Chapter 106 Storm Shelter
Alex: POV
"He needs medical attention," Daniel said immediately, carefully lowering me to the ground. "His leg's cut pretty bad."
Jack knelt beside me, examining the gash on my leg. "Could've been worse. Looks like you caught it on something sharp, but it's not too deep. Let's get it cleaned up."
While Jack rummaged through his pack for the first aid kit, Daniel hovered nearby, his eyes never leaving me. "Why did you come back for me?" I asked quietly.
He looked surprised by the question. "You think I'd leave you out there?"
"You could have gotten lost too. Or worse."
"Wasn't a choice," he said simply. "I saw you fall, and I just... reacted."
Jack returned with antiseptic, gauze, and bandages. "This is going to sting like hell," he warned, uncapping the antiseptic.
He wasn't kidding. The moment the liquid touched my wound, fire shot up my leg. "Fuck!" I hissed through clenched teeth.
Daniel immediately moved beside me, grabbing my hand. "Squeeze if you need to."
I did, probably hard enough to hurt, but he didn't flinch. Jack worked quickly, cleaning the wound thoroughly before applying antibiotic ointment and wrapping it in clean gauze.
"You're lucky," he said when he finished. "Another inch to the left and you might have hit an artery. Let me know if you start feeling feverish—infection's a risk out here."
With the immediate crisis handled, we took stock of our situation. The storm continued to rage outside, visibility near zero. The temperature had dropped dramatically, and the cave, while protected from the wind, was growing colder by the minute.
"Everyone stay close," Jack instructed. "Body heat is our best resource right now. Don't be shy—survival trumps personal space."
We arranged ourselves in a tight circle, shoulder to shoulder, back to back. Huddling together like this made us all feel so much warmer.
"Hey," Kevin spoke up after a few minutes of tense silence, his voice unnaturally loud in the small space. "Want to hear a joke?"
"Seriously? Now?" Marcus glared at him.
"Especially now," Kevin insisted. "When better to lighten the mood than when we might all die in a desert cave?"
"We're not going to die," Jack said firmly, but then nodded at Kevin. "But go ahead. We could use a distraction."
Kevin grinned. "Okay, so a biologist, an architect, and a chef walk into a desert..."
His joke was terrible—something about the biologist identifying all the plants, the architect designing a shelter, and the chef cooking cactus soup—but it broke the tension. Even Marcus cracked a reluctant smile.
"My turn," Lily piped up. "What did the dust storm say to the cactus?"
"What?" we all asked in unison.
"'I'm really blown away by your sharp personality.'"
The collective groan was followed by genuine laughter, the sound echoing off the cave walls. One by one, everyone contributed a joke—each one worse than the last.
Brian's puns about sand being "gritty" had us simultaneously laughing and threatening to throw him back into the storm.
As laughter filled the small space, I became aware of Daniel's arm casually draped around my shoulders, his body radiating heat.
In the dim light, I studied his profile—the strong jawline dusted with stubble, the slight curve of his lips as he smiled at Megan's joke, the way his eyes crinkled at the corners.
Had he always been this handsome? I was actually pretty handsome too.
"Your turn," he said suddenly, turning to catch me staring.
I quickly looked away. "I don't have any good jokes."
"Doesn't have to be good. Just has to be a joke."
I racked my brain. "Okay, fine. What did the architect say to the desert?"
"What?"
"'I'm really digging your natural formations.'"
Daniel's laugh was warm and genuine, his chest vibrating against my shoulder. "That was terrible."
"I warned you."
Hours passed this way—telling jokes, sharing stories, huddling together against the cold. Outside, the storm continued its assault, but inside our little cave, we'd created a bubble of warmth and camaraderie.
Eventually, people began to drift off to sleep, exhaustion winning out over discomfort. Daniel remained awake, his eyes alert in the dim light of the single headlamp we kept on.
"You should sleep," he said quietly, noticing my heavy eyelids. "I'll keep watch."
"For what? Sand monsters?"
He smiled. "Just in case the storm changes direction or something shifts. Someone should stay awake."
"Then I'll stay up with you," I insisted, fighting back a yawn.
"No offense, but you look like you're about to pass out. That leg needs rest to heal."
I wanted to argue, but he was right. My body felt like it was made of lead, my injured leg throbbing dully. "Wake me if anything changes?"
"Promise."
I leaned more heavily against him, my head finding a comfortable spot on his shoulder. His arm tightened around me, securing me against the cold.
"Thanks," I murmured, my eyes drifting closed. "For coming back for me."
I don't know how long I slept, but when I woke, the first thing I noticed was the silence. The howling wind had stopped. The second thing I noticed was that I was practically lying in Daniel's lap, his jacket draped over me, his arm still protective around my shoulders.
"Morning, sleepyhead," he said, his voice husky from disuse.
I sat up quickly, wincing as my leg protested. "Is it over?"
Jack was already at the cave entrance, peering outside. "Storm's passed," he confirmed. "And you won't believe the view."
One by one, we made our way to the entrance. As I limped over, leaning on Daniel for support, my breath caught in my throat.
The sky was the deepest, clearest blue I'd ever seen, like the storm had washed away every impurity. The desert landscape was transformed—rippled dunes of fresh sand, rock formations dusted with gold, cacti standing tall and defiant after weathering the storm.
It was breathtaking.
"Worth almost dying for?" Daniel asked quietly beside me.
I noticed the dust in his hair, the exhaustion in his eyes, the warmth of his smile, and felt this moment was perfect.
"Almost," I replied, returning his smile. "But let's try to avoid the dying part next time."