Sorry fans! My laptop crashed so I'm using a crappy comp at the moment, still wanted to update for you guys. Here ya go! Enjoy!
Chapter 8: Point of Impact
Mychal was still on the phone, Barney had calmed her down and she was finally able to think clearly. She saw a clearing and a helicopter, she smiled and pushed the Jeep harder. She skidded to a stop just in front of the still-running chopper. Lee hopped out and went to the door with the stretcher from behind his seat, Mychal opened the rear door, Billy's body collapsed into her arms. Lee helped her get him onto the stretcher and into the chopper, the seat where Billy lay was soaked in blood down to the floorboard," I knew I should have stayed behind!" he cursed as he jumped into the cockpit and got the bird into the air just as the door closed," I brought a fresh trauma kit and a duffel bag of whatever I could grab," Lee called back to her," Managed to clear their medicine cabinet but I'm not sure what was in it."
"Great, thank you!" she dug through the bag and checked vials.
"Is he gonna make it?"
She pulled the tape off his chest, his head rolled sideways he didn't flinch. Blood still dribbled from the wound down his side, Mychal opened a packet with a rib-splitter. The chopper rocked and her hands slipped, she almost dropped the tool," I can't do surgery in the air," she shouted back," All I can do is hydrate him and try to stop the bleeding," she wasn't sure if she could even get an IV in without missing the vein. She re-packed his chest, he squirmed and moaned.
"I'm trying to keep it steady," Lee grit his teeth.
Mychal put his head in her lap and felt for a pulse, weak and thready, his breaths were shallow and his lips were pale. She pulled up some Atropine in an old-school styled military syringe, regular needle would break if her hand shook. She kept it close to them, just in case she needed it, and rubbed Billy's cheek," Can you hear me?" his eyes opened into slits," We're headed to a hospital in Japan," he grit his teeth and coughed, blood dripped from the corner of his mouth," What's our ETA?" she looked to Lee.
"Twenty minutes or so, i'm flying as fast as I can," he glanced back at her," Keep him alive."
Mychal brushed her fingers through his hair," Does it hurt?" he nodded weakly," Good sign," she reassured him," if it didn't hurt you'd be bleeding out, the bullet barely missed your heart," he buried his face into her stomach, she cradled him into her," You're going to be okay, I've gotten Lee through worse," Billy seriously doubted that, her hand found his and squeezed lightly.
Minutes passed like hours, she'd managed to stop the bleeding but she wasn't sure whether it was because she'd packed it tightly or if he'd lost too much blood. Finally the chopper landed, Lee and Mychal rushed Billy inside. The base was nice, with a full medical facility and a deal with the U.S. military to send supplies when they could and whatever they couldn't get their hands on was ordered. Mychal didn't have time to notice, but she had a full operating theater and a trauma room all to herself as well as her pick between five recovery rooms. Lee pulled the stretcher from beneath Billy as she washed her hands," What can I do?" Lee washed his hands after she left the sink.
"Start unpacking his chest," Lee didn't ask, he just moved," How's his breathing?"
"Shallow, his lips are bluish," Lee began pulling the gauze she'd been able to salvage out of the hole in his chest, he tried to turn off his emotions and just focus on working.
"I have some Atropine ready just in case," she came to the table across from Lee and put an oxygen mask over Billy's mouth and nose," We need some blood for a transfusion," Lee went to the fridge and pulled out a bag and handed it to her," Warm it between your hands," she searched his arm above the cut where Vilain had removed his tracking chip for a viable vein. Once found she put in a central line and started fluids," Billy can you hear us?" she studied his face, his eyes closed," Billy?" he was still unresponsive, she put in a second line in his other arm for the transfusion.
"Is he….?"
"Condensation on the mask," she pointed," but not for long unless we do something about it," she turned his head towards Lee," Be ready, he might jump after this," she uncapped the Atropine, he didn't move even after the needle sank into his neck. Lee waited, holding his breath," It'll take about five to six…"
Billy's body jerked, Lee was fast, he put his forearm across Billy's collarbones and held him firmly," Hey Kid," Lee spoke near his ear," It's me, it's Lee," Billy locked eyes with him in a confused stare.
Mychal used locals in the major muscles in his chest to get him as numb as she could. She reached into her bag and grabbed the rib-splitter just in case the bullet had moved, which was very likely considering the long trip here, she pushed forceps inside and opened the edges to search for the bullet. Billy looked uncomfortable but it was bearable as far as they could tell. She didn't see the bullet, not a good sign, Lee saw her expression for the brief second she changed it and got worried. She reached in with her fingers and felt for anything abnormal, he squirmed a bit," It's pressure from me pushing on your chest," she reassured him as best she could," I'm looking for the bullet."
"Mmmfinnne…" he mumbled through the mask.
"Good, you're doing great," she felt around and finally found the slug, she could feel his heart pounding beneath her fingertips," I found it," she smiled, forceps followed her fingers and pulled the bullet free. Air sucked into the wound as he took a breath," Lee, give him some OraMorph," a name they used for liquid Morphine. Lee opened the medicine cart's drawer and searched for it. Billy's eyes reminded her of the bright ocean waters of Florida as he searched her face, she could see panic in them. His body shivered," Bullet's out," she took a second to kiss his forehead since her hands were gloved and bloody.
"C-cold," Mychal hadn't wanted to hear that, she'd managed to ward off shock symptoms until now.
"I'm going to take one more look around and then stitch you up," she knew it was much more complicated than that but that's not what he needed to hear.
"This a good dosage?" Lee held up a vial, she read it and nodded," This stuff tastes awful, Kid," he popped the cap and moved the oxygen mask. Billy tried to lift his head, his abs flexed and blood gushed from his chest," We gonna do something about that," Lee glanced at his chest. Billy coughed and more blood dripped down his jaw, Lee picked his head up.
"I really wanted him out," Lee realized what Mychal was doing as she raised his arm above his head, Billy resisted and more blood spilled down his face and side," Hold that there," she suctioned the wound, Lee was amazed how much blood ran through the tube," Getting better ?" she looked to Billy, his face showed how difficult each breath was. She kept suctioning until nothing came out, Lee put his arm back at his side and he took his first full breath," That wasn't as bad as I'd expected," his lips were still pale and he was still shivering, but she was finished.
"Sutures and we're going to warm you up," Billy's shoulders relaxed and he lay his head back into Lee's hands.
Once she'd finished the stitches she cut what fabric was left from his shirt away and began checking and re-bandaging his torso and arms," Back looks better," she noted as she pulled his shirt from beneath him.
It was hard to keep his eyes open, his body was numb. He was aware that she was cleaning him up and he was going to live, for now at least, he leaned into Lee's hands and closed his eyes. He meant to only close them for a few seconds and found himself drifting to sleep.
"He's out," Lee sighed, relieved.
"He needs some rest," Mychal wiped sweat from her forehead," now I have to watch his breathing."
"Sorry?" Lee wasn't sure he understood.
"His ribs are broken and I'm not sure if his lung has been punctured or has pressure on it or if I've gotten all the fluid out of his chest," Mychal had Lee help her carry Billy to a recovery room.
She pulled a chair close to him and sank into it, she took his hand in hers and rested her forehead on the blankets," If you need some rest…." Lee offered.
She smiled up at Lee," I just want to be here when he wakes up, or if he has any complications."
"I can watch him and wake you…"
"I'll take first shift," she leaned back in the chair," I've done this before remember?"
"I won't argue, I'll be across the hall getting some sleep of my own."
"G'night, Lee."
"G'night, love," he kissed her forehead," If you get tired come wake me up."
"Thanks," Lee put a blanket around her shoulders and tucked her in.
Lee left her, a few minutes later she heard water running in the shower across the hall. She almost laughed, they'd been friends for years and he'd tucked her into bed more than once. He was the closest thing to an older brother she'd ever had, every time they met up there was drinks and catching up like they'd never been apart. He was one of a handful of people she knew she could count on if she was in trouble.
The water stopped, three or five minutes was all the Expendables ever needed for a shower. She stood up and clicked off the light," Don't g-go," Billy's voice was raspy.
"I'm not going anywhere," she turned on the small lamp by the wall," I just thought you'd sleep better with less light," she sat next to him and took his hand.
"Please don't…leave."
"Promise," she slid the oxygen mask off of his face," Drugs still working?"
"Mostly," he flexed his fingers and rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb.
"I can give you more if you need me to," she started to stand up," I have access to…"
"I'm okay," he squeezed her hand," Just—stay," she nodded and settled onto the mattress. He tried to get comfortable again, his hand went to his chest and he couldn't stifle the whimper. He curled into the pain so she wouldn't see and rode it out, she took the opportunity to reach for another dose of Morphine. She slid behind his shoulder and pulled him into her, he rolled over his face red and his breathing erratic.
She put an arm beneath his neck," Be still," she uncapped the syringe and pushed the dosage into his IV. She tossed the syringe on the table, no needle no mess. His shoulders held their tension," It should get better soon," she put a hand on his cheek.
Within minutes his body stopped burning; he lay his head on her chest, his shoulders and body relaxing. He nuzzled into her and put his arm over her, she ran her fingers through his hair. The position put just enough pressure on his side to keep the various burns and lashes from hurting too badly and kept it out of his chest. He shook his head," I'm sorry," he started to move away and coughed on what would have been a small cry.
"Don't be," she ran her fingers down his neck and around the bandages on his back," if you're comfortable like this just get some rest."
"R-really?"
She smiled," Really," she had figured out why the Expendables had nicknamed him 'Billy the Kid'. In this line of work he was young, even though they were probably around the same age. Mychal leaned her head back on a pillow, she realized with a chuckle she hadn't been this close to a man since her fiancé' left a year ago. He'd moved on with his life since she was always gone on a trip as a medic or working shift work at hospital trauma wards, it was sad but they'd both kind of distanced from each other for a long time. She looked down, Billy had put his arm over her protectively. So he could move at a moment's notice if danger presented itself,' Even off the job….' she smiled and then shook the thought,' No,' she told herself,' don't fall for your patient,' but his hair was soft, his arm comforting, the pressure of his head on her inviting and the heat of his breaths made butterflies spring into her stomach. He mumbled something in his sleep and she petted his hair, he smiled and she melted.
Mychal felt the sun on her face, she stretched her neck and looked down. Billy hadn't moved, she smiled and rubbed her eyes. She buried her face in his hair, suddenly she didn't care if he was technically her patient at the moment. His arm was still around her waist, he was warm and comforting.
"Ahem," Lee cleared his throat, she jumped.
"Don't you get sick of sneaking up on people?!" she hissed.
"Careful with that one," he nodded at Billy.
"Huh?" her face reddened, how long had he been standing there?
"Just make sure you know what you're doing," he crossed his arms over his chest.
"I—…."
"I have a soft spot for the both of you is all," he walked towards them," He sleep like that all night?"
"Mmmmhmmm," she nodded.
"S'why we call him the Kid," he sat down in the chair next to the bed," anything he does he puts everything he has into it and doesn't look back."
"I don't know what I'm doing, Lee," she admitted, he looked at her puzzled," I mean with Billy."
"You have the supplies to..."
"Number one rule in our line of work is never fall in love, this isn't love yet; but it could get there."