The Quake

Chapter 21

Erin followed the road instead of the path through the woods to get to the clinic this morning. The walk had been invigorating and, for once, not rainy. She reveled in the solitude while allowing her mind the freedom to plan for the day's challenges. This was exactly what she needed after being surrounded by so many people all day and all night at the RV camp, no matter how comfortable she was becoming around them.

This morning she'd woken to Tyler's familiar form beside her, and instead of being annoyed as she had been the previous morning, or panicked as she'd been last night, she'd felt safe. Tyler, her brother's friend, was now her friend. Probably her best friend, but there was no need to tell him that part.

She'd wanted to run her fingers over his charming freckles connecting the dots. She'd wanted to tease him and watch him twinkle at her. She'd wanted him there. If Drew found out, what would he say? Guiltily, she recognized this moment without Drew around as an opportunity to explore Tyler for herself. If Drew were here, the guys would go back to their tweedled dumb-tweedle dee routine and life would be just as it had been. Suddenly that wasn't enough for Erin anymore.

Refreshed, she entered the clinic, released Karen, then began a list of items to train their new recruits on. Still no Joey, she noticed with a pang. Erin rolled her shoulders. She would just have to accept the role of doctor until he could be located. She'd been doing okay thus far.

Nenita found her after she'd managed to add only a couple of items to her list. Taking the list from her hand, Nenita read through it carefully then tucked it into her scrub pocket. "I will get them started. But Erin," Nenita's eyes shifted. "We got a new couple last night into room 1. I need that to be your top priority this morning."

Erin heaved a fortifying breath. This was what she'd prepared for on her walk, wasn't it? It was only a matter of time before she would again have to perform medical duties outside of her comfort. The bodies she'd covered on that first day floated up into her mind's eye. It took effort to shove them away. Those patients had been dead through no intervention of her own while these patients, whoever they were, were still within her power to help. "They aren't the easiest people," Nenita continued.

Erin nodded. "I appreciate the warning."

She strode through the door to room 1 fully prepared to tackle any challenge before her. The only thing she saw as she entered was a blanket pile barely covering a gray violently hairy chest. Erin immediately backed out of the door again. "Why are you naked?" she stuttered, newfound confidence gone. She held the door ajar inches from her nose blocking her sight, wide enough to speak with the occupants inside.

She heard the frantic rustling of people dressing. Tension began to creep into her neck, threatening to choke her. Animals never worried about being naked. This was yet another reminder that people patients were vastly different than her previous clients. These were not the animals she was used to.

"You can enter now," the room's occupant informed her in a growly voice. If he were a dog, she'd imagine that voice coming from a bulldog with low hanging jowls. Erin edged the door open cautiously.

The room itself had a sickly smell to it that reminded Erin of old dog. She was greeted by a slender sandy haired man with the rough beginnings of a beard, no bulldog jowls on display. Mercifully he was now wearing a shirt and was sitting up amidst the pile of blankets, a second man asleep in the pile of blankets beside him. The other man was completely covered except for a dark shock of hair. The blanket shifted when he took a wheezing uneven breath. "I didn't know I fell asleep," the sandy haired man explained brushing his hair back nervously.

"When did you come in?" Erin asked, bending down to take a closer look at the sleeping man because his breathing did not sound good. When she rested her hand against his neck, his pulse felt slugglish, his skin warm. Erin's stomach clenched with worry. This was definitely the challenge she was dreading.