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Chapter 32 ended with Wanderer screaming for help as she held on to the unconscious Kyle who threatened to slip out of her grasp and into the underground river to his death. Thankfully, Ian comes to the rescue! It’s obvious he thought he was going to be saving Wanderer from an attacker, and is surprised by what he finds. He is able to pull Kyle to safety.
Once Kyle is no longer in danger, Ian immediately begins interrogating Wanderer about what happened. At first she’s silent, trying to figure out what to tell him. Wanderer wonders what will happen to Kyle if she tells the truth and Melanie answers her: You know what will happen. Kyle broke the rules. Jeb will shoot him, or they’ll kick him out. Maybe Ian will beat the snot out of him first. That would be fun to watch. Wanderer can’t live with that happening, so she decides to lie.
She tells Ian that that the floor broke up and she hit her head when the floor fell and a variety of other lies to explain away her injuries. Ian doesn’t believe it for a second: “You’re a rotten liar. You know that, right?” Ian had realized that Kyle was trying to hurt Wanerer, but when it finally dawns on him that Kyle was actually trying to kill her “a strange tremor shook his body.”
Ian had one arm around Kyle—he’d collapsed that way and seemed to tired to move. Now he shoved his unconscious brother away roughly, sliding farther from him in disgust. He slid into me and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. He pulled me close against his chest—I could feel his breath go in and out still more ragged than normal.
Ian is now livid at Kyle and threatens to kill him himself. Wanderer is frantic to stop him and keeps reminding him that Kyle is his brother. Ian responds, “He’s my brother, yes, but he did what he did, and you are… you are… my friend.” Ian is deeply ashamed of his brother, but finally snaps out of his anger long enough to realize he needs to get Wanderer to the hospital.
Ian and Wanderer run into Jeb as they’re on the way to see Doc. Wanderer explains what “happened” and says that people need to go help Kyle right away. Jeb, like Ian, doesn’t believe Wanderer’s story for a second, but he leaves to go help Kyle. Upon seeing Wanderer’s state when carried into the hospital “Jared’s face was frozen in surprise. He was being careful, not letting the expression give way to anything else.”
Doc, Ian, and Jared decide that it’s probably not the best idea to leave Wanderer and Kyle in the same hospital room, so Ian runs off to find a safe place to keep Wanderer before the unconscious Kyle is carried into the hospital. Before he leaves, Ian asks Jared if he can be trusted. This does not please Jared who turns red and clenches his teeth, but has no opportunity to speak before Ian cuts in and says that he wants to make sure that Jared will stay in the hospital and protect Wanderer if Kyle arrives in the hospital having regained consciousness. Jared grumbles in agreement before…
[Ian] ducked in and touched his lips to my forehead.
No one was more surprised than I, though I heard Jared gasp quietly, My mouth hung open as Ian wheeled and nearly sprinted from the room.
Using the force of five men, Kyle is finally dragged into the hospital. He’s treated pretty unceremoniously, as Jeb opens a bottle of water over his face to revive him. Wanderer is instantly terrified again, but Jared comes to stand between her and Kyle and tells her “Don’t be afraid.” Melanie is desperate to reach out to Jared who is so close, but Wanderer stops her saying that they need to wait until Jared really believes.
Kyle finally spots Wanda though, and what follows is his asinine response: “Aw, hell! It didn’t fall!“
