Page 88 of The Fighter
“The other pilot is landing,” Jake announced and the three of them ran to help the survivor, who had to be Leo. I wanted to go with them and make sure Leo was alive, but Laura was in a full-blown panic attack, hyperventilating, crying, and clinging to my hand as I whispered for her to breathe through her nose. I was holding her, hugging her tight, while my eyes searched for Leo.
When he came over, he fell to his knees next to us, planting his hand on my shoulder. “Magni?” It was a question and I gasped for air through my own tears to shake my head.
Leo shrunk back on his haunches and covered his face with his hands.
“The medics took Magni with them but he wasn’t breathing and he…” I couldn’t say it and heaved in air. “He lost…”
Leo’s eyes were large as he stared at me.
I couldn’t say it in front of Laura, so I leaned against Leo and whispered it in his ears. “Both his legs and one of his arms were detached from his body.”
Leo turned his head and frowned at me like he didn’t understand what I was saying.
“Inspector da Vinci, a second ambulance just arrived. You need to go to the hospital?”
Leo and I looked up and saw the police robot talking to him.
“No, I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine. You’re injured and need medical assistance.”
Only then did I look at Leo and noticed that he had the facial color of a vampire and that he was all bruised, with blood on his pants and shirt.
“We’re all going.” I pulled Laura up on her feet. “We need to follow Magni, and Leo needs to get checked over.”
“I’m fine,” Leo repeated and refused when the medics offered to put him on a stretcher. Instead he limped badly toward the ambulance when suddenly he stopped and groaned with pain.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, it’s just…” Leo’s face turned into a grimace of pain.
I had just called out to the medic, who was only one step ahead when Leo’s eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed on the ground.
“What’s wrong with him?” I cried as the two men took over.
“We don’t know. Could be internal bleeding,” one of them answered as they got him strapped on a stretcher.
This time, Laura and I followed inside the ambulance and sat holding each other’s hands.
“It’s going to be all right,” I whispered and squeezed her fingers.
Laura sniffled and looked down. “No, Raven. Without Magni nothing will ever be right again. At least not to me.”
CHAPTER 21
In the Hospital
Raven
The hospital quickly filled with Magni’s loved ones. Khan and my dad, Boulder, were pacing the waiting area with Solo. My mom, Christina, was trying to comfort Erika, who was sobbing. Mila and her younger siblings sat with their mother, Laura, who refused to eat or drink.
It had been three hours since the accident and Magni’s life was hanging on a thin thread. While we knew that Leo was sleeping after undergoing surgery for internal bleeding, it had been more than two hours since any information left the operating room where doctors were working on saving Magni’s life. Once again, we were left powerless, just waiting to hear if he would make it.
Willow had her arm around me and our heads leaned against each other.
“It’s my fault.”
“Why would you say that?” Willow stroked my arm.
