It felt like he got a sledgehammer slammed into his chest.
Hondo stumbled backward his right hand going up to clasp at his chest.
The air around him exploded in sound. He recognized it as the team replying fire to whatever slammed into him.
He was unable to pull his breath. It took seconds before air seemed to reach his lungs.
He ripped open the sides of his vest. Reaching in under it to check for blood.
The hand came back red, and he reached bac under his vest. He gently prodded the wound, and was shocked when he felt a hard bump lodged between his skin and his ribs, about an inch south of where the bullet had entered.
Breathing seemed to be going better by each inhale, and for each second that passed he was getting convinced that he wasn't actually hurt. Not badly anyways.
The gunshots ceased.
He was able to sit back up.
Most of the team flocked around him. Checking him out.
"How are you?" Chris asked, "I called it in. The ambulance is on it's way. They might want an update on the situation."
He held up his bloody hand, studying it.
The rest of the team went wide eyed. Street went a slight shade paler.
"It went through the vest." Hondo answered, and swallowed, "But it feels like it stopped against my ribs."
"Alright, let's see it then!" Luca prompted as he kneeled down on the other side of Hondo, "You know we would have ripped your vest off if you weren't already sitting up on your own."
Hondo nodded, and grimaced as he took care of the Velcro on the opposite side of the vest.
The team studied the wound when Hondo had revealed it.
"Looks like you're right." Deacon nodded, "But you're still riding in with the ambulance to get checked out by a doctor."
"Sure." Hondo nodded, "Think one of my ribs might be cracked."
"Would be weird if it wasn't…" Luca shrugged, and first then Hondo noticed that his teammate had his fingers wrapped around his wrist, checking his pulse.
"I'm alright." Hondo declared, "You can let the ambulance know that they can switch off the lights and sirens."
Chris smirked, before she stood up and walked a few yards away before updating the headquarter and therefor also the ambulance on the situation.
