Part 3
JD knew he should be moving. His neck ached from where Taymullah had half strangled him. His head was pounding thanks to the hijacker's overzealous attempt to drive the barrel of his weapon through his skull. He could hear Chris and Buck demanding reports. "I'm okay, guys," he rasped, pushing himself half off Rogers. He ignored the look of confusion from the now complacent man. Pointing a finger at him, he warned in a hiss, "You move and I'll kill you myself."
"Chris," JD whispered again, eyeing the still agitated Taymullah. "I'm fine." He frowned listening to Ezra explaining that he couldn't get a visual. It finally registered that the others couldn't hear him. Looking down he saw his transmitter was missing. "Damn!" Quickly he began searching for the small device disguised as a button, but couldn't find it. Taymullah started yelling again, and Ezra confirmed that he was hit. "Shit." JD searched for Ezra, finding him sprawled on the floor in front of his original seat. Instinctively he moved toward his friend then froze, realizing he'd just drawn Ayyad's attention. "Oh damn." He ducked his head trying to avoid eye contact but was still ready when he was hauled roughly to his feet.
"You lucky rich boy." Taymullah's smile was sinister. "Your hero." The terrorist pointed with his weapon at Ezra. JD inhaled audibly seeing Ezra's expression of pain and zeroing in on all the blood. "He'll die now, in your place," Ayyad snarled. "You want to watch him die?" JD shook his head as Taymullah pulled him close and growled in his ear. "No? See if you can save your savior then, rich boy." With a hard shove JD landed heavily on his knees beside Ezra.
"Oh God," JD kept his voice low, squeezing in as close to Ezra as he could. His back pressed painfully against the corner of the passenger seat in front of Ezra's.
"Mr. Dunne, good to see you're alright." Ezra smiled weakly, his voice barely more than a whisper. JD heard Buck's 'thank god,' and Josiah's 'good, good.' Checking quickly, he noted that Taymullah had moved to the far side of the cabin and was speaking animatedly with Rashid.
"Yeah, well one of us is." JD ran his hands over his face, as Ezra chuckled softly, then grimaced and tried to suppress a groan.
"There's so much blood, god, help me, Nathan." JD leaned low over Ezra's chest so that Ezra's transmitter would pick up his voice. "My transmitter is gone but I can hear you, please," he pleaded, trying to remember where to start as he pressed his hand down on top of Ezra's to try and stem the blood flow.
"Get pressure on the wound, JD. You've got to stop the bleeding," Nathan sat wringing his hands anxiously. It'd barely been five minutes since Ezra'd been hit but time was a foe fighting against them now. "Where's he hit?"
"His side, " JD answered, "low, like right above his hip I think."
Nathan looked around for the hijacker closest to him and realized the man must have moved to another section of the plane. "Get his tie off and loosen his collar. Take his belt and jacket off too. Can you raise his feet any?" Nathan rattled off his instructions trying to keep his voice low and yet clear enough for JD to hear everything. He knew he was getting strange looks from Mrs. Swertfager and the others close to him but he ignored them and kept watching for the hijackers.
JD listened as his fingers worked at loosening Ezra's tie. "Not without moving him, and there's nothing around to use other than his briefcase."
"Bend his knees then, keep his feet flat on the floor."
"My gun," Ezra hissed when JD unbuckled his belt and slipped it from the loops of his pants.
"Behind you?" JD asked, remembering Ezra had the same type holster as Chris and Buck. Ezra nodded his reply, biting his lower lip for control. "I'll slide it under the seat when I take your jacket off."
Very carefully, JD eased Ezra up against him and slid the other man's jacket off. He paused a moment to shove the weapon into hiding. "Shit," JD cursed, overwhelmed by the sight of the second wound where the bullet had exited Ezra's body.
"What?" Nathan asked anxiously.
"The bullet went through," JD rolled the jacket into a lump and pushed it under Ezra's head as he gently settled his friend down again.
"Damn," Nathan knew it was probably better in the long run that the bullet had gone straight through but right now he was concerned with blood loss. He tried to picture where JD had described the location of the wound, praying that no vital organs had been hit.
"Are you okay, son?" Mrs. Swertfager leaned close, her eyes filled with concern.
Nathan put a finger to his lips. "Shh," he reminded softly. "I'm fine, ma'am." To JD he asked, "You find anything to stop the bleeding?"
JD glanced around knowing if he used Ezra's shirt, he'd mess up the other man's communication with the others. "Yeah, I can use my shirts," he said, rapidly unbuttoning the blue cotton oxford. Shrugging it off, he checked to see where Taymullah was as he quickly folded the shirt into a soft pad of material. Thankfully the hijacker had no interest in him for the time being. JD whisked off his t-shirt next and folded it up the same as he had the shirt.
"Put pressure directly on the wounds," Nathan instructed. "Can you get his pants off?"
"My pants are just fine, Mr. Jackson," Ezra murmured in response, causing JD to smile despite the situation.
"Get them out of the way if you can," Nathan added, shaking his head. Leave it to Standish to be worried about dignity over bleeding to death.
Quickly JD unbuttoned Ezra's pants and unzipped his fly, pulling the soaked material of both the pants and boxers back carefully. "You're okay, Ez," he soothed, feeling Ezra stiffen. Gently he rolled Ezra up onto his side and pressed the larger shirt against the exit wound, flinching as Ezra cried out in pain.
"I'm sorry, Ezra," he apologized as he rolled the southerner back; hoping the man's weight would apply the pressure needed to stem the flow of blood from the exit wound. Ezra's eyes were closed and his jaw tight but he nodded to JD when he sensed the younger man's hesitation. "This is gonna hurt too," JD warned as he peeled back Ezra's shirt, pulled Ezra's hand away and pressed the folded t-shirt against his side.
"God," Ezra growled, his bloody fingers latching onto JD's forearm in a tight grip. He could feel the muscles flexing as Dunne held the makeshift compress in place.
"Easy," JD breathed, using his free hand to adjust Ezra's shirt and then reach for his other wrist to check his pulse. Ezra jumped slightly at his touch. "Just checking." JD managed a faint smile.
"I'm still here, Mr. Dunne."
JD noted the thickening accent before answering. "You better stay here too," he admonished earning a snort and half grin from the other man, as the grip on his arm tightened.
"How is he, JD?" Nathan asked.
"I am fine," Ezra growled in frustration, "you can ask me."
"He's okay," JD echoed, but wasn't completely successful at keeping the worry out of his voice.
Nathan watched as the man Ezra had called Rashid hustled from the first class section and past him into the next section, apparently relegated as the group's gopher.
"We need to move soon, Chris," he stated, the tightness in his voice betraying the level of his own worry.
Chris had listened to JD and Nathan while watching for any sign of a hijacker to appear in his small section of the plane. He could hear one moving around behind him and randomly ordering passengers to be quiet. "Report," he ordered without further explanation.
"One, clear shot," Buck answered instantly.
"One clear shot," Vin echoed.
"One, behind me and in motion," Nathan reported.
"One, clear," Josiah murmured softly.
Chris could hear the concern underlying each voice, along with the irritated impatience. It was time to take action before they missed the slim opportunity. "That leaves Taymullah and one upstairs," Chris noted.
"Rashid." Ezra's voice was notably weak.
"Who?" Chris asked.
"My man in motion," Nathan explained, "he's been back and forth."
"Taymullah's gopher," JD added.
"You two stay on him. JD can you handle Ayyad?"
"Yeah."
"Buck, I'll need cover getting upstairs."
"No problem."
"Gentlemen?" Ezra cut in, Taymullah's loud Arabic sounding in the background. "May I suggest we move this plan along? Taymullah is calling Rashid back in here to start collecting all forms of passenger identification."
"Shit. We ready then?" Chris asked, listening to the affirmatives. "We do this quick and easy," he instructed, using the code for deadly force. "On my count." The silence over the communication system was eerie as each agent waited, prepared to take the action that they trained hours each week for.
"On three." Chris' voice cut through the silence.
"One…
two…
three"
Buck stood up, his gun already out of his behind the back holster; he leveled and fired, the hollow point, grooved aluminum slug hitting its target with amazing efficiency. The hijacker slid to the floor, dead. Ignoring the gasp of surprise from Korine and Daniel Buck quickly moved forward into the next section to back up Chris, picking up the now discarded semi-automatic as he went. "One down." He confirmed to the others.
At the exact moment that Buck took his shot, Vin took his from a seated position, hitting the hijacker with a solid kill shot. "Everybody stay in your seats," he ordered over the screaming as he moved forward and collected the dead man's weapon.
Josiah confirmed his kill and calmly tried to reassure the passengers around him that everything was under control. He waved for Bill to help him keep everyone calm, while he moved to search the terrorist.
Buck cleared the galley and took the stairs two at a time to find Chris kneeling over another dead hijacker. "Stay here," Chris ordered. He could hear the fight going on in first class and though he knew Buck wanted to be there, right now he needed Wilmington upstairs.
Nathan watched Rashid duck into First class with the first gunshot, and cursed that he couldn't take him out. Moving forward, Jackson cautiously moved into position to provide back up.
JD held his breath as Chris began the count, his eyes locked with Ezra's. His friend's eyes widened suddenly, sending a clear warning. As Chris said three, JD spun on his heel, one leg kicking out and sweeping Taymullah off his feet. Springing, JD landed on top of the man, pressing his gun into the side of the terrorist's head. "Give me another reason, asshole," JD snarled, looking up quickly as Rashid burst into the room. The second hijacker's yelling cut off suddenly as the sound of as Ezra's shot reverberated through the small cabin. JD heard Ezra's gasp of pain from the weapon's recoil and Taymullah used the momentary distraction to toss JD up and over his head. JD bounced hard against the low partition dividing the cabin's center aisle seats and rolled up onto his knees, in a firing position.
"Not an average rich boy." Ayyad grinned threateningly at JD, enjoying the sudden standoff.
"Not rich at all." JD answered, wondering how he was going to get out of the situation. Taymullah took a step backwards, closer to Ezra. "He a friend of yours?" he asked arrogantly, then made the costly mistake of glancing in Ezra's direction. Ayyad jerked in surprise as the bullet entered his body, living only long enough to look back at the man he'd assumed was just a kid, before he slumped to the floor.
JD lowered his weapon slowly, his eyes sweeping the silent cabin before falling on Ezra. Nathan eased into the room, freezing when JD brought his gun up again. "JD!" Nathan squawked throwing his hands in the air. "It's me."
"Jeez, Nathan, warn a guy." JD relaxed as he tried to catch his breath, and wrapped his arm around his aching ribs. "Clear in First Class," he confirmed to the others, forgetting his transmitter was long gone.
Nathan nodded and repeated the signal as he moved to Ezra's side. "We're clear in first class."
Chris heard Nathan's all clear just as he stepped off the stairs and began to make his way toward first class. "Status check," he ordered, without stopping. His eyes swept over the passengers, most of who were beginning to stir, confusion and shock evident in their expressions.
"Secure," Josiah and Vin answered together.
"Secure," Buck repeated.
"Secure," Nathan added as Chris entered the small cabin.
"Flight secure," Chris reported back, following procedure. "You got it, Buck?"
"Covered," Buck answered easily, assuring Chris that he would handle the pilots for the moment.
Larabee moved quickly to JD. "You all right?" he asked, noting how the younger agent's arm was wrapped protectively around his rib cage. Bruises stood out on his face and neck; a small cut above one eye oozed blood. His bare chest was streaked with blood.
JD nodded. "Just…" he waved a red stained hand and half shrugged, his hazel eyes meeting Chris' gaze before looking towards Nathan. "Ezra."
Chris wanted to say it would all be okay but was afraid he'd only provide empty promises. Instead he found himself reaching out and squeezing JD's shoulder before he took a few steps to Nathan.
"How's he doing?"
"*I* am fine," Ezra's voice was tight with frustration and pain.
Chris took in the scene quickly, his eyes scanning over Ezra's stony expression. The paleness of the southerner's skin was highlighted by a light sheen of sweat. Chris tried not to focus on the overwhelming amount of blood.
Nathan knelt, crammed into the tiny space between two seats, leaning over Ezra. One hand was pressed tightly against Standish's hip while the other was wrapped around a wrist, checking his pulse. Jackson glanced up at Chris as he let go of Ezra's wrist and moved his hand around to apply more pressure to the exit wound. "I need my bag and the plane's med. kit." His voice betrayed his anxiousness.
Chris stood rooted in his spot, unable to tear his eyes from the blood seeping slowly up and over Nathan's dark fingers.
"Chris!" The sharpness in Jackson's voice made him jerk and focus on the medic's face. "He's doing alright, but I need that stuff now."
"I'll get it." Chris moved quickly down the aisle, not hearing JD's soft inquiry of concern. He needed the chance to catch his breath and get his bearings. He needed to push away the images crashing down on him and lock them away in the depths of his memory once again. Distant voices haunted him, Buck's harsh shouting; a scream that he'd never realized before had been his own.
"They're gone, Chris."
"Shot while they slept"
"Died instantly"
"Retaliation for the Twilight Mission."
Chris shook his head and reached for the overhead compartment closest to Nathan's seat. He ignored the questions fired from the passengers around him as he pulled down the medical kit. Determinedly he blocked the bloody images of the bodies of his wife and son and moved toward the galley to find the plane's medical kit and get it back to Nathan and Ezra.
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Buck sagged heavily against the open doorway leading to the cockpit when he heard the flight secure signal, then ducked inside. "We're good," he informed the pilot.
"Thank God." Jack Barnes ran a shaking hand over his face and looked at his co-pilot Evan Reese. "Contact air traffic control while I address the passengers."
"We're going to need to move some folks around in order to deal with the wounded," Buck told him. "Need emergency medical services on the ground too."
"That's SOP," Reese replied nodding. His gaze flitted past Buck, momentarily focused on the dead flight attendant, and filled with tears before he took a deep breath, met his captain's eyes and then turned back to the console.
Barnes swallowed slowly, not ready to see his crewmember's body yet.
"We'll take care of her," Buck said softly.
"Don't put her with them." The pilot's voice fell to a harsh whisper, his eyes pleading with Buck. Unable to find an adequate response, Buck simply bowed his head.
Satisfied, Barnes cleared his throat and flicked on the plane's intercom system. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking. First off I want to assure you that our flight is once again secure and our hijackers have been successfully subdued. Your cooperation is of utmost importance right now," he hurried on with his statement, the confidence in his voice surprising Buck. "The men you see moving about the cabin now are federal air marshals and I ask that you cooperate with them and your flight crew as instructed and without question. Our flight will be rerouted to the nearest available international airport, but I will be keeping you updated. If you need medical attention, please notify your flight attendant and we will do our best to meet your needs. Please remain in your seats."
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Vin methodically wrapped one of the dead hijackers into a blanket as the captain spoke to a quiet airplane. He listened to Nathan softly reassuring Ezra and Ezra's occasional strained response. As good as it was to hear the southerner speaking, Vin was anxious to see him. He was surprised by his own need to visually confirm that the other man was going to be all right.
It'd been hard for Vin to join another team. He'd been satisfied working as a CAS special agent and had entered the FAM program only when Orrin Travis had asked him to consider volunteering. Tanner knew that though Standish had been in the NSA, instead of the US Marshals, their situations for needing a career change had been similar. Both men had shared the experience of being betrayed by the teammates they were suppose to be able to rely on to back them up. Right now, all Vin wanted to do was get to Ezra and find a way to remind the injured agent that this team was going to be different.
"Where are we putting the bodies, Chris?" he asked quietly. Some passengers were watching him closely, while others sat with their heads back and eyes closed.
"In front of the galley separating the business section, opposite the rest room so we can keep foot traffic clear," Chris answered immediately.
Vin looked up from his crouched position to see Josiah ready to lend a hand. At Tanner's signal they hoisted the body off the floor and made their way forward. After depositing the first body, they hurried to remove the others from sight as well.
Buck reverently covered Melanie's body with a blanket, learning her name from the flight wing shaped tag pinned to her lapel. He noticed how close she was to JD's seat and cringed inwardly that his friend had witnessed such brutality. Immediately after the thought, Buck internally reprimanded himself. As much as he tended to think of JD as a kid, he knew damned well that his roommate was a grown man capable of taking care of himself. 'Capable of taking down an international terrorist' Buck thought as he rose to his feet again. Pushing down his protective instincts, he reminded himself that this was the career JD had chosen, and though he was young, Dunne had already spent two years patrolling the streets of Atlantic City before he'd moved to the FAA.
"I'll be back," Buck told the pilots and hurried downstairs to help with getting things organized and to check on the others.
He had to move out of the aisle to let Vin and Josiah pass by with another body, then he waited as they placed it beside the other two. "There's one hijacker upstairs and one victim," he informed them. "Can we keep her separated from them?"
"Bring her into first class and get these two out of here," Chris answered over the communication system.
"We can get the two bodies and then clear the passengers from first class," Josiah added.
"Let's do it." Vin was already in motion.
Chris knelt beside Nathan and opened a package of sterile gauze padding before handing it over. "How are you doing, Ezra?" he asked, remembering this time to ask Standish directly.
Ezra blinked once and breathed deeply, trying to concentrate on keeping his voice even. "As well as can be expected," he managed. He met Chris' concern filled gaze briefly before he closed his eyes tightly, not wanting Larabee to see any fear. It wasn't the first time Ezra had been shot, but somehow this instance didn't seem to compare to his cousin Beth's sadistic streak with a BB gun. He'd been in fights where he'd ended up beaten and even stabbed once; a flesh wound really, but this…this was his whole body screaming in agony, fighting against him for control. What terrified him most, was the fear that his tortured body might be winning the fight.
He felt a hand on his bent knee and a slight squeeze. "We need to get him up off the floor," Nathan pointed out when Vin, Buck and Josiah entered the cabin.
There wasn't a lot of room for the group of men trying to reach their friend, but each one was able to at least let Ezra know they were there. Chris moved out of the way and helped Buck wrap Taymullah up in a blanket, Buck casting nervous glances at JD who was standing quietly a the front of the cabin, leaning against the large view screen. Buck exchanged a look with Chris and then moved to stand next to his younger friend.
"JD? You okay?"
Dunne nodded; watching as Chris slung Taymullah over his shoulder and followed a Rashid-burdened Josiah out of first class.
"You did good," Buck said quietly.
"Tell that to Ezra," JD mumbled, glancing to where Nathan knelt.
Buck grasped JD's shoulder and turned the shorter man to face him. "There was nothing you could do to stop that from happening." Wilmington pointed toward Ezra. "But, you did take care of him, and," the index finger moved from pointing to poking JD's upper chest emphatically, "you took out Taymullah."
JD sighed and accepted the statement with a small nod, despite his obvious frustration.
"You gonna be okay until Nathan can check you out?" Buck asked.
"Yeah, I'm just banged up."
"Good, I need to get these folks cleared out of here so we have some room to breathe." Turning, Buck addressed the dumbstruck passengers. "Okay folks, as you can see we have a medical emergency here and in a moment we're going to ask you to move to a different section of the plane. Please be ready to go when the flight attendant comes to get you." As he finished, Chris reentered the cabin with the head flight attendant, Julie. Quickly Julie began to lead the passengers, two at a time, back to fill the seats left empty by Team 7 and the hijackers.
"I don't see why all of us have to move to an overcrowded section," Lance Rogers mumbled his complaint softly but JD heard it clearly and was in motion before Buck, Chris or Vin could figure out what was going on. His punch landed squarely on Rogers' jaw, resulting in an undignified yelp from the larger man and a cry of pain from JD as his ribs vehemently protested the action. Vin caught JD low around the waist and held him secure.
"JD?" Ezra struggled momentarily when JD cried out, but gasped and stilled under Nathan's strong hands.
"He's okay, Ezra, relax," Nathan tried to calm him and check to make sure the bleeding hadn't started again. He watched Ezra's jaw clench in agony and searched his case and the flight's med. kit a third time for any kind of painkiller. He'd been hoping that they might be able to find a doctor on board who'd be able to administer medication, but so far no one had stepped forward and he'd found nothing in the MedAir case that could be used for pain relief.
"What are you doing, kid?" Vin asked trying to settle JD who was still straining to reach Rogers. "You're upsetting Ezra," he whispered harshly.
Immediately Dunne stilled. Realizing that Chris and Buck were staring at him for an explanation he gestured at Rogers. "He's the asshole who got Ezra shot."
Rogers' eyes widened fearfully as several pairs of hostile eyes focused on him. He sank back in his seat and put his hands up in a placating gesture. "I did no such thing. I was just trying to diffuse the situation," he stuttered.
Chris just glared as Julie led another handful of passengers out. "You stay here," he pointed to a vacated seat away from Ezra, "there."
Rogers debated arguing and Josiah, who had returned and was standing just behind him, caught the hesitation. Grabbing him by the back of his collar, he pulled the defiant man to his feet, and gave him a firm push towards Chris. Larabee snagged Rogers by the arm as he staggered.
"Listen, I'm an NSA agent; I had every right to approach that man and try to handle the situation. I am trained after all." He tried to project confidence at the intimidating man holding onto him but he was surprised when instead of easing off, the taller man pushed him roughly into the seat. "It was Standish's own fault he got shot," Rogers tried a new tactic. "If he had a gun, why didn't he just take the guy out? If he'd done that in the first place, he wouldn't have had to shove the kid out of the way of that shot." He squealed in fright when Chris' hand shot out and tightly latched onto his throat.
"Standish didn't take the guy out," Chris hissed, "because he was following *my* orders not to." He tightened his grip slightly. "And he wouldn't have had to shove his friend and teammate out of the way if you had kept your ass in your seat." He thrust Rogers against the seat and stood to his full height. "You sit there and shut up until I can talk to you again without killing you."
Chris turned, aware suddenly of a conversation going on over his com system and Vin's touch on his arm. "We need you to help with Ezra," Tanner spoke evenly, not daring to let himself even look at Rogers. "We need to move him so they can get the seat reclined and we can get him up into it."
Chris realized then that first class was empty except for Team 7, Rogers and one injured woman who looked like she'd been beaten pretty badly. Two flight attendants had reclined a seat for the woman, and were now waiting to do the same for Ezra. Nathan was talking.
"We gotta get him out of this hole." He waved a hand between the seats. "It's gonna be hard to maneuver him up without hurting him more."
"Just pull me up," Ezra told him shortly.
"Ezra, we can't just go pushing and pulling, or dragging you around." Nathan tried to explain as Vin and Chris moved closer to help. "It'll start the bleeding up again and it's gonna hurt like hell."
"It already hurts like hell. Just do it, damn it," Ezra growled, his accent thickening as he opened his eyes and tried to push himself up off the floor.
Nathan, caught off guard by the sudden movement, lost his balance and fell back onto his butt, landing in the aisle.
"Shit," Vin jumped forward to grasp Ezra's forearm on his good side to steady him as Buck hurried to reach behind Ezra's shoulders and support as much of his weight as he could.
Nathan struggled to his feet so he could help. "Damn you, Ezra! You're a stubborn son of a bitch," he cursed, shaking his head in frustration.
Ezra managed a small groan in response. He felt an arm wrap around his waist and he was suddenly moving.
"Get that seat down fast," Nathan ordered the waiting flight attendants. It took less than a minute to get the seat adjusted and fully reclined. Carefully the three men eased Ezra down on to it. "I need blankets," Nathan said to no one in particular, knowing someone would get them.
"You okay, Ezra?" Jackson asked, reaching for more bandages and standing over Ezra to apply pressure to the renewed bleeding.
Ezra flinched, not trusting himself to be able to answer at the moment; instead he gave a small nod.
"You should have waited," Nathan went on. "We could have tried to move you easier than this."
"Nathan."
Jackson looked up at Buck holding a pile of blankets. "Put them under his knees, and save at least one to cover him up with."
Ezra groaned aloud when Buck gently eased the blankets under his legs, the latest movement jarring his wounds again.
Nathan watched closely when Ezra sighed deeply. The bleeding hadn't really started up again full force but he knew he needed to get another check on Ezra's vitals soon, and find out where they were and when they were going to land so he could get in touch with a doctor. Then there were JD's injuries and the lady passenger, not to mention the lump on Vin's head.
Ezra sighed again and tried to shift in the seat.
"Easy, Ezra. Don't move."
Ezra opened his eyes, surprised to hear Vin's voice so close. Then he realized he still gripped Tanner's forearm. Immediately he tried to pull away, embarrassed by his display of weakness. "My apologies, Mr. Tanner," he whispered as he let go, but Vin moved quickly to catch the flailing hand in his own.
"Shh, try to relax." Vin's grip tightened and instinctively Ezra clutched at the grasp like it was a lifeline. "Just hang on to me."
Ezra took another deep breath, exhaling noisily as a shiver ran through him. "Shit," he swore at his lack of control. The more he tried to contain his physical reactions, the worse job he seemed to be doing of it. He could only imagine what his mother would be saying if she was there, and suddenly he was very thankful that at least he'd been spared that indignity.
"Ever been shot before Ezra?" Vin asked, his voice low and calm.
"Do BB's count?" Ezra asked. His throat felt raw. "Need a drink," he said.
"Sorry, Ezra," Nathan apologized. "It looks like you might need surgery when we land."
"Who shot you with a BB gun?" Vin asked, distracting Ezra while Nathan checked his blood pressure and pulse again.
"My cousin, Beth." Ezra actually smiled faintly. "She was a wicked girl."
"Sounds it." Vin chuckled. Looking up he saw the concern in Nathan's eyes. "What do you need, Nathan?"
"To know when we're landing."
"I'm going up now," Chris said. "Buck, get JD a blanket or shirt or something and get him to sit down before he falls down."
"JD?" Ezra's voice cracked and he swallowed slowly. "Nathan, check on JD."
"He's okay, Ezra. He just needs to sit down a bit." Chris leaned over his agent. "You just concentrate on yourself right now, you hear me?"
Ezra grimaced but managed to nod.
"Don't worry, I'll look at him in a minute, Ezra," Nathan reassured.
Ezra blinked several times, overwhelmed with exhaustion as he struggled to stay awake.
"Let go, Ezra," Vin whispered near his ear. "Let it go. We'll take care of you," he promised.
Ezra's mind raced, screaming warnings at him to hang on and fight through the weariness and pain. It was difficult to catch a good breath and he desperately needed a drink. "Water, please," he whispered, forgetting that Nathan has said no earlier.
Nathan frowned. "Josiah?"
"I'm on it, Brother." Josiah headed for the galley.
"Ice chips," Jackson added. He knew he shouldn't give Ezra food or liquid with possible surgery coming in the near future but he could tell that Ezra was horribly thirsty and he didn't know how long it would be before they reached medical care. Absently he realized that he was still holding the blanket he'd meant to cover Ezra with. Carefully he shook out the folds, his eyes roaming over his teammate. He'd gotten the bleeding stopped again, which was a huge relief, but the deep breathing was worrying him. Eyeing the oxygen in the MedAir kit, Nathan debated only a minute before reaching for it. He scanned the directions quickly, and then adjusted the settings and reached to put the facemask on Ezra.
"W-what are you doing?" Ezra asked, the confusion evident in his voice as he pushed Nathan's hand away.
Nathan paused and held the mask up so that Ezra could see it. "I'm giving you some oxygen," he explained. He saw the fear flash in Ezra's eyes and quickly reassured him. "It's just to ease your breathing some, that's all."
Ezra nodded and closed his eyes again, tensing as he waited. Nathan hurriedly adjusted the mask, trying to secure it over Ezra's nose and mouth. It took a minute but finally the southerner's posture relaxed.
Ezra fought his instinct to rip the mask off of his face and throw it at Nathan. What did Jackson know about what he needed anyway? And how did they honestly expect him to trust them? He barely knew them. His heart felt like it was racing as his anxiety increased. God, he was at their mercy. He couldn't even breathe right on his own, and he was reduced to being unable to care for himself anymore. Unconsciously his grip on Tanner's hand tightened.
"Let it go, Ez." Vin leaned closer. "You can trust us." Ezra's eyes popped open, searching Vin's face for clues of deception. Vin grinned, seeing the doubt in Standish's expression. "Believe me, Ezra. We're not going to let you down, not this team, not me." Tanner waited, hoping that Ezra would accept him at his word. He saw the reluctant acceptance in Ezra's eyes right before they closed.
Nathan patted Vin on the back. "He might sleep some, when Josiah comes back, let him have an ice chip, just enough to wet his mouth. I need to check on the others."
TBC...