Stevie could feel the ringing in her ears as she slowly pushed herself up. President Dalton was being led out by security and so were the Pakistani and Indian diplomats. She couldn't understand what had happened and there was a terrible pain radiating from her stomach and from her head. The smoke was thick and burning her eyes and there were shards of glass everywhere.
"Oh," the low moan came from just behind her.
"June," Stevie's head was swimming as she gently craned her neck to look around. "June," she said louder as she found the older woman behind her. "June, can you hear me," she asked as she pushed herself back to sit next to her.
"Oh," June's eyes were closed and her face contorted in pure pain as she lay on her right hip. As Stevie pushed herself back the woman's eyes blinked open and she caught sight of the young woman she had the tense interaction with just moments ago. Slowly she brought a shaky hand to the back of her head.
"June," Stevie put a gentle hand on the arm that went to her head. "Can you stand up?"
"I don't know," June answered. The pain in her head was pounding and she was seeing stars all around. Nothing else really seemed to hurt too much but she didn't know if she could walk. She could feel the warm blood at the back of her head; it wasn't a lot but she knew she was bleeding.
"Come on," Stevie put her other hand under June's right arm and pushed her to a sitting position. "You need to try June," she prodded. "I'll help you."
Stevie steadied June as she pushed herself to her feet and tried to pull June to hers. June groaned and tried to hold onto Stevie as the younger woman prodded her to her feet. She felt as though the entire earth were spinning. Stevie could feel the pain in her stomach intensifying and she was suddenly aware that there was blood oozing from a wound there just below her chest. She couldn't stop, she had to get both of them out of there and to someone who could help. She moved to June's right side and forcefully pulled the older woman's arm around her own shoulders. She had to force her other arm around her waist as she fought the swimming pain in her head and the stretching she felt in her stomach wound.
"Come on," Stevie took a shaky step toward the door trying to support June's weight. "You can do it."
June forced out a step and her knees buckled. "Ahh," she groaned as she feared she might hit the floor.
"I've got you," Stevie's grip on her waist tightened as she pulled her toward the door. "You can do this June, come on," Stevie coached.
"Ms. McCord," a Secret Service agent was just beyond the door.
"We need some help here," Stevie choked out as the black smoke began to burn her lungs as her breathing became more and more labored. "She's got a head wound."
"June," Russell's voice was audible from just beyond the door. "Get that woman help now," he barked out.
"I've got you ma'am. It's ok Miss McCord, I've got her," the agent assured Stevie as he took over supporting June's weight. "Gurney," he yelled down the hall as he pulled June into the hallway.
"Stevie," she heard Russell's voice, but she couldn't see him now. "Stevie," she felt his hands grabbing her as she fell forward toward the abyss that was taking over. Suddenly, she felt like she was floating somewhere, totally weightless. "Medic," was the last thing she heard Russell say before there was nothing but calm and darkness.