“Am I glad to see you,” Malik greeted with a relieved smile. “Raphael is amazing, but his abilities don’t work fast. The male in the black pants is in bad shape. If you could stabilize him, I’ll assess the others.” He handed her a compact data pad. “I’ll send you a prioritized list so you can move from patient to patient as quickly as possible.”
“We need room badly,” she stressed.
“I agree,” Malik assured her. “I’ll have anyone who can wait moved out of the clinic. That will give us some elbow room.”
“Good.”
“I’ll score them from one through five,” Malik decided. “Ones can wait. Fives are in real trouble.”
“Perfect,” she muttered and headed for the patient with black pants. He had a compound fracture in his arm, and the side of his body had been shredded. Quickly rolling up her sleeves, Heather went right to work.
Gabriel walked up to the other side of the treatment table and touched the wounded cat on the shoulder. “Your pain is fading and you are calm.”
Heather felt the tingling pulse of psychic compulsion and smiled at her mate. She was thankful for his help, but didn’t let him distract her. She immobilized the soldier’s arm. Realigning the bones would require surgery, so she focused on saving his life. She cleaned the lacerations on his side and had just applied a coagulant when a feline shifter walked up with a large, rigid case.
“Malik said you’d know what to do with this.” He heaved the case onto a nearby table and then walked away.
After confirming that her patient was stable, Heather opened the case and gasped. Nestled in protective compartments were three familiar devices. The first was a molecular scanner, the second a tissue generator wand, and the last was a portable printer capable of manufacturing a wide variety of medical supplies. Similar kits were used by first responders all over Earth.
“Where did this come from?” she asked Malik when things slowed down enough for conversation.
“Where do you think?” He nodded toward Natalie who stood across the room talking to Gabriel and Zion.
“I can’t help fearing that she’s a devil in disguise,” Heather muttered as she closed yet another wound with the tissue generator wand. She might not trust the source, but the tools had allowed her to treat patients quicker and more completely than she could have without them.
“I know of at least six cats that owe their lives to that devil,” Malik pointed out as he handed Heather a dampened gauze pad so she could wipe away the residual streaks of blood.
They continued to work until everyone had been treated, then Malik gave Heather a clean uniform so she could change out of her blood-smeared clothes. Then Heather said goodbye to Malik and joined her mate. Gabriel stood near the door with Zion. As Heather approached, she couldn’t help overhearing the end of Gabriel and Zion’s exchange.
“Your mate is impressive,” Zion said in his deep, rumbly voice.
Heather fought back a smile. It was nice to be appreciated.
“Yes, she is,” Gabriel agreed.
The pride and protectiveness rippling across their mind link meant even more to Heather than the words of praise. Her mate loved her. It was such a comfort to know that without doubt. She slowed her steps, not wanting to interrupt their conversation.
“It’s unlikely we will ever be friends,” Zion stated, hands locked behind his back. “But we have a common enemy. I would like to work with you to defend our villages against them.”
“My brother was right to join the alliance,” Gabriel said firmly. “I held out hope longer than I should have. The wolves are not interested in peace, and I am no longer interested in defending their actions.”
“Good.” Zion nodded then moved off across the clinic.
“That went better than expected,” Heather said once Zion was out of earshot.
“I was dreading the conversation. Now I’m thrilled that it’s over.”
Space inside the clinic was limited, so Gabriel and Heather stepped outside. The sun was bright, but the air was cold.Even so, the pine-scented breeze was welcome after the stuffy confines of the clinic.
Patrick approached carrying mugs that steamed dramatically. “I thought we could use something warm in our bellies before we head home.” He passed out the mugs, and they stood to one side of the clinic’s entrance as they sipped the Rydarian version of coffee.
“Malik told me the medical equipment came from Natalie,” Heather began after a few moments of companionable silence. “Will she give us a similar kit if we agree to participate in the program?”
“Would you like me to answer that?” Natalie asked as she stepped out of the clinic. “Sorry to interrupt. I heard Heather say my name.”
“You’ve got damn good hearing,” Gabriel muttered disapprovingly.
“If this is a private conversation, I’ll go back inside.”
