Page 34 of Promises in the Dark

We followed the sound, our boots crunching on the dusty ground. We rounded a corner and found an abandoned building, walls crumbling and covered in graffiti. Through a shattered window, we peered inside, and what we saw wasn’t Taliban.

It was a bunch of refugees, beaten down and dirty, looking like life had taken a dump on them. Among them was a pregnant woman, clutching her swollen belly, barely holding it together.

“Jesus fucking Christ,” I muttered under my breath, taking in the dire situation.

Red with her I’m-about-to-save-the-world grin, said, “I don’t give a shit what you say, Rogue. We’re gonna help them.”

I felt my blood boil, my own demons whispering in my ear. “We’ll be putting ourselves at risk,” I argued, my concern for her safety overriding any sense of compassion.

This shit was dangerous, and I didn’t want to put her or myself at an unnecessary risk. But Red, that relentless pain in my ass, stood her ground.

“Are we just gonna let that poor woman suffer and possibly die giving birth?” she asked, her voice thick with emotion.

Unbelievable.

I grabbed her shoulder, my grip firm and commanding, halting her in her tracks.

“Stop! For fuck’s sake, we can’t save everyone!”

“But we can, at least, try!” she insisted, refusing to back down.

I looked at her, unsure whether to be moved by her persistence... or simply irritated by her stubbornness. I felt the weight of her words, the anguish in her voice. She had a point, and it tore into my soul like a dagger.

I sighed, my internal struggle ripping me apart, tearing at my fucking sanity. Every life we saved meant putting ours onthe line. We were already neck-deep in this shitstorm, and all I wanted was to get back to my base, where shit made sense and danger was more predictable so I could focus on finding the rat.

But this fiery-haired woman was driving me absolutely mad. The way she challenged my every instinct, pushed my buttons, and yet somehow managed to turn me on, it was a whirlwind of emotions.

It messed with my head, goddammit. I didn’t want to see any more innocent lives lost, but I also didn’t want to lose my own life in the process. Her obsession with saving every last soul clashed hard with my instinct to stay alive.

I couldn’t fucking understand why she risked it all, why she felt the need to save every person in need. But then it hit me like a freight train. Red couldn’t save herself. She was drowning in her own bullshit, and saving others was the only way she knew how to keep her head above water.

It was twisted as hell, but it made sense. I saw it in her eyes, that haunted look she wore like a second skin. She carried every damn life we crossed paths with like it was her personal burden to bear. As much as it pissed me off, I couldn’t deny that I had some respect for her unrelenting drive.

Fuck, it was both infuriating and kinda admirable. And, without meaning to, I understood her in a way that surprised the hell outta me. We were both damaged, both chasing some sort of salvation in the chaos we thrived in.

I let out an exasperated sigh, loosening my grip on her shoulder. After a second of mentally slugging it out with myself, I gave in.

“Alright, Red, let’s do this. But remember, if shit goes south, I won’t hesitate to rip the world apart to keep you safe.”

Red let out a light chuckle and rolled her eyes. “Sure, I’ll keep that in mind.”

Sweat, piss, and desperation. What a great cocktail for my senses. “I’ve never done this before,” I broke the silence, sweat trickling down my forehead.

Red turned to me, and looked at me dead serious. “Neither have I,” she replied without breaking stride.

I stopped dead in my tracks, absorbing her words and staring at her like she’d grown another head, my mouth hanging open like a dumbass. “Wait, what?” I sputtered, my jaw hanging low.

She continued walking, looking as calm as a Buddhist monk.

“You’re shitting me, right?” I blurted out, shocked by her lack of reaction.

She just smiled, but there was no humor in it. “I’ve assisted other doctors, but I’ve never personally delivered a baby.”

I felt my jaw hit the motherfucking ground.

And I damn near laughed.

“Assisted? That’s like saying you’ve watched an entire season of ‘Grey’s Anatomy’. Doesn’t mean you can perform open heart surgery, does it?”

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