Ch4 GSW
He opened the door and peeked around the corner, it was clear. Tim tried to ignore the trickle of blood that was running down his back from Raylan's wounds. He walked as quietly as he could down the hall to the intersection, again he peeked around the corner and couldn't believe their luck. Clear again. He saw the nurses' station and had hope of him saving his partner, he walked in and closed the door behind him locking it. He looked around for the best place to put Raylan and saw two adjacent rooms, he glanced inside and saw one was a procedure room. He nudged the door open with his boot and then closed it behind them," Ray?"
"S-still here," Raylan's drawl was more noticeable.
"Gonna put you down here," he lowered Raylan onto the stretcher bed. Raylan curled up, his eyes closed tightly and his jaw set to cope with the movement. Tim searched the cabinets, finding gloves, gauze, suture kits, forceps, and a wide variety of things he hoped he wouldn't need. He grabbed an IV kit and a bag of fluids," Raylan, hey hold still for me," he rolled him onto his back, he gripped his wrist and used his knife to cut away Raylan's sleeve," There's got to be some sedatives in here, I'm going to get some fluids in you and look for them," Raylan nodded and tried to relax. Tim wiped down his forearm with an alcohol prep and palpated for a good vein,' Just like riding a bike,' he found one and popped the cap off of a needle," Little stick," he slid the cannula into the vein, holding it in place he drew back on the syringe and saw a tinge of blood. He taped the IV in place and hooked up the bag of fluids," Going to feel cold," he told his friend.
He cut the other sleeve away and peeled Raylan's shirt away from his body again, the bandage Raylan had taped over his ribs was soaking through with blood and a second gunshot wound in his side had a steady trickle as well. He put on a pair of gloves," Did they go all the way through?"
"Don't know," Raylan tensed as Tim touched the area.
"I'm going to put something over this to stop the bleeding, then I'm getting you some drugs," he put gauze over the wound and pushed some inside," Hold pressure," he put Raylan's hand on top of the gauze," I'm going to the supply closet, maybe they have drugs there," he opened the door and peered out.
"T-tim," Raylan picked his head up," N-no."
"Ray, I'm coming right back. It's three feet away, lay still and hold pressure on that wound," he didn't bother to close the door behind him, if anyone found them they were both dead. He opened the door to the supply closet and found what he was looking for, a case with various vials and bottles, he pulled out his cell phone and called Art," What's the code to the drug cabinet?"
"Let me find out," he heard Art walking around asking for anyone who worked there.
"I can bust the glass but it'll be loud," Tim said quietly.
"It's probably plexi-glass," Art noted," I'll find out and text it to you."
"Hurry," he hung up the phone and kept searching. Most of the drawers were locked, he tried them all anyway and got lucky. He opened it and grinned, vials of sedatives arranged in a neat little tray with some antibiotics. Tim returned to Raylan, who was looking pale," I found it," he closed the door quietly," This should make you feel better," he pulled some Morphine into a syringe and screwed it onto Raylan's IV port," you're going to feel like you're falling," he said as he pushed the drug.
Raylan's breathing slowed and the tension left his body as he felt the Morphine roll him under," Tim," he said when his partner moved his hand from his side.
"Yeah?" He put on a fresh pair of gloves and started cleaning the wound the best he could.
"You coulda gotten yourself killed," he scolded," you shouldn't have come for me," their eyes met," but thank you."
"I'll always come back for you," Tim worked to stop the bleeds and managed to get the slugs out of Raylans chest and side, he hung another bag of fluids and kept giving him narcotics when he'd squirm.
Finally, Raylan had passed out and Tim was able to clean him up and put steri-strips and bandage his chest and side. He sat on the bed next to Raylan's head and rolled his neck from side to side. Gingerly he used wet gauze to start wiping the blood off of Raylan's face, his eyes opened slowly," You okay?"
"Y-yeah," he lied, but with Tim sponging blood off of his face he couldn't hold the lie," No," he coughed and regretted it, spasming and curling up to sit up.
"I got you," Tim caught him and cradled him against his chest," I promise this won't get weird," he pushed some more Morphine and felt Raylan relax.
"I'm not okay, Tim," Raylan held the back of Tim's arm above his elbow.
"I know," Tim taped the gash on his cheek closed," You've been off your game."
"I'm sorry," Raylan suddenly felt like an ass," I could've gotten you killed."
"Stop it," Tim fussed," just tell me what's going on with you."
"I can't…"
"Why? Because it's illegal?" He shifted and put the head of the bed up to ease the building tension in his back.
"I just can't."
"Ray, half the shit you do is illegal," he shifted himself beneath Raylan so he could still get to his gun if someone found them," I'm not gonna judge you, or tell anyone."
"That albino-lookin' asshole," Raylan choked on his words," I watched them kill him."
"He threatened your family," Tim said matter of factly.
"I gave them permission to," he put his arm around Tim's body and a tear rolled down his cheek," He was gonna kill my little girl."
"That's why Art punched you," Tim put his arm around him," Ray, I've always got your back. No matter what happens," he pressed his cheek against Raylan's forehead.
Footsteps in the hallway, yelling that he couldn't understand. Tim's heart sank and he held Raylan tighter, he grabbed the last syringe of Morphine and pushed it through Raylan's port,' At least you won't feel it,' he watched Raylan's eyes droop and stroked his hair," It's gonna be all right, Ray."
"They're here to kill us," Raylan slurred his words.
"It won't hurt and you won't be alone," Tim buried his face in Raylan's hair, and pulled his gun. Ready.
The door opened, Rachel and Art stepped inside," Tim, Raylan," she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Is he okay?" Art asked, if he thought something strange was going on between his deputies he didn't draw attention to it.
"I sedated him," Tim replied," I didn't want it to hurt if they killed us."
"You're gonna need some time off," Art closed the door," now let's get him some help.
Tim stayed with Raylan, who gripped his hand tightly and refused to let go, all the way to the operating room. He was allowed the privilege of being there when they put the mask over his face and anesthesia put him under. He alternated pacing the hall and letting Rachel comfort him as the surgeons operated on Raylan. Finally, the doctors came out to get them," He's asking for Tim," Tim smiled," come with me."
Tim sat on the bed next to Raylan and held his hand," Ray?"
"Tim," Raylan tried to roll towards him.
"Lay still," Tim curled up next to him," I got you."
"Thank you," Raylan lay his head on Tim's chest and fell asleep listening to his heart beat.
Tim was there through Raylan's recovery, never once leaving his side. He stayed at his house, Raylan terrified to stay alone and falling asleep on Tim every night. They didn't expect anyone to understand, it wasn't anyone else's business. They may never be lovers but the bond between them would never break. Raylan wasn't sure where this would take him, but he wanted to find out," Thank you," he whispered as his eyes closed," for coming back for me."
"I'll always come for you," Tim nuzzled into him and the two fell asleep.