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"You give me way too much credit," Katie said swiftly

"You rode into toith a kid, a dog, and a woman who doesn’t have all her marbles and you were all alive and not bitten That is an a feat all unto itself When Jenni told me all you’ve done…" He shook his head "To have lost you would have cost all of us"

Katie frowned at hi to cry And I don’t cry!"

Travis laughed and his eyes sparkled with tears "Well, I’m much more butch than you and I cry"

Katie rolled her eyes, than laughed and ran a hand over her hair "Ugh, ered to her feet and went to the mirror on the wall "I need a bath Fast"

"I would insist on you laying back down, but I don’t think that ork"

"Absolutely not" Katie fussed with her greasy, h!"

"Okay, you can take a shower, but I’ that door open If you fall I need to be able to go in immediately"

"Fine…fine…"

She stuured she wouldn’t appreciate it Grabbing up a fresh pair of jeans and a white tank top, she entle knock on the door and Travis opened it Nerit stood there with her yellowish hair falling over one shoulder and one hand holding her flannel robe shut

"How is she?" Her voice was anxious, then she saw the empty bed and heard the shower "She’s up?"

"And lucid And feisty Weak as hell, but she’s okay"

Nerit clasped her hands together and s the worst!"

"Honestly, I almost put one between her eyes But, luckily, she spoke I was so convinced she was gone"

Nerit hugged Travis and looked toward the open bathroom door "I must tell Ralph!"

She scurried off and Travis hesitantly walked toward the door

Maybe I’, he thought for a moment

And then he saw her outline behind the shower curtain and the tension between his shoulders lessened

Again, for aup, eyes dead, screa toward him…

But that hadn’t happened

He stood with his back to the bathroom and hands in his pockets as he waited He was still afraid Afraid of what had nearly happened and he was shaken

Katie finally eed with her wet hair up on top of her head Da out of the tank top were a little bonier than before Thea little low on her hips and showed that she had lost a little weight But despite her delicate appearance, Travis knew she was going to be okay

"I need to talk to Jenni," she said, ignoring his obvious exa a little e her ar weak because she did not protest They entered a small room where the CB radio was set up and a man in his forties with a wide, pleasant face looked up

"Hey, you rin that lit up his rather plain face