Master Chief Jason Hayes was beside himself with worry. How in the hell had lunch, turned into a massacre? He was still trying to wrap his head around it. Him and the team had been having lunch at a restaurant near base, when a gunman had come in and opened fire on the patrons and staff.
Several people had been killed instantly, before Bravo could take control of the situation and knock the gunman on his ass.
Clay had been caught in the crossfire though. Their rookie, their kid, had taken three shots to the torso and leg that had him on his back, close to bleeding out. Trent had gotten a quick handle on things and managed to control the bleeding, especially with the shot to the gut being so damn worrisome.
At twenty-seven, Clay had been the youngest ever in history to make Tier-one status. The kid had only been with Bravo for six months, he was still new to the team, but he was theirs. Their rookie. There was no way they were going to lose the kid Stateside to some extremist with a vendetta in a restaurant.
Jason could only watch on helplessly as the EMT's worked on his kid while they raced down the street to Chastain Memorial in Virginia Beach.
Bravo Team along with Blackburn and Davis were already waiting when Clay's ambo arrived. When the doors flew open, Jason sat back out of the way while the EMT's moved with the surge of nurses and Dr.'s moving forward. As he climbed down, he could his team already waiting.
He headed over to his team as young female doctor stormed into the ER. "Talk to me, what do we got?" her voice was steady and commanding.
The team of nurses and doctors around her rattled off a list of stats; blood pressure, oxygen levels, and a bunch of other stuff that Jason couldn't track. The young female doctor that took charge, responded to each and every person with a calm and steady, but authoritative voice. She was in charge here.
"Isn't that his wife?" Davis asked.
Jason looked over at Davis. "Wife?" he asked, confused and looked back to young woman working on their kid. Black hair up in a bun. Pale white skin, with sharp features. Thin, but hard to tell under the long-sleeved shirt she wore under blue scrubs.
"Kinda looks like the pictures he has hangin in his cage," Sonny squinted at her.
"None of you have met his wife?" Blackburn questioned, looking annoyed at Bravo.
"We've tried," Sonny murmured. "He always said she was working."
Davis pulled up her phone and instantly searched Facebook for Clay's page. They were friends so she pulled up his photos and scrolled through to try and find one of him and his wife. He kept his page pretty anonymous though, but she finally found one. "It's her," she said and held up her phone for the guys to see it.
There in the photo was Clay sitting in a chair, leaned back with his arm around the beautiful young woman on his lap. They both looked young in the photo. It must have been a couple years old. She was beautiful though. Long black hair hung in waves down to her waist, bright green eyes sparkled with mischief in the photo and a dazzling white smile. She was smiling broadly at the camera, while Clay only had eyes for her. His head was turned, and his baby blues were gazing up her with admiration and love shining clear as day on his face.
"How did we let this happen?" Ray asked, looking at the young doctor barking orders in the emergency room. "How have we not met her yet?"
"He's only been on the team six months," Jason murmured, "we've tried to get him to open up."
"He's always said she was working crazy hours being a doctor," Sonny murmured.
"Alright, let's move! I want him upstairs and prepped for surgery in five! Let's move, let's move, let's move!" she commanded.
Bravo could only watch on helplessly, as the team of nurses and doctors wheeled Clay out of the trauma room and down the hall, not one person glanced their way.
Several hours later, Bravo was starting to get restless, when Naima Perry, Ray's wife, walked into the hospital waiting room. "Hey baby," she murmured and kissed Ray as he greeted her.
"Any word?" Jason asked, immediately. He was impatient on a good day, and worse on a bad day. He needed answers.
"Surgery is taking longer than expected, but he's doing well. The bullet perforated his colon, but Kara is fixing him up," Naima smiled easily.
"What can you tell us about her?" Ray asked, "we haven't gotten the chance to meet her yet."
"Well, I can tell you a great deal actually. She's good friend. We have lunch together twice a week," Naima explained, glancing around at the team.
Jason was uncomfortable with her easy smile. He loved Naima, but he couldn't help but feel like he had failed the kid, and by not meeting his wife yet, was just another failure in Jason's eyes.
"So, let's hear it," Sonny asked, "She a good surgeon?" Sonny asked.
"Kara's an amazing surgeon," Naima nodded easily. "She's a bit of a child prodigy actually. Speaks half a dozen languages or so, bachelor's degree at eighteen, double medical degree in both general medicine and epidemiology. Chose to become a surgeon and is on the fast track through a fellowship in orthopedics. She's the youngest surgeon ever in Chastain's history to make the fellowship program."
"How old is she?" Davis asked, looking fairly impressed.
"Twenty-seven," Naima smiled.
"She's just a kid," Jason sighed and rubbed a hand over his hair.
"Maybe so," Naima nodded at him, "But she's utterly brilliant. Did you know that her and Clay grew up in Africa together?"
"Really?" Ray asked, "Clay doesn't talk much about his childhood."
Naima nodded, "Yeah, they've known each other all their lives. They have a pretty amazing story. You should hear it from them though," she said.
"Thanks Naima," Davis smiled at her.
"Come on, I can take you upstairs to the surgical waiting room and at least be closer to when he's moved into recovery."
They followed Naima to the elevators and headed up to the 3rd floor. It was quiet when they reached the surgical floor. As they got out of the elevator, they stopped to take in the scene in front of them. Kara was leaning against a glass window, one arm up and braced on the window, with her forehead resting on her arm. She was clearly taking a moment of peace to herself, while watching a patient through the window. In her other hand, a metal clip board used for medical charts was dangling from her fingers.
From where they stood, some fifty feet away, she hadn't notice them yet, but they could see the worry and fear etched on her face. As they watched, an older black-haired doctor approached her. "Dr. Spenser," the man's voice was cold and deep, and sent Kara immediately on guard.
Whatever peace she had was gone, and the tension rolled across her back as she turned toward the older man. "Dr. Gavelston," Kara's voice came out clipped and carried down the hall.
Ray shifted, recognizing the name as the same Doctor that sometimes-hassled Naima.
They couldn't hear what the man said, but Kara's voice rang out loud and clear. "What the fuck did you just say to me?" she flung down the metal clipboard so hard that bounced on its corner and rocketed down the hall like a projectile.
Before Bravo could even interject, two other doctors were racing down the hallway toward the altercation.
A blonde man and woman, headed straight for Kara and Gavelston. "Is that Hawk?" Sonny asked, tilting his head.
"Dr. Conrad Hawkins," Naima nodded. "And his wife Nicolette. He's Clay's brother."
"No shit," Brock murmured.
"Did you know?" Davis asked the guys.
"I knew," Blackburn nodded.
They watched as Hawkins had to physically restrain Kara, who tried to launch herself at the older man. "That's enough Gavelston," Nicolette spat at him.
Gavelston smirked, but finally backed off and headed back the direction he had come from.
Naima started walking again, so the guys followed, but Kara abruptly pushed Hawk away and stormed into the patient room and shut the door behind her.
Hawk looked away from the window and over their way as they walked up. Recognition hit his face after he surveyed them all closely. "Well, if it isn't Bravo Team," he greeted with a smile.
"Hey Hawk," Jason greeted and held out his hand.
Conrad shook his hand and then moved on to everyone else. "Long time since Echo Team," Trent grinned and shook Hawk's hand.
"Yeah, long time man," Hawk grinned and shook his head.
"Everything alright there?" Blackburn motioned to what had happened in the hallway beyond.
"Oh yeah," Hawk answered with a smile. "Gavelston's a dick… and Kara doesn't put up with his shit."
"Clay's your brother?" Davis asked.
"Yeah," Hawk nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. "Same Ash-hole father, different mom's," he explained.
"That sucks," Sonny muttered.
Hawk smirked and shrugged, "Clay probably got the shit end of the stick on that front though. I never had to carry the name in the Navy." As he spoke the blonde woman doctor walked over, carrying the metal clipboard that Kara had flung down the hall in a fit of rage. "Guys, this is my wife, Nic. Nic, these guys are Clay's teammate from Bravo."
"Nice to meet you guys," she said with a friendly smile, "I hate to run, but I've gotta meet a patient," she said and handed Hawk the clipboard.
Jason moved around Hawk to look into the window of the room that Kara had gone in. Clay was laying back in bed with an oxygen tube running to his nose and an IV in his arm. He otherwise looked relatively okay.
Kara was sitting with her back to the window in a chair facing Clay. Her fingers were laced through his and she was watching him.
"How's he doing?" Jason asked.
Hawk flipped open the clipboard and started reading. "The next forty-eight hours are critical," he nodded and glanced up. "As long as he doesn't develop an infection or go sepsis, he should be fine." He could see the worry lining all their faces, so he continued. "His vitals are strong, though. I watched the surgery. She did amazing work. The small intestine was perforated, but she managed to get things put back together. It could have been a lot worse. He could have been looking at a colostomy bag, but Kara worked a miracle. It's what took so long. The shoulder bullet was through and through. No arteries or bones nicked. His thigh was a little tricky too, she had to dig out the bullet and reconnect the nerve endings. He'll need physical therapy, but I'm sure he'll be back to operating in no time," Hawk looked up and met their gazes.
They all let out a shaky breath and smiled. "So, he'll be able to operate again?" Jason asked, confirming.
Hawk grinned. "I think Kara will be kicking his ass out of the house before long because he's driving her crazy and he'll be back to operating." Hawk turned to Naima "Can you get assigned up here?" he asked her.
She nodded, "I'll have to ask, but I don't see it being a problem."
"Get me the paperwork and I'll sign off on it," Hawk nodded. "I know Kara will feel better with a friend looking after him."
Naima smiled and nodded. "I'll go do it right now," she said. She pressed a kiss to Ray's lips before she hurried away.