Page 44 of Severance

She won’t leave me here, even if it means she’s in danger.

“Fuck no,” Dahlia scoffs. “I don’t know you or your brother. Why the hell would I trust you to take him there?”

“Because my brother’s a doctor,” the man says indifferently. “It’s your only option if you want him to live.”

“Let me call Anthony,” Dahlia demands in the darkness.

“Anthony knows that I’m here with the two of you,” he informs her. “Would you like to keep wasting time here?”

The room falls silent and I’m still alone in the dark, with only the touch of her hand keeping me grounded. “Fine. Take us to your brother.”

Large arms slide underneath my body as something presses deeper into my chest. The pain rushes through my body and consumes me as I’m lifted into the air. It becomes unbearable with every movement and once again, I lose consciousness.

???

Why does it feel like I’m on a boat?

Am I dreaming?

“Nik,” the man barks loudly. “There was a problem, so get your little doctor kit ready.”

My eyes barely open as I hear his voice, I can feel that my head is in Dahlia’s lap. She strokes my head with one hand as she keeps her other pressed against my chest.

No, I’m not dreaming.

“Obviously it wasn’t me,” he scoffs and the sound of tires squealing comes from somewhere in the distance. “Marino’s son took a bullet to the chest.”

No, I’m not on a boat.

Silence fills the car and I wince as we hit a bump in the road. The man presses on the gas and the engine revs as it picks up speed.

“Do you really think that I had any fucking time to call Anthony?” The man sighs in the distance. “Just have your shit ready. We’re like ten minutes out.”

Dahlia’s hand pauses on my head and she adjusts in her seat. “Sorry,” she murmurs to me as I wince from the movement. “I need to call Anthony. Now,” she demands from the man in the front seat.

“It’s being taken care of.”

“I want to talk to him myself,” she insists sternly.

The man huffs. “I said it’s being taken care of. You can talk to him later.”

“Who’s taking care of that?” she demands.

“Jesus,” the man sighs. “Enough of the twenty fucking questions here.”

“My boyfriend is bleeding out in the back of your goddamn car,” she growls. “I’ll ask as many questions as I feel necessary.”

“Nikolai is calling him now.”

“Your brother, the secret doctor, knows Anthony too?”

“Mhm,” the man replies dismissively. “Apply more pressure to the wound before you get my seats covered in blood.”

“They’re leather,” she retorts. “You can easily wipe it off.”

“I think you’d rather his blood be inside his body than on my seats,” the man throws back at her. “Apply more pressure.”

Dahlia’s lips brush my ear as she dips her head down to mine. My body is too weak and I’ve lost a lot of blood, making it hard to keep my eyes open. I’ve barely made it through the car ride without losing consciousness.

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