How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Jarrod's brow was deeply furrowed, his vision shrouded in darkness.

Elodie's panicked voice barely pulled him back to consciousness for a fleeting instant. With great effort, he lifted a trembling hand and gently touched the back of her head. "It's all right... Andrea and the others will be here soon. Don't be scared..."

His voice was barely a whisper, thin and weak.

But to Elodie, every word felt like a needle piercing her heart, the ache spreading through her chest and lungs.

Ignoring the searing pain in her arm-likely fractured from the impact-she scrambled off Jarrod's body. Her hands shook as she reached for his, completely lost as to what to do. "Tell me where it hurts, Jarrod. Please, open your eyes and look at me."

She desperately tried to find the source of his injury.

But she barely dared to touch him.

After all, her entire adult weight had crashed down on him from the second floor. The damage to him had to be severe.

Even though she was already as light as she could possibly be.

Jarrod's eyelids were unbearably heavy; her words barely registered in his mind. Suddenly, Elodie's hand came away slick and warm with blood.

The heat of it made her heart clench painfully, and her face turned deathly pale. That warmth meant he was still bleeding-badly.

She knelt at his side, body shaking with cold, her expression crumbling. Her voice was hoarse as she called out, "Ivan! Andrea! Hurry, bring the car! He-he needs a hospital, now!"

corner; she jumped out, visibly shaken, and immediately hefted Jarrod

the distance as chaos erupted

clutching her shoulder, climbed in after

tore through the streets

lane was cleared for them, and Jarrod was rushed into surgery at breakneck

outside the operating room, her

she just stared at

arm was clearly injured. She hurried

doctor quickly examined Elodie's arm, frowning. "How did

kept her eyes fixed on the surgery doors, swallowing hard against her

disbelief. "That high? It's only

cut straight

It was true.

with his body, she

no time. "You'll need surgery

operated on. Her eyes were red and burning as she turned

understood the gravity of the situation and nodded solemnly. "Don't worry, ma'am. I'll handle things

the unrelenting pain coursing

longer move it at

a night of

drawn and ashen. He was out of