They were sharp, echoing off the rocks near the base of the falls. I’d been hanging back, trying to give her space while secretly tracking her slow, uneven progress up the trail, but now I was sprinting. My heart was a frantic racket in my chest, a hammer against my ribs that drowned out the roar of the water.
When I reached the water’s edge, a man I didn’t recognize was already kneeling over a crumpled figure in the dirt.
“She’s burning up!” the man yelled, looking up as Morgan and Penelope rushed over. “How could you guys drag her out here like this?”
“We didn’t know,” Morgan cried, her face pale. “We didn't know!”
“How could you not see it?” the man roared, his hands moving frantically over her. “She’s drenched in sweat. It took me two seconds of looking at her to know something was wrong.”
Every word was a lash against my back. I stepped forward, my chest heaving, and looked down at Vanessa. She looked like a broken doll. Her skin was flushed a deep, sickly red, and her breathing was shallow and ragged.
The man pressed his hands to her forehead, then her neck. “Her name. What’s her name?”
“Vanessa,” I said, my voice sounding like it was being dragged over gravel.
“Vanessa?” he clarified, glancing at me before turning back to her. “Vanessa, can you hear me? I’m a doctor. We’re going to get you to a car.”
“So hot... it’s so hot,” she muttered. Her voice was a ghost of itself—scratchy and raw.
“We need to cool her down while we wait for the transport,” the doctor said.
“I’ll get her into the water,” I announced. I didn't wait for permission. I stepped in and scooped her up. She felt like a furnace in my arms.
“Ness, I need you to hold on to me,” I whispered.
As I lifted her, she groaned, her head lolloped against my shoulder. She was so weak she couldn't even keep her eyes open. I waded into the shallow, shaded pool beneath the falls, the water soaking into my shorts as I sat with her in my lap.
“Ness, hold on, okay?”
She used every ounce of her remaining strength to wrap her arms around my neck. Her pulse was racing—a frantic, terrifying rhythm against my skin. I held her there, the cool mountain water swirling around us, and prayed for the first time in a decade.
* * *
The next few hours were a blurred nightmare of transport vans, hushed hotel hallways, and the frantic orders of the resort doctor. Eventually, I got her back to her room.
I sat on the edge of the bed, watching her drift in and out of a fitful sleep. She’d missed lunch and dinner. She hadn't moved in hours.
“Hey,” I said softly when her eyes finally flickered.
“Satan,” she mumbled. Her hand gave a weak, pathetic flourish.
I let out a breath that was half-amused and half-shattered. Even at death’s door, she wouldn't let me forget who I was to her. I deserved it. I would always be the monster in her story.
“I didn't think I’d ever see the day you slept through two meals,” I murmured, reaching out to steady her shoulders. I pressed a hand to her forehead. “Yep. You’re still running a fever.”
She leaned into my hand, chasing the cool contact, and for a second, the armor was gone. I sighed, fumbling for the phone to check the status of the meds the doctor had called in. Then, I gathered her into my arms. She was too weak to protest, only letting out a soft moan against my chest.
“The doctor is calling in meds, but we need to get you in the shower first,” I told her. “We have to bring this fever down.”
I stood her up in the bathroom, but she immediately slumped. I caught her, pulling her flush against me. “Hold on to me, Ness.”
“Do you want to take off your clothes, or do you just want to go in like this?” I asked, my heart hammering. She just leaned further into me, her eyes dead to the world. “Okay. Clothes on it is.”
I stepped into the stall with her, turning on the cool spray. It hit our backs, soaking through my shirt and her small top. I held her tight, letting the water run over us while she clung to me like I was the only solid thing left in the world.
After a while, Morgan and Penelope took over, helping her out of the wet clothes and into something dry. When they passed her back to me, she was shivering. I carried her back to the bed and tucked her in, but she didn't let go. She inhaled against my chest, her nose brushing my skin.
“You’re still burning up, baby. Here, take this,” I whispered.
