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Terrorists stormed into the hospital,strapping a bomb to me.
Luke led the rescue team.
Sweating,I clenched my teeth tight.
He smiled,his eyes clear behind the mask."Scared?I won't let you die here."
For two hours,Luke knelt beside me,disarming the bomb.
I'd never studied a man's face so long.
Even now,closing my eyes,I can trace his features clearly.
The bomb was removed,but five seconds later,it restarted,counting down from ten.
Luke's eyes sharpened.He grabbed my hand and dragged me,sprinting out of the hospital.
Just outside,he pulled me into his arms,lowered both of our bodies to the ground.
His body shielded me completely.
The explosion roared behind us.
The entire hospital was shattered,debris raining down on us.
Luke furrowed from the blast's force.
I felt nothing.
Only heartbeats.
Deafening heartbeats,drowned in the explosion.
After that,Luke often came to visit me at my temporary medical tent.
Today,"Dr.Emily,an ant bit my thumb."
Tomorrow,"Dr.Emily,a thorn pricked me when picking flowers."
The next,"Dr.Emily,I've got a heart condition—only you can fix it."
When I shooed him,feeling embarrassed,he grinned triumphantly.
He said he had two missions now.
One,fight terrorists.
Two,protect me.
But one day,he stopped coming.
He'd been kidnapped by the terrorist group.
They'd taken a American woman hostage,naming Luke specifically.
He went alone,trading his life for hers.
The group livestreamed his torture.
They wanted him to build bombs for them.
Luke refused,he remained unyielding until his death.
On the screen,Nathan was sitting across from Luke,who was strung up,watching coldly.
The"hostage,"Claire,was sitting on Nathan's lap,arms around him,laughing."Nathan,he's so dumb.He actually came to save me."
"Think he's into me?"
Nathan,with an arm around her waist,didn't even glance at Luke."Tiger,if he won't comply,cut off his fingers,slice his tongue."
He kissed Claire's lips lightly."Let's see how he disarms bombs now."
Claire smiled."Leave two fingers on each of his hand.Wacthing him living in misery's more fun,after all."
Tiger's blade fell.Luke's severed fingers hit the ground,blood was everywhere.
His screams echoed through the stream.
As a doctor in war,I'd seen death.
But I'd never known a man could scream so with such agony.
My heart felt carved by a thousand knives,tears poured out,I couldn’t seem to stop myself crying.
Everytime the blade left a wound on Luke,it felt like it left a wound on me too.
Days later,Nathan streamed Luke's condition.
He barely conscious,his severed fingers were now black as the blood was dried.
His tongue gone,mouth unable to close,the mix of drool and blood dripping down.
Unable to care for himself,he'd soiled himself.
He stared at the camera,eyes vacant,murmuring,"Emily,I'm okay."
My heart shattered into countless pieces,pain nearly killing me.
Like this,and he's comforting me?
This is called okay?
