Isolated

Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Not much was said between Luke and I once we regrouped and he got in the backseat with me. However, there was enough in the crammed backseat to make up for our lack of words. There was tension along with unspoken worries I knew we both wanted to voice. It was written all over his stone face too thanks to the interior lights and the flashlight Luke set on the dash to shine back towards us. It helped him see as he patched up my hands, but it also assisted me in watching Luke.

His body was tense and he went out of his way to keep his eyes down. It allowed for me to closely take him in with no shame. It's how I saw the unusual amount of sweat forming around his face and his clenched jaw. The obvious silence highlighted his uneven breathing too. Clearly, there was a lot sitting beneath his tough surface. I think the reason he managed to keep it all hidden was because he was focused on my hand.

Luke's eyebrows stayed low and his gaze on his work. He began wrapping a long piece of fabric around my hand. The cloth was ripped from another blanket he found in the trunk of the car when he searched for more materials he could use.

Yes, after Jackson's outburst, Luke needed to collect more things before tending to me. Luckily, while he did that, it gave me a chance to take off my ring and tuck it into my jean's pocket. Trust me though, him discovering my ring was the last worry on my mind.

I looked between him and my extended left hand he was tending to, wishing I could do something to help him. Honestly though, I wasn't in much better shape mentally and I didn't know what I could do for him. Luke knew that – and that's why he was in the disturbed state he was in now. And it was bothering the hell out of me!

I needed to help him, keep worrying about him! I mean, he must be going crazy, right? Not knowing what to do, how to help me, how to control his feelings towards what happened. He didn't even know what exactly happened! Hell, the only thing he did know was that he couldn't take away anything that I faced tonight!

Couldn't take away anything I faced.... Ugh! It all flashed through my head again! The fear, paranoia, shock, the bodies and blood! All those gunshots too! Bullets that could have ended me at any second. They flew past me, all around me, and it would have only taken one to kill me.... I was lucky to be alive right now.

Oh god, I could see it all in my head! I could see it, hear it, and feel the pain and realization hit my gut! Everything that I numbed was crawling back into my system. I didn't want to deal with it! How could I block it out though?!

I pushed it away successfully when I forced my mind to continue worrying about Luke. I needed to keep my head in the present and busy. Keep my mind stressed and on Luke! Yes, that's it. Keep busy with worrying about him! It was easy enough to worry about him. What also helped so far was simply focusing on him being here with me. I just need to stay focused on that.

I winced when Luke pressed the fabric tighter against my palm. It made him pause and wince too, except he winced at seeing me in pain. "Sorry," he whispered, eyes remaining down.

"Don't worry about it, I'm okay," I said a little too quickly with a reassuring tone, needing to get something out to try to ease his pain.

He didn't answer me. He didn't even continue wrapping the material around my hand. He just... sat there, staring down, and it caused a ping in my heart. He was obviously having a hard time and needed help, right? What could I do to fix this?!

I didn't know what to say, what else to do! I felt ready to explode! I needed to help him. Yes, that's right. Luke didn't need to be worried and he sure didn't need this weighing on him!