Page 2 of Snow Blind

The smell of the burning flesh made Helen woozy as she held on to the edge of the gurney, trying desperately to not drop to the floor. Passion Fruit ignored her, opening a kit with needles and plastic tubing. The IV gurney pole popped up as she hung the bag of blood. A needle went into the man's arm as the blood began to drip in.

Next, she moved on to his face. A bottle of liquid was spritzed over the man's exposed dermis, and Passion Fruit gently lifted the flap of skin, pulling it over the unprotected flesh. She worked to pull the loose skin of the scraped-up nose. A medical stapler materialized in Passion Fruit's hand, and with precision, she stapled the man's face back into place.

"Eww, maybe you should leave it off and wait for it to grow back," Helen said holding her stomach.

"He needs healthy tissue for the reattachment to work, Cranberry," Passion Fruit corrected. "His dermal layer is still intact, which may allow this to heal correctly, but he's not going to look the same. It is going to be a gamble on whether this will heal or rot away, but I will do my best."

Helen, still woozy, tried to remain calmer than she felt, "What happened to him?"

"He was shot, Cranberry."

"I can see that," Helen said, "but the removal of the skin on his face, the bruises and contusions say so much more."

"I need you to say so much less while I work," Passion Fruit said. "In the mudroom is casting material and my first aid kit. Please bring it."

"Sure," Helen replied, wondering why the woman didn't have her get it the first time she went into the mudroom. She returned to find the thin bone protruding from his leg had been popped into the place. Passion Fruit removed bone fragments from the open wound and cleaned it with items from the first aid kit. A stockinette was placed over the leg, followed by padding.

Helen stood by watching as a solution was made for the cast and placed over the leg, creating a protective encasement for the bones while he mended. Her eyes drifted up the body, and in this state the man would need help to get to the bathroom or through life. She stayed quiet, watching her new mentor work. The cast was in place as if made by a professional doctor, but Helen worried about what was next.

Passion Fruit removed her gloves, washed her hands, and donned another pair of gloves. When Helen looked around, the man's boxer briefs were down and his junk was in the woman's hands.

"Dear God, I have died and ended up in hell," Helen said.

"He needs a catheter until he is mobile," Passion Fruit said.

"Of course, you just happen to have all of this on hand," Helen said.

"I am a medical doctor," Passion Fruit replied. "I simply prefer animals to people, Cranberry."

She changed out the bag of blood, providing the second one to the man on the table, then she rolled him into the living room in front of the fire. She smeared Betadine over the cuts and abrasions and bandaged where necessary. A quilt was placed over him along with bandages over his face, giving him a mummy-like appearance.

"You didn't check his back for wounds," Helen said.

"Right now, we simply need him to be out of the woods," Passion Fruit replied.

"What if the woods come to you?"

"Huh?"

"Whoever shot this man is going to look for proof of death," Helen told her. "The injuries suggest a fall from a high place with a rough landing that ripped off his fucking face. The person who shot this dude will look for him."

"I left no traces," Passion Fruit said, "Plus where he landed, it would be hard to climb down to let alone...never mind. I'm tired."

"Should I even ask why you were where this poor man landed," Helen said, looking about the home. It left a lot to be desired and most of the furniture appeared to be shared by an animal of some size.

Before Helen could ask about the resident of the large bed by the fire, Passion Fruit opened the side door, allowing entry to a black dog larger than the woman. Helen stood, still staring at the beast and wondering why her life had taken such an odd turn or if the monster would go for her throat.

"Candy, this is Cranberry. Please say hello," Passion Fruit said to the dog.

To her surprise, the animal walked to Helen and offered a massive paw. Helen accepted, shaking the beast’s hand. The dog remained in front of her, staring, as if it were waiting for something. Finally satisfied, Candy walked away.

Helen asked, "What is that beast of a dog and what just happened?"

“She is a Cane Corso, and she simply did an assessment of you as a person,” Passion Fruit said, watching the dog sniff at the man. A small growl came from the throat of the beast, followed by a whimper. "Yeah girl, I know. He is in for a rough couple of days."

"He's not the only one," Helen said, again looking about the house. "I guess I need to get settled in, and my belly is empty."

"Yeah, we'll do a clean-up of the kitchen, bleach everything down, and make supper," Passion Fruit said, watching the man.

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