LITMIR.BIZ

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fifty miles from the road system, would be quite a feat. She hoped it didn’t come to that.

      Emma would be fine sleeping over with her grandparents until Volta could get back. Since they still had ten minutes before landing, Volta did a quick scan of her calendar. Tomorrow was the PTA bake sale, and she’d volunteered to bring four dozen cookies. Mom would be willing to step in, but her antisugar stance meant what she called a cookie wasn’t what most people would consider a treat. Volta’s brother’s girlfriend, on the other hand, was an excellent baker. Volta set a reminder to call Sabrina later. She returned the phone to her pocket and picked up the fax Daniel had sent when he requested transport.

      Mike’s voice came through their headphones again. “Look west.” Volta and Bridget glanced out the window, where a tall gray cloud was forming.

      “Ash plume?” Bridget asked.

      “Yep. We’re not going to beat it by much.”

      Up ahead, the tip of the cell tower over Sparks came into view. Shades of yellow green signaled spring on the tundra. A braided river hugged the south edge of the little community and twisted off to the west. It looked peaceful, as though bad things could never happen there, but they did, and that was when they called in people like Volta, Bridget and Mike.

      A few minutes later, Mike landed the plane, the tires bouncing once on the airstrip before rolling to a stop. Mike turned and taxied back to the center of the strip to a parking area. Up ahead, a battered Chevy Suburban rattled along the gravel road between the village and the airstrip. It pulled to a stop beside the plane.

      Mike and Bridget climbed out of the airplane and attached a ramp to the door. Volta shoved the portable incubator down the rails. Mike and Bridget picked it up and carried the equipment to the SUV, where Mayor Libby was waiting with the tailgate open. “Glad you’re here.”

      Thanks to her good judgment, as well as being related to maybe 25 percent of the local population, Libby was unofficial mayor for life in the village of Sparks. She oversaw everything while running the combination post office, general store and makeshift diner next to the clinic. She also opened her home as a sort of bed-and-breakfast for the occasional visitor and was a one-woman chamber of commerce. And her Suburban doubled as the village ambulance. “Load her up.”

      Mike and Bridget loaded the incubator, while Volta jumped down, moved the ramp and closed the door to the plane. Everyone climbed into the SUV. Volta hurried to join them. She slammed the passenger door closed. “How’s Lori doing?”

      Libby put the car in gear and started it with a jerk. “She’s in labor. According to that visiting doctor, she has pre-something—”

      “Preeclampsia.”

      “Right, and so he says she’s got to deliver now. Sounds like she’s close. You might not be able to fly her out until afterward.”

      “Unfortunately, we’re not going to be able to take her at all, at least not today,” Mike told her. “Spurr just blew.”

      “What, when?”

      “About twenty minutes ago.”

      “Augh. I knew they’d had rumblings, but I thought it had quieted down. I was over with Lori and Paul and didn’t hear the warning. I’ve got to get back to the post office and find out what’s going on.” Libby whipped around a corner and headed toward the clinic. “Good thing we have a doctor in town. Seems a shame, though. Lori’s been on bed rest for a month, trying to keep from delivering early. But I guess that happens with twins.”

      “Twins?” Mike hadn’t read the patient stat sheet.

      “That’s right. We’re all eager to see if they’re identical or not. Paul and Lori wanted to be surprised.” Libby pulled up between the clinic and the post office. “I’d better go see what’s up with that volcano.”

      “I’ll get a progress report,” Bridget told Volta. “Can you and Mike get the incubator?”

      “Sure,” Volta said.

      She and Mike carried the portable unit through the door of the clinic while Bridget disappeared into the second room, where they could hear Paul’s voice: “That’s it, babe. You’re doing great. Ouch—”

      Volta chuckled to herself. She’d been on the receiving end of some of those hand clenches during labor. Lori was one of the gentlest people Volta knew, but sometimes it took a lot to make it through those big contractions.

      “Hi, everyone. Bridget Hickel, flight nurse. Bad news, I’m afraid,” Bridget announced. “Mount Spurr blew its top, and we’re grounded.”

      “The volcano erupted?” Daniel’s voice.

      “Yes. We were already two-thirds of the way here, so we kept on coming. Unfortunately, we’re not flying out again until the ash cloud is gone. But we did bring an incubator. They’re carrying it in now.”

      “Where do you want it?” Mike asked Volta, swinging his end around to fit it into the waiting room.

      “Let’s set it here for now,” Volta suggested, nodding toward a clear space against the wall. “It sounds pretty crowded in the exam room.”

      They set the unit on the floor. “I’ll head over to Zeke’s and see what he knows,” Mike told Volta. “Unless you need me.”

      She’d forgotten Mike’s cousin operated an air taxi service out of Sparks. “I don’t think so since we can’t fly, but I’ll call if we do. Thanks, Mike.”

      Volta headed toward the exam room, but before she reached the door, another voice drifted out, reassuring and calm. “Good job, Lori. Not much longer now. Try to relax for a minute. Slow, easy breaths.”

      Volta stopped in her tracks. She knew that voice, deep and smooth, with just a bit of drawl. But it couldn’t be. The owner of the voice she knew was working on the other side of the world. No doubt this was some other baritone-voiced doctor from Texas. The voice continued, “You’re at a ten. Doing great. Next contraction, you’ll be able to push.”

      Dilated to ten? Libby was right. They wouldn’t have been able to get Lori to the hospital in time to deliver anyway. Good thing they’d brought the incubator as a precaution. Volta entered the room. Everyone looked her way. Paul was wedged into a corner beside Lori, holding her hand. Daniel was on the other side, monitoring her blood pressure. Bridget had moved into position to assist the doctor at the foot of the bed.

      A surgical mask covered most of the doctor’s face, but he stared at Volta, his eyes wide in shock. Familiar brown eyes. It had been eleven years, but she remembered every detail. She knew if she got closer, she would be able to distinguish the little flecks of green sprinkled through the brown. What in the world was Scott Willingham doing in Sparks, Alaska?

      From somewhere far away, Daniel’s voice made itself heard. “Dr. Willingham, Volta Morgan, flight paramedic.”

      Scott tugged the surgical mask from his face. “Volta?”

      She met his eyes. “Small world, huh?” She turned away to flash Paul a smile and touch Lori’s hand. “How are you holding up?”

      “I’m okay.” Lori blew out a long breath. “The doctor says I’m almost ready.”

      “He should know. Dr. Willingham has delivered a lot of babies.” At least that was what she’d gathered from the Doctors, Education and Medicine for All website. DEMA was always posting photos of him somewhere in the world, holding a newborn baby.

      Scott stared at her as though he were glimpsing a ghost. She didn’t blame him. That was exactly how she’d felt when she’d heard his voice a few moments ago.

      “You two know—” Bridget started to ask, but Lori suddenly sat up with a grunt as a contraction started.

      “Okay.” Scott was back to his take-charge voice. He pulled the mask over his mouth and moved into position. “This time I want you to push. The first baby

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