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Landstuhl, Germany
When other members of the military described their team, it was by saying they were the best of the best. The tip of the spear. They weren't wrong. McG knew their team was strong and capable but that didn't mean that they weren't human. It didn't mean that they didn't bleed, suffer, and even die. Right now, what they were going through, rattled all of them.
He leaned against the door frame of Adam's hospital room and took in the scene in front of him. In the semi-darkness, he saw Jaz perched on the edge of a small uncomfortable chair. She'd pulled it up to the side of Adam's hospital bed on her first visit to his room. It definitely wouldn't be her last. In fact, she'd been sitting in almost that exact same spot for three days. Trying desperately to silently will him some of her strength while alternately badgering him to wake up. She'd only leave his side when the rest of the team forced the issue.
Based on her current position, slumped over with her forehead on his mattress, she'd finally succumbed to exhaustion. She looked terribly uncomfortable but he didn't want to disturb her. If he did wake her he knew what the outcome would be. She would sit up, say she was fine, and hold Adam's large hand tighter in her small one. She wasn't fine. None of them would be until Adam woke up. If he woke up. The thought that he might not was a possibility that kept McG from sleeping at night.
He couldn't stop the memories of the moments that had led to their current situation. They kept flashing through his mind at random times. Everything had been going so well that day. They'd been driving across the desert after yet another successful mission. The conversation had revolved around whose turn it was to cook dinner and just how badly it would suck if it was anyone but Amir.
The next thing he'd known he was flat on his back with sand and debris filtering down around him like snow. An IED had changed everything. He'd staggered to his feet quickly knowing that seconds counted when dealing with traumatic injuries. Fortunately, Amir and Preach had been within view and had already been getting themselves to their feet. Their injuries appeared to be minor.
"Good?" he'd asked.
He got a thumbs up from the both of them. On the other hand, Jaz and Adam were nowhere to be seen. He'd limped over to what was left of their SUV which, thanks to the force of the explosion, was now on it's side. Carefully he'd crawled through the back where the rear windshield had once been. The first thing he'd noticed was the blood liberally splattered around the inside of the vehicle. His anxiety had spiked when he'd leaned over the back seat and saw Adam's motionless form crumpled against the door frame. A deep gash in his head had bled freely and soaked into what was once a khaki shirt. He'd certainly looked better. Courtesy of some acrobatic-like maneuvers, he'd snaked his hand down to Adam's neck and felt the flutter of a steady but weak pulse.
Outside he'd caught a glimpse of Preach trying to look under the vehicle to make sure it hadn't rolled over on Jaz. He'd sent up a prayer that wasn't the case before he'd focused back on the patient he could help. He'd pulled a C-collar from his medical bag. Fortunately the bag had remained strapped in it's spot in the rear of the vehicle. Not having to search for it was one of the few bright spots since the explosion. It was as he was snapping the collar in place that he'd heard a weak moan that definitely wasn't Adam's. Preach had heard it as well and had quickly climbed into the back of the vehicle. With his assistance, they'd carefully rolled their CO over in the limited space. As they'd moved him they'd uncovered Jaz's smaller but equally battered body. She'd been completely covered by the larger man and was also non-responsive. Neither of them had been in good shape but at least they'd been alive. He'd cared for them as best as he could with the supplies he'd had at hand The minutes they'd had to wait for DC to get a rescue chopper to them had been some of the scariest of his life. He'd feared he would lose one or both of them to some unseen injury before help arrived. It was a miracle that hadn't happened.