Page 18 of One Last Shot

Oaken had gotten out and shuffled behind them.

She should probably go over and talk to him. Tell him he’d done well, keeping Mike alive. If he’d left him in the field where they’d landed, Mikewouldhave died of exposure or, as Oaken had suggested, been eaten.

So the guy was a hero, and maybe, given his desperation when she’d nearly mowed him over on the highway, he should hear that instead of whatever voices currently played in his head.

But,“I know I’ve seen you somewhere before. Have you ever been on television?”

Oh boy.

Except, maybe hehadrecognized her picture from the Air One Rescue lineup, so she might be panicking needlessly.

Still.

Moose had walked over to a group of people standing in the lobby—a woman with shoulder-length hair and a yellow parka, a man with dark brown hair, in chinos, boots, a pullover sweater. He held out a hand to Moose and greeted him like he knew him.

Probably trail guides. Moose knew everyone who worked in the bush, and everyone knew him too.

Her stomach growled, and she glanced at the clock. Nearly midnight. She needed sleep. And food. Maybe not in that order.

What she really needed was a way to slough off the tension still stirring inside.

She glanced over at Moose and found his gaze on her. Then he turned back to the conversation, and for some reason, Dodge’s words surfaced inside.

“You haven’t really connected with the team. Andthat’s an issue.”

Maybe less of an issue, however, than a friendship with her might create. If people were smart, they’d just let her stay in her corner. Alone and unknown.

A male doctor came out of the ER doors, glanced around.

Oaken stood up. “I’m with Mike Grizz. How is he?”

“Are you family?”

She too had walked up to the doctor. His nameplate said Benson.

“I’m . . . yes. Sort of.”

“He rescued him, Doc,” Boo said now, and Oaken looked over at her, something of gratitude in his face.

“I’m sorry. I can’t release any medical information.”

“I was on the rescue crew who brought him in,” Boo said. “I’m an EMT.”

The crowd near the coffee machine had also walked over. The man in chinos reached out his hand. “Reynolds Gray. Executive producer ofGo Wild with Grizz. His wife and kids are on the way. I’d like to give them an update.”

Dr. Benson met his hand, shook it. Looked at Boo. “I’ll have to wait on any specific information, but he has quite a bit of internal bleeding. We’re going up to surgery now.” He looked at Oaken. “I don’t know how you kept him alive, but any longer out there and he wouldn’t have made it.”

Oaken swallowed. “Actually,shekept him alive.” He glanced at Boo.

She held up her hands. “It’s my job. Air One Rescue.”

She caught a look passing between Moose and Reynolds even as the doctor nodded and headed back through the double doors of the ER.

“Oaken, I need to talk to you,” said Reynolds. He and Oaken walked away, over to the corner of the room.

Executive producer, huh?She wanted to askwhere the camera was, but that might be too cynical. And alert anyone with curiosity in their DNA to ask questions.

But no wonder the man had raised the tiny hairs on the back of her neck.Note to self: Veer hard around Reynolds and, frankly, Oaken.