A/N: I just want to give a huge thanks to everyone who has reviewed to this story. Your words have inspired and fueled my work. I should warn now that I'm expanding it out a little more and this week is just a tiny installment as I kind of went nuts with my other story and my hands hurt from typing. Anyways! Please Enjoy!
Chapter 8
"It kind of sounds like you're the one who lost the ball. You piked it out of his hand." Larrin told Burk in an off handed manner as he'd had been regaling her and the small group about how Miller had lost the last basketball to the ocean along with other stories of Miller mucking up on the ship.
Sure they were somewhat amusing stories but she didn't really like how backhanded his friends were acting as they tell an embarrassing story and then add 'He's a good soldier' or whatever compliment they could think of the make up for it. Like they wanted her to know he was new to the Navy and laugh about it. She figured it was a guy thing as Miller didn't look insulted whereas if a girl spoke of her like that she'd call her a bitch and walk away. Ok, she'd think the girl a bitch and walk away. So The last story Burk was sharing grated on her nerves which was why Larrin couldn't help but jump to Miller's defence.
The men had been laughing at the story stopped and actually thought about it.
"Yeah, she's right." Will Mason commented before he took a pull of his beer as he agreed with Larrin.
"It was a game, he lost the ball." Burk said in a manner that said he was right and that was final.
"But you said you could have grabbed it at any time but you decided to let him take the shot. Then hit it out of his hands. So you were the last one to touch the ball making you the person who lost it." Larrin pointed out, Cruz chuckled while Miller kept quiet a closed lip smile on his lips as he finally felt vindicated for what happened that day.
"I don't like you." Burk grumbled in good humour. Larrin grinned and was about to tell him that she didn't care when a loud crash sounded from the kitchen behind the bar.
"Hey! you're not supposed to be back here!" Someone shouted. The sound of more glasses and plates shattering on the ground sounded from behind the bar that led to the kitchen. A second later a man covered in sweat dressed in dirty clothes ran into the bar area.
Everyone in the bar had stopped at the noise and now looked at him. The man's eyes went wide and without a second passing he pulled a gun from out of nowhere.
"Gun!" someone shouted. What happened was a blur of action, Larrin was flattened to the floor by Miller. His arms covered over her head as glass and beer sprayed over them. Larrin squeezed her eyes close tightly as she heard the shouting of the other occupants in the room and the groaning of someone who must have been injured and Halsey barking viciously.
After several shots sounded, all that was left was the clicking sound as gun was empty. A cry sounded from the area where the gunman had been as Halsey made wild snarling noises intermitted with the man crying out "Fucking get it off me!".
"Heel." Danny said, Miller lifted his head to see Danny and Cruz drag the gunman around to the front of the bar. The man's arm was bleeding profusely from what Miller assumed to be Halsey's work.
He turned back to Larrin and realised he was still lying on top of her. "Larrin," he said, she looked over her shoulder at him with eyes wide in shock. He pulled himself off her body and caught her by the elbow helping her to her feet.
She pushed her hair away from her face and looked around the bar, she dropped a shade as she saw the gunman. Miller stepped infront of her blocking her view and was about to get her to focus on him when Taylor stepped between them.
"You ok?" Taylor asked Larrin who was looking shell shocked. Larrin licked her lips and gave a shaky nod. Wolf pulled her into his arms hugging her, she looked to Miller.
"You saved me. Thank you." Larrin told Miller.
"You think you've won but you haven't! You're all going to die with your precious doctor lady to save you. The immunes will take what's rightfully ours as God promised!" The gunman snarled loudly drawing everyone's attention.
"Green-" Mike started to say an order but Green cut off as he knew exactly what he was asking.
"On it. Halsey" Green said he whistled for the dog to follow. He looked to the others on his team to come with. Miller looked ready to follow but Wolf stopped him.
"Miller stay with Larrin." Wolf ordered in a manner that it sounded more like a pleading than a firm order. He shrugged out of his jacket and wrapped it around Larrin's shoulders. Miller gave a nod and watched as Wolf took off with Tex, Danny and Cruz.
He turned back to Larrin who was still looking a little lost. Kara and Milowsky were already triaging the wounded not that there were many which was lucky. Garnett and Slattery were talking while Rios used a med kit to bandage the gunman's arm. Mason had run off to alert the hotel security and Captian or he assumed while Bacon were talking to Kathleen and Ray who looked just as shaken as Larrin. The only reason the gunman was being kept alive was that they needed to pump him for information.
"Larrin." Miller said, he smoothed a hand down her arm. She flinched at first but focussed on him, it must have woken her up from her stupor as she became more animated.
"Are you ok? Did you get shot?" she asked him as she closed the gap between them. Her eyes searching his face and body for signs of any injuries but she wouldn't find any as he was fine.
"I'm good." Miller assured her with a smile.
"Good." Larrin said her eyes filled with tears. Miller had no clue what to do when a woman cried, so he just went on instinct and wrapped her up in his arms. He felt her hands twist in the fabric of his dress blues and her body shake in his arms. She didn't make a sound but he felt her hot tears soak through the fabric which only made him hold onto her tighter.
"You're ok." He murmured to her.
"The Doc is on level 5." Tex said as he climbed the fire escape stairs two at time. Halsey was way ahead of them as he and Danny ran up the flights of stairs. Wolf and Cruz were taking the secondary fire escape stairs on the opposite end of the hotel. They had no clue who'd reach Rachel first but Tex hoped they weren't too late.
They made it to the 5th floor in a matter of minutes, Danny kicked the door open and Halsey ran out like a bat out of hell not even slowed by all the exercise. Halsey barked a few times but the lack of a growl was a good sign as it meant the dog didn't detect any bad guys. But something was wrong.
Tex and Danny stepped out into the hallway and Tex felt like he'd been punched in gut as he saw Halsey hovering over Rachel's prone form on the floor. Even as winded as he felt; fresh adrenaline dumped into his system prompting him to act.
"Danny, go to the housekeeping and get the first aid kit." Tex said pointing to a door just to the side of where they came out. The door had an electric lock on hit so Danny turned his back and kicked the door. The frame popped from the force and he pushed it open. Tex raced down the hallway to where Rachel laid and knelt down by her side.
"Good boy, now sit." Tex said as he gave Halsey a rough pat on the head and gently nudged the dog back. Halsey did as ordered, his tail thumped on the floor happily as he knew he'd done a good job. Tex turned to Rachel, his heart pounding at the sight of her her.
She was like a fallen angel as she laid there staring at the ceiling eyes wide as her face was still frozen in shock. Her breath came out in struggled puffs, her chest jerkily moved as she struggled to breath.
"Rachel, you hear me?" Tex asked, he leaned over her checking her pulse and assessed her visually for injuries all he could tell was that she had been shot to the chest as the blood made the black material glisten under the lighting.
Her eyes found his as she gave a groan of pain. She tried to say something but no words came out. All that came out was a trickle of blood. She knew her injury was bad, just by the way she looked at him.
"It's ok, just focus on sticking with me. You can tell me how good I look in a suit later." Tex joked. She gave a weak smile as tears slid down the sides of her face. Danny rushed to him and placed the first aid kit on the floor. Tex pulled out the switchblade he always carried with him as Danny popped the lid.
"This kit is half empty." He complained, Tex looked down and grimaced as there was barely anything in it bare gloves, some gauze and tape. He could MacGyver something out of it but he didn't feel comfortable doing so given he had too much to drink and even though he felt sober that didn't mean he was as his brain just couldn't make the connections to tell him what to do.
"It doesn't matter, call the bar for Rios or Kara and then an ambo." Tex said as he pulled on the surgical gloves, he gently felt under her first to find an exit wound and cursed as he found none. He "I'm so sorry, But I gotta do this." He told her, her breath came out in sharp huffs as he opened his switchblade and used it slice away the dress material away until he found the bullet wound. It made a horrible sucking noise as she dragged air into her lungs. Tex new she needed an occlusive dressing but he had nothing to work with. She made a whimpering noise as he pressed his gloved hand over the hand using it to act as a valve. His other hand came to her face and gently smoothed it over her forehead and hair as he looked down at her.
"You're going to be ok. You just need to hang in there with me." He told her, she gave a nod as more tears filled her eyes. He knew she was in a lot of pain but there was nothing he could do but keep her calm and conscious. Something she knew even in her state as she looked at him like he was her life line. "I'm going to be with you all the way." Tex told her.
"There's no sign of any other immunes." Wolf said as he and Cruz raced to join them.
"Wolf, I need you to keep an eye on my kid for me as I'll be going with Rachel to the hospital." Tex said from his place on the floor. He knew he should stay with Kathleen but he couldn't leave Rachel as she was right now. He needed to be here for her, he knew Kathleen would understand as she had her father figured out the moment Tex looked at Rachel. The fact that Kathleen had so openly embraced Rachel when they first met meant her daughter had accepted her.
"No problem." Wolf told him.
"I'm here." Kara said as she rushed down the hallway to them. She was carrying a small med kit with her. She picked up the key card that had been laying next to Rachel and opened the door to create more space. Danny quickly moved to the door and held it open as Kara knelt down on the other side of Rachel.
She popped open the kit and pulled on gloves. "Lift your hand." she told Tex, he did as she asked but never broke eye contact with Rachel. Kara gently inspected the wound and gave a nod as she placed Tex's hand back over the wound again.
"Ok, I need to make an occlusive dressing. Do you have ACR in your kit?" She asked Tex. Tex shook his head.
"I got nothing but tape and gauze." Tex told her. Kara cursed under her breath as she had hoped that his kit being larger would have more equipment in it. But she'd just have to make do.
"Danny, give me you military ID card." Kara said to Danny, she held out her hand and watched as Danny pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and pulled out his ID card. She had to love that he couldn't get out of the habit of carrying his wallet as it was going to save Rachel's life.
"Here." Danny said passing the card to her. Kara quickly cleaned the card with an alcohol swab and pulled the tape and gauze from Tex's kit.
"Lift your hand up." Kara told Tex. He did and his eyes darted to see her quickly wipe the blood from Rachel's chest before she taped three sides of the card down over the wound. She sat back on her feet and waited.
After a few terrifying moments for Tex, Rachel's breathing became less laboured and she seemed to calm down some given the situation.
"See all good, you're a rock star at this." Tex told her, he pulled off his gloves and tossed them into the kit and quickly took Rachel's hand in his and went back to stroking the side of her face and hair in a soothing manner. He wasn't sure if it was helping her but it was definitely helping him.
"You just stay awake, and squeeze my hand as hard as you can." Tex told Rachel who nodded sluggishly, her eyes never left his face as she used him as a focal point.
"The paramedics should be here soon." Kara told them.
"Speaking of." Danny said, Halsey gave a bark and they all looked up bar Rachel to see the paramedics rushing down the hallway with a gurney to them.
Kara got to her feet with Danny's assistance while Tex moved around so he was at Rachel's head so as to give the paramedics space. Danny moved back into the hallway with Halsey and turned to Wolf and Cruz.
"We need to find out how he slipped through the security." Danny said.
"X.O. is on it, the Captain should be informed by now." Cruz said Danny looked over his shoulder at Kara who was telling the Paramedics Rachel's stats and everything they needed to know. Within moments the doctor was lifted onto the gurney and moved down the hallway. Tex was still holding onto the Doctor's hand as he went with her and the Paramedics as they disappeared into the elevator, Kara with them.
