„Next time it´s her head!" Derek barked. „I want the girl now!"

XXX

Cathie gasped desperately for air. The impact had left her breathless and by that unable to move. Fiery pain spread through her body.

XXX

„Damnit!" Barney cursed, reaching out for the headset Maggie was handing him.

„We should show him the girl", Toll Road suddenly chimed in.

„I told you to leave!" Barney snapped. „Do it!"

XXX

Toll Road cursed, grabbing Tabitha by the arm.

„Don´t worry!" he told her. „Nothing´s gonna happen to you."

„We don´t leave people behind!" he added with a dark look at Olsen.

XXX

„Hey!" Toll Road barked, stepping into sight, dragging Tabitha with him.

Derek chuckled lowly.

„Now we´re getting somewhere!" he barked.

It only took him two paces to get over to Cathie. Grabbing her by the hair, he forced her back up to her knees.

„We´re going to do this my way!" he warned, the gun at the ready. „Make a wrong move and she´s dead!"

XXX

A single shot fell.

XXX

„Gotcha!" Billy mumbled, sitting back.

XXX

XXX

Cathie went down again, this time because of Derek´s limp form slumping down on her.

She hit the ground hard and banged her head. Then large hands grabbed her to drag her into cover.

„We got her!" Ceasar reported.

„The vest caught the bullet!" he added a moment a later.

Barney exhaled while Maggie put a hand to his arm to express her relief. He watched Gunnar at the other side of the yard putting his head back against the wall behind him for a moment, probably sending thanks up to heaven.

„Good job", Barney told Billy over the com link.

„I agree", Gunnar said.

The next moment, someone opened fire on them.

„Christmas, Gunnar, Billy - cover us!" Barney barked, immediately returning fire. „Let´s get out of this place !"

XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX

„Get in, hurry !" someone barked.

Cathie watched Yang enter the plane, doing his best to support Christmas. The Brit looked pale, a thin layer of sweat covering his face. Cathie spotted the ripped sleeve of his shirt. Barney and Gunnar followed, dragging Billy with them. The youngest team member bit back a groan.

„What happened ?" Cathie asked.

„Burn wounds, both of them", Barney shouted.

„The car doubled over", Maggie told her, shooing the girls out of the way and into a corner.

„Take care of the kid!" Christmas told Cathie, waving her aside.

„We got to get this bird up into the air!" Barney barked, entering behind them and hurrying over to the cockpit.

„I´ll assist you", Maggie volunteered, following him suit.

„You´re alright ?" Gunnar asked Cathie while helping Billy down to a cot.

„Sure", she answered absent-mindedly, her eyes already on her patient. With the four additional passengers and two of them unconscious, the interior of the plane had become cramped.

„I need some more light!" she demanded, addressing no one in particular.

In an instant, Gunnar was at her side, a flashlight in one hand.

„Billy, I need to get you out of your vest and jacket", she told the injured.

Toll Road reappeared, another flashlight with him.

„Help me", Cathie ordered Toll Road over the noise of the starting engines. „Lee, status ?"

„Hurts like hell!" came the answer.

„Is it only your arm ?"

„Yeah. Fuck!"

Toll Road and Cathie maneuvered Billy carefully out of the Kevlar vest. Flipping her jackknife open, she cut through the fabric of his shirt.

„Talk to me, man", she demanded.

„Hurts !" Billy mumbled, barely understandable over the noise around them.

„Yeah, we´ll do something against that first. Someone help Lee out of his clothes! I need to see the burn."

She grabbed an injection set and a phial and forced her patient softly to outstretch his good arm. It took her only an instant to find the right spot.

„Shot comes intravenously", she told Billy. „You'll be better in a second."

She glanced at Lee on the next cot.

„Goddamnit", she mumbled. „Gunnar, can you take care of that? Morphine, ten milligrams."

„Hold on to something!" someone shouted and Cathie reached out for the next thing she could get a hold of. The plane moved with a sudden jolt, causing her to swear.

„Ten ?" Gunnar asked, sounding doubtful, but grabbing another injection set nevertheless. „You´re meaning damn well for him, huh ?"

„Ten! Get going, he can take it! Just do it slowly."

„I.v.?"

„You´ll manage to do that ?" Cathie asked back.

„You´re kiddin´ !" Christmas complained, realizing what they were up to and trying to suppress another groan.

„Trust me", Gunnar told him with a grin.

„How´s it that the Kid gets the hot nurse and I´ll end up with you?" Christmas groaned.

„He´s younger", Gunnar retorted, changing position. „Get used to it! Now gimme your arm and let me find a nice place for that shot."

„What the hell you´re up to?" Lee asked, watching him getting down to one knee again at the level of his shoulder.

„I´ve used to do my own injections only, you know", Gunnar answered. „I´ve got no practice shooting up others."

„Oh damn!" Lee swore. „Jus´ make sure you hit!"

„Keep talking to me, Billy", Cathie demanded meanwhile, keeping her eyes on the shot, injecting the painkiller slowly.

„Sick", he only said.

„Doesn´t hold, it´s just during injection...", she soothed.

The injection done, she put the syringe away and felt immediately for his pulse.

„Done. Feelin´ better ?"

„Floatin´...", Billy mumbled.

Toll Road exchanged an amused look with Cathie who smiled for a second.

„That´s what I wanted to hear", she muttered, watching her patient doze off.

XXX

Cathie worked with grim determination under the somewhat unsteady light of the flashlights the men took turns holding for her. Finally able to do what she had come to do here in the first place, the necessity of taking care of their injured seemed to have made her forget about what she had just went through.

This time, there was a lot more work for her than she would have wished for.

Checking the results of McIntyre´s drug tests at some point, she shook her head.

„What is it?" Toll Road asked.

„The drug cocktail this guy is takin´ is unbelievable", she answered. „You and I would most likely collapse immediately!"

„Is he going to die?"

It had been Tabitha McIntyre to ask the question.

„Nobody´s going to die here as long as I have some say", Cathie muttered. „Damn shit!"

„He´s just unconscious but he´ll eventually die if he doesn´t stop using soon", Toll Road interpreted for Tabitha. Cathie felt utterly grateful to have the calm ex-wrestler around.

„What about him?" the girl asked, pointing at Branagan.

„Not yet dead either", Cathie mumbled, her expression darkening.

Maggie had just changed seats with Yin Yang at the cockpit and touched Cathie´s shoulder on her way past her.

„Want me to have a look at the girls?" the Chinese asked.

Cathie nodded.

„Take the first aid kit with you, just in case", Cathie suggested.

XXX

Taking care of Branagan was the hardest thing to do. Cathie tried her best to ignore the smell and cut carefully through what was left of his ragged clothes. Then she sat back on her heels for a moment, shocked by the sight.

„Shit", Ceasar mumbled sympathetically.

„Could you take some notes?" she addressed Toll Road.

„Gimme that flashlight", Ceasar volunteered.

„Wait a second", Cathie mumbled. „Hey, Greg!"

Olsen, who had found himself a place some steps away from her and had been busy staring into nowhere, looked up in surprise.

„Gimme a hand here!" she demanded. „You might want to report back to your boss later on in detail ?"

Gunnar moved to interfere, but she raised one hand, signaling him to stand back.

Olsen followed the request, though hesitantly and under the watchful eyes of the rest of the people present.

„How bad is it?" Barney asked after a few minutes, throwing a short glance to the back.

Cathie shook her head, watching the bruised and bloody body in front of her. Exhaustion and pain had left their traces in the by now relaxed face along with all the cuts and bruises.

„Fingers and wrist look broken. One ankle, too. Five ribs, I guess. Think it´s the same with his nose and cheekbone. Burn wounds, several. I counted two minor stab wounds. Cuts all over the arms. There may be internal bleedings."

„He got himself the whole package, huh?" Toll Road asked.

She sat back again, swallowing hard.

„I´ve no idea how he endured the pain", she stated lowly. Her gaze flickered over to the unconscious Daryn McIntyre, then to the box of drugs and sedatives.

„Don´t get any ideas", Gunnar advised her, following her trail of thoughts.

She finally locked eyes with him. Holding her gaze, he was glad that he had refused to take her with them down to the basement. Things looked still bad enough. And there had been no need for her to see what the place he had been held in had looked and smelled like.

„Poor fellow", someone commented.

„Yeah", she said, sounding aghast. „And there´s not much I can do for him."

„Is he going to make it?"

Tabitha again.

Cathie did her best to gather a rest of professionalism to answer the girl.

„I can´t say that as long as I don´t know if there is internal bleeding", she said after composing herself for a moment.

„That´s the truth?" Tabitha insisted.

Cathie lost her nerve.

„Alright, if he´s going into shock before we´re home, he´ll die. And if we make it home, he´ll probably wish we hadn´t later on!"

Tabitha glanced somewhat puzzled at Maggie right next to her.

„She´s talking about the trauma", Maggie explained.

„We´re done?" Olsen asked.

Cathie scowled at him, fighting hard to control her rage. She only managed a short nod in the end.

„Who´s next?" she asked finally, glancing shortly over at the two other unconscious men at their cots. „Maggie?"

„Only some scratches", Maggie answered, her gesture including the McIntyre girl as well as the maid.

„Same goes for us over here", Ceasar mumbled, pointing at Toll Road and himself.

„Barney?"

„We´re all good here", he answered.

Glancing around the by now relatively quiet plane, Cathie found that there was only one more patient in need for some treatment left.

XXX

„Lie down", she told Gunnar. „Gonna assist me?" she asked Toll Road, who nodded.

„Scene looks familiar?" Gunnar asked, doing as told. He had already cleaned some of the dried up blood away from his face, but looked still rather wild.

She didn´t manage a grin and only locked eyes with him for a second before returning her gaze to his lacerations.

„I am not going to ask you if you want some painkillers this time", she mumbled. „But you could do with a drink, I guess. What happened to your little silver buddy?"

Gunnar groaned slightly.

„Got lost while setting the pool on fire", he answered.

„Ceasar!" Toll Road called out, trying to get the other man´s attention. „We´ll need emergency provisions here."

„Got it!"

Ceasar turned and rummaged through a compartment right next to him, then threw Toll Road an unlabeled hipflask.

He handed it over to Cathie who opened it and, to the men´s surprise, took a swig. She turned away, coughing and spluttering, tears filling her eyes immediately.

„Damn, what´s the alcohol content of this stuff?" she asked.

„Don´t ask", Gunnar and Toll Road said simultaneously, exchanging a glance.

Gunnar shrugged.

„It´s for medical purposes only", Toll Road said. „And nobody told you to have a go!"

Cathie grimaced, taking no offence. Toll Road was usually the most polite one of the whole bunch. Still, for some reason, him starting to answer her brusquely at some point had been the same time he had started to look at her as kind of a close friend.

Cathie handed Gunnar the flask.

He took a sip out of it, then had to cough as well.

„Not sure if I should sanction this", Cathie commented.

„So how many?" Gunnar asked after another sip.

„How many what?" Cathie asked back.

„Stitches", Toll Road threw in helpfully.

Cathie grimaced.

„Four or five."

Gunnar sighed.

„Cheers", he said, taking a last swig. „Let´s get it over with."

XXX

Gunnar silently watched Cathie´s preparations, with Toll Road waiting patiently to assist her. Maggie had joined them.

Quite suddenly, Gunnar reached out and grabbed Cathie´s wrist.

„What the..." she began, but trailed off the second she felt her legs giving out under her. She sagged to the side, with Toll Road and Gunnar hurrying to catch her. They had both seen her face go white an instant before.

The men put her down on the cot where Gunnar kept supporting her legs with one arm. Toll Road reappeared, an isotonic drink and some cereal bars in his hands.

„Hypoglycemia", he told her, holding the bottle in a way that allowed Cathie to take a sip.

Gunnar threw him a wry look. This looked rather like shock to him, but he mused that Toll Road had realized that as well and was only trying to calm her.

Cathie´s eyes widened at the sight of Gunnar unsheathing the largest of the blades he carried around, but felt unable to speak.

„What the hell you´re doing?" Toll Road asked.

„Getting her out of that vest", Gunnar answered.

Toll Road sighed and picked Cathie´s jackknife up.

„Take this one", he suggested. „No need to gut her in the process."

Frowning, Gunnar put his own knife away and cut through the straps of the Kevlar vest. Maggie helped Cathie out of it.

„Still feeling dizzy " Gunnar asked a minute later.

„Slightly", she answered.

„Think you can sit up and let me have a look at that hit."

Cathie waved a hand.

„It´s alright."

Gunnar locked eyes with her.

„For once, girl..."

She gave in and sat up slowly.

„Alright, take the shirt off", Gunnar demanded.

„No", she replied flatly.

Gunnar rolled his eyes.

„Now!" he snapped.

She winced.

„I´ll help you", Maggie said, handing Toll Road the flashlight. „Your turn to give us a second", she told Gunnar.

She took a step forward and helped her carefully out of the shirt, then grabbed the flashlight out of Toll Road´s hand.

Cathie found that she actually didn´t care much for whoever was going to have a look at the bruise building around her two lowest ribs.

„You got trouble breathing?" Maggie asked.

Cathie nodded.

„Ribs are contused at least, maybe broken", Maggie mused, checking the spot where the bullet had hit out carefully.

„Small prize to pay ", Toll Road commented quietly. „You´ve been damn lucky."

„I´ve got an idea how lucky I´ll feel tomorrow", Cathie mumbled sarcastically. „And now, if you don´t mind..."

She pointed weakly at the shirt Maggie was still holding.

Maggie simply dropped the soaked and dirty shirt and got out of her jacket to hand it to her.

„I´ll find you something else to put on", Toll Road volunteered. „Eat", he advised her while turning away. „You´re still white as a sheet."

„Could you check on the guys´ pulse and blood pressure?" Cathie asked Maggie.

The Asian nodded.

„Sure." Maggie smiled for a moment, then turned, granting Cathie and Gunnar all the privacy they would get at the cramped plane.

„Anything we can do for you?" Barney inquired from the cockpit.

Cathie lay back, feeling sick. The men had gotten into kind of a quietly cheerful after job mood. Someone had turned on the music. An after work beer had had found his way to each of the uninjured members of the team. It had taken Cathie a while after their flight back home from Mexico to realize that it was probably their after job routine number one. They celebrated contentedly that they had just cheated death again, despite their injuries, despite the half-dead freed hostage, despite the outsiders present. It was probably the only right way to handle what they were doing.

She moved with a groan and fumbled the iPod out of her pocket.

„Tell the boss to play `Paradise City´ for me", she told Gunnar. „I wanna go home."