Chapter 205

Marie hurried back with the herbs to tend to Dennis's wounds. Having nothing else, she chewed the herbs and applied them to Dennis's wound, barely stopping the bleeding. She had become too exhausted to get up anymore. The sky outside had already turned completely dark, and if she ventured out again, she could not find her way back. Marie collapsed beside Dennis and, for the first time, drifted off to sleep while holding him. She did not fear the forest or the wild beasts that lurked within it, nor was she afraid of death. What terrified her was the thought that this man might never wake up again. It seemed that Marie could only feel at ease when she held him, feeling his body warmth and the rhythm of his heartbeat. The standoff outside the woods continued in a stalemate. Despite the devastating impact of Clayton's bomb, it had not killed Driscoll. He and the remaining members took cover, refusing to communicate, negotiate