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Our hands find each other as easily as breathing. Twelve hours apart might as well be an eternity.
* * *
Day eight. I dig a little deeper. Now that I’ve made it roughly three feet, the soil is starting to feel wet and soft. Easier to work with, but messier. By the time Luka returns, we’re both so exhausted we fall asleep straight away. He’s got a bit of a cough, but I can’t imagine the stale air is doing him any favors.
His beard is really coming in. I doubt our captors will trust him with a razor.
* * *
Day eleven. I’m making steady progress. I can no longer feel my fingers, the earth so cold and hard it’s like chipping away at a block of ice with my nails. I’m starting to forget what sunlight feels like. My dreams are often of beaches at sunset. When we get out of this mess, maybe I can convince Luka to come with me on vacation.
Luka’s cough is getting worse. He assures me it’s no big deal.
* * *
Day thirteen. I’m really hitting my stride now. The slope is gradual, but I’m starting to hit tree and plant roots—we can’t be very far from the surface now. If I keep at it, we might get out of here sooner than I first anticipated.
I’m running out of steam faster, though. Even when keeping a steady pace, my body feels weaker. Thinner. I have no doubt the food Jerome and Calvin bring us each morning is less than nutritious. At least they’ve started to bring two separate trays for Luka and me, but even then, one meal a day is hardly enough to sustain me.
Luka’s cough is getting really bad. He shivers uncontrollably throughout the night, but he tells me it’s just cold in here. He’ll talk to Jerome and Calvin about getting a couple of blankets. Still, I’m really starting to get worried.
* * *
Day fifteen? I’m starting to lose track of how long we’ve been here. I think spending so long in the dark is starting to get to me. I swear to God I can hear things crawling in the walls. Mice, bugs… I’m worried they’ll find us in our sleep.
* * *
Day nineteen or twenty—I can’t be sure. My tunneling efforts have hit a major snag. I was in the middle of clawing at the path forward when my raw fingers scraped up against a hard rock. It’s massive. A bolder, lodged beneath the earth. I’m going to have to angle the tunnel and try to get around it.
More work, more dirt. I’m exhausted.
* * *
Day twenty-one. Calvin, that numbskull, trips and spills Luka’s food all over the floor. I try to give Luka half of my meal, but he refuses.
“I don’t have much of an appetite, anyway,” he murmurs, voice hoarse.
“Baby, please—”
“It’s fine, Dani. Eat and keep up your strength. They’re not going to let me starve to death. I’m too important to them, butyouare important tome.Understand?”
I kiss him in response. I would have lost my mind ages ago if I didn’t have Luka. What would I do without him?
* * *
It’s the night of our thirtieth day here when shit really hits the fan. I wake to the sound of Luka’s violent coughing and shaking. I try to cover him up with the scratchy blankets Jerome and Calvin provided us, but Luka pushes me away.
“Too hot,” he rasps.
I feel his forehead. He’s burning up. His skin is warm but covered in cold sweat. “Oh my God, Luka… We need a doctor.”
“I’m fine.”
“Rest. I’ll…”
My fingers itch. What am I going to do? I should have known something was wrong with his persistent cough. It sounds wet and harsh. Could it be pneumonia? I try to wrap him in my arms, cover him with my body for additional warmth. He’s gotten so thin it makes me want to cry. Were I not so severely dehydrated, I’d probably manage to shed a tear or two.
I’ve never been more relieved to see Jerome and Calvin when they arrive in the morning. I jump to my feet and approach them, clinging to Calvin’s chest for support.
