Page 56 of Field Rules

ChapterEighteen

Though Olivia was no longer struggling to breathe, her prolonged asthma attack had left her shaky and light-headed. Now that she was back at camp, all she wanted to do was retreat to the sleeping quarters and collapse on her cot. But she couldn’t leave until she faced down Grant. She needed to make him understand that Rick wasn’t to blame for their delay.

Their confrontation would have been slightly less nerve-racking if the entire field school hadn’t been present, still seated at the picnic tables.

Grant approached them, boiling over with fury. “This is completely unacceptable. Your team was almost an hour late.”

Rick held up his hands. “We had a few problems but nothing to worry about. Everyone’s fine.”

Olivia spoke up quickly. “It’s my fault. I got lost because I dropped my GPS and it stopped working. I’m hoping it’s just a temporary glitch.” When Grant’s scowl deepened, she offered up a weak smile, hoping to win him over. “Thankfully, I used the map to orient myself. Funny thing about maps—they might be low-tech, but they can still prove surprisingly useful.”

Wasn’t that what archaeologists had relied on fifty years ago? If anything, she was being resourceful.

“If you were able to find your way back, then why are you over an hour late?” Grant glared at Rick. “I’m not surprised this blunder happened on your watch.”

Why did Grant have to be so petty? And why waste time scolding them when they were all tired, thirsty, and ravenously hungry?

Fighting back her exhaustion, Olivia put strength behind her words. “Rick didn’t do anything wrong. When I was rushing to finish my transect, I had an asthma attack. Somewhere along the way, my inhaler fell out of my pocket. If Rick hadn’t found it, I could have died.”

The shocked expressions around her served as validation. Despite her mishap with the GPS, it was her asthma—not her terrible sense of direction—that had caused the lengthy delay.

Grant pinned her in his gaze. “So, you broke your GPS and lost your inhaler? Very careless on your part. I’ll need to report this incident to Dr. Roth.”

Her shame vanished, replaced by a surge of anger. “I didn’t mean to lose it! Do you think I wanted to have an asthma attack in the middle of nowhere?” She was crossing a line, but she didn’t care. Not after everything she’d been through.

Dusty hopped off the picnic bench and strode toward them. “Dr. Nilsson! Are you writing up Olivia because she has asthma? What kind of ableist bullshit is that?”

Grant stepped back, as though unnerved by the force of her words. “I’m reporting her because her carelessness made her team unacceptably late.”

“She was sidelined by a medical condition,” Dusty said. “That wasn’t her fault.”

Even if she appreciated Dusty’s support, Olivia didn’t need anyone fighting her battles. “Thanks, Dusty, but Grant’s right. I wouldn’t have gotten lost if I’d been more careful. But if anyone should be punished, it’s me, not Rick.” She turned her focus back to Grant. “You want to report me to Dr. Roth? Fine. But I’m coming with you. I don’t need you twisting the truth or blaming Rick for what happened.”

Her stomach churned. If challenging her immediate supervisor wasn’t bad enough, now she was doubling down by demanding an audience with the dig director. She’d be lucky if Dr. Roth didn’t send her packing immediately.

Goodbye, dissertation committee.

With a heavy heart, she addressed the students. “I’m sorry you had to see this. It won’t happen again.”

Grant glared at them. “Why are you still here? If you’ve finished lunch, you should be starting your lab work. Now.”

The students scattered, as though afraid his wrath might settle on one of them next. Olivia turned back to Rick, who hadn’t moved from his spot behind her. “I’m not sure what’s left of lunch,” she said. “Maybe you could take the team into Kouklia to get a bite to eat. I can pay you back later.”

Rick kept his voice low. “And leave you here? I don’t want you to face Dr. Roth alone.”

His supportive words lifted her spirits, but she didn’t need his protection. She could handle Dr. Roth on her own. “Thanks, but I’ve got this.” She gave Grant a cloying smile. “Should we head over to the field house?”

“There’s no rush. We can wait until Dr. Roth arrives for the afternoon lab session.”

No. She wouldn’t let Grant shame her in front of the students again. “I’m not waiting. Let’s do it now, before I pass out.”

After refilling her water bottle and grabbing a handful of figs from the kitchen, Olivia followed Grant out of camp and down the road that led toward the village. The ten-minute walk felt twice that, what with Grant glowering at her the entire time. The field house was a small, picture-perfect bungalow made of cream-colored stone, tucked at the end of a quiet side street. A large lemon tree bursting with plump yellow fruit shaded the front yard. The bright blue door displayed a cast-iron knocker in the shape of a lion’s head.

Grant unlocked the door with his key. “I let Dr. Roth know we were coming, but he wasn’t pleased. He doesn’t like being disturbed while he’s working on his research.”

She refused to let him saddle her with guilt. “I would think he’d want to know if there were any problems with the staff or the students.”

“He doesn’t. That’s my job. I prefer not to involve him unless it’s a serious issue.”

---