Two officers pulled a man out from the treeine. A minute later, Victor burned, barely breathing, but alive. His legs were gone below the knees where a beam must have fallen on him. “Get a medic,” Miller shouted. Victor tried to speak. His voice slurred through swelling lips. “My my grandson, that got Miller’s attention.
Where is he?” Victor started laughing. A harsh rasp of air through broken teeth. Hill. He’ll never belong to him. Then he coughed blood. I turned away before my hands could act again. He wasn’t worth another bullet. I waited until the medevac came and the sirens faded down the mountain road. Then I walked the opposite way north toward the city.
The streets were silent when I arrived back at the hospital. I hadn’t washed the soot off yet. My clothes rire of smoke and damp earth. The nurse at the ICU desk froze when I entered. her hand twitching toward the security button until she recognized me. “She’s still the same,” she whispered. “No change. Tessa’s room was dim except for the monitor light pulsing beside the bed.
