A Wilted Rose - Henry Holmes

An emergency room is a revolving door of human tragedy.

Each time the door opens, the staff is introduced to situations that find people at the lowest point in their life-this is where triage begins. The drama is often exacerbated on the reservation as events impact large swathes of tribe and community. This is Hank's world: the emergency department of a small Indian Health Services Hospital in Crownpoint, New Mexico. It was a dry and frigid night on the Navajo reservation when Lakala entered Hank's world. Bloody, bruised, and disoriented, she felt trapped by the attention she received. She didn't want anyone asking questions, especially why she ended up in the emergency room on that early, cold morning. That first night, she didn't meet Hank and wasn't treated because she ran out. Chased by her past. Chased by who they expected her to be.

Lakala is caught between a modern world and a life deeply rooted in tradition and cultural mores, both good and bad. She struggles to belong, breaking free only when she can finally leave the reservation, but always yearns to return. In the end, Lakala must face Native lore from a very personal but different direction.