Page 147 of Salvage Him

I searched for him, but I couldn't see out of one eye—it was covered in blood—and the other wasn't focusing too well. I caught his hands and realized he was below me. I pushed my hair out of my face, and it fell back. I wasupsidedown.

"I will. But first, I need you to calm down. What's your name?" heasked.

"Brooklyn."

"Okay, Brooke.You're—"

"No, Brooklyn." I wheezed betweenbreaths.

"Brooklyn, you're going to be okay." His hands reached up and touch my wrist. "How's yourbreathing?"

"I can't"—I coughed again—"breathe."

"Okay, you might have a collapsed lung." He climbed up into the cab. He was kind of handsome in a television doctor sort of way. I laughed out loud. I must be goingcrazy.

He reached up and placed his hands on either side ofmyneck.

"Without moving too much, try to move your legs. I want to make sure you aren't pinned in here." He soothed me and annoyed me. Why was he so calm? I was upside down and trapped inacar.

I did as he asked and drew my legs up toward my chest, but something inside wasn't right. I screamed fromthepain.

"Okay. I know it hurts. Keep your head still." He reached down and pressed onmyside.

I screamed. The pain seared hot across my stomach and into my lower back. It knocked the wind out of me all overagain.

"Okay. Sorry. Might be a few broken ribs, too. Possible internalbleeding."

"Dr. Andrews. The ambulance is four minutes out." Someone spoke. A weird squawking noise hurt my ears. "Are you going to extract thepatient?"

I looked around the inside of the car. A tree limb had punctured the windshield on the driver’s side. I reached out and touched it, pulled off a piece of bark and dropped it. I watched it fall to theground.

My chest hurt. I couldn't take a deep breath. Something was wrong with this picture, and then ithitme.

If the tree is in the driver seat, thenwhereis. . .?

"Doctor," I said. I couldn't remember his name. "The guy." I couldn't remember his name,either.

"Stand by, SJ6." He adjusted, and the car rocked. "Whoa, I'm not sure this isstable?"

"Where's Paul?" The name popped into my head. I breathed out thewords.

Dr. Adams jumped down to theground.

"No, please don't leave me." I strained to follow him. I gripped at the seatbelt but couldn't get it torelease.

"Brooklyn. I'm right here." He poked his head up again. "See. Right here. Stop moving. Take short, shallowbreaths,okay?"

The sirens calmed me alittle.

Breathing becameeasier.

"Harrison." I took a minute to breathe. "He's going to bepissed."

"Who's Harrison?" Dr. Andrewsasked.

"My boyfriend." I laughed and grimaced fromthepain.

He scrunchedhisface.