My Boyfriend Left Me to Die in the Desert for His Fake-Sick Best Friend Chapter 03
When awareness returned, I was already hovering above my body.
Following my instincts, I drifted toward the distant base camp.
Ethan gently carried Claire out of the rescue vehicle and hurried into the medical station.
“Medic, check her foot!”
The camp medic put on his glasses and examined her heel with a disinfectant swab.
After inspecting it for a while, the medic frowned.
“One blister? There’s no redness, no swelling, and the skin isn’t even broken. You called an emergency rescue vehicle for this?”
Ethan stepped protectively in front of Claire, his tone grave.
“She gets sick easily. The desert is full of dust and bacteria. If that blister gets infected, it could cause complications. Give her a full examination and treat her if necessary. I’ll cover the cost.”
The medic shook his head and handed Claire an adhesive bandage.
“Put this on it and keep it dry.”
After washing his hands, the medic glanced out the window, his expression turning serious.
“Today’s heat is lethal. The surface temperature is already approaching 140°F, or 60°C. Are you sure no one else from your team is still in the desert? Anyone left out there for two hours has almost no chance of surviving.”
Ethan went to the water dispenser and filled a cup with ice water.
He tested the temperature first, then held the cup to Claire’s lips.
He answered without the slightest hesitation.
“No one else is out there. The teammate who dropped out is a long-distance runner and is in excellent shape. She’s probably already called a ride back to the city and is resting in a hotel.”
The rest of the team, who had finally made it back to camp on foot, came through the door.
After hearing Ethan’s words, they began mocking me too.
“Erin would never put herself in real danger.”
“She only pretended she couldn’t walk because she wanted Ethan to worry about her.”
“Ethan refused to go after her, so she’s probably sulking in a hotel right now.”
Claire leaned against Ethan’s chest and lowered her voice.
“I’m not even sure Erin has her radio. What if she can’t reach us?”
Ethan gave her shoulder a reassuring pat.
“It’s in her backpack. Stop worrying about her. Once she realizes no one is coming back, she’ll return and apologize.”
He turned to the others and began dividing up the supplies and sleeping arrangements.
“Claire had a terrible scare today, so she gets the air-conditioned room tonight. Everyone, get the food out. We’re celebrating making it back safely.”
I hovered near the ceiling of the medical station, watching them smile and laugh together as if nothing had happened.
They had already stopped mentioning me, the person they had abandoned in the desert.