Brandon's fingers dug into the snow, his nails scraping against frozen earth as he forced his broken body to move.
Pain exploded through his ribs and his shoulder, but he gritted his teeth and pushed.
He rolled onto his side first, a choked gasp escaping as pain lanced through his chest.
"Haa..." Blood dripped from the gash on his cheek, warm for a moment before the cold stole it.
His vision swam and black spots danced at the edges, but he blinked them away.
'Up. Get up.'
His arm shook violently as he pressed his palm to the ground.
Muscles screamed in protest, torn and bruised, but he pushed harder.
The world tilted, snow crunching under his weight as he dragged himself to his knees.
Every breath was pain. Every heartbeat echoed in his skull.
But he still stood up slowly.
He lifted his head.
And looked at the woman.
Snow continued to fall between them.
His gaze quivered 'I can't contact Elize because inside a rupture zone, communication devices won't work.'
