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After passing a Styrofoa coffee to Natalie, Hoyt Axelrod filled one for Beau “I heard you hadn’t taken the flight back to DC like you planned” He handed him the second cup and picked up his own

“Will was short-handed and faced with spring roundup Since I was entitled to teeks’ bereavement, I decided to take it and help him out”

“Turned out to be a good thing you did or you wouldn’t have been on hand when he got snakebit” Axelrod hooked a thuainst the wall

“I guess you’re right” Beau blew on the coffee’s stea surface and inhaled its rich aroma

“Have you talked to Tori?” Natalie inserted

“I called, but it went straight to voice ot ”

“I keep thinking about Erin, how upset she’ll be and worried about her dad,” Natalie murmured

Beau started to pull out his cell phone to try Tori again, but stopped when he saw the doctor, a sturdy, baldingdoors He walked straight to them

“Here’s your receipt, Dr Haskell” He handed a sheet to Natalie, showing the respect of one professional to another before turning to Beau

“How’s my brother?”

“We’ve got him on the antivenin, as well as some fluids and Dilaudid for the pain There’s no reason he shouldn’t ht He’ll need to be here several days, then rest at ho as a month”

Relief sagged through Beau, even as he recognized that Will was in for a miserable time And he would be hell to live with until he was back on his feet

“Is he awake?” Beau asked “Can I see him now?”

“He’s groggy, h to knohat’s going on You can see him, but no more than a minute or two,” the doctor wa

rned “He needs to rest and let the antivenin do its work”