I flashed a light toward the fragile dust tracks and made my way to him. I opened the driver’s door, and the deer’s legs pulsed toward me, then stiffened. I pushed the deer back enough to clear a breathing way for the man’s struggling chest. I heard a thick gurgle and checked the man’s ears for bleeding, wiped the run of blood from his nose. He might have a chance. I looked around the car frame to see if there was some way I could wedge the deer out enough to release the man. But the only way out for the sorry bastard was some meat saws and a lot of good luck. His chest was already swelling with wounds.

“You got a long time coming,” I said. “Grab on.” The man snorted and then I heard the snoring rattle of blood when he passed out again. I ran back to check on Louise and radio the state patrol. It would be a long night. I opened the trunk and took out two heavy blankets. I tossed one on Louise and headed out to the field to wrap the man. I was hesitant about looking in on him again but I could hear the man’s breathing a ways away. I smoothed the blanket between the man and the deer and wondered about the man’s legs, how his blood flow was doing. The pulse of his neck was sure and even. I tapped the man’s cheeks. He was young, maybe had children. “What’s your name, sir?” I asked. He moaned and his head lolled forward. “What’s your name?” I said again. “I am Officer Kicking Woman,” I said to him, keeping my voice sure and even and wondering if my name alone might scare him. “Help’s on the way,” I said. I caught myself trying to smile reassuringly at him in the darkness. The man moaned almost a sigh and set his head back to rest on the seat. “Easy now,” I said. “I’ll be close by.”

I went back to my car, looking forward to waiting with Louise even if she was sleeping. Louise was down in the backseat. I could hear the shift of her breathing. Now and then she would wake herself snorting blood too. Her nose was swelling and I guessed the deer had slammed its skull to her face. I looked out the windows toward the quiet highway. The moon gave off enough light that the road seemed to shine. When the breeze picked up I could see the tall grass shining too. Moonlight glinted on the road signs. And sitting quiet beside that roadside, unmoving, the land seemed safe.