I stared up at the ceiling, one of the bright florescent lights above flickered in and out. I found irony in its' slowly dying bulb.

I turned my attention to the needle in my arm, pumping liquids into my body from the bag hanging above, causing a coolness throughout me that couldn't be relieved with any amount of blankets.

I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing. The fact that I was, was a feeling I never wanted to take for granted. Relief had washed over me when we were found, but as I laid in that hospital bed, I found the room to be too cold, the bed to be too soft, and the company to be too loud.

Perhaps I had just gotten used to the heat, sleeping on hard ground, and the quiet confessions shared between Colt and I.

Or perhaps it was something more.

There was a quick knock on the door, and a frazzled looking nurse entered the room looking over some charts.

"Okay, Ms. Campbell. Your vitals have been looking good. There is severe dehydration, but we didn't see any signs of brain swelling, which can occur when you are as dehydrated as you are. We're going to keep you here for twenty-four hours to run intravenous fluids, but after that, you should be good to go." She smiled at me, as if what she said was good news.

And it was, don't get me wrong. But it was the "go" part that was affecting me something crazy.

"How are you feeling?"

I cleared my throat. "I'm okay considering. But what about Colt? How is he doing?"

I had not seen him since we split up and were taken to the hospital in seperate vehicles, and it was causing my anxiety to skyrocket. He had been my anchor the past couple of days, watching out for me and keeping me safe. I was feeling a sense of unease without his presence.

"You mean the other gentleman who came in with the same dehydration symptoms as well as a wound to his leg?"

"Yes. Is he okay?"

She looked at me, pursing her lips.

"I am sorry, I am afraid I can't give any information on other patients to anyone other than relatives."

"Please. He saved me. I just want to make sure he is doing good. I have to know if he is going to be okay."

Her eyebrows pulled together as she narrowed her gaze at me, searching my face. She looked conflicted as she leaned in close.

"He had a high fever when he was brought in. The wound on his leg is infected. We have given him antibiotics to help fight it. I don't want to lie to you. His fever is still really high. We are doing everything we can to get it lowered." Panic spread throughout me, as I thought back to how bad Colt had started to look on the walk back and how hot he had felt.

She must have noticed my concern because she placed her hand on my arm, giving it a light squeeze.

"He's being pumped with fluids just like you. It should definitely help. Don't worry, he's in good hands. Try to get some rest."

She walked out of the room, and I rested my head back onto the pillow. I squeezed my eyes shut, praying his infection would go away, and that he would be okay.

When I opened my eyes, the little flickering light above me dimmed, before going out all together. I tried not to take it as a sign, but just in case, I closed my eyes and prayed harder.

****

I must have fallen asleep, because when I opened my eyes, they landed on Mark lounging in one of the chairs, his body sprawled out as he slept. There was no light streaming through the blinds like there had been earlier. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and sat up as I looked to the clock in the room. It was late in the evening, letting me know I had been out for only a few hours, and I could feel my body begging me for more.

I sat up and saw a tray of food had been left by one of the nurses. My eyes widened in excitement. I was starving. Like, literal starving. All those other times I had used that phrase was spoken in absolute vain.

I removed the lid and saw grilled chicken with a side of steamed broccoli and carrots. In all my culinary years, I had never seen a more beautiful plate.

I ate it within minutes. Maybe even seconds, but who was really counting?

From the corner of the room, Mark started to stir. Suddenly, his head popped up and his eyes opened. He locked eyes with me, staring blankly for a moment like he was trying to register who I was. Then, without warning, he jumped up and rushed to my side.

"Grace! How are you feeling? Can I get you anything?"

"I'm okay. I just ate, so I'm pretty good right now." I leaned back, smiling softly.

"You ate hospital food. Surely you could be better."

"Mark, for the past two and a half days, I had only mints and dreams of parmesan risotto and steak to keep me sated. That chicken could have been raw, and I would have still enjoyed it."

He let out a small laugh before his expression turned serious, blowing out a puff of air as he grimaced.

"I'm really glad we found you Grace. You had me worried."

"Really?"

He reached out and grabbed my hand, cradling it with both of his.

"Of course. It was a crazy two days." Bringing my hand to his lips, he gave it a small kiss. "Maybe next time, you'll think of a less wilderness spot to go for our anniversary." He teased.

I gave him a small smile and gently squeezed his hand.

"Sure. I think I have had my fill of wildlife for awhile anyway."

"Do you want to talk about what happened?"

"Not really, not right now. I'm just really worn out and still trying to process everything."

In all actuality, I didn't know how to tell him the details of what happened without worrying he would be able to see the hidden truths I still had yet to admit to myself. And honestly, what happened to Colt and I seemed private--like what we went through would somehow be tainted the moment we let outsiders in.

"I understand. Maybe later. Though I suppose it doesn't much matter. You ran off the trail and got yourselves lost. But now you're back. And I'm really glad for it. I am not sure what I would do without you." He brought my hand up to his lips and softly kissed it. "You should get some more sleep. I'll see you in the morning."

"You're not going to stay?" I asked, sitting up.

"No, I can't stand hospitals. Plus, that chair is like a rock."

If he only knew.

I gave him a tight smile as I nodded my head. He gave me a quick kiss and I watched him leave before falling back onto the bed, fluffing my pillow behind me.

I couldn't blame Mark for not wanting to stay, even though something fierce inside of me was screaming to do just that. But, he had been so doting since finding me. I let any tug of disappointment that he left dissipate in the stale air around me, and pulled the thin blanket up to my shoulders, trying my hardest to ease my shivering.

My mind began to replay the events that had transpired as though I were reliving it, starting from feelings brought forth because of my dad and feeling the need to run, to getting chased by a moose, and to heated arguments with Colt that led to heated gazes. I thought back to our close encounter with a bear, and our narrow escape from the mountain lion. I thought back to our shared confessions, to our almost kiss, and then to our real kiss.

We had been fire on fire, him and I, and there was not a single part of me that hadn't been burned.

My eyes fluttered closed, and I brought my fingers to my lips, remembering the feel of his on mine.

And then I cried. For a long time.