Trail Of Terror : The Journey Back

A/N : Again thank you for all your encouraging words and kind reviews and to all who took the time to read my last chapter. Be warned! Things are going to get worse before they get better so this chapter is a bit of a tearjerker. I wholly and entirely blame my muse.. :-)

I have researched my medical details to the best of my ability so apologies if any medically minded people reading this find any discrepancies but I truly did my best to keep it as true to life as possible. Handkerchiefs at the ready!

Chapter 3

To Mike's surprise Steve's eyes fluttered open weakly as he felt the human touch on his forehead. He blinked a couple of times to clear his vision and saw Mike leaning over him. He saw deep concern in the older man's eyes and desperately wanted to take his fear away but this time he was scared himself. His back was hurting really bad and to make matters worse it was starting to hurt him to breathe. With every intake of oxygen from the mask a sharp searing pain tore through his back and chest and he could feel panic starting to rise within him. He wasn't sure where he was but he knew they were moving as he could feel the motion. His eyes widened slightly from the panic and Mike noticed immediately that something was terribly wrong and his heart skipped a beat.

"Steve? What's wrong? Are you in a lot of pain?"

The pain increased and fear tore at Steve's heart. He tried to speak but the words wouldn't leave his mouth. Taking in any breath at all was proving difficult and as his breathing became erratic, in a raspy voice he struggled to alert Mike.

"Hurts ... to breathe ..." was all he managed and the strain of speaking meant he had to take an extra large gulp of oxygen which only resulted in the subsequent pang of pain rocking him to the core. He closed his eyes to ride it out.

At Steve's words the Medic flew into action and pulled the covers off Steve exposing his back. The clean dressing was soaked through with blood again and he put the stethoscope in his ears and listened urgently to the young man's back. Mike could feel the blood almost pounding in his ears as he watched helplessly as the young man struggled to breathe and the Medic assessed him. Making Mike jump, the Medic shouted even louder this time.

"HARRY! We're in trouble here. I'm hearing decreased breath sounds on his right hand side. Whats our ETA now?"

"Five minutes Joe. " the pilot shouted back. " I'll alert the surgical team waiting."

Mike looked at the Medic not sure if he was going to be able to speak.

"What's wrong with him? Why can't he breathe?"

"My guess is the bullet is lodged somewhere near, if not in his lung. His lung is being constricted ... The medical term is a tension pneumothorax. It's where air is escaping into the chest cavity and constricting the lung." the Medic explained regretfully and not sounding happy about it himself.

Hearing those words, Mike was suddenly glad that he was sitting down because if he had heard those words while standing, he was sure his legs would not have held him up.

"Can you help him?"

"If he gets worse I'll have to do a needle decompression and draw some air out of his chest cavity but these are not ideal conditions Lieutenant. Let's hope he holds on until we land."

Mike then turned back to Steve who had reopened his eyes and was looking at Mike with a terrified look in his eyes.

"Take it easy Steve. We're nearly at the hospital. I can see it from here. Just hang on."

"Mike ... I'm not going ... to make it" Steve wheezed, not ever wanting to have to say those words to the older man but feeling his ability to breathe diminishing by the second.

Mike sucked in a deep breath, tears springing to his eyes at the hopelessness he saw in Steve's face and he grabbed Steve's hand tight and felt Steve weakly grip him back hoping beyond hope that he could almost transfer some strength back into the young man through the simple gesture.

"Don't you say that! You hear me? You ARE going to make it. You just have to hold on. Take slow, shallow breaths, not deep ones and you mustn't try to talk. You have to save your strength Steve. We're only minutes away from the hospital. Steve, I can see the helipad in the distance. HANG ON!"

A solitary tear escaped Steve's right eye as he saw how desperately Mike needed him to hang on but the young detective knew that any strength he had was already spent.

Steve wanted to tell Mike so many things but although he tried his hardest to speak he could only manage " You and ... Jeannie ... I ..." before he had to gasp for another excruciatingly painful breath of air.

Mike could read in Steve's eyes what he was about to say and hushed him with a gentle finger on his lips and then wiped the tear from the young man's face. To his right he saw the Medic preparing a syringe and other medical supplies and watched from the corner of his eye in horror as the Medic listened to Steve's back again and did not look pleased with whatever he had heard. Feeling that Steve's condition was deteriorating by the second, Mike concentrated on keeping Steve with him.

"Please buddy boy, listen to me. Don't talk. There's nothing you need to say to me and Jeannie that we don't already know. Now please, hang on. I can't ... lose you buddy boy. Don't leave us Steve ..." Mike pleaded, as tears filled his eyes too.

But as Steve's whole back suddenly burned as if it were on fire and the pain became unbearable, blackness closed in around him and he gasped painfully as he did his best to squeeze his partner's hand.

"Sorry ... Mike ..." and then his head dropped sideways onto the pillow, his eyes closed and his grip on Mike's hand loosened.

"Steve? ... STEVE?" Mike yelled as he watched Steve's breathing slow down rapidly.

"DAMN IT! " the Medic yelled and immediately starting prepping an area on Steve's ribs."Harry? I'm going to have to perform a needle decompression. Keep this thing as steady as you can."

"Joe, we're only two minutes out. The helipad is in sight." the pilot replied but the Medic's next words made Mike's blood run cold.

"Harry I can't wait. We're losing him! Keep her steady."

"Losing him" The words reverberated around Mike's brain and time seemed to stand still.

"NO" Nancy screamed and Mike turned to look at the young woman beside him.

She had just been sitting rooted to her seat, traumatized at the scene that was unfolding before her eyes, not knowing what to do or say to help, now distraught as she saw the young Inspector suddenly so still. Mike had almost forgotten she was there and worried for Nancy too as he saw her looking traumatized by what was happening.

"Lieutenant? Hold him still for me."

The Medic's voice brought Mike back around and he knew he had to try and remain calm even though he felt anything but calm right now. Letting go of Steve's hand reluctantly and dragging his tear filled eyes away from his partner's face he placed both hands on top of Steve's left arm holding him firmly as he watched the Medic set to work.

The Medic looked very nervous as he assessed the correct spot and Mike could see beads of sweat appear on the Medic's brow. Positioning the needle, Mike saw him take a deep breath, but before he pushed the needle in, the chopper rocked slightly.

"HARRY!" he chastised.

"Sorry Joe but we're approaching the helipad."

"Just keep her steady until I tell you." the Medic yelled and Mike could tell that he was not best pleased at having been forced to perform this procedure under these conditions.

Mike stole a glance at Steve and saw that his breathing was now almost barely noticeable. Feeling his emotions threaten to overwhelm him he watched as the Medic inserted the needle into Steve's chest followed by a catheter. As the Medic quickly worked, a loud hiss of air came from the tube and Steve bucked and started to breathe again, sucking in air in rapid, desperate gasps but not regaining consciousness. Mike felt he would almost choke from the relief and emotions that filled his throat.

"He's breathing again" were the only words Mike could get past his lips.

"But not regularly enough. I'm going to have to help him." the Medic answered glad that his intervention had worked but still not happy enough with his patient to celebrate victory just yet. Removing the oxygen mask temporarily, the Medic placed an Ambu bag apparatus over Steve's mouth and nose and squeezed the bag rhythmically until his patient's breathing stabilized while he shouted back to his pilot.

"Harry? He's breathing again but I've had to bag him. I don't know how long this is going to work for so get us down quickly."

The pilot didn't have to be told twice and they descended rapidly and landed expertly on the Hospital helipad. Everything seemed to happen very quickly as the chopper door opened and a swarm of medical personnel crowded around. Steve's stretcher was removed before Mike could even say anything and the medical staff had him on a gurney and racing back towards the hospital at high speed, the Medic visibly racing along with them, still assisting Steve with his breathing as they went. Mike could hear the Medic filling the Doctor in on what had happened and what procedure he had done to keep his patient with them and then he heard the Doctor barking instructions at the rest of the staff around Steve. The only words that reached Mike's ears were "bags of blood" and "emergency surgery stat!"

Mike stayed watching Steve as he disappeared through the double doors in the distance. Then climbing out of the chopper along with Nancy he noticed one lone Nurse had been left behind to usher them inside. As Mike's feet landed on the roof, they suddenly seemed to turn to jelly. He almost fell forward but the Nurse and Nancy grabbed an arm each and steadied him where he stood.

He stood watching the double doors, the last ten minutes replaying through his head just like a bad dream. Remembering Steve's last words " Sorry Mike ..." he felt sad at how typical that was of Steve that he even spent the only breath he had left apologizing for something he had no control over."What was he going to do with that kid?" he thought to himself and as that thought came into his head he felt a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach."What if he never got that chance?" Mike swallowed hard as more words came back to haunt him."We're losing him." Words he couldn't bear to even contemplate. The nurse sensed Mike's distress and shock and leaning in she spoke with concern in her voice.

"Sir, let's get you both inside. Please come with me." but Mike stayed rooted to the spot totally caught up in his own tormented misery.

The nurse looked at Nancy concerned, but she just smiled kindly at the older nurse and spoke.

"It's alright. I've got him." she said as she turned and spoke softly to the older man beside her.

"Lieutenant? We have to go inside now and check on Steve. You want to be there for him don't you?" Nancy said hoping she could get through to him and only just realizing that it was the first time she had actually used the young detective's first name.

Nancy's mention of Steve did the trick and brought Mike out of his shocked trance. Looking sideways at her as if he suddenly remembered where he was and what they were doing there, he nodded shakily.

"Yes, yes of course. What are we waiting around here for anyway? We need to go see how he is." and with that he took off unsteadily, both women staying beside him all the way, as they entered the hospital and followed the nurse down to level four.