Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed



"Corley, I'm here!" Roseanne called out with all her might.

The tropical section of the botanical base, dense with its jungle-like vegetation, was a maze for anyone not familiar with the terrain.

Although Corley had asked Mamie for directions, he only had a rough idea of where to go.

The deeper he went, the dimmer the lights became, until there was no light at all.

It was pitch black, impossible to see your own hand in front of your face.

He had brought a flashlight, but the area was so vast that the light it cast was but a small beam. To be safe, he kept calling out her name as he walked.

Luckily, his luck hadn't run out yet.

After about half an hour of trudging through puddles, just as he was about to try another direction, he heard Roseanne's response.

"Don't move! I'm coming-"

"Okay!"

Her voice sounded normal, which meant she probably wasn't in life-threatening danger.

Corley let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding.

Following the direction of her voice, he finally found Roseanne between two large rocks! Though his flashlight only swept over her briefly, Corley could see her disheveled state. She was covered in mud, her hair a mess, and her backpack torn.

He quickly went over to help her up.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"

When Corley had gotten the message, he had feared the worst. Seeing Roseanne conscious and with no visible bleeding, just covered in mud, was a huge relief.

Roseanne shook her head. "Nothing serious, just sprained my ankle. Are you alone?"

"I came as soon as the base started gathering people. They should be on their way too."

Seeing her drenched, Corley immediately took off his jacket and draped it around her. "Which foot is it? Let me see if I can make a splint to prevent further injury."

"Thanks." Roseanne lifted the hem of her right pant leg, revealing an ankle already turning shades of blue and purple, a frightening sight.

Corley winced, checking her ankle gently. Roseanne hissed in pain, clearly hurting a lot.

Corley quickly withdrew his hand, checking elsewhere. "How about here? Does this hurt?" Roseanne shook her head. "Not really."

Corley had a plan. "Doesn't seem like a bone injury, but just to be safe, let's make a splint."

He picked up some sticks and tore off some vines to wrap and secure the makeshift splint. "...There. You can't walk on this, so I'll carry you back."

Roseanne, not wanting to be stubborn, leaned into Corley's back, her hands awkwardly placed on his shoulders.

This was the quickest way back.

Corley secured his hands around her thighs and lifted, stabilizing her on his back.

Feeling her discomfort, Corley advised, "The ground is uneven; you might want to hold on a bit tighter."

After a moment's hesitation, Roseanne crossed her arms in front of his chest for a firmer grip.

Corley smiled slightly, starting the walk back.

"Do you know the way back?" Roseanne broke the silence, seeking some reassurance.

"Not really But I did see a

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climate-controlled rest area on the way here. Your condition isn't great; let's get you somewhere dry and comfortable first."

Roseanne hummed in agreement, and silence fell again.

Corley broke it. "Scared? Alone, injured, and in the dark?"

"Not really didn't meet up as planned, so Mamie and Scales would've sought help immediately. Plus there are no large predators in the park, just dark."

Corley chuckled. "You're pretty laid-back about this."

"What else can I do? Cry?"noveldrama

"Maybe. Crying can be a good way to release emotions."

"I don't have emotions to release."

"Then I guess I won't get the chance to offer a shoulder or even a tissue?"

Roseanne remained silent as Corley carried her westward. However, within five minutes, they heard rustling.

Both on alert, they were soon relieved to see a flashlight beam and its owner, Owen Reynolds, appear.

He had heard faint voices and suspected it might be Roseanne, leading him directly to them.

Seeing Roseanne on Corley's back, Owen frowned, his first words full of concern. "You're hurt?! How bad is it?! How big is the wound? What's your temperature?"

Roseanne quickly explained it was just her ankle, and she couldn't walk.

Owen shone his flashlight on her ankles, noticing the right one was splinted with sticks and vines.

He immediately took off his

backpack, signaling Corley to putet

Roseanne down. "I've got proper splints and bandages; your ankle needs proper care." Content belongs

Roseanne couldn't hide her surprise. "Professor, did you foresee this?"

Even Corley was taken aback.

Without looking up from his backpack, Owen continued, "Not exactly. Besides these, I prepared other things just in case."

That's why he had set off after Corley.

Aside from splints and bandages, he had even brought adrenaline!

But he didn't mention this to Roseanne.

"Alright."

Corley reluctantly let Roseanne down for Owen to tend to her injury.

Clearly, the professor knew what he was doing.

"...Professor, I'm really okay, just a bit swollen. No other injuries. But splinting it is a good idea, thanks~"

Roseanne was still in a joking mood.

Owen's brow remained furrowed, but it was evident he was relieved.

"All done."