The very idea of a man touching her had been repulsive since the attack. Besides,Judaswas the one she should be thinking about in that way. After all, he’d proposed courtship.
She hurried to where the dogs were being kept. Yes, she should be helping the good doctor. But that wasn’t wise at the moment. Not until she got her thoughts under control.
The chill of morning air took her breath away. The sun wouldn’t be up for hours yet. But she doubted that would help. The wind was whipping its way through and stung every piece of exposed skin. Thoughts of Peter persisted, and she pressed them down as quickly as they came to mind.
She made it to the small wooden building where the villagers had laid straw and hay so that the few animals they had could stay warm and slipped inside. Several cows lowed in protest against the icy air.
Most animals raised in Alaska acclimated and did fine in the cold winters. That was, until a cold snap like this came through. Losing their animals, which were sources of food, could devastate a small village like this.
Thank heaven the dogs had an indoor shelter as well. It wasn’t heated, but at least it was out of the wind.
Inside, Yutu was feeding the animals, including her dogs. “Thank you.” She smiled at him and then knelt down by her pups.
“You are very welcome. They love the seal blubber. It will help them stay strong and give them plenty of fat for when they need to run again.”
“That is a treat I don’t give them often. I appreciate your sacrifice for them.”
“You do much for our family and our people. We are grateful. Bringing the white doctor here was scary at first, but the children are getting better. We thank you for that.” He hand-fed each one of the dogs, and they licked at his fingers with yips of appreciation.
“Thank Dr. Cameron. He has a gift with medicine and cares about people. He reminds me of Doc Gordon.” Whitney petted two of her team and then moved on to another two. She’d come in here to stop thinking about Peter, yet there he was again, the hero of the hour.
“Too bad all white doctors cannot be like Dr. Gordon and Dr. Cameron.” Yutu crouched beside Pepper.
Wasn’t that the truth. When Judas told them about Dr. Kingston and how he’d sold fake medications, she’d wanted to blame the doctor for her mother’s death. When another patient’s father shot the doctor dead in the middle of the street one night, no one mourned the man. She’d actually been relieved he was gone.
Maddy expressed sympathy for the man and hoped he’d had a chance to know God. That made Whitney feel guilty for her horrible thoughts ... but now she saw it was one more thing that proved she was broken. Unfeeling.
The door creaked open. “Whitney. Oh good, I’m glad I found you.” Peter closed the door and jumped up and down a few times. “Gracious, it’s cold.”
“Do you need help with the patients?” She made it to the last two of her dogs and gave them belly rubs.
“I’m out of medicine and supplies, and we’ve had a few more cases come to our attention. Is there any way we can go back to Nome and pick up more supplies?”
Life and death were before her. She jumped to her feet. “Of course. If we leave soon, we can make it back by lunchtime.”
Yutu came forward and waved his hands. “I think a storm might be coming.”
“All the more reason we need those items.” Peter nodded. “If we don’t get them, the younger children may die. When do you think the storm might come through?”
“Today. Probably this afternoon.”
Peter looked to her. “What do you think? Do we have enough time?”
The fact that he asked her meant a lot. After all, it was her dogs she’d be putting at risk. “Let me go look at the sky.” She opened the door and studied the inky sky. Not a star shone through anywhere. Still ... the windhaddied down. That was a good sign.
And the sick children needed them.
She went back inside. “The wind has calmed, but we need to go right away. I don’t want to risk getting caught in a storm in these temperatures.” With a quick glance at the men, she clamped her jaw.
Yutu looked from her to Peter. “A storm is coming. If it is calm now, that may mean it won’t be here until tonight, or it might mean that it will come much sooner.” He dipped his chin and stared at her. Much more was conveyed in his eyes than he said out loud. They’d known each other for many years, and this man understood the weather of the north far better than anyone else. His expression sent a tremor down her spine.
“The children ...”
He gripped her shoulder. “I will help you get the team harnessed and pack food for the dogs. They will need it in this cold.”
“Thank you.” She tried to shake off the foreboding. Theyhadto go. She turned to Peter. “You need to dress in as many layers as you can. I’ll bring some emergency supplies, but we need to travel as light as possible. Can you be ready to leave in ten minutes?”
“Yes. Of course.” He raced out the door, and she did the same.
