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Terra

You're being irrational, I chided myself once insomnia finally gave way to fitful slumber. This was about an innocuous medical consult, nothing more. I would help if possible, then immediately return to my clinic, my life here. No threat existed unless I lost perspective.

Yet uneasy dreams of running alone through moonlit forests pursued me until dawn. A shadowy black wolf lurked at the corner of my vision, familiar and strange at once. But each time I spun to face it head on, the specter vanished like smoke through my fingers.

Even in sleep I could not confront the lingering ghosts of my past. Perhaps I never would find courage to stand and fight.

The next morning, supplies had to be restocked and charts updated, providing welcome distraction from restless thoughts. By mid-afternoon, I had almost achieved some sense of normalcy again. Until a shy knock at my office door heralded Collins poking his head in, his tentative expression setting me instantly on edge.

"Hey. Nathan is b