[A/N: Backtracking now slightly and cover what's been happening back at the ARC during the time since ch.3 and eventually get caught up to the end of the previous chapter. Thankyou for all the reviews by the way, I'm blown away by all the glowing support this short story has received so thankyou muchly!]
CHAPTER SIX
Emily Anderson's heart pounded in her chest as she sprinted to Matt's side. She could hear men on her tail carrying EMDs ready to take out the creature but Emily didn't fully register them. All she could think about was reaching Matt before the worst happened.
Skidding to a half beside him she knelt and cradled his head in her lap, tears spilling down her cheeks.
"Matt, I'm here." She said softly and to her relief found he was still awake.
"Emily. Get away from here, I don't want it to get you too." He breathed.
The former victorian figured the sabre-toothed creature had wandered down a corridor away from here, as it was nowhere in sight.
"Matt it's alright, it's gone. Carter and his men are taking care of it. The medics are on their way, we'll take you up to the medical bay and you can get fixed up."
Matt nodded, screwing his eyes up and wincing in pain. That moment the medics arrived and Matt was hauled onto a stretcher and rushed away, Emily staying with him the whole time holding his hand.
"Emily, how is he?" Abby asked through the comm.
"He's going to be okay." She swallowed, smiling down at her husband.
. . .
Back in the hub, Connor Temple's fingers were working furiously. He'd opened his big mouth too soon as Jess and Becker were indeed in trouble, and there was no way of getting to them. Something was wrong the entire Lockdown programme meaning that although the shutters had opened allowing them access to Matt and the smilodon, that was all that had happened. That, and the ADD detecting an anomaly.
However, communications were still down and the exits still locked, not allowing anyone in or out of the building. The worst case scenario when they knew a team was needed up in Yorkshire to aid the celebrating couple.
"Do you need any help Con?" Abby asked, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"For the minute just leave me to it Abs, I need to get this done." He replied absently, but turned to her and shot her an apologetic smile. "Tony, what can you tell me?"
"Matt's settled in the medical bay. He's pretty beaten up but Jones says he'll be fine in a couple of days." He shrugged. "As for the ARC itself, there doesn't appear to be anything I can do. The doors aren't accepting any override access codes; we're relying solely on you, Temple."
Connor let out a breath. "Challenge accepted."
. . .
Stumbling slightly as the shockwave hit, Captain Becker looked over in horror as a ball of fire erupted into the sky accompanied by many loud bangs and streaks of colour.
Jess.
Before his brain could even register the action, he was running. "Jess, can you hear me?" he shouted into his earpiece. "Jessica answer me, are you alright?"
Silence, followed by a moan before a quiet voice groggily replied. "Yeah, just a little shaken. And my head hurts, ow. My fault…sorry…"
"Stay there and don't move okay, I'm coming for you. Keep talking and don't close your eyes Jess, do you understand?" he told her slowly but firmly. He didn't know how badly she was hurt but judging by how her voice wavered she was struggling to keep conscious.
"M'sorry Hil, should've looked…before I shot." Becker was getting worried now, Jess sounded breathless. He forced his legs to go faster, only slowing briefly to call out to a first aid station demanding a pair of medics follow him, all the while keeping Jess talking.
As he finally found her he immediately knelt down beside her and quickly checked her over himself, wincing as he felt warm blood come away on his hand. She'd clearly hit her head, hard.
"Jess? Jess, look at me honey. You're okay." He said softly, cupping her face in his hands and looking into her eyes. "She's got a bad knock to the head." He turned to the two medics who immediately began to grab gauzes and other supplies out of the kit.
"Hi Jess, my name is Kate, try and stay still for me okay? I'm going to look at your head wound." The female paramedic ordered as she began applying slight pressure to the back of her head to stop the bleeding. Jess nodded and gripped Becker's hand like it was a lifeline, and he gripped it just as fiercely back, an unspoken gesture of comfort.
"Sorry…didn't mean to shoot…" she mumbled. "…tried to run but then the truck blew…and I hit a tree."
"Hey Jess, I'm Kurt. I'm going to shine this pen into your eyes, can you follow my finger?" the second paramedic asked.
"Yeah." She croaked. As Becker began to rub soothing circles on her back, he could see for himself her eyes weren't completely focused.
"Mild concussion. Lots of rest for you sweetie when we get you of here, you're gonna have one hell of a headache, but luckily there is no serious damage." Kurt said brightly, giving the all clear for Becker to move her, who instantly enveloped her in his arms and got back to his feet.
"I really hate field work." Jess grumbled softly, nestling her head against his shoulder. Becker couldn't help but chuckle as he followed the medics back to a waiting ambulance where he laid Jess on a gurney, standing back to allow the medics to make her comfortable.
He was interrupted by a more than welcome voice in his ear.
"Captain Becker, Jess, do you read? This is the ARC. I'm tracking your black boxes, is everything okay?"
Stepping out of the ambulance to gain privacy away from the ears of the medics he replied. "Copy Phillips, get two teams of men over here with a chopper, now. Jess is injured, I want her back at the ARC asap."
"How bad?"
"Bad concussion. She'll be fine but with the distance I'd rather have her in the medical bay there than in a hospital up here."
"How have you been holding up? The ADDs registered an anomaly but as you're in the middle of nowhere I have no visual."
"Ten thousand diictodons at least. We're just awaiting a team to get them back into the anomaly, we couldn't risk it ourselves without a leak. What happened your end?"
"Smilodon." Phillips answered solemnly. "Matt's down but he'll live. Connor's spent the best part of the last three hours trying to get through Lockdown, you guys have some serious improvements to make. But right now the chopper's on its way to you, ETA thirty minutes. Abby's keeping Jess talking."
"Copy, thanks." He replied. "Emily?"
"Good evening, Captain. I hear you and Jess didn't quite have the peaceful anniversary you'd hoped for?" Her voice was attempting humour but he didn't miss the tremble underneath.
"You can say that again. How's Matt doing?"
"Okay. He's got multiple lacerations on his chest from the smilodon and has lost a lot of blood but Dr Jones has said he'll be fine. How's Jess?"
"That's great news Emily. Jess is fine too, just a bad bump to the head."
"I can talk to her myself you know." Jess's mock-annoyed voice chimed in, making Becker grin widely. If she was giving him lip now, she'd be perfectly alright. The soldier headed back into the ambulance and took his wife's hand, stroking hair out of her face.
"Chopper will be here in less than thirty minutes so we can take you home." Becker assured her.
"This is far beyond a simple escaped zoo animal job isn't it?" Kate asked steadily behind them, Jess had begun talking to Emily through her earpiece.
"Government. Classified." Becker nodded back, before shaking her hand. "Thanks for your help."
"Our pleasure. I'll get the field cleared for your transport." Kate nodded before heading out.
"This is Lieutenant Carter, Cap we're approaching your position. Are we clear?"
"Copy Carter, you're clear. It's good to see you."
"Likewise, Sir. We'll get our dear Jess back home and to medical attention immediately on touchdown. The sooner that happens, the sooner she can return to her beloved ADD. Beta team are five minutes behind to deal with the incursion and anomaly."
"Thanks Carter." Jess answered sleepily, Becker smiled stroking her hair.
"All in a day's work, Jess. See you very soon. And many happy returns."
Within ten minutes Jess was on board the helicopter and they were headed back to London. As much as Becker would've wanted to stay and make sure the whole incursion was dealt with, he was needed more at Jess's side. Twice on the flight back she slipped into unconsciousness but as soon as they were back she was given the all clear to sleep, Becker never leaving her side once.
In the early hours of the morning, not long after Jess had re-awoken, his second in command came in to fill him in on the clean-up operation. All the diictodons had been returned and the cover story was still intact. The anomaly was yet to close but as soon as it did, the remaining men stationed at the site would drive Becker's truck back to the ARC. As for the festival itself, as most of the acts had abandoned the schedule to help with the incursion, it would be extended for an extra day allowing for a proper finale and the chance for the acts to actually perform.
The very next day Jess was back at her post as Field Co-ordinator. Breathing a heavy sigh of relief as she flopped down on the chair her hands caressed the keyboards.
"I've missed you." She cooed, thinking with a fond smile over the events of the past few days, and then grimaced as she thought how the anomaly had affectively ruined her and Becker's anniversary.
We'll stick much closer to home next time. I wonder if Hil would consider staying with his family next time?
No sooner did the thought form in her mind did the anomaly klaxon blare out. Jess was immediately typing frantically to determine the location and give out the details.
Winchester, Hampshire.
Jess sighed, shaking her head. "Next time we get offered a quiet weekend away from the ARC, I'm just going to refuse."
. . .
THE END
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