Sommer was glad Abbie was able to let the project go. A little distance from it, and Sommer would hopefully feel that sensation in her chest go away. “Listen, I didn’t want you to worry when you couldn’t get me by phone. And since you have prego-brain, you’d forget that I told you I’ll be gone.”
“What you need is one of those emergency satellite gizmos that you can text on. Some of the new phones have satellite integrated in.”
“I can afford neither. It’s a hike I’ve done before. I’m not worried, and you shouldn’t be either.”
“Do you even know me?” Sloane asked.
“Bye.”
***
Abbie and Marna pulled into the gravel parking area outside of the ranger station and climbed out of their vehicle.
“Hey,” Abbie said as she walked toward where Sommer sat on her hatch with her bare toes spread wide. “Why did you tell us you’d meet us here? The plan was to pick you up.”
“I was treating someone at the hospital and was exposed to pertussis. So just to be safe, I’m going to keep my distance on the trail.”
Abbie turned to Marna.
“Whooping cough,” Marna said. “Neither of us wants that.”
Abbie focused concerned eyes on Sommer. “Do you think you’ll get sick on the trail?”
“Nah, the incubation period is too long. I’ll be down the mountain before anything shows up. I’m not worried about it. My immune system has developed an astonishing resiliency after so many years in Emergency.” Sommer held up her palms. “And, with all this beautiful space around us, there’s no reason for me to expose you to the potential.” Sommer licked her finger and stuck it in the air. “The wind is blowing from the west, and the trail is north, so as long as I’m behind you on the trail, the breeze should carry any germs away.” She patted the front of her pack. “I can mask if you want me to. I have no problem with that.”
“Someone came in coughing all over me last night,” Marna said. “I assume that when you socialize with me, you understand I’m a walking petri dish.”
“A little distance sounds reasonable to me,” Abbie told Sommer, then looked toward the park bathrooms. “I want to try to poop here, so I don’t have to dig holes on the trail.”
“Good idea.” Marna followed after her, calling back. “Coming, Sommer? Need a poop?”
“Thanks so much for your concern.” Sommer laughed. “But I had my daily constitutional already. I’ll wait out here.”
When the women emerged, Sommer was wrapping her big toes with duct tape and stuck more on her heels to protect against blisters.
Marna and Abbie sat on the back gate of Marna’s SUV as they pulled on their liner socks.
“How was your full moon shift?” Abbie asked.
“A nightmare.” Sommer tilted her head to show the bruise on her jaw. “Marna’s hospital took the brunt of it, though.”
“What the hell happened?” Marna asked, pointing to her own jaw. “Did you fall?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” Sommer pulled padded wool socks over her liners. If her feet were happy, her trek would be happy. “How about you, Marna, anything interesting?”
“Actually, a once-in-a-lifetime patient came through with something I had only read about in a medical journal.”
“How’s that?” Sommer braced for another anal cavity horror story.
“A guy ate a piece of bread and was falling down drunk.”
Sommer leaned forward to catch Marna’s gaze. “Really? Was it auto brewery syndrome?”
“Exactly.”
“I’ve heard of that,” Abbie said. “Like you ferment things in your body and produce your own alcohol? That would make for a sad life, limiting yeast. Bread is my best friend.” She turned from Marna to Sommer. “Sorry, but that’s my truth.”
“I don’t know about it being such a bad thing,” Marna said. “Donuts cost a lot less than a case of beer. And if something goes awry, you’d have a get out of jail free card for the judge.”
