Morozov

Chapter 29

"NO!" I heard Jack scream. The scream was so terrified and pain-filled, for a second I thought something happened to Mallory.

I flinched, my whole body cringing as I slammed my eyes shut. Only when I felt a sharp pain at the side of my throat was when I opened them again.

I furrowed my brows.

I'm not dead. Why am I not dead?

Marvolo and Filip charged forward, pulling Archie off me before hauling him out with Ace. Finally, I could breathe freely again.
As for moving, I wasn't so lucky.

I groaned as the pain settled in, using one of the knocked over chairs as leverage to sit up.
"Are you okay?" Mallory asked concerned when she reached me. We were alone in the room with the exception of Jack.

"Can you get up?"

I just shook my head, unable to speak, let alone breathe, through the pain.

"What exactly hurts?"

"Fucking everything," I answered shortly, trying to calm my breathing as my one hand found the left side of my ribcage, where the most pain came from.

"Maybe try and be a little more specific?"

I tutted. Wasn't that obvious?
"My ribs hurt the most. My back hurts and I think I hit my right elbow," I managed, clutching the leg of the chair like my life depended on it.

"Okay. I'll call someone but first we have to get you somewhere a little more comfortable," she explained in a calm voice, probably attempting to have the same effect on me, before she wrapped her arm around me and tried to help me up.

"On the count of three, okay? One, two, three-"

Another scream ripped through the air when I tried to move. "Holy shit!" I cursed frustratedly as I sat back down.

Mallory looked at Jack, searching for help. "I can't carry her," she said helplessly.

Jack looked deep in thought for a moment before his shoulders slumped. He pushed off the wall and dropped his arms as he approached.

"You owe me something after this," he warned with his finger and eyebrows raised. Then he crouched down next to me.

"It'll hurt," he said and I fully believed that. I half expected him to 'accidentally' drop me or squeeze extra hard just to worsen my pain.

But to my surprise, his touch was gentler than ever as he wrapped his arms around me, picking me up bridal style.

It still hurt. But from the movement, not from Jack's touch.
That was the first time in years that physical contact with Jack didn't result in an injury or two.

"Lead the way," Jack ordered calmer than normal, gesturing his head toward the door. My sister lost no time and immediately started walking.

Fuck what I said about the chair. My hands clung to his shoulder like my life depended on him. Maybe it did, considering at least one of my ribs was broken and it didn't seem to be that harmless. I also attempted to lift some of my own body weight off my ribs by pushing up at Jack's shoulder. I didn't know whether that really helped or not.

"Are you okay?" Jack whispered ever so slightly, keeping his eyes forward.

"No. I think my ribs are broken," I whispered back and I could swear I saw a corner of his mouth lift for a second.

After he put me down on the couch, a doctor - who I didn't think had a license anymore and worked for Ace because of that - arrived and had a good look on my torso.