The Replacement

“I’m not talking about work. I’m talking about personally. Naomi’s dropped a few hints here and there about Lindsey.”

“My personal life is none of your business.”

“Look, Eric. We’ve got enough going on here without adding an ex’s angst to the list.”

Eric restrained the sudden flash of anger coursing through him. “Don’t worry about it,” he said curtly.

The men were silent for a moment, then Keith put down his pile of dirty dishes with a thump. “You might as well know I’ve applied for a transfer. Another winter alone with your…moods—and your sister’s—isn’t anything I’d care to repeat. If I have my way, I’ll be leaving when Lindsey does.”

Before Eric could reply, the lights flickered, went out, then went on again, but dimly.

“Hell, now what?” Keith said. “I’d better check the generator.”

“I’ll go with you,” Eric said, the hair on the nape of his neck rising with a creepy premonition he’d learned never to ignore.

“Pass.”

“I said I’ll go with you,” Eric repeated. He reached for his ranger-issued rifle. “Naomi—Keith and I are going out to check on the generator!” he called out. “Be back in twenty minutes!”

NAOMI LOOKED AT HER WATCH, then continued to bandage Pam’s feet. “My brother has a loud voice, doesn’t he?” she said, hoping Pam would open up with her as she had with Lindsey. Like Naomi, Lindsey sat on the bed. Ginger lay on the floor closest to the portion of bed where Pam sat, sniffing Pam’s damaged toes, then sniffing the air, then the child’s toes again. Next she shoved her golden head straight at Naomi’s chest.

“Ginger, knock it off,” Naomi grumbled. “Lindsey, do something.”

Lindsey grabbed Ginger’s collar and gently tugged, effectively distracting the dog.

“My feet are ugly,” Pam moaned. “They’re all black.”

“Just the toes,” Naomi explained. She’d finished bandaging the first foot and was beginning the other. “That black is where the cold damaged your capillaries, and the lifeless tissue is starting to slough off.”

“Huh?” Pam pulled her bare foot away from Naomi and started to touch the damaged toes.

Lindsey caught Pam’s hands and clapped them together in a patty-cake motion. “Don’t touch. The black is like a big scab. Don’t make it bleed.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“And Ginger, get your nose out of here. She wants to lick your feet,” Lindsey told her, “because that’s how animals help heal themselves, by licking their wounds. The increased circulation helps speed new skin growth.”

Ginger shoved her nose underneath Naomi’s hands and sniffed at the bandaged foot. Then, before either woman could react, Ginger stood on her hind legs and shoved hard at Naomi’s chest again. Naomi overbalanced and slid off the edge of the mattress to bounce down on the floor rug with a thud.

“Ouch!” Naomi cried, rubbing her behind. Pam giggled as the dog jumped off the bed to nuzzle Naomi’s chest.

“This dog is always pestering me. Even Eva couldn’t stop her. For heaven’s sake, Lindsey, do something!”

“CAN’T WE DO SOMETHING?” Eric asked. “We need this generator working!”

“I told you, I’m trying.” Keith set down his wrench with a clatter and rubbed his hands together. “If there wasn’t a raging blizzard outside, I’d swear someone’s been messing around in here. The fuel pump’s barely processing, but it was fine yesterday.”

Eric froze. “Wilson’s been here.”

“You sure? The man couldn’t have hiked through a storm, waltzed in here, tampered with the generator and strolled back out again. Seems hard to believe.”

Eric hurried to the outside of the door that protected the generator. Amidst howling wind and sharp, stinging snow, the faint impression of footsteps into and away from the shed were still visible. Inspecting the keyhole was an afterthought. The bright silver lines stood out starkly among the dull weathering of the surrounding iron plate. For once, Eric hated being right.

“He picked the lock,” he told Keith a few minutes later. “The scratches are fresh.”

“Could’ve been a bear. They don’t have a true hibernation. One could’ve left his den and tried here for food.” Keith picked up his wrench once more and went back to tinkering with the fuel pump.

“Animals don’t leave human footprints. Where’s your repair bin with the spare parts?”

“You don’t think…” Keith rushed over to the unlocked storage cubby and lifted the wooden lid. He swore viciously at the damage inside.

“Bears don’t destroy so neatly.” Eric’s jaw tightened.

“That son of a—”

“So can you fix the generator or not?”

“I do keep a spare set of parts on the cabin porch where we store the skis. It’s not as extensive as the missing set, but I ran out of room in here. They’re in my yellow tool kit.”

“I’ll get it. You keep babying the generator. If it stops on us, we’ll never get it going again.”

Eric reached for his gloves and the length of rope they used to get back and forth to the cabin. “I’ll be back in five. Lock the door.”

GINGER CONTINUED TO PESTER Naomi. Lindsey called off the dog and ordered her out of the room. When Naomi finally finished tending to Pam, Lindsey called Ginger back. “Pam, you stay in bed. Ginger will keep you company. Naomi and I will be back in a minute.”

“I don’t wanna take a nap,” Pam complained.

“No one said you had to nap. I just want you to rest your feet,” Naomi said.

“Here.” Lindsey opened a dresser drawer and removed one of Eva’s old socks. “Take this—” Lindsey tucked it into a ball shape “—and throw it for Ginger. Tell her fetch. I’m going to close the door. Come on, Naomi.”

In the main room, Naomi looked puzzled. “What’s going on? You’re acting almost as weird as the dog.”

Lindsey checked her watch. “The men will be outside for another ten minutes. We need to use their room.”

Naomi sighed. “Look, I have work to do. If this is some kind of game—”

“You know me better than that.” If anyone plays games, it’s you, she refrained from saying. Naomi had been pleasant, even welcoming, and Lindsey had decided to return the favor.

Inside the men’s bedroom, Naomi crossed her arms. “Now what?”

“Take off your sweater and shirt.” Lindsey locked the door.

Naomi actually grinned. “Yeah, right.” She stopped at the serious expression on Lindsey’s face.

“This isn’t a joke. I want to see what’s bugging Ginger. Have you been injured lately?”

“Nope.”

“We need to be sure, okay? Take off the sweater and shirt,” she repeated.

Clad in her bra, Naomi frowned as her skin broke out in goose bumps from the cold. Lindsey circled her, carefully inspecting the other woman’s sides, back and front.

“I see a bruise by your left breast. What’s that from?”

“I told you, Eva’s dog’s been banging me in the chest every chance she gets.” Naomi reached for her shirt and sweater.

“No, don’t get dressed. Take off your bra.”

“What?”

Lindsey ignored the woman’s reluctance. “When’s the last time you did a self-exam?”

“Huh?”

“When’s the last time you checked your breasts?”

“I don’t know…. What does this have to do with anything?”

“Last month? More than a few months?”

Naomi shrugged. “I don’t know. A while.”

“Remove your bra, get on the bed and examine yourself.”

“Come on, Lindsey, I have chores to do and a patient to attend! I can do this later.”

“Come on, it’ll only take a minute. You’re already half undressed. I’ll watch Pam.”