.

      “Oh! It’s fabulous!” Avery dug in her purse and pulled out her phone, talking excitedly as she pulled up photos.

      The men came back just as she handed her phone to Mallory. Olivia leaned over to view the images, as well.

      “Is she showing you pictures of the house?” Grant asked. “Did she tell you about the table she wouldn’t let me bring inside?”

      Avery rolled her eyes, but it was clear from the look on her face she wasn’t upset. “I told you, baby. That thing is hideous.” She leaned forward and addressed Olivia and Mallory. “A bottle-cap tabletop, can you believe it? He thought it would make a good coffee table.”

      Grant shrugged and looked at Logan. “The guys and I made it in college. It’s still got a lot of life left.”

      Logan nodded and took a swig from his bottle. “Sounds legit to me.”

      Olivia glanced at him in horror, and Mallory couldn’t help but laugh. “Where is this table now?”

      “The garage,” Grant and Avery said in unison.

      “Seems like a fair compromise,” she said.

      “For now,” Grant replied. He leaned forward, a conspiratorial glint in his hazel eyes. “I’m just biding my time until we move to a bigger house and I can have a man cave. Then I’m bringing it inside.”

      “As long as I don’t have to look at it,” Avery remarked.

      Mallory held up her glass of water, capturing the attention of the table. “A toast,” she said. “To new beginnings.”

      “And to friendships,” Olivia added. “Old and new.”

      “Hear, hear.”

      Their glasses touched with a delicate clink, and everyone took a sip. Then the conversation started up again, an easy back and forth between them all. Mallory relaxed into the flow, enjoying the comforting push-pull of talking with her friends. She felt revitalized by their company, and the knowledge that she could let her guard down and speak freely about anything; Olivia and Avery were her support system, and she knew they wouldn’t judge her. They all managed to stay in touch via the phone or the computer, but seeing them in person was a huge boost to her mood.

      She had just started to tell them about her last cruise when the pager on her belt began to vibrate. “Sorry, guys,” she said, pulling it free to examine the display. Crap. It was an emergency. Her heart sank as she stood to take her leave. “I have to go. I’ll catch up with you later.”

      The group called out a chorus of goodbyes, but she was already headed for the door. Adrenaline thrummed through her system as she raced back to sick bay. What could possibly be going on? The ship had launched a few hours ago, and so far the sailing had been smooth. Still, it did usually take time for the passengers to adjust to walking around on a moving vessel. Had someone fallen and injured themselves?

      She rounded the corner just in time to hear an eruption of voices from sick bay. Mallory broke into a run, covering the remaining distance in a few seconds. The voices grew louder as she approached, and she skidded to a stop in front of the door. Whoever was inside sounded angry and scared, a bad combination. She took a deep breath to regain her composure, then pushed open the door and walked into the chaos.

      * * *

      Everest clenched his jaw and tightened his grip on his temper. The two young men in the sick bay were loud and obnoxious, and he could tell by their body language they were on the verge of getting physical. It was his job to make sure that didn’t happen, but the men weren’t interested in listening to reason right now.

      “You don’t understand! The walls are melting—we have to get off the ship!”

      The other man eyed the porthole window at the far end of the room. “Why is the sun in here?” He shuddered and took a step back, running into a gurney. “We’re going to burn up!”

      They began to talk over each other, their exclamations growing more and more agitated. One of them began to pace, his steps jerky and uncoordinated. He came dangerously close to crashing into one of the nurses, and Everest held up a hand, trying to stop him. He jerked away with an incoherent yell.

      Before Everest could respond, a new voice cut through the fray. “What is happening here?”

      Everyone turned to view the new arrival, and Everest felt a surge of relief when he saw Dr. Watkins standing in the doorway. These men were obviously psychologically disturbed, and if anyone could help them, it was her.

      The men stared at her in silence, jaws gaping. A nurse stepped forward and spoke in low tones. “They were brought in a few minutes ago, ranting and raving. We haven’t been able to examine them, so I don’t know their vitals yet. They might be having a psychotic break of some kind.”

      Mallory’s gaze drifted over her two patients while the nurse gave her report. She nodded once, then walked forward until she was only a step away from one of the men. Everest moved to stand next to her, wanting to be close just in case the guy became violent.

      Mallory stared up into her patient’s eyes. “I’m Dr. Watkins. Can you tell me your name?”

      “Jeff.”

      She nodded. “Okay, Jeff. What’s going on with you today?”

      “The walls are melting.” His voice had calmed compared with his earlier distress, and now he sounded almost earnest. “Don’t you see it?”

      “Which walls?” Mallory asked. Her voice was soothing as she used a penlight to examine the man’s eyes.

      The second man drifted closer, apparently drawn in by her calm presence. Everest shifted a bit, using his body to make sure the doctor had some space. She seemed to be making progress with the men, and he didn’t want to break the spell she’d cast on them.

      “All of them!”

      “And the sun,” said the second man. He stood in Everest’s shadow, cowering behind him. “The sun is in the room right now!” He pointed at the porthole and glanced quickly away, squeezing his eyes shut as if in pain.

      “Okay,” Mallory said, nodding as if this was the most natural observation in the world. “I need you both to get on the gurneys. It’s the only way to protect you from the walls and the sun.”

      The men scrambled to comply, both of them leaping onto the exam beds with more enthusiasm than grace. Mallory walked over to the nearest bed and began to fasten Velcro straps around the man’s ankles and wrists. “I’m just going to make sure you’re attached, so you don’t float away.” She nodded at one of the nurses, who hurried over to do the same to the other man.

      Everest watched her quietly, his respect for her growing by the minute. She’d walked into a chaotic mess and hadn’t hesitated to act. But rather than adding to the confusion, she’d taken charge and applied a calm, cool response that had served to de-escalate a volatile situation. It was a mark of her leadership, a skill he knew not everyone possessed; his time in the army had taught him that much.

      “Have you taken anything today?” she asked, glancing at each man in turn.

      “No,” said Jeff.

      Mallory merely raised one eyebrow and stared him down. He squirmed a bit, his cheeks going pink under her scrutiny. “I mean,” he amended, “maybe I did. I can’t remember.”

      “Uh-huh,” she replied. “I can’t help you if you don’t tell me the truth.”

      Jeff closed his eyes with a sigh, and his head lolled back. “Special K.” He stretched the words out like taffy, grinning like a loon.

      Mallory nodded, his answer plainly confirming her suspicion. She turned to the nurses and began issuing orders. “Start an IV and give two milligrams Versed to each, please.”

      The women nodded and left the room, ostensibly to gather supplies. Mallory