Page 35 of Through The Woods

“No, Doc. I told you—I’ve been feeling much better lately.”

He closed the bedroom door behind us and directed me to the bed. “Let’s get a look at it today. If the infection is gone, then we may be ready to remove the bandages. If it’s not, I’m going to have to take you into the clinic in town. If we throw enough cash at them, they won’t need your ID.”

I lay back and lifted the edge of my shirt up. Doc’s hands poked and prodded near the wound, but the pain was bearable compared to a month ago. “It’s looking a lot better today. It’s still leaking a little fluid, so I’m going to keep it covered for a few more days. You need to take it easy, but I think you’re out of the woods.”

“See, and I thought I was still very much in the woods.” I deadpanned.

The corner of his mouth turned up in a smile. “She jokes. I gotta say, Neve. I prefer this side of you over the girl who told me I could go fuck myself with a hot poker while she was detoxing.”

I winced. “Um, yeah. Sorry about that. I—”

He cut me off. “You don’t owe me an apology. I’m sure I’ll get fucked up in the near future and you can be the one to deal with me. Then, we’ll call us even.”

I smiled. “Sounds fair enough. So, have you always known that you wanted to be in medicine?”

Doc gave the stitches another check and began reapplying the bandages before answering, “Uh yeah, I guess so. Originally, I wanted to be a vet. I’ve always had a soft spot for animals.”

I’d found Vic.

Before I could ask the questions that were swirling around in my head, there was a light knock at the door. He placed the last bandage and pulled my shirt back down as Rooster and Joker came in, holding a deck of cards.

“You up for a game?”

I studied his face with a frown. “I’m not playing strip poker with you, Rooster.”

He glanced over at Joker. “I told you she wouldn’t go for it. You’re going to have to find another way to get her naked, bro.”

Joker’s eyes widened in shock and he began shaking his head ‘no,’ while signing wildly.

I laughed until tears ran from my eyes. “You didn’t say it was for Joker. That changes things, doesn’t it?”

I leaned forward and placed a kiss against the mute’s cheek and he turned red from the top of his head down to his neck. All three of them stared at me strangely.

“What the actual hell just happened here? You’d go through with it for him, but not me?” Rooster complained.

I shrugged and took the cards from his hands. “You’re too obvious about it, Rooster. Everything about you just screams, ‘player.’ You’ve got to work on that.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “And how would I go about doing that?”

I took my time shuffling the deck. “Well, for starters, calling someone a ‘club whore’ after just meeting her is probably not the best way to get into her good graces—unless she is an actual club whore. Then, I don’t know.”

Joker ran a finger across his own throat and smiled, while Doc sat back in a chair and kicked his feet up on the bed. I pushed him off the bed and pointed to his boots. “No shoes on the furniture, Doc.”

Rooster burst out in laughter. “Jesus, Darlin.’ You’re gonna have us all whipped into shape by the time Charm gets back, aren’t ya?”

Doc grumbled, but began unlacing his boots and I hid a small smile as I began dealing cards.

‘What are we playing?’ signed Joker and I grinned wickedly.

“You boys ever hear of a little game called ‘Go Fish?’ I don’t want to brag, but I’m pretty much the best at it.”

Fir tree

Five rounds later, the three men sat in their boxer briefs, glaring down at their cards. All three had the Scarred Savages emblem tattooed somewhere on their chests, and I wondered if it was a requirement when they patched in. Minus the hideous skull, their torsos were a colorful blend of ink.

Meanwhile, I sat comfortably on the bed, still fully dressed.

Should I have mentioned upfront that I had the memory of an elephant?

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