“Girl’s responding to treatment, though I’m not sure we have enough meds on hand to stop what’s happening to her.”
“Nomad’s not going to like that when he gets back. Not at all,” Summer said.
“We never gave him any guarantees,” Krista said. “We made that crystal clear when he agreed to trade his supplies for our help.”
“Which I told him he did not have to do. We’d help her anyway,” Liz said.
“Yes, Doc. We get it,” Krista said. “But for the good of everyone, there’s nothing wrong with trading for things we need. It’s how the new world has to be run. Otherwise, we all suffer eventually.”
“Yes, a little bartering is a good thing,” Summer said.
“Okay. Agreed,” Liz said. “Either way, I told him we’d do what we could for her. Now it’s up to her immune system to chip in on its own; otherwise, she’s in for a long battle.”
“And Rod?” Krista asked.
“I patched him up, but Summer’s dog really did a number on him. His neck was a jagged mess. I’m afraid I don’t have the skills to deal with the horrible scar that will result.”
“But he’s going to be okay, right?” Krista asked.
“He’s stable for now. Though he’s lost a lot of blood. Might be touch and go for a bit, depending on how well his body responds.”
“He’s a tough old dude,” Summer said with confidence, knowing it was going to take a lot more than a dog bite to stop that crotchety old fuck. A man who was rarely on her side, but a man she respected because of his no-nonsense approach to all things Nirvana-related.
“When can we talk to him?” Krista asked.
“I don’t know. He’s still pretty out of it.”
“We’ve got questions that need to be answered, Doc. Important questions that may determine the fate of certain individuals, including him.”
“I know what’s at stake, Krista, but until he’s strong enough, you need to give him time. He’s not going anywhere. Neither is the girl.”
“Or the dog,” Summer said. “I still don’t think he needs to be locked up like that.”
“We talked about this before,” Krista said, looking at Liz, who followed her glance with a nod of her own. “It’s for Barkley’s own good and everyone else’s.”
“Yeah, but I’m still hoping to change your minds. Simms is walking around free.”
“But he didn’t take a bite out of Rod’s neck,” Krista said.
“No, but he was there. He was part of it. He let him go.”
“We don’t know anything for sure yet,” Krista answered.
“And still, you had no problem locking up one of them, while the other one is walking around free. Does that sound fair to you?”
“So,” Liz said with extra volume, letting a pause hang in the air for a few beats. “I hear you two made another call to Blackstone.”
“How do you know?” Summer asked. “We just did that. The two of us.”
“Word travels fast in this place,” Liz replied.
Summer looked at Krista, then back at Liz. “It went okay. We gave them our needs list and they are supposed to get back to us a little later with an answer.”
“And a plan,” Krista added.
“They have to think about it?” Liz asked.
Summer nodded. “Apparently.”
“I thought they were desperate?”
“They are,” Krista said. “But I’m sure they’re just being cautious, like we are doing. They can’t afford to make mistakes any more than we can.”
Liz nodded. “You’re probably right.”
Summer cleared her throat. “Ladies, now that we have a minute, can I talk to you both about something?”
Liz nodded.
So did Krista. “Go ahead, shoot. What’s on your mind.”
“Sergeant Barkley.”
Krista rolled her eyes. “Here we go again.”
“I know what you’re thinking,” Summer said to her, then turned to Liz. “But I want us to just think about all that one more time. A dog is only as smart and as obedient as its owner. Or its handler, in this case.”
“Yes, we understand. Simms,” Liz said, her tone filled with frustration.
“Actually, I mean Simms and Frost. Neither of them had the dog’s best interest at heart.”
“Look, we get it. You want to give that mutt a pass,” Krista said.
“I think it’s only fair. He doesn’t know what he did was wrong. Assuming it even was.”
“Dogs can’t claim self-defense, Summer,” Krista said.
“Actually, I disagree, if you believe what Simms said. Besides, how do we really know that Simms didn’t provoke Barkley into attacking Rod for some other reason? We only have one witness.”
“Which is why we need to talk to Rod.”
“Yeah, I get that,” Summer said, pausing. “But you’re assuming Rod’s going to tell you the truth. Does he seem like the kind of guy who will admit what Simms said he did? I mean, who would?”
“Rod is a lot of things, but he’s no liar,” Krista said. “I know this man and I’ll vouch for his integrity.”
“That’s all well and good,” Liz said. “But Summer has a point. People lie, more so when they are trying to save themselves. Which, if you think about it, is exactly the position Rod will be in when he wakes up.”
“Assuming he wakes up,” Krista said.
Summer’s tone turned sharp. “He better. For Simms’ sake.”
“And your dog,” Krista added.
“There’s a lot at stake for a lot of people,” Liz said. “But let’s take this one step at a time. For the good of Nirvana. We need to get this right.”
“Agreed,” Krista said.
“I can live with that,” Summer said. “Just looking for a little consideration and some open minds, that’s all. For everyone, even the animals.”
“And the Scabs?” Krista said with a sarcastic tone.
“Yeah, even them. They’re still people, too. Well, sort of.”
Krista’s eyes pinched. “What about Lipton?”
“Ah, screw him,” Summer said, laughing. “He’s just trade bait at this point. The last thing I would consider him is human. Not on any level.”
“Finally, we agree on something,” Krista said, laughing.
Summer smiled. “And you thought I was just some snot-nosed little bitch. See, I learn.”
“And you thought I was just some butch pain in the ass who wants to be a man,” Krista said, laughing just as hard as Summer.
Summer wasn’t sure how to respond to Krista’s statement. It was right on the mark, but maybe confirming the woman’s self-assessment was the last thing she needed to do right now. Not after this little moment they were all sharing.
Liz came forward and wrapped her arms around Summer and Krista. “Ladies, we all have our quirks and our issues. But one thing we are is a team. And teams pull together, no matter what.”
“Roger that,” Krista said.