My Alaskan mountain man

Work for my keep

I did not know it would be that easy! Cammie thinks to herself. I mean, I didn’t put much thought into the whole idea of staying.

In fact, Cammie surprised herself just as much as she had the others in the bedroom when she just blurted out that she wasn’t going back to town with them. But she couldn’t have asked for a better reaction from Robin.

She looks over at Robin now, “are you sure I can stay?” She says in a surprised and pleased yet pleading manner. “I’ll work for my keep!”

She says, determined that he shouldn’t change his mind.

With that comment, Robin can’t help himself and just laughs out loud, “no my broken dove, it’s admirable of you, but, you will not be working for your keep while I have anything to say about it. You need rest and recuperation”. Now, if any other man had referred to Cammie as a broken dove, she would have probably had them by the balls and would be squeezing until they said mercy, but for some reason, when Robin said it, she didn’t seem to mind it as much. I mean, it made Cammie cringe a bit, but that was mainly because there were other people in the room when he’d said it.

Robin turns to the sheriff now, “shall we give the medics a moment to check Cammie over and give her the all clear. I’d like to have a word with yourself and Doc in the sitting room if you don’t mind?”

Sheriff nods in agreement and motions for the medics to come into the bedroom, “you alright here with the medics on your own Cammie?”

Cammie gives them a nod of approval and has a smile on her face that she just can’t shake.

One of the medics introduces herself as Jenifer and says that her fellow paramedic is going to check her blood pressure and heart rate while she asks some questions so she can fill in her medical form.

Cammie wonders how much she should tell them about where she comes from and who she is? Surely the less they know about her the better.

She decides to lie and tells them she’s Robins cousin and that she lives here at the cabin.

Jenifer the medic raises her eyebrow in uncertainty and says, “so, your a McRay?”

Not sure of herself now, Cammie takes a second to think about it, “umm, yeah” she says. Too late to go back on it now so may as well just go with it or they’ll catch on she’s lying.

Jenifer writes the details down on her clipboard and continues with the questions, “so, Cammie ‘McRay’”, she pushes out the McRay part, “how did this injury happen?”

Cammie thinks on what she’s going to say next. It’s obvious she’s been impaled by an arrow or some sort of sharp long object. It wouldn’t be wise to say she got it any other way, other then by being shot with an arrow.

“Well, Robin,...my cousin,...he was showing me how to load the automatic hunting bow and arrow that he uses for hunting wild animals and antelope and such...and I got shot with the arrow by accident.”

Jenifer has a furrowed brow, it’s clear that she doesn’t buy the story, head half tilted, looking up from her clipboard at Cammie with a raised eyebrow reply’s with a sceptical tone to her voice, “so your telling me, Rob! Shot you with a hunting bow and arrow?”

Cammie thinks on it for a moment, someone like Robin who has probably wielded hunting bows and arrows his whole life would never be so callous as to shoot someone by accident, so I decide to say, “umm, no, I thought I would try and load it myself and I shot myself...by accident!”

Jenifer, still staring at me with a furrowed brow, inhales deeply before letting off a big sigh and returns to her writing.

“Okay, well let’s have a look at this wound”

I sit up straight, it still hurts like hell every time I move, but I try not to give too much away. I definitely don’t want them saying I HAVE to go to the hospital, so I try my best to disguise the pain with a little smile.

I lift the oversized t-s**t Robin gave me to wear so that Jenifer and her fellow paramedic can have a look at it.

Jenifer peels away the dressing that Doc had put on earlier.

“It looks like it’s healing already. Willow’s done a great job. Your lucky she was here to help you. Not just any doctor could sew you up as well.” She says, while prodding around the edges of the wound.

I know Jenifer is right, Doctor Willow has been very attentive to me and has helped my healing process immensely.

Jenifer goes on to ask, “any other wounds or issues you would like us to have a look at?” Cammie decides not to mention the gashes on her feet and the stitches in her privates, besides Willow said she’d put in dissolvable stitches and she had given them the once over this morning and said they looked okay. God knows how Cammie would have explained those away, so she shakes her head no, with a, not very convincing smile.

***

While Cammie is getting her check over by the paramedics team, Robin leads Doc and Sheriff into the living room for a quiet powwow.

“Sheriff, I personally don’t think anyone in town should know that Cammie is staying here. In fact, if she doesn’t exist to them, then all the better.”

“I hear you Rob. My only issue is that I will need that statement off of her before I leave here today”, sheriff says in a matter of fact tone. “Are you sure you want her staying behind? It could put you in danger if her attackers catch wind of her staying here” sheriff continues.

Robin stands up straight and retorts in a dominant, serious voice, “I can defend myself, I’ll take care of her. You just make sure that everyone so far that knows about her, keep their mouths shut!” Not wanting to sound rude or disrespectful to the Sheriff, but Rob is concerned because the sheriff has already told the superintendent at the station, the medics know and there’s the pilot outside who probably knows too. That’s way too many people knowing for his comfort.

Sheriff, “don’t worry, everyone who knows so far, is trustworthy. I’ll tell them under no uncertain terms does this get out!”

Willow, “well you’d better go see if she’s got the all clear and you’d better get that statement. I don’t want the weather changing on us and stranding us up on this mountain any longer, I need my own bed tonight.”

She looks over to Robin, “Rob, thank you for your hospitality and THANK YOU, for letting her stay.” She gives Robin a reassuring smile and taps him on the upper arm. Robin smiles back and says in return, “thank you! Thank you both!”

“I don’t know what I would have done without you. Cammie would most certainly have died in my bed. God knows what I would have done then?”

Robin leans in and gives Doc a long meaningful hug. He then turns to the Sheriff and the Sheriff grabs him by the arm and pulls him in for an embrace. “You take care of the both of you now, you hear!” He says, before walking off toward the bedroom to take Cammie’s statement no doubt.