Before I could react, he wrapped his arms around me and we tumbled down the slope. He held me down tightly, flipping over me upon impact to use me as a human cushion.
Excruciating pain exploded from my shoulder blade. I managed to look down and saw a branch as thick as my wrist piercing straight through my shoulder.
The taste of blood immediately filled my mouth.
In my hazy consciousness, I saw Phoebe tenderly pulling Jose into her arms. She gently wiped the dust off him like a child.
Just like before, when the earthquake struck, she still chose Jose without hesitation.
On the other side, I was left forgotten in the rubble. My legs were now pinned under a massive stone and I was nearly losing my limbs and becoming crippled.
Tears mixed with rain streamed down my face. My voice was broken and raspy. "It hurts … so much … "
Finally, Phoebe's gaze fell upon me.
Just as she took a step forward, Jose fainted weakly in her arms, clutching her little finger and grimacing in distress.
"Phoebe, my heart hurts so much … "
That fragile expression stabbed Phoebe's heart like a dagger.
She immediately averted her gaze, frantically helping Jose to his feet. "Hans, hold on a moment. I'll call an ambulance," she said.
That woman's back was thin, her legs trembling wildly as she carried the heavy load. Even so, she never considered abandoning Jose.
I clenched the fragments of the tombstone in my palm tightly.
As my consciousness faded, I seemed to see my mom and dad smiling at me with understanding. "Hans, Mom and Dad don't blame you."
But I couldn't forgive myself.
When I woke up again, I saw a clean white ceiling. Phoebe was sitting by the hospital bed, her face utterly pale, with large dark circles under her eyes.
The moment she saw me open my eyes, she happily squeezed my hand. "Hans, does your body still hurt?"
I painfully removed the needle from the back of my hand, forcing myself to sit up and kneeling at Phoebe's feet. "I'm sorry, Madam, I didn't take good care of myself. I can go home now. Mr. Levine and the baby need me."
Phoebe tenderly stroked my reopened, bleeding wound, her fingers trembling uncontrollably. When she reached out in despair, I instinctively covered my head.
"Hans, how did you become like this?" she sobbed.
I lowered my eyes and remained silent.
An eerie silence fell over the hospital room until Phoebe's frantic phone ringing finally broke the tension.