Under the Northern Lights

A Wound in the Snow

Naomi’s first morning at Glacier’s Edge began with the sound of the wind whipping against her apartment window. Snow had fallen heavily overnight, covering the entire village in a thick layer of white. Naomi rolled up her blankets, finding it hard to get up. However, her mind immediately drifted to the previous night’s events- the wounded deer, the man with piercing blue eyes, and the cold night under the Alaskan stars.

She glanced at the wall clock in her tiny living room. It was already seven in the morning—time to start the day.

After a quick breakfast of toast and instant coffee, Naomi puts on her thick coat and heads to the clinic. The clinic was quiet as if waiting for life to begin. She turns on the lights, checks the equipment, and prepares the medicines for the deer Erik will bring this morning.

Erik’s arrival

Just as Naomi finished preparing for the clinic, there was a loud knock on the front door. She rushed to open it and found Erik standing there, his face almost entirely covered by a scarf and snow coat. Behind him, the same old pick-up truck from the night before was parked with a doe lying behind it.

“Good morning,” Erik greeted in a hoarse voice.

“Good morning. How was she last night?” Naomi asked as she looked at the deer carefully.

“She was quite calm, but I didn’t want to take any chances. I’m taking her immediately as you requested.”

Naomi nodded, signaling Erik to bring the deer into the clinic’s treatment room. Carefully, they moved the deer onto the examination table. Despite looking tough, Erik treated the animal with a gentleness that surprised Naomi.

“Her name is Lily,” Erik said suddenly, stroking the deer’s head gently.

Naomi paused momentarily, touched by Erik’s attention to the deer. “Lily is a beautiful name,” he said softly.

Naomi checked Lily’s wound, making sure the stitches were still strong. The deer seemed a little better, though her body was still weak. Naomi injected antibiotics and gave her fluids to aid her recovery.

While she worked, Erik stood in the corner of the room, observing.

“You work with deer for research?” Naomi asked, trying to understand more about the man who now filled her mind.

Erik nodded. “Yes. I'm a wildlife ecologist. I live in a cabin in the woods not far from here. These deer are part of a conservation project I'm working on. We monitor their migration patterns and the impact of climate change on their population.”

Naomi was silent for a moment. She hadn’t expected someone who looked stern and reserved like Erik to have such a dedicated and caring job with nature.

“That's amazing,” she said finally. “But living in the forest, alone, must be hard.”

Erik smiled faintly. “Sometimes. But I'm more comfortable there than in the city.”

There was a brief silence between them. Naomi felt there was more to the story behind Erik’s words, but she chose not to ask further.

Naomi observed Lily lying on the examination table. The deer’s body temperature stabilized, although her eyes still showed fatigue. She gently rubbed the deer’s head with genuine empathy.

“She’s strong,” Naomi said more to herself than Erik, who stood by the door.

Erik walked over, resting both hands on the table. “Wild deer like her have to be strong, or they wouldn't survive here,” he said in a low but firm voice.

Naomi glanced at him, sensing a different tone in his voice, a mixture of admiration and a sense of responsibility. Something in the way Erik spoke about Lily reminded Naomi of herself. Perhaps they were both searching for a way to survive, even though the world had given them invisible wounds.

“She'll need time,” Naomi said finally, turning her mind back to the task. “But I'm sure she can fully recover. You need to make sure he stays calm and doesn’t move around too much for the next few days.”

Erik nodded, but his eyes remained fixed on Lily. “I'll make sure of that. She's one of the deer I'm closest to.”

Naomi frowned. “Close? You mean, she's more than just a research subject?”

Erik sighed as if deciding whether or not to share the story. Finally, he said, “I found her a few years ago when she was just a fawn. His mother died from poaching. He could barely walk, so I took him to my cabin, caring for him until he was strong enough to return to the forest. But she always came back. Not completely wild, but not a pet either.”

The story left Naomi speechless. She hadn’t expected Erik, who seemed so cold and closed off, to have such a loving side.

“He trusts you,” Naomi said quietly, checking Lily’s stitches.

Erik smiled slightly. “Maybe. But sometimes I feel like he understands me better than I understand him.”

Reflective Moment

After finishing making sure Lily was comfortable, Naomi reorganized her medical equipment. Erik remained in the room, sitting on a small stool in the corner, watching her movements.

“You're not from here,” Erik said suddenly, breaking the silence.

Naomi turned her head, a little surprised by the direct statement. “No, I'm from Portland. But I guess that's obvious.”

Erik nodded slowly. “Not many people come to Glacier's Edge. It's too quiet for most people.”

Naomi smiled slightly. “That's one of the reasons I chose it.”

Erik raised an eyebrow, waiting for further explanation. Naomi felt awkward under his gaze, but the way Erik listened made her feel safe to speak.

“I needed a place to... start again,” Naomi said, choosing her words carefully. “The city was too full of bad memories.”

Erik didn’t answer, but his gaze softened. He looked like he understood more than Naomi did.

“I think we all have our reasons for looking for a new place,” he said, almost whispering.

Unexpected Crisis

Just as they were getting comfortable in the silence, a loud knock on the door broke the ice. Naomi quickly stood up, opened the door, and found another man with a large husky dog in his arms.

“Doctor! Help, he's hurt badly!” the man gasped, his face complete in panic.

Naomi examined the dog quickly. The animal’s gray-white fur was stained with blood, and one of its legs looked bent in an unnatural position. “A snowmobile hit him,” the man said, his voice trembling.

Naomi immediately instructed the man to put the dog on the second examination table. Erik, unprompted, helped move the animal carefully.

“His name is Duke,” the man said, his voice still shaking. “He's my best friend. Please save him.”

“He'll be fine,” Naomi said soothingly, though her heart was racing. This wound was much more severe than Lily’s.

With quick but practiced movements, Naomi cleaned the wound and prepared the equipment to put a splint on the broken leg. Erik held Duke’s head, stroking it gently while speaking softly to calm the dog.

“You need to calm down, boy. You'll be fine,” Erik said, his voice full of reassurance.

Naomi glanced at Erik out of the corner of her eye. How he spoke to Duke made her feel that Erik cared about animals and profoundly understood them.

Cooperation and Trust

After almost an hour of work, Naomi finally stabilized Duke’s condition. The dog began to calm down, although he still looked weak. His owner, who introduced himself as Jake, thanked her with teary eyes.

“Thank you, Doctor. I don't know what would have happened if you weren't here,” he said as he took Naomi’s hand.

“Make sure he gets enough rest,” Naomi said. “I'll monitor him again tomorrow morning.”

Jake nodded, leading Duke away carefully. After the clinic door closed, Naomi let out a long sigh and leaned against the counter.

“You're amazing,” Erik said suddenly.

Naomi raised an eyebrow, surprised by the compliment. “I was just doing my job.”

“Not everyone can stay calm in a situation like that,” Erik continued. “You have a calmness that makes others believe that everything will be okay.”

His words left Naomi speechless. She didn’t know if it was a compliment or perhaps a reflection of Erik’s self-perception. But for the first time in a long time, Naomi felt that someone truly appreciated what she was doing.

“Thank you,” Naomi said, her voice almost a whisper.

When Erik finally left, carrying Lily, who was now wrapped in a thick blanket, Naomi stood at the window of her clinic. The night sky was once again adorned with the green and purple lights of the Aurora Borealis.

That night, Naomi realized Glacier’s Edge was not just a place to start over. It was a chance for her to rediscover who she was, away from the shadows of the past. And the man with the mysterious blue eyes will be a part of her new journey.