Page 13 of Dr. Alaska
“Yes. He’s Ruth Sampson’s grandson, if you didn’t know. If you’ve interacted with him or if someone mentioned you around him, then any rumors have already gone around town via his online posts. Twice. He’s got more connections on social media than the national power grid has outlets.” She whispered, “I heard that famous singer, Alissa, follows him and liked one of his The Real Alaska movies he posts on the Insta.”
Lee snorted at Kathy’s attempt to stay up-to-date on the social media jargon. “Great. New gal gets to be gossip fodder. The interior Alaska online communities hear all about it. Shenanigans go viral. I see how you all roll.” Lee laughed as she walked with Kathy toward the clinic work area. “Sorry to disappoint, but there’s not a lot of rumor meat on the bone here.”
Chapter Six
Mav wiped downthe EMS gurney and straps after delivering Bruce back to the emergency department late that Friday afternoon. Aggie had insisted that Bruce come back in after he suddenly became short of breath after shoveling snow. Initial telemetry and vital signs on the ambulance were normal. Better to be on the safe side and do further testing.
If Mav had thought Bruce hated going to the hospital earlier this week when he wrecked the truck, the older man really didn’t appreciate his wife forcing him to get checked out today, as the constant lines of muttered curses attested.
At the end of the day, though, Bruce was more scared of Aggie than he was of the hospital.
Mav glanced up at the waiting room doors. Aggie should be here by now. He’d stop by and reassure her that Bruce was stable and being evaluated.
Louise had run over to the hospital cafeteria to visit with her best friend who worked in the food services department. Barring any emergency calls for the ambulance, Mav had time to kill.
He looked around the department but didn’t see a flash of golden hair. Instead, he spied the health unit coordinator, or HUC, typing away with a bowed head, likely registering Bruce’s admission. Two ED nurses on shift were busy getting updated vitals and performing their initial assessments.
Brown hair fluttered as his sister hurried toward him.
“Hi, Dee. How’s it going?” he called.
“Good. It’s been busy on med/surg. Phew. Helping to tuck in admits for the weekend. Quality improvement meetings. Typical Friday.” She paused. “Are you ready for guests in a few weeks?”
The lodge they co-owned had been their parents’ dream property for the past ten years. His parents had unknowingly bought it out from under another buyer, which had apparently created waves. Fair’s fair—their bid was higher, and they were quicker to offer. They had happily picked up the property and enjoyed developing it, right up until they died in the bush plane crash several years ago.
Mav and Deirdre couldn’t bear to let the property go, despite the mortgage. They’d even turned down increasingly insistent offers to purchase the lodge and acreage. Why here, in Yukon Valley? As long as Mav and Dee didn’t default on the mortgage, the property and the business would stay in the family.
“I need to freshen up the cabin they’ll use and fix a few loose boards on the steps to their front door. I’ll prep extra lodge rooms in case there are more people in the party or they want additional space. Not like we’re busy this time of year.”
Truth. They were very much not-busy, and lack of business income led to lack of mortgage payments. It was a big problem he and his sister continued to grapple with.
She pressed her mouth into an unhappy line and avoided the obvious topic of lack of reservations. “The babies?”
His motley crew of retired sled dogs didn’t know how to go for a leisurely walk without enthusiastically towing him through the woods. Although nowadays, some of the team preferred lounging by the fireplace.
“What about them?” He refastened the gurney straps so they wouldn’t drag on the floor.
“They won’t get in the way or bother the guests? We need happy customers.” The corners of her mouth dipped. “We need repeat customers. Stat.”
“The team is family. That’s nonnegotiable. You’re doing that micromanaging thing again, Dee.”
“Some people don’t like dogs.”
His sister always had a vision of the property that landed closer to a Four Seasons than the humble but welcoming lodge home that included a wing of several modest guest rooms and collection of three cozy hewn-log cabins.
“People who don’t like dogs are not the people I want in my life. Income or not, I’m not removing the dogs to suit our guests.”
Those dogs had dragged his sorry butt through the Coldfoot 550 six years ago. When a blizzard hit, the team had saved his life, pulling hard despite the whiteout and somehow staying on the trail. The five dogs remaining from that team were family members, plain and simple. They deserved all the treats and belly rubs and as many naps in retirement that they wanted.
Deirdre raised her hands. “Suit yourself. But we’re underwater. Occupancy was down during last fall’s hunting season. Repairs are piling up and getting more expensive as time goes on. I don’t want to do anything to dissuade repeat business or good reviews.”
“You know my criteria. Must like dogs.”
She sighed. “Is that for guests or for anyone in your life?”
“It’s a general philosophy. I don’t need anyone in my life.”
“You sure about that, Mav?” Pinning him with a blue-eyed stare, she raised an eyebrow. “When are you going to start dating again? It’s been more than two years since Skylar.”
