Chapter Sixteen
I know I left you all with a giant cliff hanger, but have no fear, the next instalment is here! Here's hoping you guys like this one!
Disclaimer: I do not have any medical knowledge AND ALL THAT IS DESCRIBED BELOW IS KNOWLEDGE GLEENED FROM WATCHING TOO MUCH TV AND READING ARTICLES ON THE INTERNET. I JUST HOPE IT IS ALL BELIEVABLE.
Danny watched in horror as Steve first shoved Naomi out of the way then took the bullet to his chest. For a split second a panicked look crossed his face before he fell into the water.
Then before anyone could react Naomi let out a shout, got to her feet and launched herself into the water with the effort only adrenalin could have given her after what she had been through.
Without thinking of the fact that he hated water, he turned and dived in. He may not like to swim, but he was a strong swimmer and Naomi could not do this by herself.
He couldn't miss the direction of where Steve's prone body was sinking followed by Naomi, because there was so much blood swirling around them.
Steve's big body looked lifeless as it sank further into the ocean. With a burst of energy he saw Naomi reach him and hook her arms under his outstretched arms and pull, while her small feet frantically peddled the water as she slowly moved upward. He could see the effort she was putting in and how slow she was moving.
Danny sped up and reached them just as Naomi's breath was waning. He took over from her and swam with Steve toward the surface, Naomi passing him by.
When he broke the surface, Naomi was already waiting for them. Kneeling on the edge of the ramp along with Chin and Kono.
Danny hefted Steve's heavy body as Chin, Naomi and Kono pulled him onto the ramp. Danny pulled himself up in time to watch Chin cut Steve's black t – shirt and part the edges to have a look at his wound.
"He's been shot in the chest and he isn't breathing" Kono said as she checked his pulse. "His pulse is thready but there".
"We have medical supplies" Sam tossed a red bag toward them, which Naomi grabbed for. Sam had secured James' body with handcuffs to both his hands and feet.
"His lung has probably collapsed, which may be good because that means he doesn't have water in his lungs" she rummaged for something and whimpered in frustration when she didn't find it, "Chin give me the knife".
"What are you going to do?" asked Danny as he watched her press her fingers to the right side of Steve's chest.
She took off her shredded shirt and passed it to Kono, "Hold this on top of the wound and give pressure so he doesn't lose anymore blood". She again rummaged in the medical bag and came up with an IV tube, which she cut into a length of about six inches. Danny watched as Naomi pressed her fingers on Steve's ribcage, as if feeling for something, then made a neat incision.
She picked up the IV tube she had cut with bloody and shaking fingers, then inserted it into the small cut. As soon as she did this, a barely audible sound escaped and Steve's chest noticeably started to move, indicating his breathing.
"Where the hell did you learn to do that?" Chin asked her. Danny was too stunned and couldn't utter a single word.
"I read it in a book" she said distractedly, "Steve?" she passed a bloody hand over his face. He was still unconscious but at least he was breathing, even if it was shallow and rattling.
"Guys his pulse is getting really low" Kono again said after she measured it once more.
"I think he's loosing a lot of blood. The bleeding isn't stopping" Chin said.
Sam was steering the craft toward the mainland, "There are some bags of plasma in there which will help" he said without looking back.
Danny reached into the bag and pulled out a blood bag filled with fluid, which he then connected with the remaining IV tube and needle. Naomi again took over as she took the needle then, pressed her hand around for a vein in Steve's arm. Once the needle was in, "Danny keep the bag elevated and gently massage it so the plasma will flow easily" she told him.
He did as instructed, then watched as Naomi shifted toward Steve's head and sat with both her legs on either side of his body. She cradled Steve's limp head in her small hands, smoothing his drenched hair.
She looked exhausted and ready to drop, her body was shaking badly, so Chin took off his over shirt and held it for her. When she refused to let go of Steve's head, he gently put one arm at a time into the sleeves.
She bent her head over Steve's, kissing his still lips, all the time she kept whispering, "Steve open your eyes. Please don't leave me" over and over again like a prayer.
Danny prayed along with her, for the first time in a long time.
-X-
{AN: As a suggestion if you can listen to 'No Light, No Light' – Florence + The Machine because that is the music I would imagine as the scenes described ahead played out in my mind, and besides the words kinda fit}
No Light No Light – Florence + The Machine
You are the hole in my head
You are the space on my bed
You are the silence in between
What I thought and what I said
You are the night-time fear
You are the morning when it's clear
When it's over your start
You're my head
You're my heart
Chorus: No light, no light in your bright blue eyes
I never knew daylight could be so violent
A revelation in the light of day
You can choose what stays and what fades away
And I'd do anything to make you stay
No light, no light
No light
Tell me what you want me to say...
It was the scariest thing to see his blue eyes closed and still.
Naomi sat cradling Steve's still, almost lifeless head in her hands. Apart from the fact that his breathing was shallow and a rattling sound passed around his lungs, there was no other outward indication that he was alive. She always teased Steve that he was always expressionless, but his face now was absolutely still, and not in a natural way when he slept.
Sam had informed them that he had radioed for an air ambulance that was waiting for them at shore. It would air lift Steve to the nearest US Naval base.
All any of them could do at this point was pray and hope that Steve would make it. His bleeding had not stopped and he had already lost so much blood that she feared even the plasma would not be enough to help him.
"Please don't leave me" she repeated as she again bent her head over his still face and kissed his cool lips. That was another scary thing; Steve's body temperature was always hot, but now it was rather cool.
She didn't know what she would do if she lost him. It didn't matter that he didn't love her. If he could come all this way to rescue her and put himself in the way of a bullet for her, that meant he cared and she would take that any day over not having him at all.
She felt an arm circle around her shoulders, only then did she realise that she had been crying in great big sobs. She looked up and it was Danny, his face devoid of his always ready smile as he held the plasma bag with one hand and held her with the other. She looked up and saw Kono holding Steve's hand, while Chin had taken over the task of keeping pressure on Steve's wound.
Steve was surrounded by people who loved him. And there was no way that he could be taken away from them.