Eames was sore, as if she'd been stepped on.
With difficulty she opened her eyes, trying to get used to the darkness of the night.
It was so dark.
What had just happened...
And why was her body so sore.
The last thing Eames remembered was her violent argument with Goren, that blinding light, and then nothing.
A bad feeling came over her.
She looked around.
Her body was covered in broken glass, and so was the floor.
What the...
A violent pain wracked her brain.
She raised her hand to her forehead, only to encounter a warm, viscous liquid.
Could it be possible...
Eames brought her hand to her eyes, and her heart stopped.
Blood.
It was blood on her fingers.
Her blood.
So she was hurt.
But how...
She absolutely had to remember.
Apart from the memory of her fight with Goren, and that light, everything was a blur.
Speaking of Goren.
Where was he.
Could it be that he too...
Or worse.
Violent anguish surged through her.
She put her hands on the ground, where there was the least glass, and leaned forward, trying to stand up as best she could, her body aching so much.
Finally on her feet, she turned, and her heart stopped beating at the sight before her eyes.
A car had crashed into Goren's suv, and the driver was motionless, as if killed instantly.
There were shards of glass everywhere, car debris, and a huge overload on the passenger side of the vehicle on the windshield.
Holy...
Could it be that she'd been thrown out of the vehicle, through the windshield, and created a hole.
It sure looked like it, since she'd ended up on the outside, on the ground, covered in glass.
But what really chilled her blood was the sight of Goren.
There he was, head against the steering wheel, his body trapped in the carcass of the vehicle, blood pouring from his belly.
My God...
This couldn't be happening.
She must have been in the middle of a nightmare.
None of this was possible.
And yet, the vision of Goren imprisoned in the carcass of the car, and that blood flowing, could only be true.
Eames didn't waste a second, she rushed towards Goren, grimacing in pain, and when she reached his side, she crouched down to his level, putting her hand on his shoulder.
- Goren...
No answer.
No reaction.
No.
Goren couldn't be...
No.
She wouldn't stand for it.
He couldn't do that to her.
Not after that violent argument between them.
It couldn't end like this.
She had to insist.
- Please Bobby... Tears welled up in Eames' eyes, and she began to shake him. You can't do this to me.
But still nothing.
Then Eames shook him harder and harder, screaming.
- Bobby...
- Stop shouting in my ears... And above all... Shaking me like a rock.
At Goren's vapid, grumbling voice, Eames felt his heart rebound again.
If he was grumbling, it was a good sign.
There was hope then.
But Eames shouldn't dawdle.
The steamy voice he had was telling her nothing was right.
She couldn't waste time, given Goren's condition.
She absolutely had to warn the fire department, and especially their Captain Deakins, who would find a way to keep Goren alive by the time help arrived.
That little voice…
That woman's voice.
Who was worried.
But as it went on, it screamed in her eardrums.
Goren was sure he knew her.
My God...
She was breaking his ear.
And that hand, shaking him gently, then harder and harder.
Whoever was doing this to him, would she ever calm down?
- You can't do this to me...
You can't do this to me...
That voice.
Yes, it was.
It was Eames.
Don't do this to him.
What wasn't he supposed to do.
He didn't understand anything.
Speaking of not doing anything. Couldn't she stop yelling at him, and shaking him like a plum.
He ached all over, but a violent pain based in his belly, as if his insides were being torn apart.
- Bobby.
My God...
But she was screaming more and more.
And it was violent for her poor ears.
Couldn't she calm down in the end.
Yes...
He was going to wake up.
If she gave him enough time.
Wake up.
Strange...
Why would Eames be at his side.
Goren was at a loss.
- Stop shouting in my ears... Goren grumbled. And most of all... From shaking me like a plum.
At his words, he felt Eames' hand move away, stopping him dead in his tracks.
He tried to open his eyes, but it was a real ordeal, but succeeded, to fall into total darkness, which gradually gave way to a small clearing, and he found himself face to face in front of his steering wheel.
He raised his face, still not understanding what was going on, and turned it towards Eames, who was walking rapidly back towards him, crouching down at his level.
Eames' face was so sad.
Her big hazel eyes sparkled with concern, and little tears beaded at her eyes.
What did this mean?
Why was there so much worry and sadness in Eames' eyes?
What was making her so unhappy.
And her words to him.
Don't do this to him.
On a loop in his head.
What he shouldn't do.
And what he could have done.
Goren felt as if he had a bad feeling.
- What the...
Eames shook his head in denial, seeing Goren looking away, trying to see what was going on and, above all, trying to understand.
- No... Just look at me.
Look only at Eames...
But why.
Not listening to Eames' objection, he looked around, and his heart sank with fright at the sight before his eyes.
That hole in the windshield, the same size as a body, its shards of glass...
But his gaze was drawn to the virulent pain twisting in his stomach.
Seeing that he was about to look at what he absolutely must not see, Eames put her hand under his chin, and forced him to look up at her.
- You must only look at me... Help is on the way.
Look at her...
Help's on the way.
My God...
What did this mean.
Goren could hardly comprehend the situation, so out of it was he, and the monstrous pain in his stomach was robbing him of all lucidity.
Could this pain be...
Could something serious have happened?
Given the situation, it seemed so.
But he was trying to understand what could have happened.
How could he, who was so careful on the road.
How could he not have seen that hit-and-run driver?
What had made him lose his concentration on the road.
Normally, he would have avoided the driver and the accident.
But not this time.
Something had prevented him from avoiding her.
Good God...
The vision of the violent anger between him and Eames came back to his mind.
He'd had a row with Eames.
And he'd been so angry he hadn't paid any attention.
So the accident was his fault.
- No... It's not your fault.
For God's sake...
But she was reading his mind.
Goren looked at Eames, detailing her from head to toe, but it was the blood dripping from her forehead that caught his eye, and concern overcame him.
He brought his hand to her cheek, brushed against it.
- You're hurt.
At his words, Eames' heart sank.
You're hurt...
Oh, God. Oh, God.
Yes, she was.
But not as hurt as he was.
Why was he worried about her, when her condition was ten times worse.
Then again, Goren hadn't yet discovered the seriousness of the other side of the coin.
That he had a giant wound in his belly, and was bleeding to death.
And Eames would do anything to make sure he didn't notice.
She'd do anything to distract him until help arrived.
And speaking of help, it was taking a while.
- Don't worry about me... It's not a big deal.
No big deal...
While she had a head wound.
Goren disagreed with Eames.
Head wounds were often the most fatal.
Besides, he was getting tired of standing there.
So he tried to move, but a violent pain seized him in the stomach, and he realized he couldn't move from where he was.
Holy...
He was...
- I'm stuck in the carcass.
Eames nodded gravely.
Stuck in the carcass of his suv, but what irony.
Could this be punishment from the divine?
For being obnoxious to Eames.
But what was starting to worry him was that pain in his belly.
He raised his face to Eames, and plunged his brown eyes into her hazel gaze, staring at her intensely.
- Alex... Tell me the truth.
The truth…
My God.
No.
She couldn't tell him he was bleeding out, and the way he was trapped in the vehicle, she'd never be able to stop the bleeding, and he'd keep bleeding out.
- Eames... The truth.
Good God...
What could she do.
Could she really tell him the truth.
- Please, I need to know. I need to know.
At his words, Eames felt it her duty to tell him the truth, even if she didn't want to.
So reluctantly, she decided to tell him the truth.
- You're badly injured in the stomach... And it's impossible for me to stop the bleeding, because you're stuck in the car's paddock.
My God...
Goren never thought he'd hear anything so harsh in his life.
So he was going to die.
And here was Eames, standing by him, until his last breath.
It wasn't fair.
If he'd known, he'd have spoken to him in a different way.
Maybe there was still time to make amends.
- Eames... I'm truly sorry I spoke to you badly.
Talking badly to her.
Yes, he had.
But right now, Eames couldn't care less.
In addition, she knew him.
He could throw tantrums, but he was never mean.
The only thing Eames wanted right now was to get him out of there fast.
- Alex... You forgive me.
Forgive him.
But Eames had nothing to forgive him for.
And what was this way of apologizing, and seeking his forgiveness.
Did he think he was going to die?
If he did, she was going to prove him wrong.
Eames wouldn't let him go like that.
She would do anything to stop him.
- Alex... Eames nodded. I'm sleepy.
No, you're not.
Don't do that.
Emaes would prevent her from falling asleep, even if it meant breaking her ears.
As he'd reproached her a few moments ago.
In addition, it would be a little personal revenge for the way he'd talked to her in the car.
- You mustn't sleep... Bobby.
But he was sleepy, and his eyelids were getting heavier.
- If you fall asleep...
My God.
But they were threats.
Goren always forgot that he was never to contradict the little blonde woman he had as a partner, for if he did, he was entitled to the worst wrath.
- But I'm sleepy...
- Bobby...
At Eames' stern voice, Goren forced himself to stay awake.
- It's true... I must never contradict you.
Eames looked behind her, seriously beginning to worry that no one was already on the scene.
Especially the firemen.
For it was they whom Goren needed most to get him out of this hell.
But a small sound caught Eames' ears.
Like the sound of sirens, getting closer.
At last.
But Eames lost hope at the sight of police vehicles heading their way.
There were no fire engines.
And no help to get Goren out.
My God...
Why hadn't the firemen arrived yet.