He nods, then shrugs. “Still feel like I’ve been hit by a truck. A very determined, airborne truck.”
I smile. “That was close. You were lucky.”
“Was I?” His tone is light, but his gaze sharpens. “Or did I just have a very scary woman nearby with a needle fetish?”
Now I roll my eyes. “It’s not a fetish. It’s training.”
“Sure. That’s what they all say.”
I chuckle, and we lapse into silence. Outside, the birds have started up properly now—loud, bright bursts of song from the treetops. Someone calls out in the distance, probably one of the kitchen staff starting breakfast prep as the camp rouses awake.
“You didn’t have to do that so fast,” he says after a moment, his voice quieter now. “You were like… all instinct.”
“I’m a doctor,” I reply, lifting one shoulder. “That’s the job.”
“Still.” His gaze flicks up to meet mine. “Thanks.”
It’s a simple statement. No teasing, no sarcasm. I clear my throat and brush the dust from my knees. “You’ll want to take it easy today. No latrine duty for you.”
He leans his head back against the wall with a soft groan. “That almost makes it worth the near-death experience.”
I arch a brow. “Almost?” Tossing a small cloth at him, I scoff, “You’re insufferable.”
“I’m hungry,” he says, standing up alongside me. “What do you say we go get some breakfast?”
Archie
All right. Katherine Lennox is notthatterrible. She did come to my rescue when she could have just let me die. Although, she might have only done it to ensure her medical record here at the village stays clean. But still, I’m grateful.
During breakfast, I catch her alone near the water jug, quietly sipping tea. It seems like she’s trying to blend into the background. Perhaps it’s time to extend an olive branch.
“Fancy sitting with us?” I ask, grinning wide.
She eyes me suspiciously, but eventually, she shrugs and follows me over to the table. She’s quiet at first, but as our conversation takesoff, she loosens up, tossing in dry comments that make the girls giggle. I’m impressed—maybe there’s more to this tough doctor than meets the eye.
And it turns out she’s on our team today at the school. The medics were low on supplies, so she’s been reassigned to help with the build.
We spend the day hauling timber, mixing cement, and fitting window frames under the scorching sun. My muscles already ache, but I’m loving the purpose behind every dusty, sweaty minute. Katherine doesn’t even blink when we ask her to carry planks twice her size, nor does she complain when the cement splashes up from the mixture and turns her forearms chalk-white. She just works in silence, jaw set in determination, though she occasionally laughs at one of my stupid jokes.
We’ve been at it for hours, and deciding it’s time for a break, I duck off to grab water and snacks for the group. When I return balancing a tray stacked high with water bottles and bunches of bananas, Katherine is there, wiping sweat from her brow.
She flashes me a rare, genuine smile.
“Here. You lot need to keep hydrated,” I say, handing out the bottles. “No collapsing on me now.”
Katherine rolls her eyes, but she accepts a bottle, taking a sip before passing the tray back.
“Look at you,playing camp dad,” she teases.
I grin and give her an exaggerated bow. “All part of the service.”
When her eyes fall to the swollen bite on my neck, her teasing expression fades into concern.
“How’s that bite feeling?” she asks, stepping closer.
I shrug, trying not to wince as I twist my neck. “Better than earlier. Less itchy now.”
Without hesitation, she pulls an antiseptic wipe from her pocket. “Let me have a quick look—make sure it’s not getting worse.”