"Remember the time we went to Pensacola for that weapons training and stopped in Havana, because we left too late from here to be there before night fall?" said Emily as she looked at Ray who was having a more difficult time to stay awake.
He tried to smile.
"You had that old pickup, and it was so hot, we slept in the back and were woken up by the sprinkler system in the park we had stopped in. We were soaking wet!"
"And the instructor gave us a hard time about being late and wet," said Ray as he managed a little laugh.
"That night in the back of your pickup, I told you that I was divorcing Jack and you told me, with your amazing tact and diplomacy that it was good riddance."
"It was true."
"I know. You also told me that we'd always have each other's backs and always look out for one another, on and off the job."
She took his hand with her free one. "I'm happy that you are my best friend Ray and when we get out of here, we're going to keep doing that."
He gave her a look and she knew what it said.
"They are going to get us out of here, don't lose the faith."
He nodded and closed his eyes. She shook him. "Ray, keep your eyes opened." He didn't reopen them. "Ray, come on, please, open your eyes, stay awake. Stay with me. I need you. Ray!"
After a couple of seconds, she caressed the side of his face. "You're right, you need to rest and keep all your energy. Just don't let go. I can't lose you. I refuse to let you go and lose you. We've come this far, we are not giving up, do you hear me? Just keep fighting!"
"Emily?"
Was it the reaction to what Ray was going through, was it the sound of his voice over the radio, she knew she would never be able to tell, maybe it was both, but she stared at the radio and starting to cry at the limit of sobbing.
Sonny looked at Eric, Greg and Greyson panicked.
"Baby, it's me. Can you hear me?"
She inhaled a couple of times and regained her composure. She pushed on the radio button.
"Hey handsome."
Both Eric and Sonny exhaled in relief.
The rest of Bravo entered the room and whereas some went to the whiteboard, others headed to Naima, while Clay and Jason headed to where Eric and Sonny were.
"How you doing? Greg says you're hanging in there."
"I'm better now that I hear your voice."
"I'm right here. I'm going to keep talking to you until I can go in there and help get you out. Do you hear me? I will come for you!"
"I bet you will."
There was a pause.
"I picked a real crappy hotel this time around," she said.
Sonny's strongest of dams could never have withheld her allusion to their captivity in Abidjan and he started to sob.
"No offense to Ray and the Navy, but it was better with you in Abidjan. At least I could get up and walk around."
Sonny kept crying as Eric and Clay tried to comfort him. He wiped away his tears and pushed on the button.
"If I could, I'd be there right beside you."
"I know, babe. But this time around, you're not going to be able to fix it just by removing a bullet with tweezers. It's going to take more than that."
Throughout the conversation, the others suddenly realized at how things had been for them partly in Abidjan and how they had carried each other through that.
"Babe?"
"Yeah," he answered.
"I'm tired. I feel like we've been here for days. I'm doing everything I can, but Ray won't wake up anymore and I feel so tired."
Greg looked at Greyson. "We need to get them out now! Neither Ray nor Emily will be able to last much longer. Another thirty minutes and we'll have lost them both including her leg."
He then looked at Sonny. "You've got to try to keep her awake and talking."
Lindell headed to the other radio and reached the search and rescue team. When he came back, he looked at the team. "They are going to be able to get in. They just need five more minutes."
"Sweetheart, you need to hold on for just a little longer. Just keep talking to me."
"Babe…", she looked at Ray, then at Zach and Joey, then what she imagined what should be her leg. "I'm scared."
"I know, but everything is going to be fine. Remember how scared you were when it got serious and you were afraid at how Eric would take the news? It turned out fine."
"Yeah, but you did part of it, here I'm not sure the odds are in my favor."
"You and I survived Abidjan even though you took more than your share of bullets, you pulled through when those guys beat you up and had your stroke and we managed to keep our relationship going strong through all of that. You are a fighter, Navy or not, you don't give up, you never do, and that is not going to stop today. Do you hear me?!"
She put the radio down and closed her eyes.
"You have got to fight. Fight for me, fight for us, for the girls, for Eric, for Bravo, for everything you believe in. You are stronger than this!"
His eyes searched into the void. "Em? Em, come on, talk to me baby, please," he begged as he looked at Eric in distress.
"Give her a minute," said Eric as he stared hopeful at the radio.
"You know you've got a ten-gallon mouth," they heard Emily's voice say from the other side of the radio.
"I reckon you've been spending too much time in Texas, lassie, but hearing you joke around right now, is good to hear," said Sonny with a half-smile.
Emily looked on her right and saw a ray of light coming through the debris.
"I can hear and see them coming."
"I told you it would only be a bit longer, you're almost there. I'm coming to get you."