The doctor turned, fleeing. Galin followed after her, and I heard the sound of a struggle, then a door being slammed shut. A moment later, he stalked back into the room, slammed the door, and bolted it.
“What did you do to her?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Locked her in a utility closet.” His eyes fixed on mine. “Sorry about that. I thought she was trustworthy. What did she do?”
“She was aggressive and weird, but I’m fine. What exactly happened today?”
“You don’t remember?” he asked, blinking.
“Was I hit by a bolt of lightning?”
The corner of his mouth twitched. “Don’t be absurd. What are the chances of that? No, it was a hawk interfering with the trajectory of a javelin to injure you. Much more normal.” He dropped the sarcastic tone and sighed. “I really don’t know what the fuck is happening, but I think it was another assassination attempt from the Vanir.”
“A hawk … what?”
“The Vanir tried to kill you, again. They threw a javelin. A hawk swooped in and knocked it off course. The javelin hit you in the thigh, and you nearly bled to death.”
As he spoke, more memories jogged loose. Tossing Skalei. A wet thunk. Stumbling like I’d been kicked by a horse. But there had been so much blood and pain … I remembered my people standing over me, telling me to stay with them. And, distinctly, from across the parapet, a Vanir warrior had grinned at me.
Galin strode to the edge of the bed. “Do you think you can stand?”
“Hel if I know,” I mumbled, trying to sit up again, but pain shot through my leg, like it was being ripped open again. I stifled a moan, biting my lip. I’d trained to work when I was hurt, but I wasn’t sure my leg was even functioning properly.
“Wait. I’ve got something that might help.” Galin reached into his jacket pocket and produced a small orange container. Twisting off the cap, he dumped two pills into my palm.
“What is it?”
“Vicodin. It’s like lidocaine but for the whole body.”
“Oh, right … stuff that makes you go numb.” I quickly swallowed the pills. As I waited for the medicine to take effect, I asked, “What else did I miss?”
He scrubbed a hand over his jaw. “Not much, actually. Apart from your attempted murder, the day was uneventful. There was the avian assassination attempt, then people ate lunch, and now all the elves have traveled to Bunker Hill.”
“I have to join them. If I stay in bed, I’m out of the Winnowing. If I don’t participate, I’ll be executed.”
“I know.” He nodded grimly. “That’s why I’m here. Try testing your leg now.”
This time, when I sat up, the pain wasn’t as sharp. More like a dull throbbing than a dagger jabbed into my femur. I gritted my teeth. “It hurts, but it’s manageable.”
I began to stand, but my leg wouldn’t work properly. I flapped my arms as I started to lose balance, but Galin caught me before I fell, and I slumped against his steely chest. He looped a powerful arm around my waist, then held me firmly as I tried to walk. But my leg kept buckling.
“Galin.” My voice cracked as I realized the implications of not participating. “I don’t think I can do it. My leg is shredded.”
I felt a tear sliding down my cheek. The Vanir had won. If I didn’t participate, I was as good as dead. The bottom fifty percent of runners were to be executed.
Carefully, Galin helped me sit on the edge of the bed. Then, he knelt. “Let me see.”
He pulled the hem of my hospital gown up, lifting it above my thighs. In the center of my leg, a jagged gash had been stitched shut with black thread.
“Let me have a look at the wound.”
I nodded.
He grimaced. “Looks deep, but it doesn’t seem to be infected, just inflamed, I think. If I wrap it up, that’ll help.” He looked up at me with pain in his eyes. “But even with the Vicodin, it’s going to hurt a lot. Are you sure?”
“Go for it.”
Galin stood quickly and hurried across the hospital room. After a minute of rummaging through a supply cabinet, he returned with bandages and a roll of medical tape. As he worked on my leg, warmth spread from where his hands touched my skin, and the pain subsided. He leaned in close as he