Chapter 17
The pain arrived loud and clear when hands lifted Alex onto the stretcher. He knew they didn’t mean to hurt him, not like that maniac who was trying to steal their little boy. But the shift and motion woke up a dark heat inside his chest. Trying to force air into his lungs had been hard enough before fire settled under his ribs.
His head swam when they lifted him, making the blue sky and Etan’s green eyes fade to gray. Alex gritted his teeth, trying to stay in the world.
“Still with us, Alex?”
That was Sandy, at least he thought so. She sounded a thousand miles away, her words distorting with the impossibly fast beat of his heart.
“Not quite.” His voice sounded tinny in his ears. “About to pass out.”
“That’s blood loss and shock,” she said. “Hang in there if you can.”
Ale
