The Dragon Guardian (Lochguard Highland Dragons 2)

Layla picked up a two-way radio and pushed the side button. “Dr. Jackson is here.”

Sid shook her head. “Everyone calls me Dr. Sid.”

“Dr. Sid then.” Two females and three males with disheveled hair approached them. Two of them had a fair amount of blood on their tops. When they were close enough, Layla motioned toward Sid. “This is Dr. Sid. Help her get settled. I’m trusting her care to you.”

One male nodded and answered, “We’ll be fine, Layla. Go. I know you have a surgery to perform.”

Layla brushed a stray dark hair behind her ear. “Right, then. I’ll check in with you when I’m done.”

Sid pointed toward the door. “Go. I’ll be fine.”

As the young female exited the tent, Sid turned to the five nurses. “Is triage completed?” The same male from before nodded. Sid continued, “Right, let me quickly check Dr. Innes and then we’ll work our way down the list. Unless anyone is hanging on by a thread?”

The same male shook his head. “No. Layla already took care of those. We mostly have burns, scrapes, and broken bones needing casts left. And a few panic attacks.”

“Good. What’s your name?” Sid asked.

“Logan Lamont.”

“Okay, Logan. You take me to Innes and the rest of you go back to work. Don’t hesitate to holler if something goes wrong.”

Logan handed her a spare radio. “This is for you. They’re easier than mobile phones.”

Sid took it and the four other nurses rushed back to their sections of the tent. As Sid and Logan walked toward the back, she looked at the younger male. “Who were the casualties?”

Logan’s face turned grim. “A mother and her child. A bomb hit their house before they could escape. The only good bit of news is that the father and other daughter were out when it happened.”

The mention of the family’s tragedy stirred a memory from Sid’s own past. But she pushed it aside. “It’s rare for a family to have two female children.”

“Aye, but the Innes’ have a rare track record of birthing more females than males.”

Sid faltered. “Innes?”

Logan put out a hand. “No, Gregor never found another mate, let alone had a child. But his sister and her youngest child were the ones to perish.”

Sid had dealt with her fair share of tragedies. From losing humans who died when birthing dragon-shifter babies to reckless teenagers who ended up tortured by dragon hunters; Sid had seen them all.

But Gregor Innes’s past was well known among the dragon-shifter medical community because of his year’s leave over a decade ago. The man had already lost his wife in childbirth and it’d taken him a year to regain control of his dragon.

Taking a deep breath, Sid fell back on her years of medical practice and training. She needed to be calm and collected for the sake of her patients. She’d handle Gregor Innes when he woke up.

Speaking of the male, they entered a curtained-off section. Her eyes fell on the unconscious dragonman on the bed.

Even pale with bruises on his face, he was handsome. His dark blond hair was a tad bit too long and a light scruff donned his cheeks. The laugh lines at the corners of his mouth told her he was a man who had eventually overcome his past to find some degree of happiness.

Sid didn’t even realize she’d been staring until another male to her left spoke up. “Who’s this, Logan?”

Forcing her gaze away from the male who had to be Gregor Innes, she met the eyes of the red-haired, brown-eyed male holding his sleeping four or five-year-old daughter. “I’m Dr. Sid, from Stonefire. And you are?”

“I’m Gregor’s brother-in-law, Harris Chisolm.” The male hugged his sleeping daughter tightly. “And this is my daughter, Fiona.”

“I’m sorry for your loss, Harris.”

The male’s voice cracked. “Thank you.”

“I hate to be indelicate, but I need to check Gregor and then attend to the other patients. My recommendation for you is to find something to eat and then take some rest with your daughter.” She looked to Logan. “Can you assist them while I quickly check Gregor?”

Logan nodded. “Aye.” He looked to Harris. “Come with me, Harris.”