Scott was already there. He rolled Ty onto his back, causing him to cry out with such pain that Amy had never heard before.
"Quick, unbutton his shirt, Lou I need some kind of bandage." Scott said urgently, checking Ty's pulse.
Amy gently pulled Ty's arms away from his already blood soaked torso. His eyes were wide, and he clutched the sand on the ground at his side. She swiftly unbuttoned the front of his shirt, her fingers slipped on the buttons as they were covered with dark blood. There were numerous punctures between his belt and his ribs, each just smaller than a dime, and each seeping with the dark crimson blood.
"Oh, god..." Ty choked, lifting his neck and shoulders off the ground, he saw his torso, and looked away, squeezing his eyes shut, he dropped back to the ground, hard.
"Here we go..." Scott muttered quietly, pressing Lou's sweater over Ty's middle. Amy watched Ty's stomach muscles contract sharply as he let out another cry, he moved to sit up, but Scott pushed him back to the ground. "Unless you want to kill yourself Ty, you'd better keep still."
Ty's eyes flashed open, and he looked at Scott, then at Amy. He lay still, but his hands which shook on the ground as he clenched them, and his muscles which twitched as Scott pushed down on the wounds, betrayed his feigned calm.
Amy took Scott's job of putting constant pressure on Ty's abdomen, her hands shook violently as she watched the pain in Ty's face, realizing that she was causing it. "He is not going to die," She said firmly, looking at Scott who was tying a make-shift splint onto Ty's arm. "What do we have to do?"
"I could go back for help," Lou suggested, holding back Mercury who was struggling against her grasp.
"Not enough time," Scott said shaking his head, pushing back a strand of his hair with his forearm, his hands were too bloodied for that task. He took Amy's spot. "Amy, he'll have to ride with you, can you do that, I don't think we should transport him... but there really is no other option..." Scott's voice trailed.
"Yes, I'm ready, let's go." Amy said urgently, nodding her head she scrambled to her feet.
"Here," Lou said holding the red checker sheet they'd used as a picnic blanket.
"Thanks," Scott took it and with some difficulty, he wrapped it tightly around Ty's middle. "Ty, can you stand?" He asked, somewhat loudly. Ty nodded.
Amy helped Scott help Ty to his feet. She looked down, and shuddered as she saw dark blood covering the sand where Ty had laid... a lot of dark blood. Ty swayed, but Scott put his hand under his elbow firmly. Lou led Spork over to the three, and assisted in sitting Ty on her back. Amy climbed up behind Ty, he leaned back against Amy's chest, his eyes were out of focus slightly, his breathing coming in short gasps, his hands returned to his stomach.
"Amy follow Lou," Scott instructed, mounting Barret. "I'll be behind with Mercury."
They moved out at a trot and after less 15 minutes, Ty started trembling.
"Amy... am I suppose to be this cold?" He asked in a frightened and equally shaken voice, his breathing had slowed from gasps to sharp intakes and he began shivering with each inhale. He reached his hand out blindly for Amy's, and holding the reigns with one hand, she grasped Ty's hand with the other. He was indeed cold to the touch.
"Scott," Amy yelled over her shoulder panicked. "Ty's cold, he's like ice."
"Keep a close eye on him," Scott replied. "He might go into shock."
Amy had an idea. She tied the reigns, and lay them down. Spork started slowing down, but Amy pushed her on with her calves. Amy reached into her jean pocket, and pulled out a small brown glass bottle. She carefully unscrewed the top, and sucked a small amount into the dropper in the lid.
"Ty can you lick your lips?" She asked. Ty opened his eyes and saw the bottle, he opened his mouth a crack, and drew his tongue across his dry lips.
"That's awesome," Amy murmured encouragingly, she put a drop of the liquid onto Ty's lower lip, and another on his upper lip. "Can you lick your lips again?" She asked. Again Ty licked his lips, this time he tried a bit harder to lick his entire lips.
"Which one?" He asked in a hoarse whisper, Ty's head rested on Amy's shoulder, and he turned it so he was looking at her through glazed eyes.
"Rescue Remedy." Amy answered. Ty nodded, and sighed. Amy closed the bottle, put it back in her pocket, reached up and caressed Ty's cheek, it was taut and trembling.
The trail opened up, and Amy saw the barns then the farmhouse. She grasped the reigns with one hand as one normally does when riding western, and put her other arm around Ty, holding him tight while she pushed Spork into a canter, then an all out gallop passing Lou. She didn't stop until she was right at the house's front door.
"Grandpa, Soraya, Jonni, Matt, Nancy!" She screamed, taking Ty's hand in her own again, squeezing it. "Someone, anyone come quick!" Ty squeezed her hand back, weakly, but it was enough for Amy.
Matt and Soraya were already coming out of the house, grandpa ran over from the front stable, and Nancy and Joni were rushing over from the herb garden.
"What is it Amy?" Soraya asked. "What happened?" She took in Ty's appearance, and his open red stained shirt with wide eyes.
"Help me get Ty into the house," Amy said quickly. "He's been shot," She slid off Spork, keeping one hand on Ty. Matt hurried forward, quickly grasping the seriousness of the situation. He grabbed Ty by the shoulders and helped him slide off.
Soraya gawked at Amy for a moment, then took Spork's reigns.
"Ty can you walk?" Amy asked. Ty stood for a moment, then his knees buckled and he sunk to his knees on the ground with a low groan.
"Here you go Ty," Scott appeared at Ty's side, and helped him up. "Matt can you help me?" The two carried Ty in the chair position into the living room, and laid him on the couch. Grandpa and Nancy came in after them, followed by Lou who grabbed the portable phone and called 911.
Amy sat on the floor beside Ty, she took his hand in her own and watched as Scott pealed off the picnic sheet. The sweater was soaked in blood and Lou cringed slightly as she handed Scott a towel taking her ruined shirt. Amy heard her speak into the phone briefly. "There's been a lot of blood loss... Yes, constantly for the past twenty minutes or so...oh," She shot a look at Ty. "He is quite pale, yes... oh, I see..."
Ty tightened his grip on Amy's hand and Scott applied pressure to his middle again. Amy's heart wrenched as she saw him arch his back slightly in pain. She brushed back a few strands of dark hair that strayed in front of his eyes, and caressed his jaw. His head turned immediately towards her touch, his eyes opened and Amy saw them glisten.
"The ambulance will be here in 15 minutes," Lou said, hanging up the portable, "Scott, should I call his parents?"
"...can't," Ty gasped suddenly, he coughed. "...Out of town." His eyes rolled, and he shut them tight.
"Do you have any other relatives I could contact?"
Ty shook his head with another low groan.
Amy looked into his face; his skin was pale, and she was alarmed to see a bluish tint appearing. Ty snapped his eyes open, and looked straight at Amy. His eyes stood out against his face so well, they easily showed how much pain he was in, Amy felt her insides turn to ice. She watched a tear roll down the side of his face, she had never seen Ty cry before...
"You're going to be ok," Amy said, trying more to convince herself than him. Ty, eyes still on Amy, nodded slightly. Agreeing with me? Amy thought. He then took in a sharp trembling breath, squeezing his eyes shut and he sighed, a deep shuddered sigh.
Amy looked at Scott with alarm, her heart stopped and jumped to her throat.
"I think he's passed out," He said. Ty shook his head, opening his eyes half way, his shoulders twitched.
"Ty, you can't sleep," Grandpa said. Ty nodded, but his eyelids were heavy and they slowly shut again. He drew his tongue across his parched lips. Amy shook his hand and squeezed it. His eyes opened again, and again his shoulder twitched.
"The ambulances coming," Joni said suddenly from by the window. Every one was silent, all that could be heard for a moment was Ty's fast shallow breathing, but then distant sirens rose.
"Please, just hang in there Ty," Nancy said, looking extremely pale herself. Amy suspected it was because she had lost her daughter and husband in the past.
The sirens grew louder, and Jack went out to meet them as the ambulance stopped at the door. Amy looked into Ty's eyes, they were out of focus, but slowly looked up and down her face, telling her that he was still awake, both sides of his face were now streaked with tears.
"--love...you," He whispered after taking in a gasping breath. A sob escaped Amy, and she softly kissed the back of his hand that she was holding.
"I love you too," Amy whispered, Ty nodded with a small smile as Amy put his hand back on his chest, his eyes drooped closed and didn't re-open. The paramedics rushed into the room, pushing a stretcher.
"Amy, you can stay with Ty. We'll follow," Her grandpa said, coming in after the paramedics. They lifted Ty onto the stretcher, and loaded him into the back of the vehicle, his eyes were still closed.
Soraya gave Amy's shoulder a squeeze, before she got in beside Ty. Amy turned and offered a weak tearful smile before the doors were closed.