Page 116 of Bones
Madame said something, but it sounded garbled. I closed my eyes, hoping the room would stop spinning.
“Bones.” Mac shook me. “Can you heal Mist one more time?”
“Yeah,” I mumbled, hoping I could.
He half lifted me to my feet, and the pain in my back made me nauseous. Hawk glared at me, tears on his face. Madame had pulled her knife from Mist’s shoulder. Mist’s eyes were closed, her face deathly pale. I knew from just a glance that if I didn’t heal her, she’d be dead in a few minutes.
I placed my shaking hands on the wound and tried my best to focus. My healing power flowed with a sharp pain, a warning of an approaching burnout, and my stomach dropped in panic. Mac stood at my side, and it wasn't long before I depended on him for support. His hands tightened on my hips, holding me upright. My healing power slowed to a thin thread, but I kept going, watching with blurry vision as the wound slowly closed. When it did, I could have cried from relief. Madame spoke—maybe to me—but I used all my remaining energy to keep myself upright. Mac half carried, half dragged me out of the room. He hesitated at the stairs, then swore.
“I’m so sorry, Bones,” he said, then scooped me up into his arms. I couldn’t help the cry that escaped my lips, pain stabbing through my back and?—
* * *
"It's alright, darlin'." A low, comforting voice.
A cool cloth moved across my forehead.
“I can’t,” I whimpered. “I can’t do it anymore.”
“I know. I know, Bones,” that voice murmured.
“Please don’t—” I choked on a sob. I didn’t know what I was saying. This felt like a dream.
“You want me to go?”
I squinted, bringing Trey’s blurry face into focus. I lay on my stomach on the hard metal table again, chills shaking me and making pain lance across my back with the movement. Panic surged through me like I’d just grabbed an electric fence.
“No,” I gasped, trying to reach for him. “Don’t go. Please don’t go.”
"Ok. It's ok. I'm right here." His warm hand gripped mine and squeezed. "I'm not goin' anywhere, darlin'."
“Fuck, some of these stitches ripped,” someone said.
“You sure we can’t?—”
“No. Absolutely not.”
"Well, you better get ready to fucking hold her down."
I didn’t understand what they meant, but the next thing I knew, my back burned in agony, and I screamed until darkness swallowed me again.
* * *
“—she doing?”
“She’s still unconscious.”
“This has to stop.” The words were whispered like a secret.
In the silence, I struggled to pry my eyes open. I lay on my stomach on my mattress again, my body aching.
“I brought some broth. I know she drinks it often.”
“Thank you,” Griz said. “She’ll really appreciate that.”
“Tell her….tell her I’m sorry.”
“I’ll do that.”
