“You’re a fighter, Clint. Fight for this. Fight for your life.”
“Mom?”
Her body started floating away, and I reached out for her.
“Mom!”
“She’s waiting for you. Don’t let her down like your father let me down.”
“Mom! No!”
“You’re a fighter, Clint. Fight for this. Fight for your life.”
“You’re a fighter, Clint. Fight for this. Fight for your life.”
“You’re a fighter, Clint. Fight for this. Fight for your life.”
Then I drew in a deep, resounding breath.
“Holy shit.”
A yelp hit my ears and made me flinch. All the white had faded away. The warmth of my mother’s touch was gone. And for some reason, I was soaking fucking wet. I shivered as I gazed up at the night sky. A stark juxtaposition to my dream. Or my limbo. Or my purgatory.
Or whatever the fuck had just happened.
“Clint! Clint. Clint. Can you hear me, baby? Clint?”
I coughed. “R-Rae?”
Something warm cupped my cheek. “Holy shit. I—oh, my God. Clint! Don’t close your eyes, okay? Don’t close them again. The paramedics are coming. It’s almost over. Just—Clint!”
I felt her tap my face and a blinding pain shot through my skin. I groaned and lobbed my head over toward her, taking in her blurry form. The blackened outline gave me comfort. Much like the comfort I’d just experienced with my mother.
Or the vision of my mother.
“That hurts.”
Rae snickered. “Because your nose is broken. Keep your eyes open, okay?”
That explains a lot.
I heard footsteps off in the distance. I saw flashes of light and hears sirens above me. Rae settled against me, warming me with her presence as she gazed into my eyes. It was hard keeping my eyes open. My lungs felt like they were burning and drowning at the same time. She smiled at me. That tender, sweet, relieved smile she always had when she laid eyes on me.
And while I tried smiling back, my nose only let me go so far before I winced.
I groaned. “Yep. That’s broken.”
Rae sighed. “Your shoulder’s dislocated, too.”
“Explains the back pain.”
“Well, lying on a rocky river bank will do that, too.”
I snickered. “I suppose it will.”
She whispered. “I’m so glad you’re talking to me.”
“I know you are.”