Page 289 of Ruins
I take the bag from him without a word, my jaw tight, my hands clenching around the fabric.
“I don’t care how I look,” I mutter.
“I know,” Luca says evenly. “But she’s gonna wake up, and you’re the first thing she’s gonna see. You want her to wake up tothis?”
His words hit like a fist to the gut.
No. The last thing she needs is to see me like this, covered in blood, in the evidence of what she just survived.
Without another word, I step into the nearest bathroom, stripping out of the ruined shirt, the stiff, dried fabric sticking to my skin.
I scrub my hands, my neck, everywhere she touched with her blood stained hands, watching the blood swirl down the drain, but no matter how much I wash, I still feel tainted.
Like I didn’t do enough.
Like Ifailedher.
Because Idid.
I pull on the clean shirt Luca brought, rolling my shoulders, forcing my breath to steady.
Then, I walk back out, still restless.
Finally, The doors swing open. The doctor steps out, his expression steady as he approaches.
“She’s okay,” he says. And those two words ease something deep in my chest. “She’s just dehydrated, and there’s significant bruising around her neck, but no internal damage.”
I bite back the questions still swirling in my head, forcing myself to focus.
But there’s one thing I need to know. The question lodges in my throat, burning like acid.
“And…” I struggle to say it, my fury sharpening at the mere thought. “Did they…?”
The doctor meets my gaze, understanding the weight of what I’m asking.
“No signs of forced sexual assault, Mr. Amato.” His voice is calm, carefully controlled. “She’s physically unharmed in that regard.”
A quiet, cold relief rushes through me, settling deep in my bones. I nod, trying to keep my composure, feeling the weight lift, even as the anger remains.
The doctor hesitates. “We had to give her a mild sedative,” he says, shifting uneasily. “She woke up looking for you, and she… she wouldn’t allow us to continue the exam until she saw you.”
His eyes flick to mine, wary of my reaction.
“We did as you requested, but she was… understandably shaken.”
A fresh wave of fury burns through me, my jaw tightening.
She fought for her life—alone—and then she had to wake up to this? Without me there?
I exhale, forcing myself to stay in control, even as my blood boils beneath my skin.
“You can see her now,” the doctor says quickly, gesturing to the door.
I nod, then push past him without another word because nothing else matters.
Not the wreckage.
Not the war still looming.
