"Alex, don't you dare close your eyes!" Sarah's trembling voice cut through the haze of pain that enveloped him, grounding him in the present. The sting of his wound burned with each shallow breath, but her hands pressed firmly against the injury, her warmth bleeding into his skin.
"I'm fine," Alex whispered, though the blood seeping through her fingers told a different story. His lips curled into a faint smirk, despite the agony coursing through his body. "You're making a mess of my shirt."
"This isn't the time for jokes!" Sarah's eyes glistened with unshed tears, her fear evident. "You're losing too much blood. I—I don't know how to stop it!"
Her vulnerability was a knife to his chest, far sharper than the bullet wound. He raised a trembling hand to her face, wiping a tear that threatened to fall. "Hey," he murmured, his voice soft but firm. "We're not done yet. You said you wouldn't leave me. So, don't give up on me now."
