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Nic sat up, groaned, fell back

I caught hiain "Maybe we should get you to a doctor"

"You’re a doctor"

"Not that kind"

"I’m all - " His voice faded, and his eyes closed as he slumped in my arms

Concerned, I leaned close He was out cold, so I gave in to the urge that had been hauntingmy lips to his forehead, I breathed in the fas rushed back with a force that staggered me I’d known I still loved him, but I hadn’t realized that I alould

Once we’d dreaether, ould never be alone again

I longed for that normal life - a normal me But I’d cos I’d done in the interiiveness Nic was as lost to ed

The wind slapped snow against my face The drop in temperature had turned the fluffy flakes into icy needles

I smelled death - probably just Billy’s Nevertheless, we had to keepthe h there wasn’tand run over us then again, one e of Nic’s ently to the ground and hurried to the ATV After a quick glance to make sure he was still out, I picked up the machine and set it back on the road

There was a dent in one side, a bit of dirt on the other, but when I started the engine, it worked

Nic began to co as if he were "oh, so heavy," though I could have lifted him with one hand "Wanna help me out a little?"

"Sorry, I’m - "

"Hurt," I supplied when he seeain

Thankfully, he was too spacey to notice how ot to his feet, too woozy to see that my clothes were torn and I had flecks of blood in my hair

I hoisted Nic onto the ATY, crawled behind, then adjusted his body so that I could see, drive, and hold on to him If I hadn’t had superpowers, I wouldn’t have been able to lad to be what I was

Nic drifted in and out of consciousness I’d wondered how toquestions I’d have preferred another et ahead of the storhway outside of Clear Lake was dry, the forest surrounding it devoid of white Most of the businesses on thewere closed, probably had been for a while The toas s with the idea of du Nic with a doctor - they had to have one - then disappearing again But an hour on the ATV with little to do beyond think had nixed that idea

Billy ht be dead, but Billy hadn’t blown up the coht behind us

I let aze wander over Nic’s still face He’d say he was a highly trained FBI agent; he could take care of himself But I knew better To olves he’d be an easy lunch

Noto have to take hias station in Clear Lake The attendant stepped outside His gaze wandered over my torn suit, the spatters of blood and the leaves inhead With the typical understatement that characterized inhabitants west of the Mississippi, he murmured, "Trouble?"

"Nearly hit a deer We flipped"

The story, close enough to the truth to be believable, explained Nic’s injuries and my appearance

"Need a doctor?" he asked

"No" Nic struggled to sit up "I’ether "If you say so"

Nic tried to prove it by cli off the ATV He wobbled, but he didn’t fall down

"You knohere I can buy some clothes?"

As the word buy left lanced at Nic; he was already extracting his wallet

"And a car," he added, pulling out an obscene amount of cash

"Got some T-shirts and sweatpants for sale inside" The man scratched his head as he contemplated the money "Car we’ll have to talk about"

I hesitated, prepared to deal, but Nic waved me away "I’ll handle the car"

I let hied a pair of gray sweatpants and an equally cheery gray T-shirt

Making use of the restroo the wolf totee can Holding the tiny bit of plastic between two fingers, I stared into the sparkly blue eyes

The idea that soh power toin a dirty women’s restroo

I shoved the talisman into the pocket of my neeatpants just as I re that had been in ivenIthe road I didn’t care about the list, but the gun ood for a bluff or two

Since I couldn’t go back for the weapon now, I shoved my bare feet into my tennies and picked one last flake of blood fro dead bodies in the woods, which was close enough to the truth to make me worry I could only hope that the people we met between here and Wisconsin were less concerned with personal hygiene than I was

When I exited the bathrooister I peered around the station, which was packed ceiling to floor with chips, soda, candy, and borderline pornography But no Nic

"I sold your friend a car"

Frorin, the deal had been sweet Of course, we couldn’t exactly be choosy We had to get out of here, and we couldn’t do that on an ATV