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He set the aeroplane down with a hard jolt, the wheels bouncing over the hard-packed dirt. More vehicles careened out of his way while men threw themselves to the sides as his aeroplane barreled down the road.

The aeroplane finally rolled to a halt right in front of the hospital’s front doors. Merrik waved, motioning to the orderlies who were standing on the front steps, their mouths hanging open. “I have a wounded warrior here. She needs help.”

As he shouted again, the orderlies leapt forward. One scrambled awkwardly onto the side of the aeroplane, putting a foot through the lacquered canvas rather than the inner wing bracing. At any other time, Merrik might have winced at the damage to his aeroplane. Right now, he couldn’t care less what happened to the biplane.

“This is Lt. Adriana Laesornysh.” Merrik struggled to get his arms under her and lift her from a sitting position.

She stirred and tried to help, but her weak flailing and whimper gave away her weakness from the blood loss.

The orderly’s eyes, already wide, just about bugged out of his head. He shouted over his shoulder, “The Laesornysh has been wounded! Get a stretcher!”

The bustle in front of the hospital increased. Almost before he knew it, Adry was lifted from his arms and whisked inside.

For a long moment, he could only sit there in his aeroplane, her blood cold and damp where it had soaked through his flight clothing. Should he just…take off again? Assuming his battered aeroplane could get off the ground. His duty lay in the sky with his squadron, even though he’d all but abandoned them to their own devices.

But his heart…his heart was in that hospital.

The whine of an aeroplane drew his gaze up to where Lije and Stickyfingers still circled overhead.

Merrik pressed the talk button, not quite sure what order he was going to give. “I should…”

“Stay with Adry, of course.” Lije’s tone was almost an order, despite the fact that Merrik was his commanding officer. At this moment, they were friends first.

“We’ve got this.” Sticky sounded almost cheerful, the way he always got when he was about to go blasting away with his machine gun.

“Linshi.” Merrik released the talk button and reached for the buckle of his lap belt. Right now, he would simply have to trust that the Half-Breed Squadron could take care of itself. Adry needed him.

He levered himself out of his aeroplane, stumbling as he struggled to remember to shove his magic into his wooden leg.

When he staggered into the chaos of the manor’s foyer, he was nearly run over by an orderly carrying a bundle of linens.

As he tripped back into the wall to avoid a collision, another orderly rushed to him and grabbed his arm. “Sir? Where are you hurt?”

“I am not hurt.” Merrik couldn’t quite process what the man was talking about. He needed to get to Adry. “I brought⁠—”

“You’re bleeding. Come this way. A nurse will evaluate your injuries.” The orderly began tugging his arm over his shoulders.

“No, no.” Merrik yanked away. “The blood is not mine. I brought in Adry…the Laesornysh. I’m her boyfriend. I need to go to her.”

“Oh, oh. Of course, right this way.” The orderly started tugging Merrik in a new direction. “You cannot go into the surgery room like that.”

The orderly snagged what appeared to be a neatly folded green clothing item of some kind before he shoved it into Merrik’s hands and Merrik into a room that turned out to be a small lavatory. “Wash up and dress in that. Leave anything bloodstained behind.” Then he shut the door in Merrik’s face.

After setting the folded item on the sink, Merrik scrambled out of his flight clothing, dumping it onto the floor. Without his flight boot, his left foot was in just his stocking, but at least the boot on his right leg would give his wooden foot traction, even if he’d walk with a lopsided gait.

The folded clothing item turned out to be a hospital gown that he could wrap around himself over his fatigue shirt and trousers. Once done, he took the time to wash his hands, figuring that being sanitary was highest priority.

He opened the door and stepped back into the hallway, finding the orderly still standing there. “I need to⁠—”

“Yes, yes. Come with me.” The orderly grabbed his arm again and dragged him down yet another hallway.

Merrik hurried to follow as quickly as he could, lurching between his boot and his stocking foot. Perhaps he should have simply taken the boot off to level himself out.

Within minutes, they stepped through another door into what had once been the large kitchen for the manor house. Now, it had been turned into the surgical suite, with the kitchen cupboards holding supplies, the countertops loaded with instruments, and the worktable draped in a white cloth.

Adry lay on the table, her fighting leathers removed and dumped in a pile in the corner. Her shirt had been cut away over her stomach, revealing the bloody wounds in her middle.

The sight of her laid out like that, so pale, her eyes closed, blood soaking into the sheet beneath her, had him staggering to a halt. His breath lodged, painful and tight, in his throat.