Tom
She had been leaning against him and then her entire body went boneless. Only his arms around her waist kept her upright. He had thought she was at her end during their last stop but, once the morphine had taken effect, she had insisted she could keep going. She had almost made it. Now it was up to him to get her the rest of the way.
He lowered her to the ground as carefully as possible. She was pale, cold, and clammy. None of the above was a good sign. He opened her shirt and noted the fresh blood that had soaked into the sling. The bandages were clearly soaked through. She needed more help than he could provide. He brushed back the hair on her forehead and pressed his lips there.
"You did good, Liz. You did good. I'll get us the rest of the way."
It wasn't easy but he managed to get her up and over his shoulders in a classic fireman's carry. He would have preferred to cradle her in his arms but he needed his gun hand free just in case they ran into trouble. He started a steady ground eating stride that was propelled by adrenaline and worry. She needed help now. He needed to make sure they didn't miss their extraction window because, if they had to wait another night, he feared she wouldn't make it.
He arrived at the extraction site an hour in advance. He was covered in sweat and was worried because Liz had never roused. But at least he had felt her chest rising and falling against his back so he knew she was alive. He gently lowered her under the cover of some trees and reached back to the pack to retrieve the sleeping bag. Opening it next to her he slowly rolled her onto it. The quilted shirt was also soaked through with blood due to the awkward position she had been in. He unbuttoned it, removed it, and untied the sling. Quickly he covered her in the sleeping bag as he pulled out more antiseptic, the vial of morphine, and new gauze sponges. He removed the old gauze and poured antiseptic on the front and back to no response. The entrance and exit wounds were carefully inspected in the dimming light. Red tendrils could be seen under her skin and her breathing was rapid and shallow. His heart seized as he realized she had blood poisoning. His hands fumbled with the pack as he removed the sat phone and dialed the man on the other end.