Free Cotton Grass Lodge by DeNise Woodbury

“There was a good Pilot Report, and I called for the pizza. We should be out of here soon.”
    Hanna squatted down in front of Alice and gently touched her arm. “Alice? Sweetie, I’m going to load your stuff and the rest of the freight. You need to wake up now.”
    Alice moved in slow motion, opening her eyes and sitting up, her face pale and haggard. Without a word she crawled over the baby, went into the restroom, and shut the door.
    “Is she sick?” Victoria asked.
    “Jet lag.” Hanna hoped it was true. She took one of Alice’s bags and Victoria’s carry-on to the plane.
    Two more trips took care of the last of the bags and the cold freight from the cooler. The pizza came, and Hanna loaded four large pizza boxes into the back with a case of toilet paper and a four-wheeler tire.
    Hanna did a final walk around the plane. She breathed deeply of the damp morning. She knew above this ground scud a glorious flight beckoned. Victoria struggled to get into the right seat, her slippery little sandals had no grip for climbing into the plane. Hanna followed, checking straps, closing doors, and getting the headset plugged in.
    Alice was detached, but Victoria chattered like a parakeet. “This is going to be so cool. The resort has rooms for a drop in guest, don’t they?”
    Hanna patiently explained, “This is early in the season. Most places have rooms.” This unexpected guest and Nell’s surprising return made her curious about how Duncan would deal with the unforeseen activities of the summer. If he lasts for the whole summer.
    The patchy fog cleared rapidly as the day warmed and a blue cloudless sky opened up when Hanna got above the skyline of Anchorage.
    Victoria’s saucer eyes weren’t attached to her tongue as they flew north over the Knik Arm of Cook Inlet. Her head twisted to take in the view of huge, snow covered mountains dominating in all directions.
    Forty minutes after they took off, Hanna keyed the mic with her thumb and called the first stop on her trip. “Cotton Grass Lake traffic, Menlow strip, Cessna one seven one four Alpha-over.”
    The squeal of the Menlow’s ten year old girl, Rebecca, made Hanna wince. “Hi, Hanna!” She didn’t release the button on the home microphone so everything relayed instantly, and loudly. “Mooomm, she’s here. Hanna did you bring it? Did you bring it?”
    Hanna smiled. “Yes, and I have a surprise, too. Out.” When she landed, the strip had two families waiting. Moms and dads and a total of seven children.
    Hanna helped Alice unstrap from her seat in the plane, and the crowd’s excitement went up thirty decibels. Hanna liked being the deliverer of good news. Having Alice drop in was no problem for Naomi and Jacob. They were happy to add another plate to the table.
    The two men helped Hanna unload the tire and half the groceries. Victoria got out to stretch her legs. “Is there a restroom?”
    “There would be an outhouse up there.” Hanna pointed toward the rambling home. “I’m going behind those bushes.” She excused herself, and when she returned, Victoria stood beside the plane, her arms crossed defiantly over her chest.
    “Everyone will be considerate,” Hanna said matter- of-factly.
    Victoria scowled and shook her head. “I’ll wait.”
    Quiet seized the happy hubbub with Naomi’s sharp intake of breath. She cast a quick glance at her husband and back to the Shaman, who walked out of the brush at the far end of the strip.
    “Rachel?” Naomi called to one of the older girls. “Run up to the house and fix a parcel for our Shaman.” She turned back to the scrawny unkempt man walking up the beach.
    The Shaman’s eyes never wavered from Alice. He walked directly toward her, never acknowledging Naomi or any of the others standing in the crisp shadows of the spring day.
    “I came to see you,” Alice said quietly. “I need you to bless my baby. I named her Emily, she isn’t thriving, all the doctors tell me there isn’t anything wrong,