Page 68 of Deacon

The surge hit my bloodstream within seconds, dulling the edges of the agony tearing through my limb.

The pain drifted away, leaving me floating in a hazy, detached euphoria, and for the first time in days, I sighed in relief.

The pair stripped away the old, blood-soaked bandages where my skin had torn, inspecting the crooked angle of my limb.

Tariq set the bone in alignment and wrapped the rigid splint around my lower leg, tightening the straps.

The torture of it still bladed through the drugs, and when I gasped, Deacon leaned in, lending his hand.

I clutched it, my fingernails left welts on his skin, focusing on his ink and his muscled forearm.

I almost fainted until Deacon tut-tutted.

‘Don’t pass out now, beautiful. Eyes on me, only me. You waver, I’m taking it personally,’ he whispered with a wink.

This man.

Always so bossy, always so in charge.

I kept my eyes locked on his, and somehow, I relaxed.

The medics’ splint and immobilization stabilized the tibia.

Sina also grabbed a thick blanket roll and wedged it beneath my calf, elevating the limb higher than it had been above my chest.

Tariq then placed a gel ice pack over the swollen tissue, secured it with temporary bandages, and stepped back.

The cold numbed the remaining shooting pains.

I mumbled my thanks to the duo with a shaky smile.

My eyes then sliced to Deacon’s and latched onto him as Tariq and Sina left to get a gurney.

He took my hand and squeezed it, our gazes still locked.

‘Passport? Wallet?’ he rumbled.

I thought for a moment, then pointed to my cross-body bag, which held my key belongings.

He lifted it and slung it over his body.

‘I’ll get the crew to get the rest of your gear.’

The medical pair returned with a sturdy stretcher, placed me on it, and rolled me out of the tent.

We stopped near Salim, Baz, Luka, and the rescue team, who were huddled to discuss logistics.

Deacon kept my hand in his as the team went through our exfil plan.

‘While the ash is dissipating, there’s a cold front, with storms and lightning forecasted. The clouds are dropping lower,’ Baz declared. ‘If you don’t spin those rotors in an hour, you’ll be stuck in this valley for a week.’

‘My bird can handle the soup,’ Captain Malik replied with a tight smile.

‘If Yael can hitch a ride with you, I’ll pack up camp and travel with Salim back to Addis,’ Baz offered.

‘You’ll have hardly any visibility for miles. Like living on the edge, ay?’ Luka teased him.

‘It’s the only way,’ Baz grinned.