As the car burned, Noah glanced at his daughter, who was slowly waking up, while his wife remained unconscious beside her. Miraculously, his family appeared mostly unscathed, with only a few scratches.
But then a sharp pain surged through him, prompting him to inspect his body. He noticed a bone jutting out from the skin of his left arm. The realization struck him: it wasn't a miracle that had saved his family; it was his body that had taken the brunt of the crash, protecting them.
Trying to push through the agony while his mind screamed for help, Noah focused on one thought: I need to get them out of the car! Struggling to move, he let out a cry of frustration as he kicked at the left door, but it was bent inward and wouldn't budge. Summoning all his strength, he gave it one final push.
Finally, the door creaked open. Now, he had to lift his wife with one arm, feeling warm blood trickling down his left arm. He didn't need to look to know he was losing blood.
You can't rest yet! Your life depends on saving them now! Everything you do right now is aimed at that goal—rest can come later!
Waking Judy with his right arm, Noah asked, "Baby, are you okay? Can you move?" She opened her eyes, looking dazed. "I'm… I'm fine, Daddy," she replied, taking a moment to shake off the impact of the crash. When she noticed her dad's blood-soaked arm, she offered, "Let me help you get Mommy out of the car."
Judy was remarkably composed for her age; instead of screaming, she focused on assisting him.
"Your uncle's clinic is close by. We'll make it," Noah assured her as they worked together to pull her mother from the wreckage. Yet a troubling thought nagged at him: Why is no one helping us? Why isn't anyone noticing this crashed car? A wave of unease washed over him, but he pushed the dark thoughts aside, hoisting his wife onto his back while Judy clung tightly to his right side.
As they navigated through the city, walking felt like dragging heavy bags of sand; the crash's aftermath still weighed on his body. Smoke billowed from buildings, and people ran as if fleeing from unseen monsters. Car wrecks littered the streets, and suddenly, he saw a plane hurtling down from the sky like a meteor. His mind slipped into shock, struggling to make sense of these surreal scenes.
He paused to look at his daughter. I have to stay focused! If I panic now, who will take care of my family? "Judy, it's going to be alright, babe. We'll be safe once we reach your uncle's clinic." She nodded, showing her trust in his words. They pressed on, and after what felt like an eternity, they finally arrived at the clinic.
As they opened the door, a storm of chaos greeted them inside the clinic. Staff rushed around, attending to the injured and unconscious, while others mourned their losses. The atmosphere felt like a disaster zone. Noah searched for his friend's familiar face, still disoriented by the scene, until he spotted a tall, slender man with long hair and a determined expression emerging from one of the rooms, issuing calm instructions to the frantic staff. He appeared unaffected by the turmoil, focused solely on saving as many lives as possible.
Upon seeing Noah, Kali's expression turned to concern. "Are you okay? You look like you've been hit by a train." Without waiting for a reply, he called for an assistant while gently taking Lucy from Noah's back. "Take her to the ER, and get this hero here some first aid and something sweet." He patted Judy's head, and Noah exchanged a glance with his daughter, silently granting her permission to go with the assistant.
Staring at each other, Noah allowed himself a deep breath. "Come with me; let's get you fixed up," Kali said, leading him to one of the rooms. As he worked on Noah's gruesome injury, he avoided meeting his eyes, knowing Noah was desperate for answers. How is he still enduring this pain? This kind of injury would make a bodybuilder cry! Kali began stitching the wound and remarked, "This will leave a big scar."
Unable to hold back any longer, Noah asked, "Kali, can you explain what's happening? What's wrong with the world? I saw a plane crash, for God's sake! Lucy… she's been unconscious since this morning. Please tell me she'll be okay!"
His voice trembled with tension as dark thoughts threatened to engulf him. He felt a tight grip on his heart, trying to calm his mind as he looked at his dear friend, yearning for the reassuring words, "Everything will be fine." But deep down, he sensed the truth was far more unsettling—the world had gone mad.