Chapter Seven

The smell of death is in the air

A woman weeping in despair

And I see no bravery, no bravery

In your eyes anymore, only sadness

James Blunt – No Bravery

"Is the tail end out?" The paramedic asked, I looked to the right of me checking as I held up the debris in order for them to get the rest of the stretcher out through the gap the rescue team had made in the debris. I watched as Danny's eyes went to Flack, lying unconscious on the stretcher. His closest friend was now resting; it looked as if he was sleeping. The blanket covered the true extent of Flack's injuries. I tore my eyes away from Flack's almost bloodless face. I had to let them get on with it; he'd spend the next few hours in surgery. Danny closed his eyes briefly struggling with the emotions that were rising up inside him. Then he turned his attention back to me.

"Come on…" he gestured. "Your next." He reached out a hand towards me; I took it leaning on him to help me through the gap. My foot slipped hitting the beam supporting the whole lot, I let out a yelp as Danny yanked me forward into his chest as the rubble behind me suddenly collapsed exploding dust into the air. Danny lost his balance at the abrupt shift in weight, sending us both toppling backwards. We hit the ground on our sides. I let out a tiny cry as something pierced my skin. My hand went to it instinctively.

"You alright?" Danny asked through fits of coughing, squinting.

"I think so." I said clambering to my feet. Danny scrambled up after me.

"You bleeding." He pointed at my side, which also had Flack's blood smeared all over it.

"Here let me take a look." He said gently tugging up the hem of my blue shirt. He hoisted it just under my bra line. He let go grabbing my arm above the elbow and pulling me in the direction of the exit. I could see the fear, in his eyes, the concern.

"Danny?"

"We need to get you to a medical point." He growled leading me through the wreckage of the building quickly. Breathing in to the fresh air I barely had any time to breathe before Danny was dragging in the direction of the medical point. I waved at Stella as Danny hauled me past her. He handed me over to the paramedic before I could protest.

"She has a chunk of metal in her left side just under the bra line. It's bleeding pretty bad." Danny told the paramedic. He nodded and was already lifting my top up to check the damage.

"Hey, are you gonna be alright here?" Danny asked as I raised my arms above my head, so the paramedic could get a better view of the injury. Now that I knew it was there it was beginning to hurt like a bitch. I nodded grinding my teeth.

"Danny…Thanks." I said as he turned to leave. He gave me a tiny wave.

"No problem." Then he was lost in the crowd and chaos that the bomb had called.

"Ma'am call I just sit you down here?" the paramedic asked guiding me to the stretcher a few feet behind us. I put my arms down and sat down on it. The paramedic stood in front of me applying a pair of latex gloves to his hand, and grabbing a pair of tweezers. He smiled at me apologetic.

"I'm going to have to get this out ma'am, it's going to sting, but I'll make it quick I promise." I took a deep breath; I raised my hands above my head and nodded. I felt the paramedic gently put his hand just underneath my breast stretching the skin below it.

"Ready?" I ground my teeth as I felt him jerk the jagged piece of metal out from my skin. I fought the urge to want to scream and clenched my jaw instead. Tears ran from my eyes as he gave it another pull before it eventually came free.

"You were lucky." He said holding up the piece of metal that had worked its way into my skin. An image of Flack laying there, that metal sheet on him…

The paramedic pulled out a cotton pad and a roll of gauze.

"Did you get caught up in the explosion?" he asked me, reeling off some gauze. I took a deep breath nodding.

"Must have been scary." The paramedic murmured pushing the cotton pad against the injury. Images of Flack broke into my mind, forcing more tears to slide silently down my face. Flack smiling, his eyes twinkling as he teased Danny, his laugh. Then there were more, him yelling, yanking my behind him, the explosion going off, Flack's chest wide open blood everywhere. The prick of a needle in my skin snapped me out of it. I turned my head towards the paramedic, who I realized was in the process of giving me stitches.

"The wound's too wide to heal on its own, to be honest it's too wide for stitches to work effectively, but they may just help." I nodded, as he worked on my side.

"It's going to take a while to heal, but try not to stretch it otherwise you'll just pull them right out." He told me pulling my top down, I tested my mobility. Giving the paramedic a grim smile, I said my thanks and went in search of Mac. Flack was there in my head again, the images just kept rushing at me. His beautiful eyes on me, that kiss…

"What do you need me to do?" I burst out upon finding Mac, Stella turned to me frowning at my outburst.

Mac's eyes were on me analysing my productivity. He opened his mouth to speak.

"Even if it's just lab work I'll do it, I just… I need to work this Mac."

Mac let out a deep breath; he and Stella exchanged a look between them.

"Go back to the lab with Lindsey you can work with the evidence we've got there. How's the side?" he asked pointing at the blood patch that had spread onto my shirt from when the injury had first occurred.

"They stitched me up." I answered, Mac's eyes studied me.

"Go find Lindsey and I'll see you back there." I took off in the direction that he pointed in, my eyes searching the crowd for Lindsey's head. Forcing the images of Flack from my mind I pushed through people to get to her.