Page 178 of Dark Night of the Soul

As I walked away, my back to the two of them, that fissure cracked.

Chapter 47 | Anna

Kincade had opinions about the ambulance.

Strong ones.

“I am not getting in that thing.”

He had one hand braced against the wall as Ludwig and Ulrich maneuvered the gurney into position. His skin was gray beneath the hall light. Too gray. But I wasn’t going to say that. Sweat trickled down the side of his face, but his glare and bark were fully operational.

The fact he was upright was causing me all sorts of distress. But stubborn as he was, he refused assistance from anyone. Especially from me.

“You are,” I said.

He ignored me. “The unit is retired,” he continued, breath shallow but voice sharp, “the plates are swapped, and if this is your idea of subtle—”

“It is,” Ludwig said. “No one looks twice at an ambulance.”

“I do.”

“That’s because you’re difficult,” Ludwig said.

This was not going well.

“I’m not cargo,” he snapped.

They weren’t kidding when they said he was a terrible patient.

Meanwhile, he was leaning against the wall, one arm pressed against his abdomen. I knew if I offered assistance, I’d get barked at, too. And honestly? I wasn’t up for that right now. So, I stayed put on the other side of the gurney. For now. A safe distance away.

“Technically, you’re a patient,” Ulrich pointed out. He patted the mat of the gurney in invitation.

By the look on Kincade’s face, he’d stand there all day, bleeding to death, rather than suffer the indignity of getting on it and being wheeled out.

He continued to glare at them. “Tell them no, Anna.”

Like I had any control over these two. This was all their idea. I tried to tell them it was the wrong idea. Did they listen? No. Then again, dragging him down four flights of stairs wasn’t an option either.

I took my life in my hands and stepped closer to him. Metaphorically speaking. Though with him, who knew.

“You can walk down four flights of stairs,” I said calmly, “with a stitched gut and internal trauma—”

His eyes cut to me. Sharp. Warning. I held my ground.

“—or you can lie down and let them wheel you out.”

A long beat.

He swayed. My heart stopped for a second.

Ludwig reached out, steadying him. “Easy.”

Kincade exhaled hard, then muttered, “I hate all of you.”

There he was. Still fighting.

“Progress,” Ludwig said cheerfully.