“Talk to me.”Delgado gasped.Her heart squeezed itself into a small black box in the middle of her chest.“Tell me something… anything.”
Rowan saw Kenwood look up, blue eyes swimming behind wire-rimmed lenses.He shook his head slightly, and she didn’t need to be psychic to understand it.
“Justin!”Her voice almost broke.“Move to your right!Now!”
“Good,” Yoshi said clinically.“Fifty feet, straight ahead, will bring you to another access hatch.After that it’s a straight shot to the open.”
“Fifty feet straight ahead, Justin.”Her lips were numb.“Keep moving.Please.I don’t know what I’d do if you didn’t come back, we have to talk.”
“That’s right,” he said, husky.“Talk to me, angel.”
“He’s in bad shape, Ro,” Yoshi said.“Keep him talking.Move him fifty feet straight ahead.”
“Justin, keep walking.Keep walking, keep moving.Please.I want to talk to you.”
“Mad at me?”The vulnerable tone made her flinch.“Left before I could say…”
“Of course I’m not mad at you.You’re my hero, remember?Just keep moving.Where are you hurt, Justin?”
“Don’t ask him that,” Yoshi said urgently.“Keep him moving.”
“Justin, keep going.”She managed not to sound as if her throat was full of sand.“One foot in front of the other.”
“Chest.He got me in the chest.Christ.”
“Just keep going.”Rowan’s mouth was dry, too.The vision of her father rose again—the little gurgle, Daddy’s head tilted back, the light vanishing from his body.If that happens again…
“Hey… Rowan… mad at… me?”
“Of course not,” she said sharply.“Keep moving.”
“Okay,” he said, obediently.
“Oh, shit.Rowan, get him to stop.Jesus.”Yoshi sounded frantic.
“Justin,stop!”
“Okay.”Obediently.“Talk to me, angel.Talk to me…”
“When I was little, my mother told me I was special,” she said, searching desperately for any subject other thanmy God you’re bleeding buckets and I can’t do anything about it.“She told me I should always do good, that God had blessed me.My father?—”
Yoshi interrupted.“Have him start moving, Rowan.Straight ahead.”
“Justin, I need you to move again.Straight ahead.”
“Okay…”
“Good work.”Yoshi, calm as ever.“Keep him moving.”
“Beautiful.Rowan?—”
“Keep moving, Justin.I really need to talk to you.”
“Mad at me?”
“Of course not.”Why does he keep asking?“Don’t be silly.Just hold on… keep going.”
“’Kay.”
