Chapter 2

The hospital room was filled with the smell of disinfectant.

Cohen walked in carrying a fruit basket, changed out of his uniform into a clean white shirt.

It was the birthday present I'd bought him last year.

He set the fruit basket down on the nightstand and pulled up a chair. "Molly, is your leg still hurting?"

He reached for my hand. I jerked it away.

He sighed, adopting his most reasonable tone. "Stop being mad at me. Runa's been terrified of the dark since she was a kid. You know she has claustrophobia.

"That cat was the only thing keeping her going through her depression. It's her lifeline. The mountain roads were slick in the storm. I couldn't let something happen to her, right?"

I leaned back against the pillow, watching his performance as the devoted boyfriend. It made me want to vomit. "So her cat's life matters. And mine doesn't?"

Cohen was momentarily speechless, frowning. "How can you even compare yourself to a cat?

"You're a seasoned team leader with survival skills. Runa doesn't know anything and is so delicate. Why are you even jealous of someone like her?"

I grabbed the glass of water from the nightstand, barely holding back the urge to chuck it right at his face.

He couldn't understand a damn thing I was saying.

Seeing I wasn't saying anything, Cohen tried to change the subject. "Who was that guy in the trap, anyway?

"Molly, don't let some shady guy like that fool you. He smelled like blood. I could tell right away he was definitely not a good guy."

Just then, the hospital room door was kicked open. Howard burst in, wearing a black turtleneck.

He was holding a thick stack of papers. "Talking trash about your creditor behind his back? Real classy, Captain Hale."

He strode up to the bed and smacked the papers right against Cohen's chest.

The hit was so hard that Cohen took half a step back.

"What's this?" Cohen shot Howard a glare.

Howard dragged a chair over and sat down, legs spread wide. "According to the Wilderness Rescue Safety Protocols, you never leave a civilian without survival training alone in a high-risk zone. It's the most basic rule in the book.

"Once an accident happens, you bear full legal liability."

Howard shot Cohen a look sharp enough to cut glass. "Captain Hale, you broke protocol."

Cohen's face went ghostly pale.

He was the golden boy, the kind who lived and breathed by the rules and his spotless record. "What's that supposed to mean? Who are you to accuse me like this?"

Howard let out a cold laugh. "I've already filed a dereliction-of-duty report with your commanding officer, acting on behalf of Molly.

"Attached is last night's dashcam footage. Clear evidence of you abandoning Molly to escort an unauthorized civilian off the mountain.

"So, I'd say your suspension notice should land on your desk this afternoon."

Cohen turned to me in disbelief. "Molly, you let him do this to me? I've poured my whole life into the rescue team. Are you trying to ruin me?"

I looked at his shocked and humiliated face, and for some reason, I felt a twisted sense of satisfaction. "Isn't this what you always taught me? Always follow the rules, think about the bigger picture."

Cohen panicked. He finally realized I wasn't throwing a tantrum.

He lunged forward, reaching for my shoulders. "Molly, please. Call off the report. I was wrong. Nothing is going on between Runa and me. She's like a sister."

I hit the nurse call button. "There's someone here messing with my rest. Please kick him out."

The nurses arrived within moments and practically dragged Cohen out.

He clung desperately to the doorframe, still pleading, "Molly, wait for me. I'll sort this out and come back to explain it all."

I closed my eyes and rolled over, not even wanting to spare him a glance.

*****

The nurse had just finished her rounds. The door cracked open.

A petite figure slipped inside, peeking around nervously.

It was Runa Sterling.

She wore a white floral sundress with a beige cardigan, clutching a massive bouquet of white lilies against her chest.

To those who knew the situation, this was a get-well visit. To anyone else, one'd swear she'd come straight from a funeral.