Held Together
Copyright© 2026 by Heel
Chapter 3
Sirens broke the forest’s silence.
At first, Dara thought they were part of a dream—thin, wavering sounds cutting through the haze of pain and exhaustion. The lumberjack’s body tensed beneath her, and she felt him lift his head.
“That’s them,” he said, relief roughening his voice. “That’s help.”
He didn’t move her. He didn’t loosen his hold. He only shifted enough to raise one hand and wave when flashes of red and blue filtered through the trees. Voices followed—urgent, professional, overlapping—as paramedics pushed through the undergrowth with stretchers and medical packs.
“Female patient,” one of them said sharply, already kneeling. “Severe trauma. Don’t move her yet.”
“She fell outta the sky,” the lumberjack said. “Parachute’s up there. She’s broke bad—arms, legs, spine maybe. She was shakin’ so hard I held her still.”
The paramedic nodded once. “You did right.”
They worked around her quickly, efficiently. Hands appeared in her blurred vision—gloved, steady—cutting away fabric, checking pulses, shining a light briefly into her eyes. Someone spoke close to her ear.
“Dara? My name’s Sam. You’re safe now. We’re going to take care of you.”
A needle prick followed, then warmth spreading through her veins. The pain didn’t vanish, but it dulled, retreating just enough that her breaths came easier. The shaking faded into weak tremors, then stopped entirely.
“She’s got multiple fractures,” another voice said. “Both legs, both arms—suspected spinal injury. Full immobilization.”
A rigid collar was fitted around her neck. Straps followed—across her chest, hips, legs—securing her to a spine board. As carefully as possible, they transferred her onto the stretcher. He stepped back reluctantly, hands clenched at his sides, watching as if afraid she might shatter without him.
“Thank you,” one of the paramedics told him. “You kept her alive.”
The last thing Dara felt before the ambulance doors closed was motion—the smooth glide of wheels, the rhythmic sway of the vehicle—and the certainty that she was no longer alone.
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