Chapter 2

I was in a panic, snatching the walkie-talkie from the officer.

"I know first aid. I'm a doctor! Where are you? I'm coming right now!" I shouted into the walkie-talkie.

I sprinted frantically down the road, my heart pounding.

I just hoped my mother could be fine.

I was almost there. She had to hold on.

When I finally reached my adoptive mother, she was already unconscious from blood loss.

She was lying there on the stretcher, her body icy cold, just like before.

I couldn't hold back my tears. I leaned over her, crying my heart out.

The team leader yanked me back.

"Move! Get back to base! We've got oxygen supplies there!" he shouted.

That was it. She needed oxygen and a blood transfusion. She was still alive.

I quickly wiped my tears, nodded, and hurried after the team back to base.

But when we arrived, the whole place erupted in cheers.

Camren was caked in mud, a woman slung over his shoulder. I recognized her instantly. It was Rayne's mother.

Unlike last time when everyone was mobilized, we were short-handed this time, and Rayne's mom got hurt.

Her thigh was streaked with blood, and she was out cold.

All I felt was pure disdain.

Seriously? Just a few gashes, and she passed out? What was she trying to pull?

I was ready to just let it go, but Camren actually fell for it and snatched up all the medical gear to treat her.

What about my own mother?

"Wait! At least leave one oxygen tank for her!" I yelled, grabbing at Camren, desperate to snatch one back.

I pulled at Camren, frantic to wrestle an oxygen tank from his grip.

But Camren scowled and used his body to shove me down to the ground.

"Rayne's mom needs oxygen. This is life or death! Stop messing around. How long are you going to keep this up?" he snapped.

He just brushed off my injured mom lying right there, stubbornly grabbing all the medical equipment to treat someone with nothing but a couple of bloody scratches.

Was he really that blind? Couldn't he tell who was actually fighting for their life?

With no other options, I grabbed whatever sturdy branch I could find nearby and ripped a piece off my own white dress to splint and bandage my mom's broken leg.

Even though she was out cold, her muscles still twitched in pain.

Honestly, it was a good thing she was unconscious. If she'd been awake when I had to snap her broken leg back into place, the pain would've knocked her out all over again.

But my mom still needed oxygen.

I gently opened her mouth and cleared out anything blocking her airway, making sure her nose and mouth were free of debris.

Then I knelt down beside her, laced my fingers together, and started doing CPR.

Thank god I got to my mom just in time. She was still within that golden fifteen-minute rescue window.

After two whole minutes of nonstop CPR, my hands were going numb from all the chest compressions, but finally, my mom started to regain consciousness.

"Amari...? Where's Camren..." my mom whispered, her voice weak and searching.

When she saw me crying with relief, my mom struggled to lift her hand, trying to wipe away my tears despite her weakness.

"Oh, sweetheart... why are you crying? See, I'm alright now..." she said, her voice gentle but faint.

"Mom, I'm not crying. I'm just really happy!" I insisted, forcing a smile through my tears.

Suddenly, Camren burst out laughing, looking up at the sky in pure relief.

"Awesome! You're finally awake! I kept my promise to Rayne!" he shouted, pride all over his face.

I glanced over and saw him supporting Rayne's mom, who was breathing through an oxygen mask, animatedly telling everyone how he fought against the odds to rescue her.

All I felt was a cold ache in my heart.

The mom who worked so hard to raise us still wasn't out of danger yet.

But there he was, taking credit in front of someone else's mom, making a big deal about how he'd kept his promise.

My mom only managed to stay awake for a few seconds, her eyes groggy and unfocused, before she slipped right back into unconsciousness.

"Mom!" I yelled.

I dashed over to the medical team, desperate and out of breath.

"Where's the oxygen tank? Where did it go?" I shouted, frantically looking around.

Seeing me tearing through the supplies in a panic, Camren finally decided to pay attention to me.

He grabbed me and pulled me back.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he snapped.

I spun around and slapped him across the face.

"Where the fuck is the oxygen tank?!" I yelled, my voice shaking with fury.

Everyone was stunned.

Just then, someone yanked my hair hard, jerking my head back and making me stumble.

Rayne's eyes filled with tears as she looked at her mom, hurt but still conscious.

"Camren, how did my mom get hurt? I told you where she was before her signal disappeared!" Rayne demanded, her voice shaking.

Camren gave me a silent look, and Rayne immediately put the pieces together.

"It was you! Wasn't it? You're the one who got my mom hurt!" she shouted, her voice cracking.

With that, she came at me swinging, ready to claw my face off.

She yanked my hair so hard that her sharp nails scraped my scalp, drawing blood.

"Are you even aware my mom's got low blood sugar? If anything happens to her, I swear I'll make you pay!" Rayne screamed.

I didn't hold back. I locked her wrist, forced her to let go, and flipped her onto the ground.