So, I recently fell into yet another wormhole and binged the first two seasons of SEAL team in less time than I should have used to watch it. I figured out a few things:
1. This show is freaking awesome once you get your bearings.
2. Sonny is cool, I dig him.
3. I love Full Metal (Like seriously, what a highly qualified dork!)
And 4. There is NOT ENOUGH Scott Carter (Full Metal) fanfiction.
Oh, and as some of you MIGHT know… I'm too hung up on H/C and whump…
You forget to be scared after a while. That was the truth for some of them at least. The problem wasn't when you were neck deep in a FUBAR situation, it was when you were trying to get some shut-eye at home in your own bed. You took a deep breath and pushed the fear down and moved on.
But one thing was for sure, life had an impeccable way of telling you to take a breather every once in a while. Nature's way of telling you to slow down a bit. A sucking chest wound, an arterial bleed, blood loss, a massive concussion. You know, stuff like that.
He tried getting his bearings as the dust settled. Last thing he remembered was someone yelling 'incoming' and diving for cover.
His sight was blurred and all sound seemed warped. His ears was ringing and his head was spinning, but it was nothing compared to the immense pain that was his left leg.
He forced himself up on his elbows, positive he was going to hurl as the world tilted on its axis. The sight that met him didn't help too much.
One of the concrete walls had caved and landed on his leg. He barely stopped himself from trying to tug his leg free, he knew damn well it wouldn't budge and all that would happen was that the pain would tenfold and he would probably do more damage to his leg than there already was.
Blood was soaking his tactical pants right above where the concrete block ended. First thing needing to happen was a tourniquet, then he had to get that thing off of his leg.
He barely noticed Bravo 1 ordering a radio check and sit rep before the fifth time he called him up by his nickname.
"Yeah. I'm here. Hear you Lima Charlie." He sucked some air through his teeth, "My leg's stuck under some rubble. Think I busted it."
"Do you need assistance getting loose?"
"A-firm." he took a second look at the bloody mess under the block of concrete, "Gonna need a tourniquet and help moving as well."
"Okay, you've got it." Jason paused, "Bravo 4, this is Bravo 1, you're closest to Full Metal. Can you get to him? Out."
"Bravo 1, Bravo 4. Sure can! Out."
"Oh, damn…" Trent grumbled as soon as he had a visual on Full Metal, "How bad is it brother?"
"Think my leg is crushed."
"Actual crushed?"
"Worse than just a break…" Metal gave a minimal shrug, but the pain written all over his features spoke volumes, "Hurts like hell."
Trent nodded as he sat down beside Full Metal. "Tourniquet first. Then we'll figure out how to move this."
Full Metal nodded a bit, "I will be of minimal help during that part of this OP."
"What? When we're moving the block of concrete?"
He grimaced, "Something tells me whatever pain I'm experiencing right now is just a taste test of what's to come once the initial shock wears off and my leg actually gets jostled."
"I think you might be right, buddy." Trent nodded, "You might want to administer at least 10mg of morphine before we start."
"Already did." Metal answered and reached for the spent auto-injector pen in order to wave it around and show it to Trent.
"Is it enough?" he asked as he dug a tourniquet out of his gear.
"Look at my leg. What do you think?" Full Metal growled, "Not gonna take anymore just yet, I'm gonna need it later as well."
"Pretty sure the rest of us will be willing to share ours."
"I don't want to take so much one of you will actually have to keep an eye on me, to monitor for overdose."
"I think you're big enough to handle 20mg of morphine." Trent shrugged as he leaned forward in order to wrap the tourniquet around Full Metal's thigh, "This is gonna hurt…"
Full Metal nodded and placed his gloved knuckled between his teeth.
Trent wasn't surprised when Full Metal suddenly went lax. He didn't know the full extent of his injury, but one thing was for sure, it had to be painful as all hell. Full Metal wasn't exactly one to fuzz over nothing, actually, he wasn't one to fuzz over anything as far as Trent knew him. And syncope was a natural response to pain.
"Bravo 1, this is Bravo 4. We need additional manpower here to get Full Metal loose. Out."
"Bravo 4, good copy. You think you'll get him loose if Bravo 2 and 3 join up?"
Trent looked over the rubble and Full Metal, "Might need more. I estimate this block of concrete weighs 2.5 metric tons. We also need someone to drag Full Metal free once we've got that weight off his leg. He passed out when I put on the TQ. Think he's coming back around now…"
"Okay, Bravo 5 you keep watch on the south corner, alert us of any movement south or east. The rest of us, help Bravo 4."
The confirmations came in one after another.
"Havoc, this is Bravo 1. We are forced to divert from our plan, please alert us of any movement close to our position. Out."
"Bravo 1, Good copy. Do you need anything else? Out."
"Might need medevac. Out."
"Site is considered a hot-zone. Is it critical? Out?"
"Haven't got eyes on yet. Stand by for further information. Out."
Clay, Sonny, Ray and Jason managed to lift the concrete block enough for Trent to pull Full Metal out from under it. None of them surprised when the big guy passed out for a second time.
The guys let go of the slab and it fell down, resting on some other rubble 3 or 4 inches off the ground.
"Let's try to check and stabilize his leg while he's still unconscious." Trent called out as he started cutting away at the fabric of Full Metal's pants. "Clay, find quickclot combat gauze, tape and regular gauze. Sonny, find cravats or anything that can be used to splint his left leg against his right leg. Jason and Ray, anything that can be used as cushioning between his legs and between his left leg and the cravats."
They all hurried to their tasks.
"How does it look?"
"Open fracture above his ankle and below his knee. Multiple deformities from knee down. Lots of soft tissue damage. He needs to get proper medical attention, he's at high risk for crush syndrome." Trent rattled off as he took the things Clay handed him, "Clay, can you find Sodium Bicarbonate, a peripheral IV line and a FAST1."
"Sodium Bicarb, peripheral IV line and FAST1." Clay nodded, "Got it."
He woke up to one of Trent's thighs on each side of his head, not exactly his favorite position.
"Heya buddy, really hoped you would be out for 30 seconds more…" his teammate winked down at him. "I'm just gonna place a FAST1. Already have an orange IV running in your left arm. How are you feeling?"
"-Like I got run over by a wall." Full Metal answered, trying to mask a grimace, "How's my leg?"
"Crush injury, like you predicted. You've still got a pulse distal to most of the injuries, if you wondered about that. Have sodium bicarb trickling into that IV you have in your arm. We're waiting for medevac, tricky situation with this still being a hot-zone."
Metal nodded, "But I guess you think I need it?"
Trent nodded, "The sooner the better. But, I also think you could handle a couple of hours delay. I just want to avoid that if possible. We managed to cover the worst gashes and stabilize your left leg against your right while you were out of it."
Full Metal nodded a bit, taking in the information. "So. Crush injury. Muscle mass gets damaged, releases toxins. Clogs up kidneys. Renal failure. Am I right?" Full Metal met Trent's eyes.
"Kinda. But that's what the sodium bicarb is for." Trent winked, "That, and they'll probably load you up with saline once medevac gets here. How's your pain?"
"Way too damn high." he rolled his eyes a little, "7, I guess."
"I'd guess 8 or 9…" Trent shrugged, "You passed out. Twice."
"Probably won't be the last time either."
Trent nodded, "But, just looking at you and listening to you. I'd guess about a 4."
"That's why we call him Full Metal…" Sonny winked as he came into Metal's view as well, "Seriously man, you are allowed to show that this hurts. I would've sounded like an air-raid alert. How are ya?"
Full Metal shook his head a bit, "Not good."
"Maybe you should take that second injector…" Trent said as he readied the FAST1 introducer, "No need for you to suffer more than necessary."
"You said it yourself. This is still a hot-zone. Medevac has unknown ETA." Full Metal swallowed hard, "Might be here in 15 mikes, might take 6 hours. Or more. Have to save some for later."
"We've got plenty." Sonny said as he squeezed his shoulder, "You're in pain. A lot of it."
"I'm nauseous enough already." Full Metal shot back, "Can't remember morphine helping any in that department."
"No, but it'll help with the pain. And that might ease nausea." Trent quipped back as he placed the introducer against Full Metal's skin, "Ready?"
He got a short nod in return and pushed the introducer down.
The operator on the ground let out a single expletive and gritted his teeth.
"Sorry about that…"
"We're good." Full Metal nodded and held his fist up for Trent to bump it.
All of the sudden their earpieces buzzed on, "Bravo team, this is Havoc. Looks like we've a group of 4, potentially 5, Tango's headed your way in a pickup with a mounted machine gun."
Jason replied. The guys got their orders and quickly followed through.
"Bravo 1, this is Bravo 5, I have eyes on the pickup. Should I engage? Out."
By the time Trent, Sonny and Clay had carried Full Metal to safety, the building they were in was once again taking heavy fire.
This time, Full Metal hadn't passed out due to pain from being jostled. Probably because the injection had been given the time to reach full effect.
"You think you'll be okay down here by yourself?" Sonny asked as he helped Metal lean up against his backpack.
Full Metal nodded slightly, his eyes squeezed closed as he prayed for the pain to pass.
"Hey, Full Metal…"
"Yeah?"
"Are you going to be okay down here by yourself?"
He nodded a bit more, "Yeah. As soon as I stop feeling like I'm gonna pass out."
"Do you want me to stay here with you?" Sonny asked, "Or Clay, or Trent…"
"No-NO…" Full Metal shook his head, "I'm a big boy. Can take care of myself."
Trent raised an eyebrow, "Alright, big boy… Just radio if you change your mind."
Full Metal raised his thumb in order to show that the message was received and understood.