Page 85 of Smoky Lake

He looked at her as if she was nuts. “I run a bar, not a coffee shop. The closest thing I have to green tea is probably peppermint schnapps.”

Ani smiled at that. “Kathy might have some green tea at the general store.”

“Not sure they’d drink it.”

“Maybe add some of that schnapps?”

He finally cracked a smile. “Getting the hang of Firelight Ridge now, aren’t you?”

“I’m practically a local now.”

“I’ll come pick you up when you’re done,” he told her as she hurried back into the boardinghouse.

The second floor was filled with army cots, although only four were occupied. The sight of all those empty ones was unnerving. Ani told herself it was good to be prepared, even if most of those cots never got used.

After consulting with Mindy, an Army nurse, she got to work tending to the five little patients.

Amy Tlingit, five years old, was crying softly because she wanted to go home. Ani stroked her hair and soothed her until she drifted off to sleep.

Sawyer Miller, thirteen years old, was experiencing a fit of guilt because his little sister was sick too. “I shouldn’t have dragged her to the creek to go swimming with me. Is she going to be okay?”

“She’s already better,” Ani assured him after checking Lizzie Miller’s chart. “You couldn’t have known about this virus. None of the adults knew either. Just rest now, that’s the best thing you can do for her.” She was about to turn away when he spoke again.

“Elephants dream about sunflowers.”

“Excuse me?”

He stared at her blankly. “What?”

“Did you say something about elephants?”

He frowned at her as if she’d lost her mind. “Go fly down the clouds.” With that, he closed his eyes to go back to sleep.

Hallucination? Disordered speech?

Amy Miller, his little sister, was fast asleep. There would be no checking her for those symptoms.

Ronnie Baker, ten years old, had a fever of a hundred and three and was mad because he’d had to leave a camping trip with his family. Ani gave him a cool washcloth and made him sip some water. She sat with him while he talked about what they’d done on the trip.

“How many are in your family?” she asked him.

“Six kids, plus my two cousins live with us.”

Okay then. That was a big family. And only Ronnie had gotten sick. The virus didn’t seem especially contagious. That was very good news for everyone, since the CDC team should have a good chance of keeping this outbreak contained.

His mention of the camping trip reminded her of Charlie’s request. “Ronnie, have you seen anyone here from the Wilderness Alive group?”

“The what? My head hurts.”

She gave him some Tylenol and more water, and went back to the oldest kid, Sawyer. He hadn’t heard anything about the group Charlie had mentioned either. None of the current crop of patients were part of it.

When all the kids were either asleep or reading one of the vintage children’s books the boardinghouse owned, she slipped downstairs to pose the question to the young medic.

He frowned. “No one has mentioned that group. Do you think they’re still out there?”

“The trip was supposed to be over by now. If they’re still out there, maybe something went wrong. They could be sick. Who should I talk to?”

“Do you know where they were going to camp?”

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