Page 114 of Bite Me Alpha Cole

The fucking camp is chaos – complete chaos – another truck pulling in to deliver more patients right now. I can’t even look at it, though I know Cole is the one guiding it in and pointing to where it should unload. I leave it to him, running to the other nursing tent, hurrying inside.

My eyes go wide at the continued chaos in here – the frantic shouts and snarls of angry, frightened wolves –

But my eyes snap immediately to Dr. Arbroth in the back as she injects something into a patient’s arm, making the patient moan and fall limp against his bed.

“Doctor!” I shout, running for her.

Arbroth removes the needle from the patient’s arm and turns to me, frowning. “Nadia, what thehellare you doing in here?”

“Doctor!” I say, panting, pointing back towards the tent entrance. “I’ve got liketwentyred beds waiting for you -”

“Nadia, I don’t have time for that,” she snaps, turning to the next bed in this tent.

“Doctor, you have to! They’re -”

“Nadia!” she shouts, spinning back to me. But then she huffs a sigh and collects herself, taking me by the arm and pulling me a step away. She looks over my face, assessing me, her expression stern. “I putyouin charge for a reason, Nadia.Youhave to deal with it - I can’t be everywhere –“

“But I –“ I sputter, my eyes going wide with shock. Me? Handle…it? Handleeverything?

The doctor glares at me, frustrated. “Nadia, you’re being ridiculous –“

“I amnotqualified to –“

“Do you know what they need?” she barks out. “Every single one of those red-flag beds, doyouknow what they need?”

My words fall away as I stare at her.

“Your father has informed me,” Arbroth continues, “that you’ve been checking medical texts out of the library since you werefour, Nadia,” the doctor snaps, her patience at an end. “You’re the cleverest girl in this campandthe hardest working. If you weren’t sostubbornabout flitting off to humanitarian projects – yes, your father told me about those as well - you’d likely be halfway through med school by now. And I’ve watched you – I’m not sure that medical school willteachyou anything about field medicine that you don’t already know! So nowgoand help those patients – I deputized you! Whatever treatments you pursuehavemy explicit permission! Go!”

I stare at her for a second and then take a step back.

Arbroth gives me a final sharp nod and drops my arm, turning away.

I turn too, my heart pounding, and sprint back to my tent.

“Morphine!” I shout the moment I dash through the door, pointing sharply at Arnav in our tiny pharmacy. “Bed six! And aleg splint! Now – get started without me, I’ll meet you there infive!”

Arnav nods to me, accepting my authority, springing to action as I move to the first flagged bed, calling for the equipment I need to remove a bullet from this man’s calf.

The sun has nearly reached its peak by the time I stumble out of the medical tent the next day, my hands pressed to my lower back. I close my eyes, turning my face up to the sky, enjoying the feeling of the dappled rays on my cheeks as I try to figure out how many hours it’s been since I slept.

I mean, we all took naps yesterday afternoon in prep for the long night, but I sent several of my nurses off at midnight and then another batch at dawn to get some rest.

But I…it’s been…

My head nods.

“Nadia!”

I stumble slightly to the side, but something stops me before I can fall. My eyes fly open, and I stare up into Cole’s face before glancing down at his arm curled around me.

“Did you…” he asks, frowning at me. “Did you just fall asleep? Standing there?”

“No,” I huff, straightening up and crossing my arms. “That’s impossible.”

He smirks at me.

“I didn’t!” I snarl, clenching my teeth.

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