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The roaring winds of the tornado had finally subsided, leaving behind a landscape of debris and ruin as Tyler raced away from the theatre, his only thought being Kate.
Tyler's heart pounded in his chest as he sprinted across the field, Javi keeping in step with him, both of their eyes locked on his overturned truck - specifically the driver's side window that a figure was lying halfway out of. His breaths came in ragged gasps, each step fueled by sheer determination and worry as he jumped over scattered fence posts and tangled wire, his gaze locked on Kate's form.
"Kate!" he shouted, his voice barely audible over the distant rumble of the dissipating storm. Kate was slowly crawling out from the twisted metal, her movements slow and labored. Blood streaked down the side of her face, mixing with the dirt and grime.
Tyler reached her, crouching at one side of Kate while Javi knelt at the other. He couldn't help but smile with relief as he saw she was mostly alright - already asking about the tornado and if everyone else was alright. He carefully grabbed one of her arms, his hands trembling as he and Javi gently lifted her to a sitting position against the truck.
"You did it, Kate. You did it," Tyler said, and she met his smile with one of her own as she looked back to him.
Javi grinned from his spot on her other side, "Kate, it worked."
Kate's eyes brightened, and despite the pain, she raised her fingers, swirling them in the oh-so-familiar tornado motion. It was their signal, a sign of victory. Tyler couldn't help but laugh, even as his own pain began to register.
It had been a rough day, but they had made it.
As Tyler shifted to get a better look at Kate's injury, a sharp pain shot through his leg. He glanced down, his stomach turning at the sight of his blood-soaked pants.
"Oh..." A deep gash ran from his thigh to his knee, the wound having been hidden by the adrenaline pumping through his veins - which was now beginning to fade as the danger passed.
"Tyler, you're hurt," Kate said, her eyes widening in alarm as she reached to press a hand against his thigh, her fingertips quickly growing bloody. "Tyler!"
"It's nothing," Tyler tried to dismiss, but his vision began to blur. The adrenaline that had kept him going was fading fast, leaving him weak and disoriented. "Oh shit..."
"Tyler, sit down," Kate ordered, her voice stronger now. She tried to push herself up, but Tyler waved her off.
"I'm good, Kate," he insisted, trying to stand. But the world tilted around him, and he staggered, his legs threatening to give out. "I'm good, it's just... just a scratch..."
Before he could finish, his vision went black, and he crumpled to the ground.
"Tyler!" two voices called in unison, and then he knew no more.
Tyler slowly drifted back to consciousness, the steady beep of monitors a comforting rhythm in the background. His eyelids felt heavy, and his body ached. He blinked slowly, the sterile white of a hospital room coming into focus. The stark contrast of the harsh fluorescent lights against the pale walls was almost blinding, and he squinted for a moment as he adjusted.
"Hey there, welcome back," a soft voice greeted him, filled with relief.
Tyler turned his head slightly, wincing at the stiffness in his neck. Kate sat in a chair next to his bed, her face illuminated by the soft glow of the bedside lamp. Her head was bandaged, and she looked pale but relieved. Exhaustion etched deep lines around her eyes, as if she hadn’t slept in days. But she was smiling, her hand resting on the blanket that was covering him.
"Kate..." Tyler's voice was raspy, barely more than a whisper. "What happened?"
"You lost a lot of blood, that's why you passed out." Kate explained, "When the streetcar fell and trapped you, all that debris cut your leg badly. You passed out once the adrenaline wore off. We got you to the hospital just in time - the doctors said it wasn't good."
Tyler tried to sit up, but a sharp pain in his leg made him wince. He glanced down to see his leg heavily bandaged. "Will it scar?"
Kate nodded slowly. "They said it probably will. But it’ll heal, and you shouldn't have any long-lasting impacts on your ability to walk or run. The doctors say you were lucky."
Tyler sighed, letting his head fall back onto the pillow. The events of the day - and was it even still the same day? - coming rushing back. "Where is everyone else? Are they all alright?"
"They're all fine," Kate assured him. "The rest of your team is helping with the cleanup and making sure everyone is safe. They wanted to be here, but the hospital's pretty strict about visitors right now with all the incoming patients, and they're still recovering from the tornado themselves. Some of the wings are completely shut down from the damage."
"So it's just us," Tyler murmured, feeling a strange mix of relief. He would love to see his team and friends again, but he certainly appreciated a moment to allow himself to recover in peace.
Kate nodded. "Yeah, just us."
The room was filled with the hum of medical equipment and the distant murmur of hospital activity. Tyler's thoughts were a jumble of relief, pain, and gratitude.
He looked at Kate, her face drawn with worry but softened by a smile. He noticed the bandage on her head and the dried blood on her temple, some of it wiped away by what was probably a wet paper towel in the hospital bathrooms, but smudges still stubbornly clung to her skin.
"You look like you've been through hell," Tyler said, attempting a weak smile. "Like a tornado hit you."
Kate chuckled softly. "Right back at you, cowboy."
They sat in silence for another moment, the weight of the day's events settling around them. Kate reached down and pulled up the hem of her shorts slightly, revealing a scar on her thigh. "Now we match," she said ruefully. "Us - zero, Tornado - two."
Tyler managed a weak chuckle. "Well, I'm sure my fans will love it on me. Badass tornado-chasing cowboy with a gnarly scar - just their type."
Kate's smile widened, but there was a sadness in her eyes as she reached out to rest a hand gently over his bandaged thigh. She reached her free hand up to his face, brushing a strand of hair from his forehead. "Well... you can say this is from your fans, then."
And then she leaned in and kissed him.