"Medics be on standby. 3 injured! ETA is one hour." I spoke into the radio and watched as my friend began to wheeze.
"Medics on stand-by." Someone on the other end responded.
I threw the walkie on the seat next to me and hobbled to Riggs' side on the plane.
"Work with me buddy." I grunted as I turned him on his side.
I moved his arm away from the wound and saw a shotgun wound. He must've taken a hit on the way to the plane.
I hardly felt the pain of my own gunshot wound until my adrenaline wore off.
"Put pressure on the wound, Christian." The assistant pilot threw me a few towels and shirts and i wasted no time applying pressure to the wound.
"Riggs?" I looked up to see Dylan watching me.
"Avery. Riggs is just uh," I looked down at my unconscious friend,"Taking a nap?" I didn't want to worry her.
She was probably hallucinating from blood lost or exhaustion.
"Oh. Its cold in here." Dylan shivered and brought her shredded legs to her chest.
There was so much blood back here between the 3 of us. I had no clue how I was operating right now.
"Prepare for landing." The pilot called and I attempted to lift Riggs into a seat. It worked and I buckled him in.
"Dylan are you bu-" She was passed out once again. Fuck. We needed to see medics asap.
I pushed myself up on my good leg and buckled her in, then myself in the seat next to her.
I listened as the wheels extended from under the plane and soon hit the ground.
"Hold on guys," I whispered and looked in between my family.
God knows how long it took until the back opened and gurneys were rushed in.
"Whats the damage, Cap?" A medic asked me.
"Riggs Perish, shotgun wound to the left side, Dylan Richards blood loss from cut wounds, and Christian Avery gunshot wound to the right leg." I nodded towards the rigged bandaged on my leg.
"Patient stopped breathing. Starting chest compressions." Medic one called to medic two.
My heart rate began to increase as I watched them give Riggs CPR.
"Riggs, you asshole, you better not die." I yelled shakily.
If he dies, Im done for. He is my sanity here. Hes what makes life bearable.
Well aside from my girl back home.
But this was different. This was bromance.
"She's lost a lot of blood, We need a transfusion or she might go under." The first medic locked Dylan on a gurney and rushed her off to the clinic.
I silently prayed for her.
"He's back. Running him to the OR." Another medic took my best friend off.
"Can you walk at all? How bad is the pain on a scale from 1 to please cut my leg off?" A third medic crouched next to me on the seat and began pealing off the bandage.
"I can pretend im playing hopscotch and eventually get somewhere," I chuckled.
"Okay and the pain?" The medic examined the wound.
"Id put it at a 8 which is, please get this fucker out of me." I squeezed the bench in an attempt to not abuse the very kind medic.
"Okay. We'll get you back to the clinic and get you into surgery as soon as the other two are done." The medic rolled a wheel chair up the ramp.
Is this guy shitting me?
"Excuse me Mr doctor,nurse,medic, thing? You realize I have a fucking bullet in my leg and I have for the last 6 hours?" I wiped a bead of sweat from my brow.
I had been sweating and crying, a manly cry i swear, for the last few hours.
I felt like I was going to pass out a few times.
"We could remove the bullet but then we would have a problem with excessive bleeding and possiblity of never walking on that leg again. Which means you'd be medically discharge-"
"Alright I got it. Get me out of here."
***
Dylan
"How dare you touch my expensive heels! Look at these fingerprints!" Mother screeched.
"Im so-sorry mommy. I thought you said I could play in the attic." I hiccuped.
"No you spoiled brat! Wait until your father gets home." She through the red heel at me and retreated down the hallway.
"Mom! Please ill clean them!" I followed and wrapped my arms around her hairy legs.
"Get off of me!" She yelled and attempted to peel me from her leg.
"No! Im sorry, Mommy!" I wailed and tightened my grip.
"Whats going on,Claire?" I heard heavy footsteps approaching.
"Your daughter has gone mad! Please deal with her." Mother kicked me with her other foot and I screeched in pain.
"Dylan let go of your mom this fucking instant." Father's voice rumbled the house.
Or maybe just my bones.
"No mommy dont let him near me." I cried.
"Get off you bitch!" She shook her leg and my grip loosened.
Father came up behind me and grabbed me by the waist. I began screaming and crying. I thrashed against his grip but he held strong.
"Go get dressed, dear. Ill deal with this one." Father winked at mother and she gave him a wide smile.
He carried me into my bedroom and slammed the door.
"Please. Not again!" I screamed and backed away from the man unbuckling his belt.
"Just let it happen, you mongrel." Father grabbed my ankles and pulled me towards him.
"Get off of me!"
"Get off of me!" I kicked out my leg.
"Dylan! Its okay! Open your eyes." I felt a warm hand on mine.
I opened my eyes to see Avery. Tears instantly filled my eyes.
"Its okay. C'mere," Avery pulled me into a hug and I cried into him.
After about 10 minutes of crying then dry heaving I finally settled down.
"You guys came for me," I sniffled.
"You're our family. We couldn't just leave you out there." Avery gave me a small smile.
"How'd you guys know? Ive been gone for weeks." I wiped my eyes and noticed bandages.
What the hell?
"Months,Dylan." Avery sounded sad.
Months?
I guess so. Time blurred together in there.
"How'd you know?" I repeated.
"I didn't. They gave us a KIA report and I uh," Avery sighed.
"I gave up, Dylan. Im sorry." I squeezed his hand.
"Its okay." I nodded.
I looked around the tent to find Riggs wasn't here with us.
"He never gave up searching. He put the pieces together. I thought he was crazy but I got us recruited for a mission in Spain. Figured I'd show him you were gone or shine some light on his crazy. But clearly hes the one to show me the light." Avery stared off into space.
My heart clenched at his words.
"Where is he,Avery?" I gripped the blanket that was over my lap.
"He took a shotgun shell to the side. A lung was punctured among other things." I watched him for some sign that he was lying.
A sign that this was just a sick joke.
"Where is he?" I asked again, a sob building in my throat.
"Hes in another tent, hes on a bunch of medical bullshi-"
I threw the blanket off and jumped off the bed, instantly regretting it.
My legs burned. I looked down to find large bruises and stitches.
I ignored the feeling of pain and took a step forward, I ended up on the ground.
"Dylan! Are you okay?" Avery called from the side of the bed.
I ignored him and stood once again, this time on better footing.
"Nurse! Nurse!" Avery called as I exited the tent.
The sun was bright and all I could see was the green medical tents. There were only 5 of them, it should be easy to find Riggs.
"Riggs!" I called and took a few clumsy steps forward.
My legs throbbed in pain.
I took a few more steps forward and fell onto the ground. Sand rubbed against the bruises which just caused more pain. I groaned and pushed myself up again.
This time I made it to the first tent. Two men on gurneys were laid up in it.
I moved onto the second and found corpses in body bags.
I attempted to move to the third but my legs gave out once again. I screamed in both frustration and pain.
"Dylan." Avery was behind me now.
I turned to see him on crutches and a cast on his right leg.
"Gunshot. Rifle to be more specific." He chuckled.
"Im sorry." I cried.
Avery laid down his crutches and pulled me into a warm hug.
"Its okay. Itll be okay." He whispered into my hair.
"Hes awake! DOCTOR!" I looked up to see a nurse standing out side of tent 5.
I looked from the tent to Avery.
"Dylan, N-"
I stood from his embrace and rushed to the tent.
"Where is she? I dont care asshole where is my fucking girlfriend?" I heard Riggs yelling from inside the tent.
I jogged faster and bent under the flaps. His face came into view.
Riggs looked so fragile. So week. His cheeks were hollow and his eyes looked sickly.
"Mr.Perish, Please just let us run a few tests then you can see her." An older doctor was holding a needle.
"I swear to god, if you come anywhere near me with that, I will shove it up your ass. Have you ever had a bloody asshole before,Doc?" Riggs glared at him.
"Riggs.." I called and his head shot towards me.
His hard eyes softened, "Princess." He smiled wide at me.
I began crying and rushed to his side.
He wrapped his arms around me.
"I missed you,Dylan." His voice cracked.
"I missed you so much. Im sorry." I squeezed him harder.