When Crissa and David got Julie to lie down again, they could see she was restless but willing to comply. Soon she was sleeping and David took the opportunity to go into the bathroom with his change of clothing to shower and dress. Crissa entered the small room as he was running the hot water and standing naked before the sink.
"She may take another few hours to totally return," Crissa told him. "I'm willing to be here through this . . . but David, you should get back to your place for now. You need to make a showing there. To your landlords. Tell them you've been on that fishing trip and now all is well. We don't want any worries or suspicions for you."
"Yeah, I guess you're right about that . . ."
"Tomorrow in the morning my parents will leave for a trip. East to Alberta. They'll be gone at least a week. It should give us time. Hopefully enough to deal with Julie's trip to Germany."
"So, you want me to leave you here, now? Alone with Julie?"
"Yeah. I can handle her . . . as a girl, at least. It was . . . her wolf side that was very scary."
"I don't know, Crissa. She can be pretty violent as a girl, too. We know that now."
"I can take care of myself."
She reached down and ran her hand assuredly over the knife handle still in the belt, slung around her waist.
David put on his new pair of jeans and slipped the t-shirt over his lean torso.
"I don't know, Crissa. There must be some better way to get us all out of the mountains."
"I'm calling Trisha right now. Telling her to give you a change of my clothes. It will be for Julie when you come back here. The girl can't run around naked. I'm telling Trish the clothes are for me because we got wet in a lake up here . . ."
"You think that will work?"
"Trish will do it. She thinks it's just us two in the mountains as lovers."
"Well, if you ask me, she's right about that . . ." He moved to the bathroom doorway, reached over and kissed her slowly on the lips.
"Well, that was a nice surprise," she said, attempting a smile.
"I don't suppose you would let me show you . . . a few more surprises this morning?" He smiled in a devilish and flirtatious way.
"David, there's no way I can even think about that here . . . now . . . while Julie is . . ."
"I know. Just fantasizing," he said. He then placed his hand lovingly and understandingly against her face.
"So will you do that today? Take your bike to notify your landlords. And stop by the dorm to get Julie some things to wear?"
"Sure. I just don't like the idea of you being here alone. That's all."
"There's no other way, David. We'll let Julie stay here in the cabin a few days while you and I go into town tomorrow. To my house and school. Things will be much easier for us with my parents' car. And for Julie."
"I guess you're right about that. I also need to see the skipper sometime soon."
"The boat captain?"
"Yeah. To pick up my money. He told me my take from the crab run would be a hundred and eighty a day. Times ten!"
"Nice, David. You deserve that money."
"Well, once we get Julie on that plane to Germany, there is nice dinner out there for us, Crissa. And maybe then things will get . . ."
"Let's hope they do, David. There's something over that dinner . . . I very much want to tell you."
He looked at her expectantly, but did not insist she continue.
Crissa managed a smile on her stressful face and tried to imagine a world where things would actually not be as intense for them.
"That's sweet. You're sweet," she said. She suddenly threw herself back into his arms and hugged him tightly. "You are so amazing. Never change, OK?"
"If I haven't by now . . ."
Crissa smiled and buried her head in his chest once more. "OK, I need to call Trisha now so she can meet you at the college."
"You do that," he said, bounding away from the bathroom in the direction of the bedroom. "Seems there's a real mess in there . . . Looks like someone gave a wolf a haircut."
He then smiled playfully and went to attend to the scene he just described.
Crissa picked up her phone.
"Hello, Trish?"
"Hey girlfriend! Didn't think you and your hot guy would elope this weekend."
"Well not exactly. But it has been pretty . . . intense."
"God, I love it when you talk dirty." She laughed.
"Trish, David will be coming by the college in a while . . . to get a change of clothes for me? I can't explain it all right now, but we were boating on a lake and . . . I fell in."
"Really? Ouch!"
"So I'm up at my parent's cabin. Kind of under the weather here with a cold. I'll be needing those clothes pretty soon. So will you put a set together for him to pick up in the dorm?"
"Hey Crissy. You OK? No injuries or anything, right?"
She looked at the deep half-circle bruise on her arm from Julie's jaws. "Yeah I'm alright. Just don't want to go out on David's motorbike with these wet clothes feeling so chilled. I was stupid not to bring others."
"No problem, sweetie. So . . . are you two lovebirds ever going to return to the real world? Like school? It's Monday, you know."
"Yeah. I suspect sometime tomorrow evening I'll be back. There's a ton of stuff I have to do for those classes I've missed."
"Don't worry about it, girlfriend. Never let school get in the way of your education, I always say."
Crissa thought just how true this was for her free-spirited roommate.
"So Trish, do you know what time you'll be back in the room today?"
"Yeah. Any time after eleven thirty this morning should be good. I have a workout scheduled for around four, but that's like in ages."
"OK. David should be coming by . . . just before twelve then."
"Cool! Hey . . . you haven't heard anything about that maniac friend of yours have you?"
"Guess you mean Julie?"
"Yeah. The beast! Hope she's back in Alaska with the goddamn bears."
"Probably is, Trisha. Don't worry about her. She's a sad case."
"A dangerous case if you ask me."
"Yeah. Thanks, Trisha . . . for the clothes."
"No prob."
"See you soon."
Closing her phone, Crissa went into the living room quietly to check on Julie's recovery. The girl seemed semi-conscious and better-covered, just lying still and looking up at the ceiling
"Julie? . . . You coming back?"
"Hmmmmm," she mumbled.
"OK . . . so just rest some more. I'm getting you some clothes and some food in a little while. I'm here if you need me. Just call my name . . . Crissa, OK?"
"Mmmmmmm," she answered slowly.
David passed by the two of them holding a large plastic bag which was full of thick gray fur. It was a strange sight and an even stranger occurrence that he should have to accept this new responsibility—though it was unquestionably the new reality for him.
He opened the front door and took the bag outside to the large lidded bin intended for thrash along the road. When he returned to the living room and stood by Crissa, Julie looked up at him from her reclined position on the floor.
"Hey, Julie," he said quietly. "You doing OK? You're going to come back now. Today sometime. I promise."
Julie did not speak to him but continued to stare. For a moment at Crissa, but then more longingly at him.
* * *