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?

45. Chapter 45: Iditarod Conclusion, Part 2

A/N: Reminder – this is the third consecutive double-chapter update, for those of you that have missed the return of this story, so be sure you've read Chapter 44 first (and Chapters 40 – 43 before that!).

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Chapter 45 – Iditarod, Conclusion Part 2

Finish Line

Lauren kept her eyes on Bo's as she ran across the snow from the chopper. The cold winds burned her lungs, but she didn't care. She just needed to get to Bo… but when she reached her, all she could manage was…

"Hi."

Bo smiled, "This is…"

Lauren reached into the smallest box of the seven Bo had opened and pulled out the small diamond ring, lowering herself to one knee. She could hear the collective gasp of the family as she looked up at Bo who smiled and said,

"I'd just like to state a disclaimer that my finger is not fat… it's swollen. Either that or maybe the jeweler made a mistake on the size, but it's okay…"

Lauren shook her head, "From the moment that I taught you the meaning of a penny for your thoughts…"

Pulling up the felt cushion in the bottom of the box, Lauren held up an old penny in a thin glass case and handed it to Bo,

"…and you left that penny on my nightstand after our… talk. I've carried that penny in my pocket ever since."

She smiled, "Even knowing you were out of reach, unavailable, had no interest in commitment, let alone an outsider – especially one who was trying to get herself killed on a dog sled she had no business driving…"

Both women laughed, their eyes filled with tears,

"…I've continued to hope against hope, then hoped with hope that the day would come when you would agree to make a life with me… when I felt sure I could accept you just the way you are and make a life with you. Well, that day has some."

She held up the ring, "In this family, a great tradition has begun that we keep our promises… especially those we pinky swear on. So, with this ring, Bo Dennis, I pinky swear to love you for the rest of my life. To accept you for who you are, to support you in all you choose to do and to walk or mush with you, side by side… or slightly ahead when I'm kicking your ass…"

Again, the group laughed, Bo shaking her head, but Lauren continued,

"… until the Spirits take us from one another. And as much as I would love to say they will reunite us in the great beyond, the scientist in me is just not there yet, but I promise, I will continue to search for my truth and support you in yours regardless of my own beliefs… my own feelings… my own fears."

A tear trickled down her cheek, "I love you, Ysabeau. I know we've already done this, but after these last few days, I needed to say this... to reaffirm my commitment to our life together. Will you agree to marry me… again?"

Bo smiled, tears flowing freely down her cheeks as she nodded and watched Lauren slide the ring onto her pinky finger.

Bo laughed, "I swear it will fit the right finger once I get out of the cold."

The pair laughed as Lauren stood, taking Bo's face in her hands and kissing her gently on the lips,

"I love you, Bo."

"I love you, Lauren."

The pair smiled, embracing as the family cheered around them. It didn't take long for Patrick and Jake to shout,

"Let's party!"

Bo shook her head, "You two are new here, so I'm going to cut you a break! We've got champions that need care first and I've got to do the final checkpoint paperwork and Vet checks!"

The two looked at each other, then back to the group, clearing their throats,

"Of course. Our canine cousins! Let's get on that! They need food! Water! Warm beds! Walking? Do we walk them? Massages? We learned how!" Patrick spoke quickly.

Bo smiled, shaking her head as she yelled, "Kyle?"

"Team Bo, let's get to work. You know your assignments! Those of you that showed up just for the party, come here if you want to help or go over to our camp if you want to be lazy and just watch all of us work!"

Patrick smirked, "I'm up for lazy."

He noticed no one walking towards camp, "But there's a toasty fire over there… is lazy really an option?"

He turned to see Tamsin, arms folded over her chest, "It is if you want me to rip your dick off and stick it in your ear."

Patrick clapped his hands together, looking at Jake, "She's got such a way with words, don't you think?"

Jake nodded, "Highly motivational. Definitely. She should be a speaker."

"Totally," Patrick smiled, turning to Kyle, "How can we help?"

"In all seriousness, Mary or Cassie did teach you massage, right?"

"Yes, we seriously know the drill," Jake smiled, "Where should we start?"

"Pick a dog, just be sure not to split up the pairs. They've just spent seven days joined at the lead, so they're going to want to lay together."

"Got it."

Tamsin and Kyle watched as the couple walked away. Tamsin smiled, "I love those guys. They're fun."

"And they're funny," Kyle smiled, "I look around and I never thought I would know let alone be friends with so many people from the Lower Forty-Eight."

"Hey!"

"You already knew you were unexpected," Kyle smiled.

Tamsin nodded, "The double whammy – a Fed and a Lower Forty-Eight girl."

"Whodda thunk it?" Kyle laughed, "Okay, let me go get Bo prepped for the press. I have the list of interviews that she's been assigned. Wish me luck."

"I don't think luck is gonna help, Babe."

"You know, I think you're right," Kyle smiled.

She trudged over to Bo, smiling when they made eye contact,

"Congratulations, partner."

They hugged, "Couldn't have done this without you, my friend. My dear, dear friend."

They separated, Kyle smiling, "I'm so happy for you, Bo. Your whole life is finally turning a corner. The sky's the limit!"

Bo sighed, "Please tell me the other shoe isn't going to drop anytime soon."

Kyle hesitated, her eyes moving to Lauren before she turned back to Bo,

"Well, you have the press junket now, so should we get it over with? The family planned a relaxing campfire for after the race since you have to wait for all of the finishers. Lauren's guy… sorry, I forget his name…"

"William," Lauren replied, coming to stand beside them.

"Yea, he's trying to get you medically excused from having to stay so that you can fly to the hospital, get checked and – well, whatever else needs to be done – and then fly back here for the ceremony."

Bo sighed, "I don't suppose they would excuse me from that?"

Kyle shook her head, "Only if you have a life-threatening emergency. I could ask William to inflict a wound on you when you fly back?"

"Uh… I'll take a pass."

Kyle shrugged, "Thought I'd offer."

"Okay. Lead the way," Bo nodded, turning to Lauren, "You'll wait for me?"

"I'm going to help with the dogs. Lots of massages to give, so I'll be with them."

Bo nodded, "Thank you."

Lauren held up her hand, "Bo? If there are questions… about us… it's up to you. I won't hide anymore if you don't want to."

Bo smiled, "I'm not hiding either."

Lauren nodded, moving to release Bo, but the brunette pulled her back and kissed her, soundly.

"Neither of us is big on public displays of affection, but I figured with all of those cameras out, I might as well give them a chance to get the picture. Hopefully it will deter people from stalking us to get one later."

Lauren smiled, "Hopefully. If not, I'm sure they won't challenge the old Bo Dennis if she confronts them."

Bo laughed, "She can always make an appearance when necessary."

Lauren watched as Bo placed a hand on Kyle's shoulder and walked away with her. She turned to where the dogs were laying in a group on their nice, dry, thick hay beds.

Some of them were already rolling around on it, burrowing in to get warm. Lauren noticed Aphrodite wasn't being tended to and was sitting upright.

She was the only single, so it was more likely that everyone had decided to start with the pairs. She sighed, heading for the lone leader. She approached her slowly, unsure of her mood and extended her hand. Aphrodite lowered her head, bending her front legs to lay down fully.

"Hey, big girl. How are you?"

She rolled onto her side, rubbing at her eye and rubbing her side into the ground. Lauren looked closely at her eye and noted that it looked irritated. Upon further inspection, she found dried up goop along the lid as she would have seen in a human patient with pink eye. She rolled the large dog over, releasing her harness and running her hand across her fur when she heard the dog whine.

She quickly pushed her hands into the snow and wiped them clean before searching her pockets for her stash of surgical gloves. Eyeing the area, she pulled on the gloves and began to look deeper into the fur.

She saw one, then two blisters, "Blisters? Were these from your harness, girl?"

She pulled the harness around, noting that it didn't come close to the affected area. She raised her head again and noticed Cassie walking slowly from dog to do with a clipboard. She called out to her,

"Cassie! I need you over here, please!"

Cassie gave her a wave, picked up her kit and headed Lauren's way. The blonde moved her gaze to the group of dogs and noticed that the other team members were all looking her way,

"Shit, Lauren," she turned, hoping that Bo hadn't heard her, but sure enough, the brunette was storming away from the press junket, shouting back at them that her dogs came first.

Lauren noticed the race director calming down the reporters and another race official heading towards Bo.

Cassie arrived first, listening to Lauren as she explained what she had found. Cassie took a look and immediately picked up her walkie talkie,

"I need all available veterinary staff to the finish line immediately."

Bo arrived just as Cassie spoke. She looked down at Aphrodite and then back up at Cassie, shaking her head. She stood, calling out to the team,

"I need everyone's attention! First, take your hands off of the dogs, remove your gloves and go toss them in the campfire. I know they're keeping your hands warm, but it's necessary. I have plenty of backup gloves in the truck."

"Bo…" Kyle began, but Bo shook her head,

"No questions – just do it! If you've touched the dogs with your bare hands, come here right now."

Kyle was immediately next to Bo who knelt next to Cassie once more. Cassie turned to the team leader,

"Kyle, were there any reports of toxic plant life on the trail prior to the race?"

Kyle quickly flipped through her clipboard until she found the trail condition report. She shook her head just as the race official arrived,

"Problem with the dogs, Doctor?"

Cassie began to speak, but Kyle interrupted, talking directly to the race official,

"We need to know right now if there were any reports of toxic plant life on the trail prior to the start of the race."

He shrugged, "There were some weeds here and there… the weather was warmer than usual north of here, so some of them had begun to bloom. It's early March, so the trail managers had them cut back. Mostly along the rivers and a few in the bush."

Cassie turned to Bo, "Take everything off that you can. Lauren, take her to your medical tent. We're looking for any signs of blisters or discolored skin."

"No. My dogs first," Bo insisted.

"Miss Dennis, may I remind you that veterinarian orders must be followed," the race director stated firmly.

"Fine," Bo looked up, eyeing her mom who was wiping down Rudy and Elise's hands and giving directions to the team. It was clear to Bo that she already knew what was happening,

"Mom? Cassie needs you!"

"Bo…"

"Cassie, you've trusted her before now. I'm asking you to trust her again. Look at her. All you needed to say was burn the gloves and put your hands in the snow and she knew. I'd be willing to bet she has a treatment."

Bo leaned in, "Remember, her village used to eat this stuff until they found out it was causing those… changes… whatever they're called!"

She turned to the race official, "I can't believe…"

"Bo…" Kyle cautioned, so the musher turned back to Cassie,

"Dammit! I can't believe that shit was on the trail!"

Bo marched off to the physician's tent with Lauren, Cassie calling out to Lauren, "Don't touch her or her clothing, Lauren! If you find anything, call an human doctor!"

Mary nodded, "Amelia is fully up to speed on all natural contagions, Lauren. Get her if you can."

Lauren waved and gave her a nod before walking the rest of the way with Bo. They arrived in the tent and the doctor immediately asked,

"Bo, will you please tell me what's going on here?"

Bo nodded her eyes watering, "Lauren, it's my team. My team is in trouble! My whole team!"

Tears streamed down Bo's face, but this time, the tears weren't happy tears. Lauren shook her head, checking Bo's body for any of the signs Cassie had described. She found none. Bo ducked out the back of the tent rolling around in the cold snow and rubbing it all over her skin. She came back in, red, cold and shivering,

"Bo!" Lauren said, quickly grabbing a stack of towels to wrap around her, but Bo pushed them off,

"I need to stay cold. It's important. Cold and dry."

Lauren pulled a rolling curtain over to block Bo's naked form from anyone who might come in, then listened as Bo explained while she shivered,

"There's a bunch of plants in Alaska that can cause poisoning in both humans and dogs. While humans are usually fine – maybe some blistering, a ton of pain and some scarring – dogs can become blind or even have to have a leg amputated."

Her lips trembled as she spoke, but nonetheless, she opened the tent a crack and stood where the cold wind hit her skin,

"The symptoms are similar for all of them, but Cassie really needs to identify the plant. If the race officials didn't make note of what was out there, they'll have to get in touch with all of the individual trail workers to find out what each of them found and where."

Lauren handed her a towel and Bo began to dab her skin dry,

"For now, she's going to rely on me to tell her what I might have exposed them to. I'm going to need my journals. There are two of them in my emergency bag. Ask Cassie what to use to clean my skin. Tell her I did a snow rub. Cold is the best defense against this thing. Was Aphrodite rolling in the snow?"

Lauren nodded, "That's how I knew… and rubbing her eye."

"Shit! Does Cassie know about her eye?"

Lauren nodded, "It was sort of red and crusty."

"Dammit! This stuff can cause blindness," Bo sighed, "I need clothes… just shorts and a tank top so I stay cold. I've got to get back out there, Lauren. Help me, please."

Lauren turned to leave, but Bo shouted for her, "Take this towel. Make sure it doesn't touch anything but your surgical gloves. Burn it so no one else picks it up. Cassie or my mom should have something to wipe down my skin to remove the plant oils by now. Once I've done that and rinsed off again, I can put on clean clothes."

The doctor nodded, "I'll be right back. Something to wipe you down with, bucket of water, clean clothes and journals."

Bo nodded, squeezing her arms and legs tighter, "Make sure Mom is…"

"Bo, your Mom and Cassie are on this. Trust them. Let's you and I focus on identifying what it is we're dealing with."

Bo nodded, "Just make sure the race officials are too. This could impact other teams, Lauren. I wasn't the only one on the trail, but because I was in the lead, I may have pushed the plant out of the way for the teams that followed… with any luck," she shook her head, "I can't believe this shit was out there this early in the year!"

She watched as Lauren left the tent, stopping a race official at the door to let him know she wasn't clothed. He nodded, turning to a female official to send her in, then left."

Bo, seeing the woman enter, shook her head, "So, you're coming to talk to me instead of talking to the guys who groomed the course? You know what? Fine! That's just perfect!"

She crossed her arms over her chest before moving to stand behind a stack of boxes. She wasn't modest, but she had her doubts that this woman would take her seriously about the situation if she was interviewing her naked,

Meanwhile, Cassie and Mary had gathered with all of the vets from their kennel in Talkeetna. Cassie greeted them all and introduced them to Mary,

"Hi all. I know that some of you only came to enjoy the race finish today and are here with your families, but Bo's team is our team. If we don't do some heavy duty preventative medicine right now, these dogs will be taking up beds in our clinic for possibly a year."

"What's going on, Cassie? No one told us anything."

"Let's do some introductions first. Mary Dennis is Bo's mother. As you know, it was her salves that helped us to bring Harper back from the brink. We have our style of medicine, but Mary's is more than four generations of native Alaskans who all raised sled dogs as their sole method of transportation."

They all gave Mary a round of applause,

"Save the applause for after, please. We're in a hurry. Anyway, their dogs lived for – on average – fourteen years under their care and the lessons were passed from generation to generation. Honestly, Bo knew what it was before I did and we were looking at Aphrodite at the same time. That said, Mary, these are our team Veterinarians. I believe you know several, but I'll introduce them all."

She pointed to each as she announced their names, "Dr. Hannah Unger, Dr. Diana Harrow, Dr. Robert Parnell, Dr. Maria Perez, Dr. Julie Carson, Dr. Sun Trailwalker and Dr. Katie Moon. I'm going to ask Sun and Katie to take the lead on this with me as we are all natives who will be quite familiar with this situation. The important thing to recognize is that what we've found in Aphrodite, could be happening to every dog in this race."

Sun shook his head, "Cow parsnip? In early March?"

Cassie shrugged, "Bo isn't sure and the race officials said there was a reports of a potentially toxic plant on the trail that was trimmed back and buried. We all know that if there's one plant, there's more. Since all of the dogs are running the same trail…"

"This could be a disaster," Katie concluded.

Cassie nodded, "But, these dogs have all been checked at more than half of the checkpoints thanks to the consolidated staff and less stops this year. The fact that these symptoms just appeared in the last seventy miles says a lot about where they are in the stages of infection. So, right now, we interview every musher that crosses that line and ask them what they saw. Hopefully, someone can identify the plant so that we take the right course of action."

Cassie looked at Mary who nodded and began,

"The potential sources of this toxin are Cow Parsnip or what you will know from your medical schools as Heracleum Maximum. It's from the Apiaceae family and is also known as Heracleum Lanatum, Giant Hogweed, Indian Celery, Indian Rhubarb and Pushki. Learn now so that when – not if – this happens to an animal you treat in the future, you will be able to do so swiftly."

She turned to Katie and Sun, "If you will fill in any gaps you believe I am leaving, I would appreciate it," she turned back to the group and began,

"I'll delay the lecture on the plant's growth and locations and stick with what you need to know to act quickly with each dog. My village used to use the parsnip to wipe on our skin to ward off insects. That is the plants main defense. Insects will not attack the plant because of this defense, so the plant and all others in this genus, survive. However, over time, physicians such as yourselves both in the veterinary and human medical professions, learned that this substance – known as furanocoumarins – may cause DNA mutagenic and carcinogenic changes."

Cassie looked at Mary, "If I may, Mary was almost blinded by this substance earlier this year, but she was treated quickly after exposure, so retained her sight."

Mary sighed, moving on from the memory of Storm and her attempt to harm her,

"In addition to these changes in the body, once a dog has been affected by phytophotodermatitis, a condition where…"

"Hyperpigmentation occurs!" Robert shouted, "I've just read about this."

Cassie nodded, "Yes, Doctor Parnell. That is correct. Now, hyperpigmentation can occur if you do not keep the skin covered. The inflammation caused by the furanocoumarins can be bad enough to cause necrosis - killing the tissues - which may lead to amputation."

Kate added, "If I may provide a side note - that means, the end of the careers of these elite dogs. For the mushers, it means starting from scratch to raise new dogs with a new line. Remember, the DNA has been changed, so breeding these animals may not be safe."

Cassie nodded, "And that will be a big job for us since Bo plans to breed her females very soon."

The group shared glances and mumbling,

"So we'll be doing DNA testing?"

"On every dog who attended this race, yes, but that's a problem for another day."

Mary continued, "Now, if the dogs eat the plant or if the sap is absorbed by the skin – as it clearly has been with Ysabeau's lead dog, Aphrodite, daughter of Harper - it can cause phytophotodermatitis or photosensitivity. In addition, exposure to parsnip can cause ocular damage leading to permanent blindness."

Again, the group mumbled, some gasping. They all knew the importance of Aphrodite to Bo's bloodlines.

Mary sighed, "The furanocoumarins are to blame for the rash and blisters. You may merely observe a mild redness, or it may be severe enough to cause necrotic dermatitis which, as Cassie mentioned, could result in the need for amputation of the limb."

Mary smiled, "Now, for some good news. This condition must have sunlight to thrive quickly so you will notice that all of the dogs have been moved to the large tent provided by our clinic. As other dogs arrive, you will need to find ways to shelter them – ask teams to reach out to anyone they know to bring or help build shade."

"Can't we just cover them?" Maria asked.

Mary shook her head, "Remember, this substance thrives in heat and moisture. We want the skin to be cold, dry and in the dark. It's the last thing we want for these dogs after days of frigid trail running, but they can endure a few more hours as we free their coats and skin of this contaminant."

She held up a hand, "It's important to remember that as you work on these animals, do NOT get it on your own skin or in your own eyes. It will have the same impact on you. Bo's team is working on her dogs with gloves and gowns, courtesy of Dr. Lewis in the human medical tent, but she does not have enough for us to remove them after each patient. One set each – that's it."

"But…"

Cassie nodded, waving her hands, "We understand your concern but again, remember how this toxin works. Rub down with snow between patients and when you're finished, you'll burn your surgical wear and any personal clothing items that may have been contaminated."

Kyle waved, "Bo and I had planned to give you all new team gear. It's in the truck, so burn what you have to. We've got new outerwear and underlayers for everyone – socks and gloves included."

Cassie added, "If you do see blisters or redness on your skin, consult a human physician immediately. These local doctors have been treating this for a long time. You're in good hands."

She looked back to see if Bo was coming yet, then turned back to the group,

"Another good thing is that not everyone reacts as badly as others. Clearly, Aphrodite is having a severe reaction. Other dogs may have no immediate reaction but react later. Others will get nothing but a mild rash. Regardless, we treat them all the same."

"You mentioned consumption, Cassie. What happens then?"

Cassie replied, "Intestinal irritation, nausea and vomiting. Again, it depends on how much they ate and how long it takes for the toxin to run its course through the system."

With a nod to Mary, the elder Dennis continued, "It would be highly unusual for Bo's dogs to consume any plant-life on the trail. They're spoiled rotten on salmon and beef, so the green stuff isn't really up to snuff where their taste buds are concerned."

Cassie clapped her hands together, "Now, what we are looking for today and for the next week…"

"Week?" Maria asked.

Sun nodded, "Lucky for us, Bo's dogs are right next to us in the kennel. We'll have to check them every day for a week to know for sure that they are in the clear."

He gave the floor back to Mary, "We're looking for redness, inflammation, a dog wincing in pain, blistering and peeling skin, patches of skin that look burnt, darkening of the skin or hyperpigmentation, ulcerated sores, necrosis, eye irritation, rubbing the eyes, blinking or watery eyes or a dog who cannot see. For that reason, we'll want to get them up every day and walk them on a long lead to be sure they can walk without running into things. An obstacle course would be a good idea."

Cassie nodded, "We'll have a clipboard for each dog with a daily checklist on it. You'll examine each dog three times a day with the help of Bo's team. They'll be trained by Mary what to look for."

Bo walked up to the group, "I'm 99.9 percent sure my dogs did not eat this stuff. We are also now almost 100 percent sure that this was Cow Parsnip. It was on a river trail about seventy miles from here. The bad thing – Aphrodite is apparently very allergic to parsnip. The other concern is that we know this stuff effects DNA, so Lauren believes it worth considering that all of Harper's line may be hypersensitive to the toxins."

Bo pointed back towards the trail, "The plus side, I did that last 70 miles in about three hours, so time is on our side. Again, a downside, the trail was open and sunny the last thirty miles. Aphrodite was the sole lead, pushing this stuff down for the rest of the team as they ran, so if it's on her side and in her eye, look especially at the lower body and feet on the other dogs. The last teams across the line will have a better chance that the stuff was buried in the cold snow, but their symptoms may pop up some time this week."

Bo nodded to the race official who spoke,

"We're talking to each race team as they arrive so that once their musher and dogs cross the line, they can pull them aside, inform them of what's going on and get them started right away. The next team should be here in about two hours, so that's the time you have to get Bo's team squared away and prepped for the next group."

Bo looked at her mom who said, "Cassie will send a dialogue of points that you must tell the other mushers. This will relieve all of you of liability. I will say this – tell every musher that their dogs must be seen daily by a veterinarian for five days and that they must check them daily as well. Cassie will also have the race director send out a list of symptoms for them to look for when checking their dogs."

"Do you really think they'll see a Vet every day?"

Cassie smiled, "No, but you're going to tell them to. Then it's on them to follow your medical advice or not. It's up to them."

Mary looked to Sun and Katie, "If you wish to discuss treatment? My knowledge would be limited to native applications."

Katie began at Sun's urging, "Okay, we are going to take down the name of each musher and each dogs' name as we record their vital signs, weight, blood pressure, coat and skin condition. This will also cover some of the checks required for the post-race checklist so that we don't have to check every dog twice."

She turned to Sun who added, "A skin scraping should be taken and examined under a microscope to rule out bacterial or fungal infections but…"

Lauren arrived and moved in next to Mary, "If I may, the human tent has the equipment that you need. I've just set up three stations. If you do the scrapings, I have a team of volunteers to affirm results. Please be patient. I'm having more microscopes, the necessary lab materials and personnel flown in as we speak. I'll need a Vet to point out the differences between normal human vs. canine samples."

Sun smiled, "Wow. That's… amazing. Thanks you so much for getting that equipment here, Doctor Lewis. I'm lab qualified and have already called to have three of our techs get here as soon as possible."

Shannie waved, "Kelly called – Kurt and Matt are in the air now, picking up your extra people."

Lauren smiled, "I just want to say thank you to all of the Veterinarians. You've all done so much for our family of dogs, it's the least I can do to help you. We don't have the electricity to work much past daylight, so time is of the essence. Anything we can do to keep this running quickly and smoothly, we'll do."

"So where are the other teams?" Robert asked.

Bo chuckled, "They'll be here."

"We were at other checkpoints, Bo. How are you the only one here?"

Bo laughed, "Well, thanks to all of you – especially your work with Harper and… gosh, Gaea's foot fungus, Jenna's sprained paw, Artemis' escape attempt… you've all taken such good care of them… so it is with great pleasure that I share my victory with each and every one of you. The next closest sled is estimated to be three hours back."

They all smiled, shouting out their congratulations before Bo raised a hand,

"Again, we'll have a wild party at the clinic to celebrate later. Right now, we've got to correct a wrong done to these dogs."

Sun nodded, "Okay, so let's get to treatment," he looked to Katie who spoke,

"We'll skip the blood work which is usually just indicated if the dog ingested the plant. However, I only have one UV light that is less than 300 nm to look at the eyes for irritation and cloudiness. If anyone else happens to have one in their kit, maybe we could set up a central location for the eye check?"

"What if we set the entire thing up as a circuit? It would keep the dogs moving and also buy time for the docs in the human tents."

Cassie nodded, "I like that idea. The issue will be keeping the dogs under cover."

"They stay where they are until their name is called, then the mushers can bring them through on a center line. The vets surround one team at a time, checking each dog. They're apparently spaced out well, so if we grab them as they finish, the first set of vets check for Cow Parsnip poisoning, the second set do the final race check."

Mary nodded, "May I recommend that the volunteers who came to the race to do the race check continue to do so, while the group here do the parsnip check? If they're infected, pull them from the line and take them to a treatment tent so that the other doctors do not infect themselves."

Cassie nodded, "Agreed. Anyone have a differing opinion?"

No one spoke, so Sun moved on,

"Okay, so if we have confirmed a case, we will provide the dog with a corticosteroid injection to relieve some of the pain and swelling. We will also provide them with a topical cream and provide them with an antibiotic to prevent a secondary infection from scratching."

Katie added, "These owners need to be reminded that their dogs are dehydrated and lacking calories. Both are detrimental to this condition, so they need to hydrate. We will provide IV fluids or inject subcutaneous fluids just under the skin to any dog who is seriously dehydrated. Do not hold a dog simply for dehydration. The race Vets will do that for the non-contaminated dogs."

Sun nodded, "Antiemetic medication should also be given to the worst cases. Just another med we'll run out of if all of these teams have been impacted."

Cassie addressed the group, "Now, as the Specialist at our clinic, the optical cases will go to Doctor Diana Harrow. Please accompany any dog she must see so that she has you to assist."

"How is an optical case treated?" Bo asked.

Diana smiled, "I'll apply an ophthalmic ointment to relieve the pain and I'll prescribe oral antibiotics to prevent infection."

"If Aphrodite was already taking them?" Bo asked.

Diana looked at Cassie who nodded, "I pulled a splinter from her thigh two days ago and began a course of antibiotics as a preventative since I wouldn't be able to see her."

Diana nodded, "That's good for us. That gets us ahead of this."

Bo smiled, "Is there anything else you can do for her?"

Doctor Harrow nodded, "Keep her indoors, Bo. That's crucial. When you let her out to do her business, keep her in the shade. If you must take her out, apply sunblock. If you can rig sunglasses on her, even better. I know it sounds strange, but it's necessary. Remember that you will need to be patient with this. Depending on the severity, it may take a few weeks to a year for this to clear up. For now, we really should see her every day. I know you don't like to do this, but would you consider leaving her at the clinic for the next three weeks?"

Bo sighed, looking at Lauren, then Cassie before turning back to the Doctor, "I suppose I should set the example for the other mushers. Yes, I'll leave her in your care."

"Thank you, Bo. We'll take good care of her."

Bo nodded, "Well, I have a press meeting to get back to. Thanks again – all of you."

Lauren held out a bottle of water and a capsule, "You have to start your antibiotics too. I set an alarm in both of our phones to be sure you stay on schedule."

Bo popped the pill and downed the entire bottle of water, "Thirsty."

Lauren pulled another bottle from her pocket and handed it to her, "The race officials have just dumped a load of water bottles behind the tent."

"Yea, because they know this is their fault. No way that stuff should have been on the course, Lauren."

The blonde nodded, extending her hand, "Take your sunglasses. They need to stay on just in case your eyes were exposed."

"Great. Just great," Bo said, shaking her head. She pulled off her goggles and donned the sunglasses, "Hollywood, here I come."

Giving Lauren's hand a squeeze, she returned to the interview where she knew she would be asked questions. For that reason, she stopped over to see her old friend who had been the head of the North Slope mushers' association before taking on the position of Commissioner for the Iditarod.

"Hey Bo! Congratulations on another win. That's five in a row!"

Bo shook her head, "Four."

He shook his head, "No, that's five and it makes you the female with the most consecutive wins ever and ties you with the men's record."

"Perk, it's four."

He sighed, "Here's my list and it's official."

"I didn't win in 2017," Bo said, "Hap won."

Perk shook his head, "See here in this column? That says a letter was sent to your home stating that you had been declared the winner because Hap was DQ'd."

"Disqualified? Um… a letter was sent to my home in 2017, Perk?"

He kicked at the snow, shoving his hands in his pockets, "Bo, it's the way things are done. Besides, it's not like you have a phone."

"Actually, I do now, but where did they send the letter?" Bo asked.

He looked down at the paper, the brunette now noticing the right edge folded over. She took the page and unfolded it, seeing a column for 'current address'. She looked up at Perk,

"You…"

"Not me, Bo. The board. The task was delegated to the board. They had the same information that's on this sheet."

"And where did they get the information?" Bo asked.

"From your application."

Bo looked down at the page, "So you're saying that I, Bo Dennis, wrote General Store, Point Siku, c/o Big Jim Morton on my race application?"

"Bo, you know that times were different then. He was…"

"No. What he was doesn't matter. You were a coward," she said, poking his chest, "We'll talk about this later. Now, what do you want me to tell the press about this shitshow? Truth okay with you? Good, cause that's what they're going to hear. A toxic plant was on the course. Ask the commissioner about how it got there and why it wasn't removed. I can tell you the rest. How's that?"

Bo turned and walked away, Kyle chasing after her as Lauren stood, staring at the man Bo had called Perk,

"Hi. Doctor Lauren Lewis," she said, extending her hand to the man.

Perk shook the hand and smiled, "You're the one that built that fancy hospital in Talkeetna, eh?"

"My business partner, Doctor Stephen Archer and I, yes. The very hospital that saved a very young teenage musher who had no right to be out on that course. I'd suggest you stop taking applications from young kids who aren't qualified to run this event just to get their application fees."

"Now, Doctor…"

"No. You don't get to reply. A young girl almost died out there. My job is to defend human lives at this race. Now, as for that team of dogs over there, from your smug reaction to Bo, I'd say you were friends with Big Jim. Every single one of his men is either dead, in jail or soon to be dead or in jail."

She looked over her shoulder, seeing Tamsin nearby. She adjusted her body so that Tamsin would see the conversation and raised her voice just enough to draw her attention,

"Now, what I would like to know is what happened to the award that Bo would have been sent at the General Store?"

"I only know that the award was sent."

"Perk, is it?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"The correct response would be yes, Doctor," Lauren snapped, "Who sent the award?"

He opened the form that he had folded again and replied, "That would have been then-board member, Mr. Jon Morton."

Shockwaves ran through Lauren's body as she tried to calm her mind to ask the next question,

"Did he hand carry the award back to HIS store or did he mail it?"

Again, Perk looked down, seeing the checkmark, "It was hand carried."

"Thank you for your time, Perk," Lauren smiled, feeling Tamsin's presence by her side, "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to introduce you to my very Special Agent friend. I believe she will find you interesting to talk to."

Perk straightened up, "I didn't kill nobody!"

Lauren smiled, "So what did you do?"

"Books! I just did his books!" Perk shouted, "And the race books."

Lauren turned to Tamsin and laughed, "Bo's gonna love this."

She patted Tamsin on the back, then shouted to Dyson who had also tuned into the ruckus,

"Backup?"

He looked at Ciara who nodded towards Tamsin and was by her side quickly. Lauren headed over to the medical tent to check on the cultures she was sure were starting to arrive. As she walked she wore a proud and satisfied grin on her face.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

TEAM BO CAMPFIRE – 10:00PM

Lauren came to sit beside Bo who was laying on the ground with Aphrodite. They had covered her in a blanket, but kept her wounds open on the snow below, allowing time for the injections to kick in. They had decided to use Mary's treatments on her to see how she faired versus the treatments given to Demeter and Artemis.

Whichever was better after the banquet would be the treatment they would follow from then on. The three dogs had all, at one point, run with the source river on their right. Now, Bo and the team would have to watch Diana, Keegan, Muk, Reese and Scotty closely to be sure symptoms didn't appear on them as well. It seemed that all dogs paired to the left of the center line had no signs of the toxin. Thankfully.

"Ysabeau," Mary began, "Since they have moved the dinner to tomorrow and permitted people to be absent given family situations or other conflicts, perhaps you should consider taking your dogs home?"

Bo shook her head, "Harper is getting a lifetime achievement award."

Mary looked up at Lauren who sighed, "Bo, would you consider driving home and then back tomorrow? Our full veterinary staff could watch the dogs. They've volunteered to do rotating shifts to keep the clinic open to any dogs for the next two weeks. I think you should consider it. You'll have the money to pay them properly."

Bo nodded, "I'm just too exhausted to move."

Lauren looked up at Mary and shook her head. Mary looked at Molly who shrugged, then turned to Mark. He sat forward, leaning into the fire where Bo could see his face,

"Well, if you're not going home, then there are things you need to know. I waited until after the race was over because you already had enough on your plate…"

"Does this have something to do with where the hell my brother has been?"

Mark nodded, "Yes. But Bo, it's a lot and you're tired."

"Mark, look at me. How much worse can it get?"

"Worse," Mark said, looking at Lauren.

Bo turned to see the blonde looking down at her, "Do you want me to know what he has to tell me right now?"

Lauren shook her head, "Honestly? No. However, I promised myself that if they didn't tell you as soon as the race was over, I would. Then, the world turned on its side."

"You can say that again," Bo said, "Twenty dogs. Twenty dogs are in trouble because of a stupid plant that they could have carefully pulled and buried under the snow they cleared from the trail. Hell, they could have just tossed it into the freezing cold river and it would have floated down stream and gotten killed by some rocks. Idiots!"

Lauren nodded, "We're all very sorry about the dogs, Bo. We know that you're tired but there are three things you need to know whether I want to burden you with them or not. We've waited until it was just us to that we could tell you in an atmosphere where you could shout at the moon if you wanted to."

Bo shook her head, "Rudy is sleeping in an RV with Vex. I can't imagine she'll sleep tonight. He probably has her and Elise up watching Golden Girls reruns."

Lauren smiled, "Bright side, they won't get the humor."

"Downside, they'll want to move to Florida," Bo snarked, then sighed, "Okay. Hit me… as softly as possible."

Lauren began, "Well, first – do you remember that girl Julia?"

Bo nodded, "The musher I couldn't talk out of running? By the way – Kyle told me about what happened to that reporter Gwen. She was an idiot, but thanks to whoever it was on your staff that got her that job interview at that Boston paper. Pretty cool. I'm glad she's going for it."

Lauren nodded, "Me too."

"Okay, so that was good news. Not bad so far."

Lauren shook her head, "The news wasn't about Gwen. It was about Julia."

She could see Bo stiffen as she sat up and turned to face her, "She's not…"

Choosing her words, carefully, Lauren explained, "She's alive. Her team took off on her. She got tossed from the sled. I have the footage of what happened."

"I want to see it."

"Bo…"

"Now."

Lauren nodded, opening her phone and hitting play on the video before handing the device to Bo. She watched, her hand moving to her mouth as she watched the young girl dragged like a doll. When the video ended, she hit play again while the group watched. Finally, she handed the phone to Lauren,

"Broken arm, ribs, internal organ damage, internal bleeding and brain dead?"

Lauren blinked twice, "Did you suddenly go to medical school?"

Bo shook her head, "I've been around this sport for a long time, Lauren. I've been dragged like that as well. I know exactly how badly it can go if you don't have the training to get to your feet while the sled is moving."

Lauren nodded, "Well, they don't know about her brain yet. She's at our hospital. My neurologist has her in a medically induced coma since she wasn't waking up on her own. There was significant swelling to her brain, so they've opened her skull to allow it to expand since the shunt they installed isn't relieving the pressure quickly enough. I was able to stop the bleeding and do a temporary repair of the vessels of her arm before they air lifted her. The arm has been repaired and the soft tissue damage as well. She should regain most of the function of her arm eventually, but it will never look the same. The rest of her injuries will heal."

"When will you know more?"

"When the swelling goes down."

Bo nodded, "Her parents were notified?"

Lauren shook her head, "We contacted the Aunt who flew in and determined her sister was not well enough to hear the news. The Father has assigned her medical power of attorney. So far, she wants us to keep working on her."

"I'll pay the bill. Do whatever it takes."

"Not necessary, Bo. Anna used an online crowd-funding source and raised enough money for the entire family's medical bills. There are still donations coming in, but sadly, money won't fix this, Bo. Time is the only thing that will."

Bo nodded, turning from Lauren and staring in the fire, "What else?"

"Tamsin took your friend Perk into custody."

Bo shook her head, looking up at her mom who nodded, "He was your Father's bookkeeper. They finally have the original money man. Tamsin said he wouldn't stop talking."

"Good."

"There's more, Bo," Mark replied, "The 2017 race that you won was because Hap was doping his dogs, but they weren't actually his dogs."

"Let me guess. They were Big Jim's."

Mark nodded, "Of course. Perk had a letter sent to the store on Big Jim's orders. Big Jon carried it there personally."

Bo sighed, "Perk told me. Apparently, Big Jim put the store address on my entry form since I left it blank. I didn't have a home back then. It would be nice to have that letter, but I suppose it was burned… trophy too… not that I care about trophies."

Mark pulled off his baseball cap, leaning forward as he spoke plainly to Bo,

"Bo, my brother carried the letter, the trophy and the prize money to the store. He handed it all over to Big Jim."

Bo's head popped up, her eyes set on Mark's, "Big Jon gave your grandfather… my father… my prize money? I don't understand."

Mark shook his head, "Michael called me when Acacia and Adam got to the store. Big Jon has been arrested."

Bo shuddered, shaking her head, "Dammit."

Mark waited, unsure of how Bo was going to react.

She looked up at him, "How's LJ?"

"Pretty gutted, but he says he's not surprised."

Bo nodded.

"Bright side, they found your prize money in a locked briefcase with the Iditarod logo on it. Acacia found a door inside the janitorial closet that led to an underground storage room that had… her words, 'an insane amount of cash'. Your prize money is evidence, but it will eventually be given to you as will the medal that had been meant for Harper and the trophy."

Again, Bo nodded, saying nothing.

Lauren sighed, deciding to rip the Band-Aid off, "Ready for more?"

Bo looked up, "There's more?"

Lauren sighed, "I saved the worst for last."

"Great. Just great. Best year ever."

Lauren nodded, "Tosh came to me three days ago complaining about chest pain. He had all the signs and symptoms of a heart attack, so with you injured, Kate volunteered to fly back with him and take Kelly along. He wouldn't let me go because he didn't want you to know. I had strict orders. The race was the priority."

Bo turned to Lauren, tears in her eyes, "Please tell me he's not…"

"He's alive, Bo but the pain wasn't being caused by his heart. It was caused by a tumor that had wrapped itself around his spinal nerve. Now Dr. Jane – you met her at lunch at Kenzi's?"

"Yes, I remember her. Super smart."

Lauren nodded, "She's the best in her field, in my opinion. Anyway, she was able to remove the tumor, but she is sure she didn't get it all. It's just too dangerous to remove the cells attached to the spine because it could cause…"

"Paralysis."

"Or loss of function, yes."

"Her plan?" Bo asked.

"She's going to use targeted radiation therapy to kill the cells. She believes he has a very good chance of a full recovery."

"And he's in the hospital now?" Bo asked, looking at Mark.

Mark nodded, "He signed a document that does not allow any of us to visit him until tomorrow."

Bo shook her head, "Yea, we'll see about that."

Lauren placed a hand on Bo's shoulder, "Bo, I'm asking you to please respect his wishes. It could cause a lot of problems for our fledgling hospital if you don't. All the good we are doing right now would be lost."

"Do you really think my brother would sue you?"

Lauren shook her head, "No, but my doctors could lose their medical licenses if they allow you in. They'll have to call security and if you were to make it to his bedside, Stephen and I would have to have you arrested or lose our licenses which would mean the teaching hospital would also be shut down."

Bo looked at Lauren, her eyes welling with tears, "I have to see him."

"I'm sorry, Bo. He knew Patrick was here, so he called his office and arranged to meet with his legal partner via video call – he's in Boston. He had no way of knowing who Tosh was. Patrick and I didn't know until a few hours ago. Tosh wanted a full proof method to keep his family away from him and he got it."

"You don't even want to work in medicine anymore."

Lauren shook her head, "I know you're upset and that a lot is going on, so I'm going to let that go, Bo."

Flicking her fingers up her screen, she opened her phone and hit FaceTime. Looking at the clock, she smiled and dialed Anna.

"Lauren – hey! How's everything there? Settled down?"

Lauren nodded, "Finally, yes. I'm just hanging by the campfire with the people who are still here. We have a caravan of pick-up trucks, Vex's RV, a small RV, a trailer with a cover and three supply trucks that are now holding sleeping humans and dogs."

Anna laughed, "And I'm missing all the fun!"

"Yes, you definitely are," Lauren smiled, "What are you up to?"

"I'm sitting with a patient."

Lauren's eyes went wide, "I'm so sorry. I'll let you go. Please send my apologies."

"Actually, I picked up to give my patient time to think about a question I asked just as you called," Lauren saw Anna turn her head and the sound of a voice before she spoke again, "He's agreed to talk to you."

"He?"

Anna nodded, "Here he is."

Lauren smiled when she saw Tosh's face appear. He looked pretty pale and his lips were chapped, but he was smiling,

Lauren laughed, "Oh my. You need to hit the nurses' call button and have her do something with that hair right now. That's horrible!"

He smiled, "Hey! At least I still have hair!"

"Well, this type of therapy does tend to cause hair loss, but it doesn't happen for everyone."

Tosh smiled, "Maybe I'll be one of the lucky ones. It looks like you're sitting alone in the dark. Where are you?"

"I take it Anna told you about the fiasco with the Cow Parsnip?"

Tosh nodded, "I'll bet Bo was ready to kick ass."

Lauren smiled, "You can ask her yourself. She's sitting right here. So are Mary and Mark."

Tosh paused before he asked, "Scale of one to ten, how pissed is she that I wasn't there?"

Bo took the phone, "Hey asshole! You left me and didn't tell me? What a jerk move. I thought we agreed no secrets? You did a pinky swear with Roo. You're gonna be in big trouble!"

He smiled, "Speaking of pinkies, what is that rock on your hand?"

Bo held it up, showing him, "My fiancé did a pinky swear for life today. I guess she thought a pinky swear at our wedding wouldn't be appropriate."

Tosh laughed, "People would think you two were twelve. Hey Bo, I'm gonna be there. I promise. They won't be able to keep me in this bed."

Bo smiled, "You just focus on getting better, you hear?"

Tosh nodded, "Don't have a choice. The Feds stopped by."

Bo shook her head, "They really did that while you were in the hospital?"

Tosh nodded, "I'm so sorry, Bo. I had no idea he was in that deep."

"Not your fault, Tosh."

"He's my son, Bo. I should have sent him away when he was twenty."

Bo shrugged, "You didn't and he made the choices he made just like the rest of us. I don't blame you Tosh and I never will."

"The Feds think I was involved."

Bo shook her head, "Nope."

"Nope they don't?"

Bo shrugged, "I don't know what they think but I'm saying nope – you weren't involved in that."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

Bo nodded, "You're welcome. Want to talk to your son or Mary?"

Tosh smiled, "Yea, now that I'm exposed, may as well have the company."

Bo nodded, handing her Mom the phone. Bo turned to Lauren and leaned on her legs, "You and Anna set that up, didn't you."

Lauren shrugged, "I have no idea what you're talking about. I called one of my Chiefs to check on things and she happened to be in my future brother-in-law's room."

"Wow. That's quite the coincidence," Bo smiled.

Nodding, Lauren chuckled, "Yes, it is."

The two watched as Tosh spoke to Mary and Mark, the son taking a moment to tell his father that he should have told him rather than force his wife to keep secrets about his condition,

"Pops, you put Molly in a very difficult position."

Tosh nodded, "I know, but I also knew you would forgive her."

Mark paused, shaking his head, "But it will take a while before I forgive you for putting my wife in a position to lie to me. You know we have no secrets."

"And now you have no secrets again," Tosh replied, "Now, what of your brother?"

Mark took a deep breath, "You heard?"

"The Feds came to the hospital. Had to question me before I kicked the bucket."

"You had no idea?" Mark asked.

Tosh shook his head, "You?"

"Same, I'd fallen out of favor by then," his shoulders drooped, "Is there no end to my grandfather's destruction?"

"There is an end. You must trust that, Mark," he leaned back, raising arms filled with tubes behind his head. Relaxing back, he heaved a great sigh, "I believe a change is in order."

"A change?" Mark asked.

Tosh nodded, "I think we should close the Point Siku store… no… not close it… burn it to the ground."

"Pops…"

"I've made up my mind. As long as it stands, he stands. He tried to burn this town, I think it's only fair we return the favor by burning down his legacy. The stores are in my name, I have a right to do with them as I please."

"What about Michael?"

Tosh smiled, "He can finally come home free of guilt to live where he belongs while he finishes school. He has no interest in taking over the family business and neither does LJ. You have Elise now. Leave the building to her when you're gone and she can keep it going, convert it or burn it down. I'm done with anything attached to my father."

"You're giving us…"

"You and Molly have worked that store for half your marriage and then some. It's yours. I'll sign the paperwork as soon as I can, but we bulldoze it and start over. Maybe LJ can open a second kennel store for Bo one day. Ask Lauren and Bo if they can have that trustworthy lawyer of theirs help me out. I don't want to wait just in case this tumor thing goes sideways."

Mark smiled, "Dr. Jane has assured us you will be fine, Pops. You're strong and the surgery was a success. They're just cleaning up the stubborn little critters that didn't want to let go. She said they'll be evicted in no time."

Tosh smiled, "Well, I still want to keep the ball rolling on rearranging a few things. This thing… it has a way of making a person smell their own mortality. I have no intention of giving up a fight for life. Hell, I just found out I have two sisters and one is too young to have only Bo as a role model."

"Hey!" Bo shouted. Mark turned the screen, "And a fine role model you are! Weaving a web of lies to manipulate me into staying on the course when I should have been by my brother's side."

"See? I knew you would have dropped out of the race!" Tosh smiled, pointing his finger at her through the camera lens, "Bo, I couldn't let you do that. We have a responsibility to our little sister. She needs to see that seeing some things through is more important than being somewhere that you can't possibly be of help."

"A race isn't as important as a life," Bo scowled.

"It is when so many other lives are counting on the income from that race and you're the only one who can finish it. Otherwise, why are you still there? I heard all about your knee and the busted sled and the surgery you're going to need. What kept you going?"

Bo sighed, a tight smile forming on her face, "Touché."

"You heard all that I said to Mark?"

Bo nodded, before Tosh asked, "Do you have an opinion?"

"I think everyone knows I would like to burn everything he ever owned or built to the ground."

Mark smirked, "His sons included?"

Bo frowned, "Those of us born of his blood have overcome the evil he put into it. The light of our respective mother's blood has been victorious. Mark, you cannot live your life feeling you owe me every time you see me. At some point you're going to have to forgive yourself."

He nodded, "I will… when you have truly – with all of your heart and every fiber of your being – forgiven me. Can you say you have?"

Bo searched her heart and soul, realizing in that moment, that looking upon his face even now stirred a feeling in her gut that forced her to turn away from him,

"We'll get there, Mark. We both have to make the effort."

Mark nodded, "I made an appointment with your mind doctor."

"Anna?" Bo asked, whispering a reminder to him that she was in the room with Tosh.

"Right. Anna – sorry. I thought I should call her Doctor something, but it just occurred to me that I don't know her last name."

Anna popped her face into the screen, "It's Doctor Anna Ricci and that's my fault. I should have introduced myself fully when we were setting up the appointment."

Tosh smiled at her, then looked back to his son, "I think that's a good thing. She's visited me a few times and we've had some good talks… helpful talks. She doesn't tell me what to do, but she does challenge me to question myself. That's why I've made the decision about the store. It's time to put the past where it belongs… dead and buried… literally. But that doesn't mean we don't still have things to deal with."

The three were quiet, none looking up at the screen, none having anything else to say.

Finally, Mary spoke, "Well, I suppose we'd better get some rest. We'll have to be up early tomorrow to treat the dogs and run the backups. Tosh, would you want to call in to watch the awards?"

Tosh smiled, "I heard Harper's getting an award?"

"She is and Bo is quite proud of her. I'm sure you don't want people to see you in that bed, but you can turn off your camera and still see it."

"Sounds perfect, Mary. Is it still a six o'clock start?"

"Yes, it is. If you want to skip the song and speeches, call us at six-fifteen."

Tosh smiled, "That sounds perfect. I'll ask the nurse to put it on my schedule. Maybe some of them will want to watch too."

Mary nodded, "They're welcome to join."

Lauren called out to Tosh, "Only if they've finished their rounds and someone is covering the nurses' station!"

Tosh smiled, "Maybe I'll do that thing where you can put it on the bigger screen at the Nurses' Station."

Lauren smiled, "Joellen can show you how to do it before you call. It's probably good that you get out of that bed and into a chair anyway."

Tosh nodded, "Oh, don't worry about that. Anna gets me up every time she comes. Kate was here checking on that young girl… um…"

Bo smiled, "I heard, Tosh. It figures you knew about that one too. You can relax. How is the kid?"

Tosh sighed, "Still sleeping from what I've heard. The Nurses Station is right outside my room, so I hear things I'm probably not supposed to hear. Anna's telling me they're hopeful, so I guess that's good news."

Lauren smiled "I'm not there, but I've heard the same as Anna. I'm going to give you back to Bo, Tosh."

He smiled, "Thanks, Doc. Thanks for everything. If it weren't for you, who knows what would have happened."

Lauren nodded, handing the phone back to Bo, who smiled at her brother and said, "I love you, Brother."

Tosh nodded, "I love you too, Little Sister and congratulations on win number five. It's one for several record books, I believe. I'm only sorry you never got that first award and the prize money as you should have. It's a note for your new committee. If someone's not present, a call needs to be made first and no handoffs."

Bo smiled nodded, "Well, things have been set right now. We must let go of the past and move forward, right? Big Jon will be forced to make good on his mistake and so will the others."

She shook her head as Tosh leaned closer to the camera, "You look tired, Bo."

She lifted her head, looking up at her brother, "I'm tired of our father, Tosh. It seems that every time I start to think he's gone, he somehow resurfaces. I'm done putting energy into him. I'll answer any questions asked of me by law enforcement, but otherwise, I just don't want to deal with him anymore."

Tosh nodded, "Yea, well Mark and I don't have the luxury of being too tired. His mess is just starting to fall on our shoulders – as it should have all along. We've got it covered from here, Bo. This is our clutter to resolve. You should go sleep."

Bo nodded, "And you should listen to Lauren's staff and not give them a hard time!"

He laughed, "I believe giving nurses a hard time is your job. I've been on my best behavior – a model patient my future sister-in-law can be proud of, unlike her future wife!"

"Ha. Ha." Bo said, glancing at Lauren and lowering her eyes before quickly turning back to Tosh, "See you later, big brother."

"Sleep well, little sis."

Bo handed the phone to Mark, who handed it to Mary and then Lauren – each saying their goodbyes before the call ended. Then, Mary stood,

"Well, time for some sleep – or at least I should go in and make sure that Molly isn't still answering the questions that Rudy and Elise began three hours ago. Spirits bless that woman for taking those two on at bedtime."

Bo smiled, giving her Mom a nod, "I can't wait for them to see the banquet tomorrow. I'm sure they'll have a million additional questions for us all."

Mary stood and Mark followed, leaving the couple behind. Bo turned to face the flames again, her mind drifting to the memory of Rudy explaining which colors were coolest and which were hottest.

"Are you ready to sleep?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, kneeling by Aphrodite again, "I can't leave her out here alone, Lauren."

The blonde nodded, pulling a bag up from beside her chair and waving it in front of Bo, "That's why I brought this."

Bo looked at the bag, "What's that?"

Lauren smiled, "Don't you recognize the logo?"

"Why would I?" she asked.

"Look closer," Lauren said.

Bo stared at the colorful logo on the deep green bag, smiling when she finally understood, "The Roo. It's the shelter, isn't it?"

Lauren smiled, "It is."

"Kyle named it?" Bo asked.

Lauren nodded, "Since she was the first one to sleep in it, Kyle thought it was fitting. That and the fact that it kind of looks like a kangaroo pouch – according to Rudy."

Bo smiled, "It's a cool logo. I love the colors."

"Rudy said she wanted all of the colors of the rainbow, so she got them," Lauren smiled, "Did you notice what's under the product name?"

Bo grabbed the material and pulled it up and taut so she could use the flame to see better in the dark,

"A Dennis Kennels Product of DenSmith Corporation, LLC.," Bo said, looking up at Lauren, "I don't understand."

Lauren smiled, "Well, you can talk to Kyle about it but she got tired of waiting for you to incorporate your business so that you could expand. She met with Patrick, Betsy and Penelope to get all of the paperwork together. Apparently, she called Penelope the other day to add LJ to the LLC, giving him ten percent ownership for the first year to be renegotiated each year for ten years. After that, he has to make a decision to become a full partner or sell."

"We had talked about twenty percent. I guess she has her reasons. Wait… sell?" Bo asked.

Nodding, the blonde explained, "He can sell to you, Kyle, Elise or Rudy. If anything happens to you or Kyle your shares automatically pass to me and your Mom – or our children unless you choose otherwise."

Bo looked at Lauren, offering a grin before she asked, "So we're each giving him five percent and then each year, he can negotiate to get more or what?"

"You can either buy him out if he doesn't agree to your terms or he accepts your offer. Your shares in the business are yours and you cannot be forced to increase his share in the business. Penelope insisted and both Betsy and Patrick agreed. They said it's to protect the two of you should LJ not be showing promise as a partner."

"Good," Bo said, "That's good. He'll probably be offended by it, but if he is, I'll set up a meeting for him alone with Patrick or Betsy so they can explain it."

Lauren nodded, "It's business, not personal. He needs to start learning those lessons now."

Bo nodded her agreement, "Do you know… I mean, can Kyle sell her shares to him without my permission?"

"No and neither can you. If either of you wants out of the business, the other owner must approve the sale. I think you can agree with Kyle that you wouldn't want to be forced into a business relationship with someone who wasn't compatible with you."

"You can say that again. With the way LJ has behaved lately, he's got a lot of growing to do before I would want him as a full partner. I would want my mom first at this point." Bo nodded, "So tell me about this logo. Did Kyle create this? I love it."

"I have a new Public Relations employee at the hospital who overheard me talking to Kyle and the gang a few months ago at Kenzi's. She stopped by our table and asked if we needed help with marketing and Kyle jumped at the chance to use her to get it going."

Bo ran her fingers over the lettering, "This is great work. Really great work."

Lauren chuckled, "Yea, well it took about sixteen tries to get it right. You know the saying, 'too many cooks…', well…"

"Kyle is really picky," Bo finished.

Lauren shook her head, "Oh, Kyle was good with draft number seven. It was Rudy and Elise who didn't like the color scheme, or the shades of the colors or the lettering… it took some time."

"You didn't get LJ's input?" Bo asked.

Lauren shook her head, "He doesn't know about any of this. Kyle said he doesn't know about the partnership yet."

Bo nodded, "I approached Kyle about it. We just kicked around some ideas. We had agreed to talk about it later which is why I'm surprised she went ahead and added him to the draft of the LLC."

Lauren shrugged, "She made the call to Penelope right after you talked so that everything would be ready if the two of you decided to go through with it. It's not really my place to say, but you should know that she's concerned about his maturity level. The way he pouts around and comments he makes about the amount of work you do… or should I say don't do at the kennel is apparently a source of great… well, she said it seems like jealousy."

"Jealousy?"

"She thinks he has a crush on you… more of a man crush than a little boy crush. She said his temper tantrums – her words, not mine – come when you're spending time with the girls or with me instead of being at work during 'business hours' – his words, not hers."

"Wow. I did not see that coming," Bo replied.

She looked back down at the logo again, smiling, "The Roo. I love it. LJ will hate it if what Kyle is saying is true, but I honestly don't have time for that kind of crap. The girls are ten and he's an adult. He needs to act like it."

Lauren nodded, "That's what Kyle said. She doesn't know if she can be a partner with a hormonal adult teenager… my words summarizing her words."

Bo smiled, "Great summary and this," she said, looking down at the logo, "This really is great work, Lauren. Can we borrow her from time to time?"

Lauren smiled, "She loves doing this stuff so I'm sure she'd agree if she's being paid for her talent."

"Of course," Bo nodded, looking down at the bag once more, "I guess we'd better put this up so you can go get some sleep."

"Go?" Lauren asked.

Bo stood, pulling the shelter from the bag, "It's freezing out here, Lauren. I don't expect you to…"

"Bo, the dogs are all quite warm and there is plenty of blankets and hay to go around. I'll be fine. I have extra layers on and we have that big fire. Besides, you'll see that this version of your shelter is just a little bit different. Kyle said it will keep me warmer but still give you plenty of outdoor space."

Bo sighed, "I guess I didn't hide that well."

Lauren smiled, "You were very antsy in the last cabin I shared with you. Then, in the medical tent earlier, you never actually came fully inside until you had to get naked."

"I'm sorry. I thought I would be okay to be indoors given it was only a week, but I guess…"

Lauren held up a hand, "It's okay. It's who you are, Bo. We'll work through it."

Bo smiled, "Thank you for understanding.

They worked in silence, quickly popping open the shelter and pushing the six attached stakes into the ground. Bo stepped back and placed her hands on her hips,

"It's bigger, but the storage bag is the same size. That's cool."

Lauren nodded, "Kyle said it's heavier, so she would want to keep the other model specifically for racing mushers who are using a smaller team. She's calling it the Body Tent… spelled Bode for Bo Dennis. The one you have needs a model number or name and as I said, this one is The Roo."

Bo smiled, "Clever girl, that Kyle."

"Yes, she is," Lauren said, tossing a bag of hay into the tent.

"It's cool that it has that sort of turtleneck opening at the top to vent the space," Bo observed.

Lauren nodded, "She said it's to vent the noxious fumes from a fire, cooking, tanning a hide – all things that you apparently do when you're out on the land. If the wind blows the wrong way, all of that bad air could blow right into the shelter."

"Yea, all sorts of smells go on out there," Bo said with a shrug.

Lauren crawled into the tent, pulling a blanket and some hay over her. Bo stoked the fire, adding a few logs before laying down in front of her. She stroked the fur between Aphrodite's ears, the new leader letting out a light whine,

"I know, Girl. I'm sorry I didn't see it. It's early in the year so it must have only been about a foot high."

"It grows taller?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "That stuff can grow to be ten feet tall. If it had been that tall, I would have seen it and avoided it. I'm just glad I didn't stop to water the dogs nearby. You know they can't resist the water and drinking the water around that plant can kill a dog."

"I'm just shocked that it's this bad and they only ran through it."

"It only takes three leaves to give a dog a toxic dose. Be glad they only brushed up against it. Even more, be glad it wasn't Giant Hogweed."

Lauren nodded, "Your Mom told me that would have been worse. She said it's a close cousin to poison Hemlock."

Bo nodded, "It is."

"Did you talk to Rudy and Elise?"

"I did, but they're still pretty mad at me that I didn't let them help. They both have burns on their arms, so I'm glad we caught it when we did. They would have been covered… it could have killed them, Lauren."

The doctor nodded, "But it didn't, Bo and you did catch it."

"I got lucky. My mom and I agreed that you and the girls are going to get intensive plant training in the spring. It's important. There will be tests."

Lauren smiled, "I love tests."

"Yea, well on these tests if you get one wrong, you'll pay for it. Those burns won't start to get better for about three days – sometimes longer depending on the person. I'm just glad we had soap and a lake nearby to get everyone washed down right away."

"How are your burns?" Lauren asked.

"They hurt like a bitch. I should have been more careful when I was taking off my pants," Bo replied.

Lauren nodded, reaching out a hand to place it on her shoulder, "You were worried and in a hurry. It's understandable."

Bo sighed, "Yea, well I used to act without worry which is how I avoided making stupid mistakes like the ones I've made recently."

The tent fell silent, each lost in her own thoughts. Lauren wondering if Bo meant that her worrying had affected her mentally during the race and Bo thinking about how Lauren had lied to her during the race.

Finally, Lauren spoke, "Bo, I know we have a lot to talk about…"

"That we reaffirmed our promise to be honest no matter what and you weren't?" Bo asked.

"Oh," Lauren replied, surprised Bo had been thinking of her lies rather than the worry she had just mentioned, "I couldn't tell you about Julie or Tosh, Bo. Patient confidentiality."

"It was Tosh, Lauren."

"Yes, Bo and Tosh was the one who specifically told my staff that I was not to receive any updates on his condition. Molly was the sole contact. You'd have to ask him why, but you heard Mark – she didn't even tell him! He demanded you be in that race because he knows your team depends on that money each year to pay their bills."

Bo sighed, "And if you had reminded me of that fact, I would have stayed and finished the race."

Lauren shook he head, "Not without pulling your focus. You were already telling me you were making rookie mistakes. You told me that your concentration and focus was off. Two reasons you probably got injured. If you knew about Tosh, who knows where your head would have been!"

Bo shook her head, "The truth – no matter what. That's what we agreed."

Lauren shrugged, "Well, apparently there are always going to be exceptions because I've got laws to follow, Bo. You used to understand that."

"Screw the laws, Lauren! If I don't come first, then what do we have?"

Lauren grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back, "Look at me. I will not talk to your back while we are arguing. You do come first, Bo. But you're asking me to put my medical license on the line."

"Oh, come on!"

"It's a serious ethical offense, Bo! If word got out and someone told the American Medical Association, I would never practice medicine again!"

"Well, you're not practicing now, so what does it matter?"

Lauren's eyes went wide, "Seriously? Eight years of college, six years of internships and residencies and a three-year stint in the military to pay back the money my parents spent on my education, and you can say that to me? Besides, have you forgotten the Trauma Center I'm building? That will be my return to medicine, Bo. I need my license. I want my license."

The blonde sat up, "You may have been living a hard life out here, Bo but you have no idea what my life was like. I was doing thirty-six-hour shifts with my hands in people's chests constantly under pressure not to screw up or they would die! I was living in a hell hole wearing a flack jacket and helmet while performing crude life-threatening surgeries on the front lines of a war!"

She threw her hands up, "And while you were surrounded by the beauty of Alaska, my scenery was sand and the hottest sun I've ever known, so don't you dare make light of what I went through to earn my license."

Bo saw the tears form in Lauren's eyes and regretted her words immediately. She reached up to push back the hair from her face, but Lauren swatted her hand away,

"I don't want your sympathy. I want your respect, dammit! The same respect you seek from me when you choose to run a thousand-mile race through insane conditions to make a six-figure prize to feed your family and keep your businesses up and running."

"And all I got from you is worry," Bo spat.

Lauren shook her head, "The worry was mine, Bo. To you, I gave you respect. I never pulled you from that race though every medical instinct I had told me I should. I was here, Bo. Not at home, not at the hospital. I was here, for you. Everything I do is for you."

She wiped the tears from her face,

"If I didn't respect you and this race, I certainly wouldn't pull half of my staff to help at the medical tents and I wouldn't have given Shannie, Lynnie, Anna and Kate two weeks off. I wouldn't pay their overtime to work this race and I certainly wouldn't have respected your wish to continue running on that leg!"

She took a deep breath, "The doctor in me respects your work as a musher. The partner in me recognizes this is who you are, so you're going to do it but the fiancé in me is struggling with worry because she has hopes and dreams for our future together and doesn't want to lose that."

Lauren stood, her head low so it would fit in the space as she paced the back half of the tent,

"This is only my second Iditarod. It is easy to see you are the smartest, best conditioned, most skilled, and most respected musher in the sport. But you have to remember Bo - I've seen you on death's doorstep too many times due to reckless behavior and those memories aren't going away any time soon. It will take time for me to rid my mind of those images. You need to accept that."

She shook her head, "By the way – I didn't say a word until you got hurt and I'll remind you again – I didn't pull you from the race even though any other musher would have received that recommendation. I hate that I'm even admitting preferential treatment as a doctor."

She turned to face her fiancé, "I was so proud of you when you finished. I'm always proud of you, Bo. But you are the love of my life. I have waited for you and now that I've found you, I don't want to lose you until we're old and gray."

Bo nodded, "I'm sorry, Lauren, but racing is who I am. You've known that since you met me and you've repeatedly told me you knew that and would never ask me to give it up."

Lauren's postured stiffened, "So you're going to run again next year?"

"I can't go out on a shitty race. I wasn't myself out there, Lauren and I have to figure out why. What I can't understand is that when you and I spent that off-grid week together, you seemed…"

"I know!" Lauren said, her hands gripping her head as she lowered her volume, "I know. I loved it… really loved it. I learned so much and I realized that you could handle anything life off-grid threw at you. It's just that somehow, during the race, I see the mountains and… I hear about the trail and it just seems so insurmountable."

Bo smiled, "To you, not me… not the thirty five other teams either."

"What about the ten who didn't finish?" Lauren asked.

Bo smiled, "They withdrew or scratched. We know Julie was seriously injured, we know that other young guy dropped before the race start, thank the Spirits. I know of two others that went out – one on a busted sled and another on a dislocated shoulder."

Bo sighed, "Lauren, you're the scientist who always believes in data. Thirty-six of forty-six teams finished. That's more than three-quarters of the field. Eight of the ten first-year rookies finished the race. Granted, all of them were near the back, but they handled it."

Lauren nodded, taking a seat on the hay, "I'm sorry I withheld information from you about Tosh and Julie, but you should never expect me to break the law when it comes to my job. Patient confidentiality laws exist for a reason, Bo. Tosh has every right to keep you in the dark if it's what he chooses. You would expect the same treatment from me if the roles were reversed."

She smiled, "As soon as he woke up from surgery, the first thing he asked was if you were still in first place."

Bo shook her head, "Goofball."

Lauren sighed, "I'm sorry if my worrying causes you problems, Bo. I want you to know that I will be reconsidering my position next year. I will be there to see you off and I will be there to see you finish. Everything in between, we'll have to wait and see. I want you to race with a clear head and if that means I need to distance myself from you, then that's what I'm going to do. I mean, you don't stand there for every one of my surgeries. Besides, I was pretty unnecessary this year."

"That's not true…"

Lauren nodded, offering a slight smile, "It is, Bo. What you needed me for William and the nurses handles. But, I'll continue to work with Anna and – on occasion – with Faith. Hopefully I'll get to a better place before next year."

"Well, I have an idea about that," Bo replied.

"Oh?"

Bo nodded, "I want to take you out on the course. I mean, I want you to run the Iditarod racecourse with me. We can take our time – there's lots to see. We can have the family meet up with us at the nicer lodges along the way. I think it would be fun and we could squeeze it in before you open the Trauma Center, but after your fancy Gala and all the weddings."

Lauren smiled, "Do you really think we could do it?"

"I do."

Lauren nodded, "Okay then. Let's go for it."

Bo smiled, "That's the spirit, Doctor."

"We could make it our honeymoon?" Lauren suggested.

Bo froze.

"What?" Lauren asked, noticing Bo's sudden silence.

Think fast, Bo. Think fast… um…

"Uh… are you suggesting that I should go back out and do the same race a month after I just did it on a newly fixed knee?"

Lauren smiled, "Right. I almost forgot."

Bo nodded, "Besides, there won't be snow. I want it to be an authentic experience."

"Kate and Anna will be so jealous."

"If you can give them the time off, we could take them along," Bo suggested.

"Maybe we can chopper them in for a week," Lauren replied, "I'm already giving them a lot of time off."

Again, there was silence in the tent. Bo leaned over to check on Aphrodite and Lauren asked,

"Bo? Are we okay?"

The brunette turned, taking Lauren's hands, "I will respect your need to work within the confines of patient requests when our family and friends are concerned. I will do what I can to help you to worry less about me while I'm mushing."

Lauren gave Bo's hands a squeeze, "I hope Mark isn't too upset with Molly. Tosh really did put her in a difficult position."

Bo nodded, "I think Mark is just mad at himself… and the world in general right now."

"The whole world?" Lauren asked.

"I don't know. I was just surprised that Big Jon never showed… he kept Michael from coming too. My Mom mentioned Molly being upset about that. Something was going on before we found out about the missing letter, trophy and prize money."

"Are you going to go to the Sheriff's office and talk to him?"

Bo shook her head, "Right now, I'm going to let Mark and Tosh handle their own shit. If Molly talks to me, so be it. Same for LJ and Michael. I only know that they need to keep Elise out of the Morton Family crap, or I swear I'm going to insist that you go to the Judge and fight for custody."

"Bo…"

"We're not there yet, Lauren but I'm not going to let her be tied to a family if they stay tied to Big Jim's ways."

Lauren watched as Bo turned back to Aphrodite. She thought about what she knew of what had happened, then replayed the brunette's comments in her mind…

"You think Big Jon was trying to restart Big Jim's… interests."

Bo sighed, "I'm not the only one."

"Mark?"

Bo nodded, "He thinks that's why he didn't let Michael come. Dyson and Hale were on their way to pick him up and bring him back here right before the Feds picked up Big Jon. Apparently, Big Jon wasn't going to let them take Michael, so Dyson called Tamsin who called Acacia since she was still an hour away."

"Did they get him?"

Lauren could hear a quiver in Bo's voice as she spoke, "He locked himself in a storage closet. Mark still didn't know why when we talked."

"Why are Mark and Molly still here?"

Bo sighed, "For Elise."

Lauren's head dropped back, her eyes closing for a moment before she stood and headed for the exit.

"Lauren…"

"He's their son, Bo. Not LJ – Michael! He's their flesh and blood son! Now make room for the girls."

"Lauren!"

"Do as I ask, please! For once, do as I ask!"

Bo's eyes went wide as she watched the blonde stomp off. She smiled,

"Now there's the Lauren Lewis I remember," she whispered to Aphrodite, "She's very sexy when she gives orders, isn't she?"

Pulling their blankets back, she rolled over and pulled her brace back on. Once secured, she picked up the cane that William had told her to use with her bad leg and struggled to her feet,

"Owa! Fuck that hurts. Definitely screwed it up good on that last turn, Girl. Let's not tell Lauren."

She reached over and grabbed two more bags of hay, spreading them across the ground. From the chairs by the fire, she grabbed every available blanket and put four down, then opened up the sleeping bags and laid those down before laying the rest of the blankets on top.

The girls would be between the two adults, so they would be toasty. Satisfied that everything was as it should be, she turned to the fire. About fifteen minutes later, she saw the two girls holding hands with Lauren, running across the snow, chatting up a storm.

"Oh geez. They're still awake," Bo replied, quickly searching for the foil, chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers they'd had earlier, "Gotcha!"

She tore off four squares of tin foil and laid them on the ground, added a graham cracker to each, then a brick of chocolate, then a marshmallow and then another cracker. She finished just as the two arrived,

"It's freezing!" Elise smiled, crawling into the shelter.

"Do you want a S'more?"

"Yes, please!" she said.

"Hi Sister!" Rudy said, "Are we having some… I think they're called some ores?"

Bo smiled, "Yes, we're having S'mores."

"Huh?"

Bo laughed at the chocolate on her sister's face and marshmallow in the ends of her hair, "They're not 'some ores' they're called S'mores."

"How do you spell that?"

Bo began, but Lauren approached looking less than pleased,

"More S'mores? This late at night?"

Bo shrugged, "I won. We're celebrating."

Lauren tossed another log on the fire, then moved to Aphrodite, packing more snow beneath her protective plastic to be sure her wound stayed cold. She propped open the base of the shelter where it had been forced closed by snow so she would have a cool breeze,

"There you are, Girl. All good?"

She licked Lauren's palm, then laid her head back down, "I know, Sweetie. You're in pain. I'm so sorry. Try to get some sleep, Girl."

She stood, moving back towards Bo and the girls, "You're exhausted, Bo and your sister is still wearing the evidence of the last three S'mores she ate!"

She picked up a clean piece of gauze, dipped it into the warm water pot of water by the fire and proceeded to wipe the chocolate and marshmallow from Rudy's face and mouth.

"Yes, I am exhausted, but I can always stay awake for yummy goodness."

Lauren crawled back into the shelter, noticing that Bo had turned the beds so that everyone was facing the fire, the two smallest beds in the middle. She moved to lay down, but Bo stopped her,

"Go to the other side. I'll take the windy side. I'm naturally hotter," Bo smirked.

"And more modest," Lauren smiled, pulling off her boots before crawling under the covers, "It's cold out in the open."

Bo nodded, leaning into Lauren, "Are they going home?"

Lauren nodded, "They're going to check on Tosh, pick up Michael and head back unless he wants to sleep first."

"Good. That's good," Bo said, looking to the two girls, now cuddled in their sleeping bags, smiling. Rudy pulled a book and a flashlight from her sleeping bag.

"Sister? Can we read more of Captain Nemo while you make the S'mores? It's getting to the good part!"

Bo looked at Lauren, then back down to the two hopeful faces as Elise pulled a flashlight from under her sleeping bag, too.

"I even brought this just in case Rudy's and the fire light wasn't bright enough. We have to take care of our eyes. Lynnie says so."

Rudy nodded, "We only get two and the world looks much better with both!"

Bo smiled, "That's what Lynnie says, huh?"

The two girls nodded, Rudy explaining, "When she was in high school, she had to wear a patch over her eye for three weeks. She said not only did she look like a really bad imagination of a pirate, but she couldn't see too well either."

Elise nodded, "We want to keep both our eyes, so we're not gonna touch our burns at all. Mom Mary is gonna take care of them and we just need to keep our hands away from our faces so we don't end up with eye patches."

"Shannie says we can be pirates at Halloween if we really want to."

"That's very true," Bo smiled, turning to Lauren and whispering, "I know nothing about Halloween!"

Ignoring her fiancé, Lauren suggested "Well, why don't I do the reading since your sister is making the S'mores?"

She took the book and opened it to the crisp, laminated bookmark,

"Where did you get this?"

"That man Mooney gave it to me at the lodge," Elise said, "He gave Rudy one too. We decided to put this one in the Nemo book and Rudy's in the Alice's Wonderland book."

Lauren looked at the bookmark in the light, "Is that…"

"It's Sister on her sled!" Rudy smiled.

"Mooney said it's from two years ago," Elise added.

Lauren held it up, showing Bo the image, "Great picture."

Bo shrugged, "I almost got beat near the finish line because my handrail cracked. Finished the race pushing two uprights to the line. Almost fell on my face."

"Kyle is gonna talk to Lauren's friend who makes posters and ask her to make our race pictures into bookmarks like these. Sister, will you sign them so we can give them to our classmates at school?"

Bo smiled, "Sure thing, Roo."

Rudy pumped a fist, "So cool! Teachers too?"

Bo chuckled, "Teachers, the Nurse and Mr. Bob the custodian, too."

"Awesome! We should probably give them to the Principal and the bus drivers and…"

"I get it, Roo. We'll make sure there's enough for everyone," Bo smiled, looking up at Lauren, "Do you have a workout for fingers cause I think my hand is gonna cramp from signing all of those bookmarks."

Lauren chuckled, shaking her head before holding the book up once more and leaning back onto her makeshift hay bag pillow. Rudy crawled over to the other side of Lauren so they could both see the pages, then the doctor began,

"The sea is everything. It covers seven tenths of the terrestrial globe. It's breath is pure and healthy. It is an immense desert, where man is never lonely, for he feels life stirring on all sides. The sea is only the embodiment of a supernatural and wonderful existence…."

Rudy smiled, "It's like a whole different planet within the planet! I can't wait for Elise to go diving with me in Hawaii… one day."

Lauren smiled, "I'm sure we'll get you back home for a visit at some point, Roo."

"But this is my home now," Rudy stated firmly.

Lauren nodded, "You're right. I'm sure we'll get you back to your former home for a visit one day."

Rudy and Elise shared a giggle as Lauren continued on with the story. Bo smiled at the three, then looked out across the land. Regardless of what might be going on with her family, all was right with the three in the shelter and to her, that made her world perfect.

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