Page 30 of Bite Me Alpha Cole

“We can help you,” I say, gesturing into the clean and shiny medical tent. The two women – covered with dirt, I observe, now that I’ve got them in the light – look around in a bit of wonder. “Why don’t you pick a bed and I’ll come right over. Are you hungry?”

They both look at me in surprise and then, as one, deeply nod.

I smile at them. “I’ll be there in a second, I just need to get some supplies. We’ll bring you something to eat.”

The two women hesitate and then move toward one of the beds in the back corner. I turn back to the door, Cole’s name on my lips, ready to call him to my aid –

But he’s already there. I scowl at that, hating howprecisehe is. He smirks. “Orders, nurse?”

“I need Grace and Arnav, and can you tell Shayne to get my dad? I’m worried that wrist is broken and he’ll need to take a look. And then can you tell Shayne to get some sandwiches and alotof water? They’re dehydrated.”

Cole nods to me, still smiling a little, and turns away.

“Cole?”

He turns back, expectant.

“Can you keep the others away?” I ask, pitching my voice lower. “I’m getting the sense that these two aren’t going to respond well to a swarm of twenty amateur nurses all eager to help them.”

The Prince’s smile grows and he nods to me. “Consider it done.” He turns again.

“Hey, Cole?”

He sighs, laughing a little, and again turns to me. He raises an eyebrow.

“Thanks,” I bite out, my eyes flashing at his attitude. His smile spreads across his face as he turns away, off to do my bidding.

I turn back to the patients, pleased to see that they’re sitting together on one of the beds, looking more relaxed. The smaller woman traces her hands over the blanket folded at the bottom of the bed, her eyes wide. I move to the corner of the tent where we have a small boiler and turn it on, beginning to fill a large basin with warm water.

Step one is getting these women cleaned up.

By the time dad arrives in the tent, taking a moment for Cole to brief him at the door, we’ve made significant progress. The women have washed their faces and hands, murmuring a little in awe at the warm water, which breaks my heart. Now they happily eat the sandwiches Shayne gave to them, their eyes on the food even as Grace patches up their wounds. Small cuts, mostly.

I concentrate on the big problem at hand.

As gently as I can, I turn the smaller woman’s wrist. She growls, snapping her head towards me, flashing her teeth. But it quickly turns into that hacking cough. Her sister looks at her with worry.

“Easy, Jade,” the taller woman says, putting her hand on Jade’s shoulder. “She’s helping.”

Jade hesitates but then her face falls in apology. “Sorry,” she says, working the word around her wheezing breath.

“Here, darling,” Grace says, taking the blanket from the bottom of the bed and wrapping it around Jade’s shoulders. “Let’s get you cozy warm while we work.”

Jade gives Grace a small smile and lets me continue to probe at her wrist.

I smile at Jade, trying my best to be friendly – which doesn’t always come naturally to me. I work the wrist as gently as I can, stopping when she flinches. “It hurts a lot, yeah?”

She nods and we go through a few experiments to see how much mobility she has, stopping when it hurts too much. A tall woman with red hair streaked with grey comes into the tent in a white coat, looking around before she walks over. Jade again cradles her arm against her chest, her lashes lined with tears.

I stand straight, my eyes moving to this woman’s badge, figuring by the white coat that she’s the doctor I’m supposed to report to, though I haven’t met her yet.

“Hello, I’m Dr. Arbroth,” she says, giving her patients a curt nod before moving her eyes to me. “I just arrived in camp – and just in time, apparently. Nurse? Assessment?”

“The wrist is broken, I believe,” I say, nodding to it. “She doesn’t have full range of motion and the pain is severe.”

“Well, that’s bad luck,” the doctor says, reaching for Jade’s arm. The woman hesitates, looking up at the doctor with fear in her eyes. “I’ll be very gentle,” she promises, leaning forward a little, her palm extended. “I’m here to help.”

Jade sighs and extends her arm. True to her word, the doctor gently investigates her wrist, making her call.

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