Gray plowed forward. "Lori. Lori!"
She turned, wisps of hair flying around her face. Pure exhaustion lined her face. Unshed tears clouded her eyes as her gaze met his. Gratitude mingled with those tears.
His whole damned parachute went up in flames.
Fatigue fell away. He wasn't going anywhere, anytime soon. Gray dropped a hand on Magda's head. "Problem?"
"She doesn't want to go." Lori's voice quivered. "And I can't make her understand."
That tiny quiver slayed him, coming from a woman who never lost control. His hand fell from Magda's head to the small of Lori's back. She felt too soft and warm under his palm. "She may never understand, and she shouldn't have to, but you're going to have to let her go eventually."
"I know." One blink would have set those tears free. She didn't blink.
Lori would go down with a fight.
Damn but he wanted to fight this battle for her. "You paved the way for me all day. Maybe I can ease this one along for you."
She swallowed heavily, still didn't blink. "Thank you."
Gray ducked eye level with Magda. "Hey, Magpie."
Her little muscles bulged as her arms locked around Lori's neck. But she stopped crying. Wide brown eyes looked at him with a wary hope that sliced right through him.
Couldn't he fly combat instead? Perform an appendectomy or two? Either would be easier.
Gray cupped Magda's head as he mumbled reassuring words she wouldn't understand. Slowly her grip slackened. He talked, his hands sliding around to grip Magda's waist.
Tiny arms and legs vice-gripped Lori.
Lori trembled. Gray wasn't feeling all that steady, either. Carefully he pried Magda free one arm at a time. The child was so small, so damned delicate with fever heating her fragile body.
Magda grabbed a fistful of Lori's hair. "No!"
A hoarse laugh tore at his chest. "Fine time to talk, little one."
Lori's trembling turned into teeth-chattering shaking. "Maybe I should ride over in the bus with her."
Then Lori would get off the bus, following Magda until her tired body fell over.
The best he could do for Lori and Magda was to make the separation quick, like jerking off a Band-Aid, except no way in hell would this one be painless. "It's not going to be any easier an hour from now, if you can even last that long. You're dead on your feet now. Let go, honey."
"Okay." Lori's voice trembled almost as much as her hands.
Gently as he could, he pulled Magda from Lori's arms. "Come on, kiddo."
The Barbie snagged in Lori's hair, extending her unraveling braid in a link between the woman and child until finally the roped hair fell lank against Lori.
"No!" Magda cried again, arms extended.
Lori lurched forward, her arms reaching to yank Magda back. Gray sidestepped and passed the child to a waiting nurse. Pivoting quickly, he caught Lori against his chest. "Hang tough. You'll only make it worse if you take her back now."
For the first time in a year, he held Lori, fitting her to him with a familiarity that should have sent them both running in the opposite direction. She stood stiff and shaking against him. Her hair caressed his chin, teased his nose with hints of peaches and tears.
He dealt with people in pain every day. He wouldn't call himself callous, but doctors had to develop a level of objectivity to survive.
Objectivity wasn't even an option.
Over Lori's head he could only watch the nurse carry Magda to the bus. She stared back at him over the nurse's shoulder, brown eyes wide with betrayal as she cried out her lone English word. "No! No!"