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The cave was so narrow the walls brushed against both his shoulders in so the nylon of his coat and poking the gash in his upper arm His eyes adjusted to the dim interior A small mound of black was in the back corner He couldn't make it out at first—then he noticed the blonde curls

Sam rushed over and dropped to his knees beside her still forathered her up in his ar God for her life A pulse, slow and erratic, beat against her neck

“It's okay, I've got you You're going to be okay We'll get you warht as rain,” he babbled into her hair as he unzipped his coat “You just have to hang on for er”

He brought her frigid body against his chest, brought the edges of his coat around her back and wrapped his arms around her She clutched a so even in her unconscious state She was so cold, her forehead burned his neck when she rested it against hih his injured arm He flinched and backed out of the cave as carefully as possible

The trip down McPherson's Bluff and across the field to the ambulance went by in a blur Snips was already on the stretcher, but the paramedics rushed over to Sam

The paraave her a quick check “She's probably got hypotherht away”

“We can take her in the cruiser,” Hank said “Saet in the back with her Keep her warm”

Sam laid Josie down in the back seat and ripped off his coat He slid in beside her, pulled her cold body onto his lap and covered her with his coat like a blanket Sam hadn't prayed since before Michael died, but for the second tied God to save Josie's life She shivered in his ar he had so she could live

Hank sped down the country road and flipped on the sirens once they hit the highway As soon as they pulled up to the eency entrance, a team of hospital staff streamed out of the double doors An orderly yanked open the door, pulled Josie from Sam's arms and whisked her away on a stretcher

He tried to follow, but Hank's hand on his shoulder stilled him “They'll take care of her, don't worry”

Sa room, which was croith Laytons Chris and Hank huddled in one corner with Hank's girlfriend, Beth Martinez, sending him sympathetic looks over their coffee cups After the nurse had warned the wait, Claire and her fiancé, Jake Warrick, had gone to her restaurant, Harvest, to bring back food, but they'd be back soon His parents, Glenda and Bob, il in the center of the room

“Samuelson Aaron Layton, coreen chair “The doctor said you lost quite a bit of blood before she stitched you up and you won't do Josie a bit of good if you pass out cold”

He glanced down at the white bandage circling his biceps Fifteen stitches Josieout?

Heat flushed his cheeks and anger at his own ily words formed in his mind, but before they could leave his mouth, he saw the worry heavy in her tear-swollen eyes The fury deflated in an instant and he shuffled over to the seat

Glenda slid her hand into his and squeezed “She'll make it, don't you worry about Josie”