Page 121 of Duty Preserved

Donovan stood at the edge of the training ground, coffee in hand. He’d stepped back from the drill entirely and let the rangers run it. He caught my eye as I passed. The corner of his mouth lifted. I raised my coffee cup.

Neither of us stopped. I went to my work and he stayed at his. I was so thankful to be able to start my mornings like this.

The new vet facility had gone up three months ago. It was much larger and even had a real surgical suite. I had no doubt the next fellowship vets would get good use out of it as well. Donovan had pushed for the funding after the old one was destroyed, and the reserve had delivered.

I started work and began my animal patient inspections with a small genet that had gotten injured. He was an adorable small spotted cat-like creature that had been making sure dangerous snakes were handled around our camp. It seemed only fair to take care of him in return. As I was checking some sutures, I got a call from Alyson.

“Hey,” she said and then paused. “Are you busy?”

“Just sutures. What’s up?”

“Nothing. I just wanted to hear your voice.”

I picked the genet up off the table and placed him back in the small cage.

My best friend’s voice had changed since she’d gone home. The volume was lower, the energy pulled inward. The woman who used to narrate her own day at full volume now spoke like she wasn’t even sure she wanted to hear her own voice.

I knew the surgeries were done. Her physical therapy was not, though. She was getting there, but not at a pace conducive to her living like she once did.

“How are you?” I asked. “Give me the truth, Aly.”

She was quiet for a beat. “Some days are okay, good even. Some days…are not.” A pause stretched between her words. “But I’m working on it. My therapist is good. And Cole’s been checking in.”

“Has he?” Good. Because I knew Daniel had never said another word to her. Bastard.

“He sends me these articles about physical therapy, and last Tuesday, he asked if I’d tried aquatic rehab.” She cleared her throat. “It’s nothing.”

I didn’t push, but I wanted to.

“Faith called me yesterday,” I said. “About the sentencing.”

“And?”

“Nasser was convicted on all counts. He’s not getting out.”

“Good. After what he did to you and the animals… Good. Yeah, that’s good.”

We talked for a few more minutes. I told her about the new recruits, and she made me promise to send photos. When I told her I’d be home soon, she told me she couldn’t wait to see me.

After I hung up, I stood there for a moment. Something was really different about Aly. Not just the accident, although God knew that was enough.

I would have to investigate it more when I got home. I tried to push the worry aside and finish my rounds. I checked on two more patients and updated their charts.

Donovan found me at the end of the day.

I was walking back from the facility with my kit over one shoulder. The sun was getting low, and it cast a pretty shade of reddish-orange over everything. He fell into step beside me, lifted the kit off my shoulder, and slung it over his own.

“Walk with me.”

Something in his voice made me look at him. His jaw was set and he wasn’t smiling.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong. Just walk with me.”

That didn’t help. My mind went through the list of all it could be: a call from Ethan, a different poacher sighting, something wrong with one of the new recruits. I watched his face for a tell but got nothing.

We walked to the edge of camp where the ground opened into grass, and I realized where he was taking me.