of the wreckage and the sound of my own ragged breathing. The hope she had b

e was barely a whisp

helping other people, buddy. But other helpers will

ds tasted

ow frighteningly still. I put my fingers to his neck, fumbling in t

oing int

ostled him gently. "Talk to me! Te

le

eo

and over, my voice a shredded wreck. I beat my free hand against the debris above me until

utes or hours. In that dark, timeless space, I began to g

oices. A di

urvivor here! Getting a

coursed through me. I summo

HERE! MY SON I

r movements sure and swift. Light pierced our tomb as they pulled aw

expression was the first face I saw.

to get you out.

. Leo. His leg is trapp

nned. The grim line of his mouth tightened. "Okay, Da

. My own injuries were an afterthought. All I could see was the team working carefully

able mess. It was swollen, discolored, and horrifically still. They had him on a small stre

eshift field hospital. The chaos of the disaster

me toward a tent. He had the sa

ed to talk to you

rrounded by machines, beeping and whi

When his leg was compressed for so long, the muscle tissue began to die. Now that he's been

s washing over me. "What does tha

lize him, but the source of the toxins is the leg itself. The tissue i

e air, obscene and

. "No, there has

of genuine pity. "There isn't. If we don't d

h a consent form attached. T

little boy who loved to run an

alled, if she had rescued us even thirty minutes earlier, would it have mad

ut. I knew the answer. It was her

ned my name, giving them permission to mutilate my son to save his life. I signed a