But Jason heard only the doubt. “There’s still a chance she’ll lose it?”
The doctor pulled out a chair and sat. “The break itself was not the worst I’ve seen. I was able to realign the bones and fix them into place with hardware. There was some tissue damage from the tourniquet, of course, but her blood flow is restored. Our two biggest concerns over the next several weeks are blood clots and infection.”
This was all good news.
The surgeon went on.“If she ends up with a serious infection, she could still lose her leg. We’ve got her on strong IV antibiotics, and we’re giving her anti-clotting drugs. I also sprinkled vancomycin powder in the surgical site and around the bone and gave her a tetanus shot. We’ll monitor her closely over the next week. There’s a very good chance that she’ll heal and walk normally. It’s the best possible news you could expect at this point after an injury like that.”
Jason thought he might actually fucking cry, his throat too tight to talk.
“Thank you for all you did to help her.” Chaska shook the surgeon’s hand. “When can we see her?”
The surgeon stood. “When she’s out of recovery, I’ll have a nurse come get you.”
Jason swallowed, got to his feet, shook the doctor’s hand. “Thank you. Is there a chapel in the hospital?”
“Yes. It’s on the first floor. Down the elevator and to your right.”
“Thanks.”
The chapel turned out to be a small space with pews, kneelers, a pulpit, and a single stained-glass window that depicted a lily. Jason crossed himself and got to his knees, praying silently in a jumble of O’odham and English, pouring out his heart about everything. His fear for Winona. His rage about his sisters and Elena. His uncertainty about his future and whether he would have a job next month. His doubts about the promise he’d made his grandmother. His love for his people.
Thank you, Creator, for bringing Winona safely through the surgery. Thank you for the surgeon and the pilot and the paramedics and the Team. Please drive away infection and help her to keep her leg. I love her. Help me to find my path. I thought I knew what it was, but now … I don’t know where I’m meant to be. Amen.
It was more than he’d said to God in a long time.
When he opened his eyes again, Chaska was sitting in the pew across the aisle from him. “Thank you for saving Winona’s life—and for praying for her. I can see that you truly do care about her.”
Jason got off his knees, sat in the pew. “Yeah.”
“The nurse came out a few minutes ago. She said Winona is asking for you.” Chaska met Jason’s gaze. “For all of her life until now, she has asked for me. When she was a little girl and had a bad dream or was sick or scared, she called for me, even before our mother died. Now, she’s asking foryou.”
Jason heard what Chaska was saying and understood the message beneath it. This was a major shift for him and not altogether easy—the big brother taking a backseat to the lover. It was also a responsibility. “You’ve always been her rock. She told me how you took care of her after your mother died. She loves you.”
“I would do anything for her.” Chaska got to his feet. “Are you coming to see her or staying here?”
* * *
Winona drifted in a fog. “Jason.”
“He’s right here, little sister.”
Warm fingers took hers. “I’m here, Win.”
She opened her eyes—it seemed to take a great deal of effort—and found Chaska on her left and Jason on her right. She smiled. “You’re both … here.”
“Where else would we be?” Jason kissed her hand.
“The doctor said you’re going to be okay.”
She nodded, then remembered. “The wolf. He was hungry. He—”
“He’s safe, angel. I darted him, and the Team got him down.”
“He’s in Shota’s old pen now. Heather is coming to get him tomorrow.”
“Wasté.”Good.A worry that had niggled at her faded.
She drifted in and out after that, sleeping off the anesthesia and doped up on Percocet, her dreams uneasy and strange. She woke when the nurse walked into the room, light from the hallway streaming inside. Chaska had gone—she vaguely remembered him saying goodbye—but Jason was still there, asleep in a chair.