His back screamed in agony, the pain so intense he could hardly sit up.
The fiery sensation coursing through him felt like actual flames licking at his skin, making his suffering utterly unbearable.
He hadn't told Nevaeh the full truth.
He hadn't told her that at the very moment the car rolled off the cliff, he had thrown his entire body over hers, taking the full force of the impact.
He hadn't told her that when the car plunged into the icy river and he managed to kick the sunroof open, he endured excruciating pain to pull her unconscious body out, swimming against the current with the very last of his strength before finally carrying her to the safety of this shore and into the cave.
Nevaeh hurried back to the cave, clutching the precious medicinal herbs tightly in her hands, her heart racing with a mix of hope and fear.
