riptide- outer banks

127 | trekking through morocco with two cracked ribs

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Logan had never really been one to think about heaven and hell. He liked to think that his mom was in the first place, but beyond that, he hadn't given it much thought. But ever since stepping into the latter, he had been thinking a hell of a lot more about what hell was. And right now, it felt a lot like trekking through Moroccan sand dunes with two cracked ribs while trying not to blow up at every minor inconvenience.

Hell sucked.

He squinted his eyes, barely able to see it beyond the endless grainy hills. A town that looked more like a mirage than it did real. It was just a smear of beige and gray in the distance, hardly distinguishable from the dunes they'd been dragging themselves across for hours. He'd kept his hand pressed flat over his ribs, but it hadn't done much. They'd been walking all day and every step aggravated his injury. Every breath was a reminder that he was one wrong twist from puncturing a lung.

The pain hadn't gotten better either. He'd just gotten used to it, swallowing down any grimaces before they reached his tongue. He didn't need anyone worrying about him any more than he knew they probably were. Plus, it wasn't just him that was a flight risk here. Sarah being pregnant posed just as many risks as him having cracked ribs. Maybe.

John B glanced over at him with the same look he'd already seen eight other times. "Hey, how're you holding up?"

Logan's brow raised. "Same as the last seven times you asked."

"Right." He nodded once. "Just checking."

The group moved in clumps, sun beating down on them like it had a vendetta. With no water, it wasn't just light or warmth. It was weight. A solid, heavy weight that was only making their throats more arid. They were all burned, faces red and sweat-ridden. Fatigue and dehydration had set in around hour two and hadn't left since they had no access to water. They just kept walking, hoping that they were getting close to Essaouria.

Logan's eyes flicked over to Sarah. She was next to John B, one hand clutching low on her stomach. Her pace had slowed down quite a bit in the past hour and she seemed depleted of energy. He could only imagine how hard this was for her right now. In her condition? She deserved a damn gold medal.

Kori followed his stare, taking note of the worry in his expression before she was falling into place next to Sarah. "You okay?"

The blonde perked up, locking onto her concerned gaze with a forced smile. "Yeah. Just tired, you know?"

Her head tilted down. "Sare,"

Sarah brought a hand up, gently brushing Kori's forearm. "Look, I'll be fine, Kori. We just gotta..." She inhaled. "Just gotta get to town."

Kori slowly, reluctantly nodded her head. "Okay."

Then she was falling back into step next to Logan. Rafe was hovering nearby, but she didn't pay him any attention. Only Logan had her fully. She glanced at him, realizing how far they'd fallen behind without meaning to. Sarah was right there with him, but Logan was worse. She didn't want to admit it, but he was the one most at risk. The one who would go down first if anything happened because he couldn't protect himself.

His face twitched as he pushed up a small rise in the sand. She noticed. She always noticed things like that. "You know what I regret the most?" She asked, hoping to distract him from it all even for a few moments. "Not bringing my camera."

"Oh, so you could capture–" He threw his free hand out. "All of this?"

"I don't know. It's kind of pretty." She remarked, eyes trailing over the vast dunes.