Unbroken by Lindsey Pogue

Author:Lindsey Pogue [Pogue, Lindsey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Roar Press LLC

26

THEA

It was late, and we were all exhausted, but Kat and Alex headed back to the clinic with me, after we dropped off Bert to pass out for the night.

The clinic was a boxy, white building and stood alone on the top of a hill, braced against the wind.

The coastal breeze was frigid, but I ignored it as I walked faster toward the clinic entrance. Only two of the seven windows on the second level were lit up, so I knew where I needed to go.

“Are you still mad?” Kat asked behind me. Our footsteps echoed against the tile floor as we headed through the entry.

I adjusted my backpack against my back. “I’m not mad.”

“You’re mad,” she said with a chuckle. I could feel her and Alex’s eyes on me, though Kat said nothing else as we peered around at the empty reception area. With a few chairs along the far wall, it could’ve been a waiting room too, but there was no one inside.

“Ah.” A man of Polynesian descent stepped out of a room on the second floor. “Visitors.” He smiled as he hurried down the stairs. He had graying, buzzed hair but no wrinkles to give his age away. “Kat,” he said happily, his heavy footsteps resounding in the spacious room. “I thought I sensed trouble.”

“Hey, Harper,” she replied with a chuckle, and they both leaned in for a hug, like they were old friends.

“And you must be Thea.” Harper turned to me. He had an easy, white toothy grin and held out his hand. I noticed a wedding band on his finger and recalled he was married to Chris, one of the Hope Valley gang, though I hadn’t met her yet.

Harper acknowledged Alex behind me. “Your brother mentioned you joined the fun this trip. I’m Harper, or H—whatever you want to call me. Just don’t call me Dustin, that’s reserved for my wife when she’s angry with me.” His grin widened as he shook my hand.

“Harper it is then,” I said, feeling strangely at ease all of a sudden. I liked the open twinkle in his eye.

Harper winked at me as he rested his hands on his hips. “So, I know you didn’t come to see me,” he jested.

“True.” Kat smirked at him. “Is Hunter okay—and awake? We wanted to see how he was doing.”

“Of course.” Harper gestured toward the stairs. “He’s awake and is having symptoms, but I think he’s at his worst.”

My heart leapt into my throat.

“It came on quickly, as expected, and has leveled off over the past hour. I’ll take you to him.”

“What does that mean, exactly?” I asked, falling into step behind him and Kat. Alex trailed behind me. “What kind of symptoms is he having?”

“He has a high fever and achy joints so far,” Harper explained over his shoulder. “Nothing we need you or Jake for yet, Alex,” he clarified. “If at all, since I don’t expect it to get much worse than it is.”

When we reached the landing, Harper stepped to the side and gestured toward Hunter’s room at the end of the hall.

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