Page 84 of The Last True Hero

She shot a look at Bethany. "Your mother's a healer...."

"I know a little, but not enough for this," Bethany cried, tears sliding down her cheek. "I don't know what to do."

And she'd been through too much in the past couple of days to pull herself together.

Jake shot Mia a look from where he had peeled back the shirt she’d used to staunch the blood. He swallowed visibly. “Mia….”

It was the kind of tone she didn’t want to hear. Words she knew she wouldn’t like. “No! Don’t you dare say it.” Even though her hands were covered with blood, she wouldn’t believe it. McClain still breathed. There was still a chance.

Her eyes pricked with tears.

“He’s got a punctured lung,” Jake said hesitantly.

“I can help him,” Colton’s voice insisted.

"I thought I told you to shut up?" Jake snarled.

But Mia looked up at the warg. "How? Are you a surgeon?”

“No.”

“Then how can you help?” Her eyes were hot. She didn’t think she could afford to give herself any false hope right now. “Don’t bullshit me. Not now. Can you save him?”

Colton tilted his head toward the wall and the ring of keys that hung there. In the distance someone screamed as the war games kicked into gear in the arena above them. “I can save his life. But you need to act now, or you’ll lose the chance.”

“Why should I trust you? McClain clearly didn’t,” she replied.

There was a long thoughtful silence, as he considered the prone man at her feet. “I have a lot of amends to make. Starting with McClain.” He met her gaze again. “I can save his life, Mia. But you won’t like it.”

"Jesus Christ, Mia!" Ellie snatched at the keys, trying to find the right one.

A chill sprang down Mia's spine as she eyed Colton's hands, still covered in Rykker's blood. Her mind caught up to what he was trying to say. Nobody deserved that fate. She'd rather see McClain die peacefully than turn his life into a nightmare. “I won’t let you make him a monster like you are. He wouldn't want that.”

Jake caught her hand. He swallowed. "He won't have to."

Colton’s lips merely twisted. “True. But the clock's running out, Mia. Time to choose.”