Within The Bonds

84: Rescue

Jumping down from the tree a painful hiss escapes my lips as the rugged bark of the tree cuts into the flash on my forearm leaving behind a small yet bloody mess.

"You alright?" He says coming to my aid before even I can fully assess the damage.

"I think so," I mutter in reply running my gaze over my dirty yet bloody arm.

"Let's go, you need medical attention," he declares grabbing my free hand and tugging me along when I show no move to start walking.

"Where's your head at?" He asks as we near the clearing while taking periodic halts to scan our surroundings.

Shrugging in response to him, I try gathering my thoughts that have seem to have scattered themselves leaving my mind in confusion and my head with an unbearable ache.

'Why does my head have to ache every time I'm in a challenging situation?!' I grumble inwardly while from the outside trying my best to mask the throb in my head and the pain that is slowly strengthening its grasp on every part of my body.

"If it's their reaction you're stressing over, then stop," he says bringing us both to an abrupt halt and pulling us behind a cover of a tree. "Right now, all you need to think about is getting home, the rest can come later," he reassures, yet my mind refuses to process it.

Everything that I had endured from the moment I woke up in that hospital up until now all comes flooding back, drowning my mind in a tsunami of overwhelm.

The pain, the fear, the betrayal...everything just comes rushing back with no way of stopping it from invading my better judgment. Now that I stand so close to returning back home, heartbreak adds itself to the mix.

"You are going to be fine; we are going to be fine," he continues his attempts to reassure me cupping my dirt-stained face in both his hands and softly running his thumb over the apple of my cheek in a soothing touch.

"I don't think we will be," I admit, my tone barely above a whisper as I lead my head back to rest against the tree standing guard behind me.

"So, you're giving up without even trying?" He questions, his tone impassive just as his once radiant green eyes.

"I don't know, this will just cause more drama," I confess. "And right now? All I want...all I need is the opposite," I breathe out.

"I understand, and I in no way want to be the cause of that drama," he mumbles into my hair as I burry my face into his chest and wraps my arms around his neck while he wraps his around my waist.

"But sometimes when we truly believe in something, we need to fight for it. I'm ready to fight for us if you are," he adds putting me in deep thought.

"Maybe...just maybe they'll agree to this?" I remark hopefully only to roll my eyes at my own statement as a sigh leaves my lips.

"Don't say it," I say raising my index finger up in a stop motion, knowing that he's about to point out the obvious thread of false hope I'm hanging by.

"I wasn't going to say anything," he defends earning an I-don't-believe-you look from me in response.

"Anyway, we need to get going," he remarks making me nod in agreement as we resume our track back towards the clearing.

The blaring sound of sudden shots being fired puts the two of us in hasty panic driving our senses into high alert. Ducking on instincts, we take refuge once again behind a row of trees, and with a halted breath, we wait in agonizing silence.

"What's going on?" I voice my thoughts trying my best to get a visual on my brothers, but failing despite numerous attempts.

"Stay down!" Alessandro reprimands tugging me back behind cover as I try to get a view of what's going on.