I’ve been terrified of blood since I was a child and the sight of it now made me freeze in panic. My instinct was to run, but my legs wouldn’t cooperate.
Brian pushed aside a steel beam and crawled toward us. Relief surged through me and I instinctively called out to him for help.
“Brian, I’m here! Help me!”
His focus, however, was entirely on Laurel. He hurriedly picked her up, sparing me only a brief glance.
“If you hadn’t caused a scene, Laurel wouldn’t have been trapped. And now you’re asking me for help? Shame on you!” he snapped.
The pretense was gone; he didn’t even bother to hide his disdain for me in this life-and-death moment.
Trembling, I held up my bleeding hand. “Brian, my hand is bleeding. If I don’t get to a hospital soon, I might die. Please, take me first to the hospital.”
For a fleeting moment, hesitation crossed his face. But then Laurel clung to his shirt, her voice weak.
“Brian, it hurts…”
He immediately shifted his attention back to her, his expression filled with panic. “I know, I’m sorry. But it’s going to be okay. We’ll get you to the hospital. You’re going to be okay.”
Brian turned and started walking away with her in his arms.