North of Heartbreak Read Free Page A

shook his head then turned and smiled at Willa, his crooked grin impacting her hormones like a testosterone missile hitting its target. “I guess I’d better get started.”
    She didn’t bother with a reply to his attempt at charm, just made sure her expression declared her disbelief as blatantly as anything she could’ve said out loud.
    Joe lifted his head, his gaze searching.
    “Joe?” Willa took her headset off. “Joe? What’s wrong?”
    His mouth moved, but she couldn’t hear him.
    “Say that again.” She put her head close to Joe’s.
    “Can’t feel my feet.”
    “Nothing?”
    “Cold,” he mouthed.
    She pulled the blankets off Joe’s feet. His toes were white tinged with blue. She quickly tucked the blanket firmly around both feet then checked his thigh. Blood continued to drip onto the floorboard.
    She rammed the headset back on. “Pilot, what’s our ETA to Fairbanks?”
    “About forty-five minutes.”
    “Can we go any faster?”
    Mr. Handsome turned his head to look over the seat at her. Willa didn’t know what he saw on her face, but whatever it was must have convinced him speed was of the essence.
    “I’ll do what I can,” he said.
    As Willa tried to stem the flow of blood, she could hear the engines rev higher. She smiled at Joe and leaned down to talk directly into his ear.
    “I’m sorry it’s so cold in here. I just asked the pilot to turn up the heat and fly faster. You know how these new guys are. They don’t have a clue how far it is between places up north.”
    Joe’s lips twitched upward and he nodded, but his head wobbled and his eyes drooped. It wouldn’t be long before he fell unconscious.
    She checked his pulse. Slow and thready.
    Willa moved forward, sticking her head between the front seats so Joe wouldn’t see the concern she couldn’t hide anymore.
    “Pilot,” she said, tapping him on the shoulder.
    “Liam, my name’s Liam. What’s happening with our patient?”
    “He’s losing blood and going into shock.”
    “I’ve got the engines at top RPMs now, but I’ll see if I can coax any more out of her.”
    “Thank you.” He might be judgmental and arrogant, but at least he was willing to go the extra mile for Joe.
    “Fairbanks is on the radio for you,” Liam said.
    A click and a second of static then the voice of the head nurse from the hospital’s ER. “What have you got, Willa?”
    “I’ve got an Inuit male, late forties with a compound fracture of the left femur. The wound is bleeding and the patient is shocky with decreased blood flow to the extremities.”
    “Have you started an IV?”
    “Yes, I’m running albumin.”
    Background noise filtered through the radio then a male voice spoke. “Hung any blood yet?”
    “No, I only have two additional units of albumin and a few bags of saline.”
    “How far out are you?”
    Willa glanced up at Liam and he flashed three fingers at her.
    “Approximately thirty minutes,” she answered.
    “Start a second IV with saline. We’ll push packed cells into him as soon as you arrive.”
    “Understood,” Willa said. “I’ll keep you advised if his condition changes.”
    “Roger that, Fairbanks out.”
    She opened another equipment kit and removed a bag of clear fluid.
    Tommy waved at her. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
    “Your uncle is bleeding too much, too fast. He needs a transfusion and the closest place for that is Fairbanks.”
    “We’re going as fast as this machine can fly,” Liam said. “I should have you on the ground in less than thirty minutes.”
    “Good.”
    Willa took a deep breath and deliberately relaxed for a second before starting the second IV. Joe was a strong, stubborn man. He’d pull through this.
    “Joe.” She put a hand on his shoulder to get his attention. His face had faded to a dull pale white, but he still managed to meet her gaze. “I need you to stay awake for me, okay? We’re almost there.”
    Joe nodded slowly.
    Willa started the second IV in Joe’s other hand,