The peace of the reconciliation was shattered in a heartbeat. It was supposed to be a simple drive—a rare moment with just the two of them, no motorcade, heading to a private dinner to celebrate their truce. Keifer was behind the wheel of the sleek black SUV, his hand resting over Jay's on the center console.
The hit didn't come from the front. It was a calculated, high-speed T-bone from a heavy-duty delivery truck that had "lost" its brakes at a blind intersection.
The Impact
POV: Jay
One moment, I was laughing at a joke Keifer made about Percy's cooking. The next, the world turned into a kaleidoscope of screaming metal and shattering glass. The sound was deafening—a bone-deep crunch as the truck slammed into the driver's side.
Airbags exploded like white ghosts. My head snapped to the side, and for a second, everything went black.
When I opened my eyes, the world was tilted. Smoke was curling from the dashboard, and the smell of gasoline and burnt rubber filled the cabin. My ears were ringing with a high-pitched whine.
"Keifer?" I croaked. My voice felt like it was full of glass.
I turned my head, and my heart stopped. The driver's side was crumpled inward. Keifer was slumped against the steering wheel, his head lolling to the side. A jagged shard of glass had sliced his temple, and blood—too much blood—was sheeting down his face, staining his white shirt crimson.
"Keifer! Hubby, wake up!"
I tried to move, but a searing pain shot through my ribs. I ignored it, the "Savage Surgeon" overriding the terrified wife. I reached out, my fingers trembling as I pressed them against his neck.
Weak. Thready. But there.
POV: Keifer (The Darkness)
Everything was heavy. It felt like I was back in the mountains, pinned under the fuselage of the jet. I could hear a voice calling my name from a long way off. It sounded like Jay, but she sounded scared.
I hate it when she's scared, I thought dimly.
I tried to lift my arm, but it felt like it was made of lead. The "Monster" was trapped in a broken cage of steel. I opened my eyes a sliver. Everything was red. I saw Jay's face—she was pale, her forehead bleeding, but she was moving. She was trying to reach me.
"Go..." I tried to say, but only a wet cough came out. I could feel a familiar, cold pressure in my chest. Internal bleeding. I knew that feeling.
"Don't you dare tell me to go!" Jay hissed, her hands now on my face, her eyes fierce despite the tears. "You stay with me, Keifer! You stay right here!"
The "Savage" Rescue
POV: Jay
The truck driver hadn't stayed. I heard the screech of tires as the vehicle sped away. This wasn't an accident. It was a hit.
"Percy! Rory!" I screamed into the comms unit on the dash, but it was dead. The impact had fried the electronics.
I looked at Keifer. His breathing was becoming shallow. I didn't have my surgical kit. I didn't have a team. I only had my hands and the emergency kit in the back.
I kicked my door open, the metal groaning. I crawled out, my legs shaking, and ran to the driver's side. The door was jammed shut. I grabbed a heavy metal crowbar from the trunk—Keifer always kept one for "emergencies."
With.a scream of pure, adrenaline-fueled rage, I slammed the bar into the window frame, prying at the bent metal until the door gave way with a sickening pop.
"I've got you," I whispered, pulling his heavy frame toward me. "I've got you, hubby. You are NOT leaving me after we just found our way back."
I pulled him out of the wreck just as the engine compartment hissed with a fresh burst of flame. I dragged him to the grass, my ribs screaming in protest. I laid him flat, ripping my silk scarf off to head-wrap the wound on his temple.
"Stay with me," I commanded, beginning chest compressions as his eyes started to roll back. "That is a direct order from your Surgeon, Keifer! Breathe!"
10 Minutes Later: The Cavalry Arrives
The sound of screeching tires and sirens filled the air. Section E arrived like a swarm of hornets. Rory and Erdix jumped out before their cars even stopped, guns drawn, while Percy ran toward us, his face white with terror.
" Jay! Keifer!" Percy screamed.
"Get the portable oxygen!" I roared, not stopping the compressions. "And call Ci n! Tell her to prep OR-1! I'm bringing him in, and I'm performing the surgery myself!"
I looked down at Keifer. His hand suddenly twitched, his fingers feebly catching the edge of my sleeve.
"Wifey..." he whispered, his eyes fluttering open for a second.
"Shut up, Keifer," I sobbed, even as I felt his pulse get stronger under my hands. "Save your breath. You have a very long recovery ahead of you, and I am going to be a nightmare of a nurse."
A small, pained smirk touched his bloody lips. "I... expect... nothing less."