Page 2 of Claimed By 3 Mountain Men

I nod, trying to keep my voice steady, but inside I’m screaming.

Dad’s breathing is ragged and gurgling, each gasp a struggle. His eyes meet mine, and I see the pain, the fear.

“Hank,” he manages to say, his voice weak. “Take care of the family. Protect...protect the land.”

“We will, Dad, but you’ll be okay,” I choke out, tears blurring my vision. “Just hang on. Stay with me, alright?”

Ben and I lift him as gently as we can, but it’s clear he’s fading fast. We get him into the truck, and Ben takes the wheel, speeding down the dirt road towards town. I keep a firm pressure on the wound, my mind racing.

All my clothes are red, soaked through with his blood.

Hold on Dad, just hold on.I say to myself silently, like a mantra.

But as the truck barrels down the road, I feel Dad’s hand go limp. I look at him, and his eyes are closed, his breathing has stopped. Panic surges through me.

“Dad! No, no, no!” I shout, shaking him, but he doesn’t respond. “Ben, he’s not breathing!”

Ben’s face twists in anguish, and he presses the gas pedal harder, the engine roaring. “Hold on, Dad. Just hold on!”

Minutes later,the truck screeches to a halt outside the ER, and Ben and I haul Dad inside, shouting for help. Doctors swarm us, shouting orders, doing everything they can, but I can see it in their eyes—they know it's over.

They take him away, leaving us standing in the lobby.

Minutes stretch into eternity, and we have no choice but to wait.

The ticking of the clock on the wall feels like a hammer against my skull. Ben is pacing back and forth, his fists clenched at his sides. I can't hold it in any longer.

“This wouldn’t have happened if JT was around,” I snap, my voice low but fierce.

“Don’t start, Hank,” Ben sighs. “This isn’t the time.”

“When is it ever the time?” I hiss, my anger boiling over. “Dad’s been working himself to the bone ever since JT left. We’re down a man, Ben, and it’s killing him. Literally.”

Ben’s jaw tightens, and he takes a step closer. “You think I don’t know that? You think I don’t feel the same way? But blaming JT right now isn’t going to help Dad.”

I stand up, the chair scraping loudly against the floor. “We wouldn’t be in this mess if JT hadn’t bailed on us. He’s out there doing God knows what, while we’re here trying to keep everything together. Dad’s been pushing himself too hard, trying to make up for it.”

Ben’s eyes flash with frustration. “You’re not the only one who’s angry, Hank. But JT isn’t here to defend himself, and we’ve got bigger problems to deal with.”

I open my mouth to retort, but the ER doctor approaches us.

"I’m sorry," he says, his voice gentle but firm. "We did everything we could, but your father’s injuries were too severe. He lost too much blood."

Dad’s gone.

The rest of the world vanishes then. The reality crashes down on me like a wave, pulling me under, suffocating me.

The doctor continues speaking but I don’t hear any more words.

Neither one of us says anything. Instead, we stand there dumbfounded and stupid. I had known it was too late, but hearing the words spoken out loud—it’s as if someone’s shot me right in the fucking head.

“God dammit!” I holler, kicking the waiting room chair over with a solid, hard smack. It breaks, splintering right where my foot landed.

I turn hard.

I’ve got nothing else to say here. No other reason to be in this God forsaken hospital.

I storm out of the hospital, my vision blurred with rage and grief. The fresh air hits me like a slap in the face, but it does little to calm the storm spiraling inside. I make my way to the truck and lean against it, trying to catch my breath,

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