Naima met them in the parking lot. Ray saw the look on her face as they pulled in and feared the worst. She had a schooled look that told him she was both upset and angry.
"What going on?" Jason asked as they approached.
"What's going on is Clay has sepsis and is sedated." She turned to Trent. "And he also broke your girlfriend's wrist, although she won't admit to that."
"What?!" Trent stepped forward.
"I'll take you to them." Naima turned and walked toward the hospital emergency doors anger radiating of her.
"Who's in more trouble you or Trent?" Brock whispered it to Ray who instantly pointed to himself.
Trent followed Naima with a million thoughts running through his head. He had told her she would be safe. He had dismissed her concerns and basically guilted her into staying home. Now she was hurt and it was entirely his fault.
Trent was led to a trauma bay where Clay was laying on a bed in the center of the room. He was sleeping with leads running to monitors and an IV. A cooling blanket covered him as he shook below.
The doctor looked up as Bravo entered. "Can I help you?"
"We're his team. He was injured abroad." Jason spoke for them all.
"Yes. The wound is badly infected. He has sepsis, which basically means..." the doctor was midsentence.
"We know what it means." Trent grabbed the electronic chart and started scrolling through the information.
"Good to see you too, Sawyer." The doctor sarcastically said.
"Where is the woman that brought him in?" Trent didn't look up at him.
"Exam 2." The doctor shook his head at the brash medic he had been dealing with on and off since residency.
"Thanks, Miller." Trent stepped from the room.
She was sitting in a chair instead of on the bed when he walked into the room. Holding her phone with her left hand she seemed frustrated trying to type. Focused on the phone she didn't seem to notice him until he took a step closer drawing her attention.
"Any word on Clay?" She sat more upright untucking her feet from below her.
"The gunshot wound is infected. He has a blood infection. He's strong though so a few days of IV fluids and antibiotics and he'll be fine I'm sure." Trent crossed the room. "How's your wrist?"
"It's sore. The ice helps." Serena smiled at him with sadness in her eyes.
"What the hell happened? I was gone three hours and he's burning up and you have broken bones." Trent sighed.
"It's only one bone." She shrugged.
"That supposed to be funny?"
"Yeah."
"Serena, what happened?" Trent sat in the chair beside her.
"Nothing Trent. Nothing happened." Serena looked to the floor and then back up to him. "I tripped, landed wrong and snap."
Trent smiled at her. "You're not a good liar. Wanna try that again?" He pulled her x-rays from the manila envelope and held them up to the ceiling light. "You see that vertical break on the ulna? It's called a spiral fraction. Happens when someone twists the shit out of your wrist, Rena. So you wanna try that again or keep lying?"
"Anything that puts a lot of twisting stress or force on a long bone can cause a spiral fracture, Trent." Serena stared at him with a neutral expression. "So if I tripped and my wrist went between the bed and nightstand twisting... boom spiral fracture."
"You Google that?" He watched her blink at him.
"Yeah I did. He wasn't coherent at all. When I touched him he grabbed me. It wasn't his fault, Trent."
"Why lie about it?" Trent slid the x-rays back.
"Because that kid has guilt in his eyes already. I don't know who hurt him or how but hurt like that, I don't think it ever goes away and he blames himself, somehow thinks he deserved whatever hurt him." Serena looked away. "I guess I thought if he never knew it would be better."
Trent exhaled slowly as he gathered her carefully in his arms. "Then you tripped getting the med bag."
"Thank you." She rested her head against his chest.
"You want to talk about it?" Trent rubbed her back.
"What?" Serena shifted to look at him.
"Who hurt you enough that you can see the same pain in him?" He kissed the top of her head.
"Trent why didn't you answer your phone?" She put her head back to his chest.
"There are certain places on base I can't have my phone. None of us can at briefings and AARs." He moved slightly.
"Naima called someone."
"Someone to interupt the meeting yes." He tipped her chin up. "I'm so sorry."
"It's not your fault." Her left-hand brushed his hair back.
"I didn't even check him before bed. I just went to bed. I should have checked his wound, given him a once over. Should have checked him before leaving this morning too." Trent shook his head. "I should have given you a way to reach me. I should have warned you that if he isn't awake you stay away. I shouldn't have left you alone with him to begin with."
"Look at me. You need to stop. This isn't on you, Trent. You can blame yourself if you want but that helps who?" She moved back into the other chair as a nurse walked into the room.
"Sorry to interupt. I have the orthopedic referral for you. They will put the hard cast on and make sure the bone is still in place by repeating the x-rays." She shuffled the paperwork in her hands. "I also have your discharge paperwork. It has the care instructions on it. Oh..." She looked back at the papers quickly. "I'll be back. I'm not sure this office will see you."
"Why?" Trent stood. "What's the issue?"
"Insurance. I'm not sure that without coverage they will keep the appointment." The nurse stepped from the room.
"You don't have insurance?" Trent turned back to her.
"The fine for not having it is cheaper than the premiums. Apparently my job makes me high risk." Serena stated.
"Rena... that's awful." Trent looked at the papers the nurse had left.
"That's reality." She half smiled at him as she put his too big sweatshirt on carefully over her splinted wrist.
"This morning when you said you weren't on the pill I pictured a future with our babies. I imagined in a split second what it would be. Little redheads climbing into our bed. You beside me forever. That's the reality I wanted in that moment" Trent looked at the floor as he said it almost embarrassed at the admission of the fantasy.
"I don't know what to say." Serena's eyes filled with tears.
"It's okay if that's not what you want. I understand if that's not who you are, who we are. The thing is if that's not who we are... I'm not okay picturing it with anyone else. I'm not going to move on from this." Trent tried to make sense of what he was saying.
"Trent. I love you. I don't entirely know what that means or what tomorrow will bring but I am sure of that, in a way I haven't ever been sure of anything." She took a step forward.
"This is going to sound insane. I need you to know that whatever happens I'm okay. If this works or if it's all too much... I have insurance. Good insurance." Trent stumbled on his words.
"Trent, stop. Don't. No." She reached out and put her left hand on his right arm.
"Serena, if it's forever or just for today I'm okay with that because I've never picked anyone above my team. I've never lost myself to make sure someone else was okay, like with you. You make me see myself in ways I didn't know existed. You, Serena Grace, you make the world make sense. Let me help you." Trent looked up at her with tear filled eyes.
"I don't want you to do this to help me."
"Then let me do it because I love you." Trent reached his hand out to wipe her tears. "Marry me because I want to be your husband and I want you to be my wife."