Hey, people! Here's a new chapter! Last night I was being very lazy, but I managed to gather the strength to finish this chapter. As a side note, you can thank 4everyoung10 and Just a Beatles Girl for pushing me to write.
REVIEW REPLIES: (Skip if you don't want to read these)
4everyoung10: You'll be on me to update more than ever? Then I'll troll more than ever! Then again, if you were a certain mutual friend who will remain unnamed, I would troll like a madwoman. OSCAR DONKEY.
mozzi-girl: Aw, you'll find out what happens to your rugged babe!
But I Have Promises To Keep: Thanks! Suspense is… good, I think.
Just a Beatles Girl: Aw, thanks! Natara has to save him! Will she? Well, I guess that's up to me. If Duane wasn't so lazy, he could help. Wayne may… Payne may kill me.
BreezyFan: YES A CLIFFHANGER. I AM SERIOUSLY EVIL. Thanks for the review!
Artist For Love: Hey! We can't have you dying! You gotta stay alive so you can review!
Natara felt time slow to a crawl as she approached Mal, her feet feeling as if they weighed one hundred pounds. Her legs shook as she knelt beside him. She hesitated before gently touching his shoulder.
She felt both relief and heartache when he flinched and let out a pained sound. He opened his eyes weakly and opened his mouth to speak, but no words left.
"It's me, Mal. It's Natara. I'm here," she whispered, smoothing a hand over his torn shirt and trying not to wince at the amount of both old and fresh blood staining it. She realized that there was a deep gash in his side, and she pressed her hands over it. Mal shuddered. "Don't worry, Mal, we're gonna get you out of here. Help is on their way up right now."
He managed a faint nod and edged slightly closer to her, his gaze never travelling away from her. After spending two agonizing weeks in this room, he had lost nearly all hope of seeing her again. He closed his eyes for a moment and hoped that it was real and not just a dream.
He had lost count of the times when he thought he could see her only to wake up and realize that he was only dreaming.
"Hey, stay with me, okay? Just another minute."
"Here," Blaise said softly, handing her a trauma blanket. Natara took it and draped it around Mal's shoulders. Several paramedics made their way into the room with a stretcher.
"Here we go, Mal. They're gonna take you to the hospital." The smell of gasoline grew stronger as Mal grabbed her hand tightly. "I'll ride with you. C'mon," she urged. Finally he gave in, and she stood nearby as he was loaded into the ambulance.
"I'll meet you at the hospital." Blaise holstered her gun as Natara climbed in after Mal. Natara kept a grip on Mal's hand, sitting near him as the ambulance sped towards the hospital.
CoD-CoD-CoD
The ambulance skidded to a stop in the ambulance bay, and the paramedics quickly lifted the stretcher out of the back. Mal's eyes had slipped shut, and Natara stepped back as they pushed the gurney through the set of double doors.
"Don't worry, we'll update you soon," one of the paramedics assured her. Forcing a nod, Natara leaned against the wall and took a deep breath, closing her eyes.
She sat down in one of the stiff hospital chairs, tapping her foot nervously.
This was her least favorite part of hospitals. She hated everything about them, but fearing for someone she cared about was the worst part. Mal had lost consciousness on the ambulance due to blood loss, but Natara knew that his physical injuries were the least concern.
"Any word?" Blaise asked as she took a seat nearby. Startled from her thoughts, Natara shook her head.
"He blacked out in the ambulance. He lost a lot of blood. But I don't think that's what we need to worry about."
Blaise let out a sigh and shoved her hands into her jacket pockets. "If those miserable creeps did those things to him, they better send the whole damn police force after them and shoot them where it hurts."
Natara forced a nod. "But remember to stay calm when Mal wakes up. He needs our support."
A dark haired woman in scrubs approached them. "Agent Williams? I'm Dr. Mary Thomson, Detective Fallon's primary."
Natara stood up. "How is he?"
Dr. Thompson looked at them gravely. "We were able to stitch the wounds. If you hadn't found him when you did, that stab wound would have killed him within an hour. He's lucky to be alive. He's also malnourished and dehydrated."
"And? Was he r-" Unable to finish, Natara's voice caught in her throat.
"When we were stitching the wound, we noticed some other injuries. By law we can't fully examine them without his permission, but yes, it appears so."
Natara and Blaise both paled. They knew what to expect, but hearing it out loud felt like a sharp blow.
"We'll move him to the ICU soon. I'll let you know when he's ready for visitors."
"Okay," Natara whispered, forcing back tears. She sat down again, burying her face in her hands. After all their hard work, they had found him. But deep down, she felt that it was only the beginning.
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