Rudy asked.

Vex smiled and nodded, handing a pair of boots to LJ and pointing to Elise's name on the back heels, "So you don't get them mixed up with short stacks' over there."

"They have our names on them?" Elise asked

"Really?" Rudy smiled, "I never had anything with my name on it before."

"Me either! These are so cool!" Elise smiled.

He took another pair and handed them to Jake since Rudy's feet were already on his lap. Vex pointed out Rudy's name on the back heel of her boots and she grinned widely.

Once the boot were on their feet, Vex raised his arms above his head,

"Ladies, start your engines!"

Rudy and Elise looked at each other, Rudy asking, "I thought you said they were batteries?"

Vex nodded, "Yes, yes. Whatever. Push the buttons!"

It took a moment, but soon, the girls were smiling,

"It's getting warm!" Rudy shouted.

Elise nodded, "It feels so good!"

Vex nodded, "They've been tested on moi for a full year. I'll stand behind my product, so if you have any problems, you let Uncle Vexy know, girls."

Rudy and Elise hopped down, running over to Vex, to offer thank you hugs, but he held up his hands,

"Wait! There's more!" He smiled, turning and walking to the suitcase before bringing back two pairs of gloves, "For your hands!"

Elise smiled, "They're heated too?"

He nodded, "They are! Now put out those tiny hands of yours."

They took turns getting their gloves which were embroidered with their names and said 2021 Iditarod Edition by Vex on the underside of the cuff.

"These are awesome!" The girls said, high fiving each other. They turned and ran to Vex, hitting him in the hips with their hugs. He managed to stay on his feet with a quick hand from LJ,

"Okay. Go show Kenzi that I gave you the goods. She was hoping everything would fit."

"They fit perfect," Rudy smiled, "Thank you!"

"Thank you!" Elise smiled as the pair ran off to show the rest of the team.

Rudy looked up at Hale, "If these are unlegal, you'll have to take my badge because I'm not giving them back no matter what!"

Elise nodded, "Me either!"

Hale smiled, "I don't blame you girls. Sheriff Dyson and I have been wearing Vex's prototypes for three weeks now and we wouldn't take them off either."

"But why didn't he give a pair to Sister?" Rudy asked Kenzi.

Kenzi smiled, "He was afraid they might break or malfunction since they're still testing them and he didn't want to risk her having gloves that wouldn't keep her hands warm. Things are much rougher out there in BoBo land than they are here."

"Oh," Rudy said, "So we're testing them too?"

Kenzi nodded, "You two are the first to have the kids' edition," she looked up at Mary, "So make sure you let someone know if they stop working or they're not comfortable for any reason. Okay?"

Rudy and Elise nodded, Elise smiling, "My feet feel so good."

"Mine too. Not too hot, not too cold, just like he said!"

Dyson shouted, "Listen up Team Bo! I hear a chopper!"

Mark shook his head, "You're hearing things, Dyson."

Kenzi laughed at Mark, "Never bet against this guys' nose or his ears. He's like his own Police Dog his senses are so good."

"There!" LJ said, "That's Lauren's chopper – I mean, Matt's chopper that the Doc was on, so Bo must be somewhere below her. She said they were going to fly over the trees ahead of her to film her head-on crossing the finish line! She must be close."

They all stood, moving up to the spectator line where the officials were keeping racers and teams separate from the media outlets. While high powered zoom lens captured footage and phones were drawn recording the big finish, Lauren hovered above with Matt, using the best quality video and photos that could be taken by anyone,

"Go, Bo! Go!" Lauren smiled, tears filling her eyes as she watched the screen, "This view is amazing. I can see the little freckle she has near the corner of her mouth!"

Matt smiled, having had the experience several times before, "Just remember to pull back so you get the full starting line and the fact that no one is with her."

"Right," Lauren said, using the joystick to decrease the zoom and get the full picture of Bo's victory, "Here she comes. Here's the moment of victory! Yes! Yes, Bo! Oh, you did it, Sweetie!"

Matt smiled, watching Lauren as the tears fell down her cheeks. They continued filming, Lauren zooming in so that she could capture the smiles of the whole team as they descended upon their champion. It was a glorious sight… until she saw Bo looking around, searching and searching.

Finally, Rudy held her arms up and Bo lifted her into her arms. She could see Rudy grab her sisters' face and turn it towards the sky. Matt laughed immediately,

"That's Bo's little sister?"

Lauren laughed, "She's quite the powerhouse. Bo's blood through and through."

They watched as Rudy pointed and a smile spread across Bo's face when Matt flipped the switch and the two occupants listened for the package to drop from the helicopter behind the family.

"We should see the parachute in three, two, one… there."

Lauren smiled, "It's adorable, Matt. Look at that little red parachute!"

Matt nodded, "I'm just glad I had a few left from Santa's Christmas helicopter!"

"Look… just as I expected, Rudy and Elise are going after the package and Bo's laying down with her dogs. Her knee has got to be killing her."

"Just a few more minutes, then I'll get you down there."

Lauren nodded, watching as Bo was handed the package. Matt adjusted, "We're going to have to go up a bit with the family gathered around like that. Change that camera angle so you can get it on the zoom."

Lauren did as she was told and when the image came into view, she smiled, "You can see Bo's face and right into the box. This is a perfect shot."

"She's going to hate you for this."

Lauren laughed, "I know, but she'll get over it when she sees what it is."

"That's IF she forgives you for not being down there when she opens the final box."

Lauren nodded, "I'll take my chances. She's opening the third box."

"I can't believe you pulled the old box within a box, within a box to begin with, but seven boxes, Lauren?"

She shrugged, "It's my lucky number."

"You? Not thirty minutes ago, you said you only believe in science."

Lauren shrugged, "Well, the last patient I closed up after heart surgery took seven stitches to the valve I replaced, seven stitches to the inner wall of the heart and seven stitches to the outer wall. It was the smallest incision I've ever made and it worked. A young girl is alive because of those sets of seven."

Matt shook his head, "Here it comes, Lauren. She's looking up at you."

Lauren zoomed in, "And I'm looking down at her and that beautiful face."

Leaning over to see the screen, Matt asked, "Do you mind?"

"You helped me pull this off. You deserve to watch as much as I do. I just hope…"

Matt smiled, "You got her good. I never thought I'd see the day. I'll be damned."

"Don't you ever speak a word of those tears, Matthew."

He crossed his heart, "Pinky swear… since that's your family's thing. Now, let's get you down there. She's waving you to the ground."

Matt slowly lowered the chopper to the open space well away from family and the finish line, but everyone's hands still went up and goggles came down over everyone's eyes to protect against the strong winds generated by the blades. They were in the supply drop zone, so Lauren would have a short walk, but she knew before he even hit the ground that she would be running.

"Thank you, Matt," Lauren said when they landed, "See you at the family campfire, right? Please invite Merv to stay as well. His dogs can sleep in the kennels in the back, right?"

Matt nodded, "Yes. It's actually a great idea since the Vets can come on board and check the dogs in a warm, quite space. The pens are big enough for each dog to eat and drink while they wait for the Vet to get to them."

"Perfect. And you'll come with him to the wedding? Any attire is fine – we don't care what our guests wear."

"We'll be there. I know Merv is really looking forward to it."

"Great."

"Okay, safe to depart! Good luck!"

Lauren leaned over, kissing her new friend on the cheek before opening the door, "You'll send…"

"…to your hospital email. I promise. Nowhere else!"

"Thank you, Matt!"

Lauren closed the door, ducking under the blades as she turned to see Bo in the distance. She ran… and she wouldn't stop running until she got to her…

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