A weak sound slips past her lips, and my chest tightens hard enough to hurt.
“Stephen,” Hannah snaps. “Kit. Hurry.”
“I’m here.”
They move fast around her.
Hands.
Bandages.
Blood.
Medical terms thrown back and forth too quickly for me to care about.
I stay exactly where I am beside her.
Kneeling in the dirt.
Watching her face.
That’s the only thing that matters.
Her skin’s too pale now.
Lips losing color.
Breathing shallow enough it barely moves her chest.
I hate this.
Hate the waiting.
Hate standing by while someone else fixes what I can’t.
“Olivia.”
Her eyes shift toward me slowly.
Still focused.
Still fighting.
Relief punches through me so hard I almost feel dizzy from it.
“There you are,” I mutter.
Her mouth twitches faintly.
“Tired,” she whispers.
“No.”
The answer comes instantly.
Sharp enough that Hannah glances at me briefly before going back to work.
Olivia’s eyes drift halfway shut anyway.
