Iris:
I thought he was gone. There was no moment from him for a while.
And then I noticed Kash push harder this time, and suddenly Luca's body jerked.
A harsh cough tore out of him as water spilled from his mouth. He turned to the side, choking and dragging in air that sounded painful, but at least he was alive.
I looked at Kash and gave him a relieved smile while Luca tried to steady his breathing.
"Breathe slowly," Kash instructed, gripping Luca's shoulders to steady him.
Luca blinked up at the night sky, confusion spreading across his face, likely from the memory of what had just happened.
It took him a few seconds to realize what we had gone through tonight and everything we had survived in the last few hours.
"Oh my goodness, you're okay," I said, my voice unsteady, but at least he was fine. "You're alive," I added, smiling through tears.
He swallowed hard, still breathing heavily, and held my hand, squeezing my fingers tightly as if confirming that he truly was there.
