Page 32 of Burning Escape

Civilization.

Within another hour, they pulled up to the small clinic in Copper Mountain. Orion offered to call the authorities for Kitri as soon as he could get a phone.

“Joann, do you want me to stay with you?” Tori asked.

The wide-eyed woman merely nodded.

They walked into the lobby. The space was small, crowded with just a few padded chairs and one coffee table with magazines scattered across its top. But the big windows facing the street displayed the mountains to the north.

“It’s so bright,” Joann whispered, taking everything in with wonder and maybe trepidation as they moved to the front desk. A woman in scrubs sat behind a counter.

“Can I help you?”

“Will you explain?” Joann whispered to Tori. “I don’t know what to say.”

Thankfully, the woman behind the counter understood the urgency, and they were rushed back. It was a good thing Tori was there. Joann looked like she was going to faint as the nurse and doctor took Josiah, examined him, and started an IV.

“What are they doing?” she kept asking. “Are they hurting him?”

Tori tried to explain the best she could and held Joann back from reaching for her baby. “We need to let them work. They’re helping him. He needs fluids, and since he’s not drinking, they’re putting fluid directly into his body through the IV.”

Another nurse came in. “Why don’t you two go get a drink or something to?—”

“I’mnotleaving my baby.” Joann planted her feet and stared down the nurse.

Whoa-boy. That mama-bear instinct must be kicking in.

“She’s fine, Shawna. Let her stay by her son.” The doctor looked up at them. “It’s a good thing you brought him in now.”

“Will he be okay? Do we have to go to Anchorage?” Tori asked him.

“It’s your lucky day. I’m a pediatric specialistfromAnchorage. Just came to fill in for Dr. Hughes this week while she’s gone. Josiah is weak, but?—”

At that moment, the baby arched his back and cried. Finally.

“—looks like this little guy is a fighter.”

Joann closed her eyes a moment, tilted her head up to the ceiling. She looked back at the doctor with shimmering eyes. “It’s not luck that brought you here. It’s an answer to prayer.”

SEVEN

Orion could finally catchhis breath. Tori and Joann were back with the doctor. Kitri was talking to Deputy Sheriff Mills while they waited in the lobby for her turn with the doctor. Now he needed to let the team know he and Tori were okay. He excused himself and went up to the front desk.

“Could you call the Midnight Sun smokejumper base camp? My partner and I have been missing and need to let them know where we are.”

She looked up the number and dialed, handed him the receiver.

“Midnight Sun jump base. This is Tucker?—”

“It’s Orion.”

“Orion? Thank God! Everyone’s been worried. Where have you been? Where’s Tori?”

“Tori’s with me, here at the clinic in Copper Mountain. We ran into some people that needed help. And we could use a ride, but not sure how long we’ll be. I don’t have a phone.”

“Obviously. You two gave us quite the scare. Jamie couldn’t get anything off your tracker rings.”

“I know. I left mine at base, and I think Tori’s broke. But what about everyone else? Did everyone on the plane…”

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