One more step. One more step.
My heart thuds heavy in my chest, sending much-needed fresh blood to my exhausted muscles. But the rhythm feels off, like a few beats are just a bit too early or too late. I'm just nervous, I tell myself. I just need to keep pushing and we’ll be at the end of the hike in no time.
I realize with a start that I can't hear the distant sea waves anymore. It's like there’s a bubble around my head, muffling out the sound. When my eyes dart up, my vision blurs at the edges.
In front of me, I can make out the shape of my husband. He's saying something to me, but I can't make out what. I try to explain, but my tongue feels thick in my mouth.
Then the whole world tilts. The sky spins underneath me, the dust sweeping up to replace the blue up above. I think maybe I hear my name.
The last thing I registered is a pair of strong arms catching me before my head can slam into the rocks. Then everything goes black.
33
JAMES
My heart hammers in my chest as Kostos speeds down the village street toward the private clinic. After Maura passed out, he led the way while I carried her down the path. He insisted on driving me to the clinic so I could sit in the back with her and monitor her. I worried he’d drive too slowly, but thankfully, he speeds like the devil is chasing us.
Fuck, why did I insist on this stupid hike? I should've canceled the moment Maura hesitated. I know she doesn't take care of herself, so it's my goddamn job to do it for her. And I failed.
Maura lies slumped against me in the backseat, her already-pale skin a sickly greenish white. My fingers press against the pulse point on her neck. Her heartbeat feels rapid and erratic, but at least it’s still beating. “Maura,” I mutter for what feels like the hundredth time. “Talk to me. Wake up.”
Her eyelids don’t open, and she doesn’t respond. My chest feels like it’s constrained by a gigantic rubber band. Fuck, I don’t know what I’ll do if something happens to her.
The car skids to a stop right in front of the clinic. Across the street, a pair of elderly Greek women stare at us disapprovingly.Their judgmental expressions stop the second I emerge from the backseat, my unconscious wife in my arms.
“I will come with you,” Kostos says, jumping out of the front seat. “In case you need a translator.”
“You've done more than enough. I contacted the clinic before we arrived on the island, and I know they have English-speaking staff.” At least I did that much. At least I did the bare minimum to look out for Maura’s safety.
He nods. “Then call me when you know that she’s well.”
I spare a second to give him a thankful nod before dashing inside the clinic. Inside, the waiting room is cool and clean, with slightly outdated wallpaper. I just hope their equipment is more updated than their decor. Thankfully, the waiting room is empty.
Behind the reception desk, a nurse with bright-red dyed hair looks at me with widened eyes.
“My wife passed out on a hike,” I say before she can greet me in Greek. “Her heartbeat’s erratic and she’s unresponsive. We need help.”
“Come with me,” she says quickly, opening the door that leads back into the clinic. She barks out a few words in Greek, summoning two other nurses and a man in a white coat—a doctor, I assume. One of the nurses gestures for me to follow him into a nearby room and lie Maura out on a table. The doctor leans down to check Maura’s airway while the male nurse starts hooking her up to the monitor.
I suck in a breath, but I can’t seem to get enough oxygen. Gasping for breath, I claw at the buttons of my shirt, trying to make space for my lungs. It’s too tight, and the air here is too damn thin.
A bitter metallic taste spreads over my tongue as I watch them fit an oxygen mask over Maura’s mouth. Can she breathe on her own? I can’t make out the rise and fall of her chest from this far away. I take a step toward her, then stop. I can’t get in thedoctors’ way. If I distract them—if I make them miss a step—if I fucking ruin this?—
The redheaded nurse taps my arm and gestures out into the hallway. “Come. I need you to answer some questions.”
I shake my head. “No. I won’t leave my wife.”
“We’ll let you back in once she’s stable. For now, I need all the information you can give me.”
I glance back at Maura, still lying unresponsive on the table. The doctor and nurses move quickly and reassuringly, chatting quietly in Greek. Even though every instinct demands that I stay at her side, I know the nurse is right. I’ll only get in their way. Still, my feet feel like heavy lead as I move. Every step away from her aches.
In the air-conditioned hallway, my sweat from the hike makes my skin clammy. Dust covers my skin and clothing in a thin sheen. I couldn’t feel more out of place in the sterile clinic.
The nurse opens a laptop, which she perches on a tall table. Her scrubs are patterned with little green leaves, and my eyes focus on the pattern. “What’s your wife’s name?” she asks.
“Maura Keller.” I spell it for her.
“Date of birth?”
