Set about 15 years after the world fell apart, a nomadic physician struggles to survive in a savage frontier of the poor and powerless, trying to balance her calling as a healer with the necessity of killing for survival. As a consequence, maybe she's become more skilled with her saber than she is with a scalpel, and she's trying to get out from under that reputation.
When we last saw Doc Hanover, she was standing in her undies, chucking rocks at Little Bird. Her lover had stolen everything, including her weapons and Old Paint. Yes, to some extent, she is a victim in this situation, but if you look at the larger picture, what goes around has more or less come around.
She arrived at this point after disappointing the people of Turtle Island, leaving the fort without a doctor when they needed one and asked her in no uncertain terms to stay. She also broke her word with the First Nations United, who were counting on her help to raid the Tunnel Rats and bust up a slave-trading operation.
Instead, she decided to run off with Little Bird, very much enamored, and commit to a life of mean, wild, passionate banditry with no rhyme or reason and no eye to the future. Little Bird, however, was playing a long con, and set her up perfectly -- just to knock her down.
As we begin Chapter 6, Painty is stolen, Little Bird is on the run, and Hanover is furious and alone, on the wrong side of a whole bunch of burned bridges.
Without further ado, Chapter 6: Blood.