𝑺𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒆𝒓𝒔 | r. slivko

07. aftermath

"I'm fine," I say, standing up, brushing off my knees. "I'm gonna smash through the glass to get to you, okay?"

I search the outer ruins of the helicopter for something strong enough to break the glass until I discover a decent-sized boulder in some brush.

This should do the trick.

"Close your eyes," I say, preparing to launch the rock at the windshield. It grows heavier by the second.

"Okay, just let me know whe– aAHH" Slivko shrieks as I let the giant boulder fly into the windshield, shattering the glass. "Jeeze, not even a 'one, two, three,' or anything?"

I step over the shards towards Slivko, glad Mason had me wear these thick work boots. "You can open your eyes now, you big baby."

He opens his eyes and watches me study his predicament. It seems the only way to get him free is to pry the two collapsed pilot-seats apart. I glance around for a strong stick, or a metal rod – something to give me some leverage.

Not seeing anything, I first try to use my body weight to pull the seats apart. They don't move an inch.

"This might hurt," I mutter, now trying to twist Slivko's leg out from between the two seats.

"Ahh," he hisses, the rest of his body writhing in pain.

"Sorry," I say, letting go of his leg.

"Wait, no!" he says. "Try– try it again. But at the same time. Try to pull the chairs apart while lifting it."

"How could I do that? I only have two hands."

"The rock? Could you put the rock between and slide it over to push them apart?"

Maybe.

I pick up the boulder I'd thrown through the now-shattered windshield and try to wedge it between the seats where the opening is biggest. It almost rolls over the back and into the middle part of the chopper where I'd been trapped before, but I steady it. Carefully, I roll it sideways as far as it will go into the space between the two seats – oh so slightly, the top seat lifts a smidge off of the other.

This might work.

I groan, pushing harder, straining in order to get more space for Slivko to slip free.

At last, he inhales sharply as the seat is lifted an inch above his leg. Carefully, I guide his shin out from the crevice.

"Ohhh, thank God," Slivko sighs, sinking fully to the ground.

Once freed, he immediately crawls his way out of the ruined cockpit and onto the leafy foliage of the jungle floor. "That thing can blow any second," he says, nodding back towards the chopper. I follow after Slivko, trying to get him to stop moving for one gosh-damn second.

He finally stops crawling away from the chopper, assuming the distance between it and us is far enough, in case it spontaneously combusts. I crouch down to examine his leg, and he looks up at me – his soft, wide eyes meeting my own. "You okay?" I mumble, looking downwards to hide my blushing cheeks.

"I'm fine," he says. He rolls up his pant leg a bit, as if to prove it to me. "Circulation is a little weak, but if I get up and moving," he explains. "Should be fine.. Wait."

"What?"

"Hold up a sec, you don't actually care about me, now, do you?"

I feel my face flush red again – this boy seems to have that effect on me.

"You basically just saved my life," Slivko said.

"Well.. no shit, Sherlock, someone had to do it for you."

That comeback didn't have the effect on him I'd hoped for, as now he's grinning at me like a goofball.

"Don't make me regret it," I grumble.

"Wouldn't dream of it."

//

So... it appears Reg & Lilah are on their own together for now? Anyways, If you enjoyed this chapter, PLEASE, PLEASE VOTE! It means a lot! Ima try to update more often. As always, thanks for reading!

–autumn