With a grimace, Kate finished off a cup of Sidney’s overly sturdy coffee and then refilled her mug. She glanced at Mike.
“You must be desperate,” he said.
“Can’t seem to wake up. And I’ve got a couple of long days ahead of me. After my mail run, I’m heading to Kotzebue.” Leaning against the wall, she sipped the stout brew, trying to keep the heat of the liquid away from a sore tooth.
“Maybe you should take a thermos of that with you.”
“Don’t think my stomach could tolerate that much of it.” She took one more swig, then set the cup on the counter and grabbed two mail bags, slinging one over each shoulder. “My plane ought to be warmed up by now.” Flashlight in hand, she headed for the door. “I’ll see you in a few days.”
“See ya,” Sidney said, without looking up from the workbench where he sorted through tools.
She nodded at Mike, then stepped into snow flurries and strode toward her plane. She heard the shop door open and close behind her and glanced over her shoulder to see Mike following.
He caught up to her and took one of the canvas sacks.
Kate kept walking, trying to ignore an ache in a right lower molar.
When Mike opened the door, Angel greeted him by planting her big feet on his chest and licking his face. He chuckled and pushed her aside. “Yeah, I love you too. But I already took a bath today.” He gave her a pat and then hefted the mail inside the plane. “She’s getting big.”
“Yeah, growing fast and she loves to fly.” Angel liked him. That was a good sign. Dogs knew who they could trust.
“She’s ready to go, all right,” Mike hollered over the engine. Kate handed the second bag to him. “I think she likes flying as much as I do.”
“Not much mail going out today.” Mike kept Angel under control with one hand.
“That means fewer stops, which gives me more daylight to make McGrath.”
Angel tried to squeeze past Mike and out the door. He shoved her back. “Settle down.” He turned to Kate. “Aren’t you pushing yourself a little hard?”
“Yeah, maybe. But don’t we all?”
“Yeah, I suppose so.” His expression turned tender and he rested a hand on her arm.
“I’ll be fine.” Kate stepped up on the ladder and Angel licked her face. “All right, that’s enough or you’re going back to Paul’s.” She grabbed the dog’s collar and wondered if Paul would meet the plane today. She hoped so.
Keeping a hold of Angel, she climbed inside. “You know Paul Anderson? He lives out on Bear Creek.”
“The guy you got Angel from?”
“Uh-huh.”
Mike rested a hand on the door frame and looked up at Kate, his expression slightly annoyed. “Why?”
“Just wondering. He’s kind of mysterious.”
“Mysterious? I’d say more like secretive.” Mike frowned. “There are a lot of fellas like him up here.” He stared at Kate. “You interested in him?”
She could see hurt in Mike’s eyes. She knew he cared for her, though he’d made no declarations. “No,” she said, wishing she’d kept quiet. She didn’t want Mike to think she wasn’t interested in him. She wasn’t sure what she felt yet. “I’m just curious is all.”
He furrowed his brows. “My guess is he’ll tell us about his past when he’s ready. Best to leave him be.”
Angel jumped out of the plane, putting an end to the discussion. Tail wagging, she pressed against Mike. Giving her thick fur a good rub, he glanced at Kate. “She cause you any trouble when you’re in the air?”
“No. She’s great. Once we’re flying she settles right down and sleeps mostly.” She eyed Angel’s crate. “Her favorite place, though, is the front passenger seat, which means I’m constantly cleaning up dog hair so my passengers don’t have to wear it.”
Angel trotted across the field and disappeared into the darkness. Kate wasn’t worried. She’d be back. She never missed a chance to fly.
Kate glanced at the eastern sky, which hinted at sunrise. “Summer will be here soon—more daylight and more flying hours. I’ve got to make hay while the sun shines.” She looked up at drifting snowflakes. “That is, if the sun were shining.” She grinned. “Anyway, I want to buy a place of my own so I’ve got to work while I can. Over the winter my bank account has dwindled.”
“Always does that. I’ll be happy for more hours myself.”
Kate turned her attention to the Chugach Mountains. They looked like hulking gray shadows in the dawn light. She took in a breath and cold air found its way to her inflamed tooth. She winced and put a hand to her cheek.
“You all right?”
“Yeah. Just a bad tooth.”
“I know a good dentist.”
“I’m hoping it’ll just go away.”
“Tooth pain rarely just goes away.” Mike shook his head slightly. “Sorry.”
“When I get back I’ll go in and see the dentist,” Kate conceded. “I better go.” She whistled for Angel and the pup came running, jumped into the plane, and burrowed into her bed. “See you tomorrow or the next,” Kate said, climbing in.
Before she could pull the door closed, Mike leaned in and asked, “Dinner together when you get back? My place? I’ll cook.”
“Okay. I’d like that.”
He grinned and closed the door. Feeling lighthearted, Kate moved to the front of the plane. An evening with Mike would be fun. He was a nice guy . . . and handsome. And he understood how she felt about being a pilot. They were a good match. Don’t get ahead of yourself. You don’t know him well enough to be thinking about a long-term relationship. Not to mention that Kate couldn’t keep her thoughts from straying to Paul. There was something appealing about him.
Once in the air, Angel trotted to the front and settled into the passenger seat. Kate rested a hand on her head. Paul had been right about her having a dog. Even in the remotest areas, she never felt alone.
Not far out of Anchorage, the snow flurries stopped and morning sunlight splintered scattered clouds. The world almost looked warm. When Kate made her stops, there was a different feel in the air, a promise of spring. People walked with a lighter step and their smiles seemed brighter than usual.
Her last delivery completed, Kate headed north. It had been a good day, all except for the throbbing in her tooth. Mike was right—toothaches never just went away.
Before setting out she’d taken medicine for the pain. Now the molar ached mercilessly. She reached into her pack and grabbed a bottle of pain reliever. Twisting off the lid, she tapped a tablet into her palm, replaced the lid, and tossed the container back into her bag. Pressing the aspirin on the sore tooth, she gently bit down, swallowing away the bitter taste.
Gradually the pain abated some and Kate found herself feeling drowsy. What little time she’d had for sleep the previous night had been interrupted by the miserable tooth. Her eyelids drooped and she wished she’d taken Sidney up on his offer of a thermos of coffee. Even that would be better than falling asleep.
Trying to distract herself, she checked her map, then drank some water, which sent jolts of pain through her tooth. She considered the cookies Helen had packed, but didn’t dare eat anything sweet.
Sunlight warmed the cabin, the engine droned, and Kate fought sleep. All of a sudden she woke with a start. The engine sounded peculiar and Angel whined. The nose of the plane was slanted down. She was in a dive!
The forest hurtled at her. Fighting panic, she pulled back on the stick, wrestling the Bellanca. She had only seconds to get the nose up or she’d die. The ground rushed at her.
“God, help me!” Using both hands, she hauled on the stick and the plane finally responded. Kate brought it back to level.
Her body thrummed. Her heart banged inside her chest and her hands shook. She’d nearly done herself in.
She glanced at Angel. “Sorry, girl.” Angel nosed her hand, and Kate dug her fingers into the dog’s thick coat.
Taking a heartening breath, she looked out over the terrain. Nothing looked familiar; then she spotted the Alaskan Range behind and the Kuskokwim Mountains ahead. She had her bearings.
I’ve been pushing too hard.
She wished it weren’t so far to McGrath. Following the Kuskokwim River, her eyes roamed the landscape to the point where the sun’s light shimmered pink in the sky as it settled behind the mountains.
With another hour left until she reached McGrath, Kate was grateful for a full, butter-colored moon that cast its light across a dark sky and illuminated soft, rounded, snow-covered mountains. She felt God’s presence so strongly she almost expected to hear his voice declaring pleasure at his creation.
By the time she reached McGrath, the throbbing in her tooth was almost more than she could bear. Kate paid for a night at a roadhouse, thankful for a bed. Fevered and chilled, she placed another aspirin on the troublesome tooth, then climbed beneath wool blankets and managed to disappear within sleep for a few hours.
The following morning, she set off at first light. Her tooth still throbbed, and she knew she had a fever, but there was nothing for her to do but to continue.
Along the coast, heavy mist hugged the ground. She moved northward, praying Kotzebue would be free of it. She’d already had two bad experiences with severe fog—they’d been enough for a lifetime.
With each passing mile, the pain in her tooth and jaw grew more intense. She shivered from chills. After swallowing two aspirin, she put another on the defiant molar.
I hope Nena knows what to do for this. She pressed a hand to her cheek, feeling heat and swelling beneath her palm.
By the time she approached Kotzebue, darkness reached a hand across the tundra. The ground fog had thinned. Kate watched for landmarks, expecting the little town to appear at any moment.
When she spotted the village at the edge of the Bering Sea, she relaxed tight muscles. Thankfully there was very little fog. Firepots had been set up along the landing strip. She’d have to thank Joe. He was always looking out for her.
He greeted Kate and Angel, then helped her tie down the plane and put it to bed for the night.
As they walked toward town, he asked, “You feeling all right? You’re not looking so good.”
“I’ve got a bad tooth.”
He nodded. “Know how that can be.”
When she stepped into the Turchik house, Nena greeted her with a hug, then stepped back. “You are very warm.” She studied Kate. “You are sick?”
“Bad tooth,” Joe said.
Nena placed a cool hand on Kate’s brow. “You have a fever. And your cheek is swollen.”
“It’s just my tooth.”
“How long since it started hurting?”
“A few days ago. Do you have something that will help?”
Nena shook her head. “No. It is very bad. I don’t have medicine for that. It will probably have to be pulled.”
Kate’s stomach dropped. “There must be some kind of native medicine, something that . . .”
Nena shook her head no.
Kate needed to face up to the truth. She’d have to see a dentist, but couldn’t imagine how she’d manage until she got back to Anchorage. “Is there a doctor here in Kotzebue?”
“No white man’s doctor, but there’s Alex Toognak. He will fix you up. He learned from sages before him.”
Kate suppressed a groan. She didn’t want some shaman messing with her mouth. She needed a dentist or a real doctor.
“I will take you to him,” Nena said kindly.
With no other options, Kate followed Nena to Alex Toognak’s house. From the outside, his place looked like most of the others in town, small and in need of paint. Nena knocked.
An elderly man opened the door. He was bent at the waist, and a wild mane of white hair surrounded a small brown face. Dark eyes settled on the two of them. “Hello.”
“Alex, you are looking good.” Nena smiled and placed a hand on Kate’s arm. “This is my friend, Kate. She has a bad tooth and needs your help.”
Alex turned to Kate. “Come in.” He stepped back, holding the door.
Kate followed Nena inside. The room seemed saturated with the odor of fish and herbs. Bottles containing plants and other mixtures crowded shelves, and a pestle sat on a counter.
“You sit.” Alex gave a nod toward a wooden chair. “I will look.”
Fighting an urge to bolt for the door, Kate lowered herself to the chair.
Alex gently placed his hands on the sides of her face. He looked into her eyes, then pressed his palm against her forehead. He ran a finger along the cheek that hurt. “Very swollen. Can you open your mouth?”
Kate did as he asked, but she hadn’t forgotten her last encounter with a dentist and a bad tooth. It had been extremely unpleasant. Her heart pounded so hard it felt as if it would fly out of her chest. At first he simply looked inside her mouth, and using one finger, he probed. Kate caught the scent of whale oil and fish. He gently touched the gum tissue, then put pressure on the tooth itself.
“Ouch!” Kate pulled away.
Alex straightened. “It must come out.” He moved to a shelf.
“There’s no other way? Some kind of medicine?”
“No.” He filled a glass with water, spooned powder from a bottle, and sifted it into the glass and stirred. “This will help the pain. Drink.”
Kate felt doomed. She sniffed the concoction. Its sharp odor burned her nose, but she drank the bitter elixir anyway.
Alex went to a drawer and took out what looked like small pliers. Kate made an effort to slow her breathing and told herself that pulling a tooth was no big deal.
He washed the tongs and filled a large glass with water, then set a piece of gauze beside the glass. Kate gripped the arms of the chair.
Nena sat quietly. When her eyes met Kate’s, she smiled kindly.
The throbbing in her jaw lessened and Kate felt mildly sleepy. She figured it must be whatever Alex had given her. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.
Alex placed the pliers, gauze, and water on the table next to Kate. “So, we are ready?”
Kate nodded and opened her mouth, relinquishing control to Alex.
When he grabbed hold of the tooth, pain shot through Kate’s jaw and into her neck and skull. For a moment she thought she might pass out. She willed herself to remain still, but as Alex worked she couldn’t suppress a moan.
Seemingly unaffected by Kate’s distress, Alex worked swiftly. He wrenched the tooth to one side, then pushed it in, and then pulled. Agony exploded in Kate’s mouth.
When the roots of the tooth held fast, Alex repeated the process. This time it came free. Wearing a satisfied smile, he gripped the devilish tooth in the tongs and dropped it into a tin.
A deep ache burned through Kate’s jaw and into her skull. She leaned forward, pressing a hand to her cheek. How could a tooth create so much havoc?
“You will get better now.” Alex gave Kate the water and told her to rinse her mouth, offering a bowl for her to spit in. There was a lot of blood in the water.
He made a paste that smelled of cloves and pressed it into the empty socket, then put gauze over the top. “Bite on that until there is no more bleeding.”
He measured out two packets of medicine. “For pain. You take it tonight before you sleep. And then in the morning. After that, you will be better.”
“Thank you,” Kate mumbled through clenched teeth. Her face and head pulsed, and whatever he’d packed in her gum tasted vile. “How much do I owe you?”
He smiled. “Nothing. You keep flying to Kotzebue, that is enough.”
Nena escorted Kate back to the house, resting a hand tenderly on her arm. “You sleep now. You can use our bed.”
Kate didn’t argue. Gratefully she lay on the lumpy mattress and pulled blankets up around her. The pain had eased. Closing her eyes, she quickly fell asleep.
The next thing she knew was Joe’s voice. He was upset.
“Kate, there’s a man. He’s very sick. You must fly him to the hospital.”
Groggy, Kate sat up. The throbbing resumed. “What’s wrong with him?”
“He has very bad pain in his chest.” Joe pressed a hand in the middle of his chest. “He can’t breathe. Alex Toognak cannot fix him. He says if the man doesn’t go to the hospital, he will die.”
Weariness and pain vanished. Kate sat up, pulled on her boots and coat, then headed for the airfield. Angel trotted ahead.
Nena was already there with the oil warmed. A firepot heated the engine.
Three men arrived, carrying a man on a litter. A woman, whom Kate guessed must be the man’s wife, stayed at his side, holding his hands and reassuring him. Kate checked him briefly. He was obviously gravely ill. If only there were a doctor.
“Lay him on the floor inside the plane,” she said.
Angel had already leaped aboard. She watched the men lift the litter and carry the man inside. The patient groaned, clutching his chest.
Nena handed Kate the pot of oil. Hands trembling, Kate poured it into the oil tank, then capped it off and climbed inside. Her passenger wasn’t improving. His breathing was still labored. His skin looked pallid and he was sweating profusely. “Who’s going to take care of him while I’m flying?”
“I can do it,” a young man said. “He’s my uncle.”
“I’m going,” the woman said, looking down at the man, fear etched into her face. “We have been together for thirty years. I will not leave him today.”
“Okay. Let’s go.” There was a doctor in Nome, but Kate knew in her gut that Nome was too far away to be of help to this man.
With Angel on the seat beside her, she fired up the plane. Waiting for it to warm up felt like an eternity, but finally they were in the air. She checked her maps and glanced back. The sick man was quiet except for an occasional moan. He looked bad.
“Ma’am! Ma’am!” The young man’s voice sounded strident. “He’s not breathing!”
The woman held her husband’s hands in hers. “No. John. Please.”
John’s lips were tinged blue.
“Turn him on his side,” Kate ordered. “Give him a hard slap on the back between the shoulder blades.”
The nephew smacked him again and again, but there was no response. The young man finally stopped his efforts. His voice flat, he said, “He’s dead. He’s gone.”
Arms wrapped about her upper body, the woman rocked back and forth. She didn’t make a sound, but tears trailed down her cheeks.
Kate turned the plane around and headed back to Kotze-bue. The sick feeling in her stomach wasn’t from yesterday’s fever but from the brutal reality of life in this wilderness. Sometimes she hated being a bush pilot.