CHAPTER 27
Every step feels like I’m walking through cement. My head pounds with every heartbeat, and blood still trickles down my face. My vision blurs with exhaustion and fear. I can barely hold myself upright, but James’s arm around me is steady, grounding me.
“Almost there,” he whispers, his voice quiet but firm. I cling to it, to him, like a lifeline. Almost there… The words repeat in my head. I don’t dare hope too much. Not yet.
I hear distant voices, shouting, and then the wail of sirens cutting through the night. My heart leaps. They’re here. Someone found us.
James stiffens, scanning the tree line. “Isabel, stay close. Don’t make any sudden movements.” He’s tense, and I can feel it in his grip. Please let them be the right people, I think desperately. I can barely whisper, “Noah…”
He gives me a quick, reassuring squeeze. “You’re going to be okay. I promise.”
Then I see them, flashing lights through the trees. My chest constricts, relief and fear fighting for dominance. I want to run to them, but my body won’t respond the way I want. I’m so weak.
“Stay with me,” James murmurs, and I do. I stayed with him. And finally, the paramedics reached us. Their hands are gentle but urgent, lifting me onto the stretcher. The weight of the night, the terror, everything… starts to lift, just slightly. I feel hope. I feel safe.
I lie back on the gurney, feeling the ambulance rumble beneath me. Every bump in the road makes my head throb, but James’s hand is steady, warm, a tether to the world. I barely have the strength to blink, but I cling to his grip like a lifeline.
“James…” my voice is barely audible, strained and hoarse.
“I’m right here, Isabel. Don’t you worry,” he says, his eyes scanning my face, reading every flicker of pain, every shiver. His thumb rubs circles over my knuckles, a gentle, grounding rhythm. “We’re almost there. Just a little longer.”
I let my eyes flutter closed, but I feel him tighten his grip instantly.
“No sleeping. You promised.”
I force myself to open one eye, groaning softly. “I pinky promise,” I whisper, my fingers curling around his.
“That’s my girl,” he says, a small chuckle in his voice, though his eyes are sharp, alert, scanning every movement in the ambulance. “Now save your energy. You’re going to need it.”
I relax against the gurney, letting the exhaustion wash over me, knowing he won’t let anything happen. And even as every nerve in my body aches, every pulse reminds me of the blood I’ve lost, there’s comfort in his presence. In this chaos, he is my anchor.
I watch out the window, and slowly watch the park fade away into darkness as the paramedic begins placing an IV and blood pressure cuff. I used to love this place, but now I hate it. I’m fine if I never come back to this place ever again.
Maybe it’s the shock or the trauma or just pure curiosity, “James, do you believe in soulmates?”
“I don’t really know. Maybe –” he’s cut off by the ambulance stopping and the hustle begins as we pull up to the Emergency Department that I was at a little over a week ago. James squeezes my hand for reassurance.
“I’ll be with you every step of the way. Pinky promise” James winks.
“Thank you for saving my life. I owe you” a tear sliding down my cheek.
He wipes the tear away, “I’ll cash it in at a later date.”.
They pulled me out of the ambulance, while the cops created a barrier for the reporters, but cameras are still on me.Through the blur, I hear it… my mom’s voice, sharp and frantic: “Bella!”
I turn slightly, and there she is, running, tears streaming down her face, arms outstretched. My heart twists, a mix of guilt and relief. She’s here. She’s real. She’s safe.
“Mom” I manage to whisper, my voice raw, hoarse.
She reaches me, wraps me in a tight, desperate hug, holding me as if she’s afraid to let go. “You’re alive… Thank God… my baby, you’re alive!”
I feel her sobbing into my shoulder, and for the first time in hours, the tension in my body starts to unravel. James stays right beside me, letting my mom hold me, but his hand squeezes mine under hers, a quiet reminder that he’s not going anywhere.
“Noah!” I hear my mom call out, and I feel her pull back just enough to see him, standing there, pale, eyes wide, chest heaving from the panic he’s just endured. Relief floods him the moment our eyes meet.
I squeeze James’s hand, then reach for Noah. “I’m okay,” I whisper, though my voice isn’t very audible.
And in that moment, surrounded by the people who love me, I let myself finally believe it. I’m alive. I’m safe. And I’m not alone.
Noah looks between me and James, confusion written all over his face. “Wait… you just… found her? You helped her?” His voice cracks slightly, disbelief and relief mixing together.
I manage a weak nod, my fingers still clutching James’s hand. “He… he was the only other campsite I saw when I ran. He helped me back… home,” I whisper, voice barely above a breath. The darkness around my edges is creeping in again, my body screaming for rest.
James gives my hand a gentle squeeze, steadying me. “She’s strong,” he says softly, almost to himself, “but she needed help, and I was there to give it.”
I lift my head just enough to look at him, trying to muster the energy to speak. “Thank you… for saving my life,” I whisper, tears slipping down my cheeks. Every word feels heavy, but true.
Noah exhales sharply, a mix of relief and disbelief. “James… I… we owe you everything,” he says, his voice thick, eyes glistening.
James shakes his head, brushing it off with a small, humble smile. “Noah, you take care of her now. That’s all that matters. I just did what anyone would hope to do.”
James squeezes my hand, his face tight with worry, but even he’s being gently pushed aside so the team can work. My mom tries to reach me, crying, but a nurse firmly guides her back. “Mom, you can’t help right now. She needs us,” one of them says, voice steady but urgent.
I can barely focus, my vision flickering at the edges. “I… I’m okay,” I croak, though my body shakes violently. My lips are dry, my throat scratchy, and every pulse feels like fire racing through me.
“You’re going to be okay, Bella. Just hang on,” James whispers, leaning close so only I can hear him. His hand tightens around mine, grounding me. “We’ve got you.”
The next minutes blur into a haze of cold stinging IVs, sharp voices giving orders, and the relentless beeping of monitors. I feel blood pumping back into my veins, feel the fluids fighting against the weakness trying to drag me under.
And amidst it all, one thought keeps repeating:
I’m alive. I’m still alive.
I let out a groan and roll my eyes, feeling the IV tug slightly in my arm. “Yeah, no naps in my foreseeable future, huh? Fantastic.”
Dr. Katz smiles, shaking his head as he adjusts his stethoscope. “I know, kid. I know. But better now than later, right? We get some images, check that surgical site, make sure your head’s behaving, and then maybe you can catch some z’s. Deal?”
I sigh and nod reluctantly. “Deal. But can we at least make it quick? My brain feels like it’s made of fog and cotton.”
“Fog and cotton it is,” he replies, scribbling on my chart. “You’re lucky, you know. You’re one tough kid.”
I glance toward James, who’s sitting quietly in the corner, still holding my hand. His thumb rubs little circles over my knuckles, and I feel my chest tighten with gratitude and exhaustion. Even now, I can’t believe he stayed by my side through all of this.
“Thanks for staying, James,” I whisper, voice barely audible.
He leans closer, his gentle chocolate-brown eyes locking with mine. “I’m not going anywhere, Bella. You just focus on staying awake for the next five minutes. That’s all I need from you.”
I can’t help but manage a tiny smile. Between the chaos, the pain, and the fear, that simple promise feels like the safest place in the world. I stare at the ceiling, numb, feeling the fluids drip into my veins like a lifeline.