Free Skin Walkers - King by Susan Bliler Page B

with.”
    “She’s been with no one.”
    A grin tugged at Monroe’s lips, “And you know this how?”
    “Where have your fucking senses gone?  You smell her every morning just as I do.  You and I both know she hasn’t been with neither man nor a Walker since I’ve been here.”
    Monroe shook his head and leaned back against the wall.  “Well I need answers.  I can’t have her drawing this kind of attention to us.  I need to know what happened and I’ve got to keep this from leaking to the authorities.  The last thing I need is the sheriff sniffing around.”
    Both men turned toward the stainless steel doors that swung open and watched as Jenny strode toward them, pulling the surgical mask from her worried features as she briskly approached.
    “Jesus Christ , Monroe, what in the hell is going on?”
    Monroe didn’t get to answer.  King stepped angrily toward the doctor and growled.
    He was right, Jenny needed to update them first, and then ask questions. 
    “She’s alive.  Barely.  We had to replace four pints of blood.”  Jenny frowned up at Monroe, “We nearly ran out.  Get your men out there and re-fill my supply.  She’s not out of the woods yet.”
    “Damage? ”  Monroe demanded, ever direct and to the point.
    Jenny rolled her head, raising a hand to rub the stiff muscles at the back of her neck.  “She sustained two gunshot wounds, one to her left shoulder and one to her abdomen.  The shoulder wound was easy to fix.  It should heal perfectly in time.”  Then Jenny dropped her head and looked down at her hands.  She sighed heavily as she contemplated how to formulate the next statement.  “The gunshot wound to her abdomen was severe.  The bullet tore through her uterus and she was hemorrhaging uncontrollably.  There was irreparable damage.”  Jenny looked up to argue as if the action required further explanation.  “There wasn’t anything I could do.”  She sighed heavily again shaking her head, “We barely saved her.”
    Monroe put a reassuring hand on Jenny’s shoulder.  “Thank you.”
    Jenny raised her head to glare at Monroe, sparks of anger and regret lighting her eyes. “Don’t you dare thank me.  She wanted children, Monroe.  How am I supposed to tell her that’ll  never happen now?  Hell, we were discussing it just last week.  She had her kid’s names already picked out for Christ’s sake.” 
    King tensed at the revelation.  Why hadn’t he known that? 
    Jenny fought to restrain the tears that now glistened in her eyes. “I should have just let her die.  When she finds out what I’ve done…”  Jenny shook her head, dropping her eyes to the floor as she choked back a sob, “it’s going to kill her.”
    Monroe squeezed Jenny’s shoulder again.  The emotional reaction was rare for the surgeon.  But she’d made few friends during her time at StoneCrow and none was dearer to the doctor than Lilly.
    Monroe eyed Jenny warily, “The bullets?”
    Jenny tucked a slender hand into the pocket of her surgical pants and produced the fragments.  “Gun powder residue only.”
    Monroe held out his hand and Jenny dropped the fragments into it.  Monroe held them up to his nose and his eyes dimmed to a dull brown as he sniffed.  He pulled back, a frown tugging his brows together.  “No trace of white ash in her body either?”
    Jenny shook her head numbly.  “None.”
    Those who hunted S kin Walkers believed that the ancient technique of dipping their bullets into white ash was the only means of killing a Walker.  It wasn’t true.  A regular bullet could kill any Walker.  Well, almost any Walker.  It was rumored that Walkers of indigenous origin were impervious to any bullet.  The rare indigenous Walkers claimed their gifts were passed down from the Anasazi.
    Monroe had his origins traced back to the Dine.  King had no idea where his gift had come from, and he felt no compelling reason to try and find out.
    Monroe handed the bullet back