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“But then you never would have met your gruff sidekick,” Tim said, his humour lingering. Before I could comment, his expression softened into something more tender. “Sadie’s going to lose it when she sees you again.”

The mention of my sister caused a thwack in my chest. “If she’s still alive.”

“Of course she is.”

“You have no way of knowing that,” I said, slanting him a look.

“Not technically.” He swung the chair into a half turn with the heel of his shoe. “But she made me a promise.”

I slipped my hands into my jacket pockets. “What did she promise you?”

“That she wouldn’t die on the way there.” He shrugged his good shoulder. “And she’s never broken her word—not to me, at least.”

My throat ached, and I tried to smile. She’d never gone back on her word with me, either.

“I guess I’ll just have to believe it then.” I went over to him and sat on the edge of the desk, my legs dangling beside his chair. “The more I get to know you, the more I wish you could have met Kirby. You two would have been unbearable in the same room.”

“Hey.” He stared at me for a moment, then something clicked behind his eyes. “Oh. You’re missing her.”

“It’s an adjustment.” But she’d woken up this morning under the same roof as her parents. Even if all it took was a snap of my fingers to bring her here, I never would have taken that away from her.

Tim lifted his brows. “You’ve only known her for a few days.”

“I know, but she had a similar sense of humour to yours. What can I say? It left an impression.”

“Now it suddenly makes sense. She was hilarious.”

We shared a smile, then Tim rubbed absently at his shoulder.

“Still hurting?” I asked.

“Only when I move or breathe. Sometimes when I think.” He shifted in his seat, pulling at the neckline of his top. “I need to get out of these damp clothes. I think they’re giving me chills.”

“I can’t help you with a change of clothes, but want me to search for some pain meds? It might help take the edge off.”

He thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. “I’ll battle through. If they can find blankets, that’ll do.”

His skin was still a healthy shade, and the blood on his jacket had half dried. As far as I could tell, the signs were good. “Let me know if it gets worse. I don’t mind going on a scavenging mission.”

“Thanks, I do like the idea of being fussed over.”

The storeroom door opened down the hall, and I jumped off the desk, hopeful they’d found enough supplies to keep us comfortable.

Luke appeared first, carrying a stack of flattened cardboard under one arm and a shrink-wrapped pack of bottled water under the other. He dumped the water in front of Tim and leaned the cardboard against the side of the desk.

Varesh followed, his chin resting on an armful of moving blankets.

“Tell me you found pillows as well,” Tim said. “Earplugs? A white noise machine?”

“Blankets and cardboard,” Luke said, ripping the plastic open. “That’s all you get.” His gaze swept over me as he handed me a bottle of water, and I smiled as I took it from him.

Tim immediately wrapped himself in a blanket and sighed. “Good enough.”

The rain never let up, switching between a downpour and a drizzle, with the clouds over the crash site dark and heavy.

By midday, deep puddles had formed throughout the gravel yard, and a steady waterfall slid down the window.

We’d dragged a pair of filing cabinets across the smashed entrance, more for peace of mind than necessity, and claimed the front office as our base.