"No," Kim breathed as she and Kayla raced through the door into the hangar. Her entire body had turned to ice, and she knew what she was going to find even before they reached the end of the plane.
At the far end of the hangar, Steve was crouched next to a figure on the ground. Steve was blocking Kim's view, but she knew it was Shane. And in her heart, she knew it was bad.
Even as Kayla ran forward, Kim's fear made her hesitate. What if he dies? Kim could not watch Shane die.
Then another voice told her she had to be strong. Shane needs you. Don't give up now. That voice won, and Kim forced herself to go forward.
Kayla had reached Shane first and had immediately begun checking Shane's wound. As Kim got closer, she saw the blood that had turned his shirt dark red and was pooling next to his body. But he was alive. Kim could see Shane gasping for air. With each labored breath, he spit out some blood.
"Come on, Shane," Kayla begged. "Don't do this. You've got to hang on." Kim watched, frozen, as Kayla tore at Shane's bloody shirt. "Give me something to use to stop the bleeding," Kayla yelled.
He can't die, Kim thought, Kayla's words barely registering. Kim shivered from the cold that wracked her body, as she silently begged. Don't let him die.
"Kim?" Steve's voice broke through her thoughts. She looked up at him, not sure what he wanted. "Your jacket."
"My jacket?" she asked, confused.
Steve looked at her. "You're in shock, Kim, but listen to me. Give me your jacket - for a bandage."
It still took a moment for that to register, but then Kim remembered that she was still wearing her suit jacket from work so many days earlier. She pulled it off and handed it to Steve, who spun around and took it to Kayla.
Kim felt helpless as she watched. Shane was so pale and he was still struggling to breathe. And there's nothing I can do, Kim thought. She looked at Kayla, who had rolled Kim's jacket into a ball and was pressing it hard against Shane's chest. For a moment, Kim felt jealous of her sister; at least Kayla could try to do something.
"Kay. . . ." Kim did not want to interrupt, but she needed to know.
Kayla did not respond. She was focused on Shane. "Shane, please," Kayla begged once more. "Just hang on."
Kim closed her eyes as she heard the tremor in Kayla's voice. After forcing herself to breathe, she opened her eyes, but she had to look away. Her heart could not bear to see Shane in so much pain. How did this happen? she asked herself, still barely comprehending.
She looked around the room and, for the first time, she saw Cal's body on the ground. Damn you, she cursed silently. Damn you to hell, Cal Winters. All of this was his fault but, inwardly, she cursed herself for letting Cal Winters into their lives. It's my fault too.
She felt Steve put an arm around her. "It's going to be okay," he said. "Shane's tough. He's going to pull through. You've got to believe that."
But even as said that, another chill swept through her. He doesn't know, said her doubting voice. And what Kim needed was an answer.
"Kay?"
"I don't know," Kayla answered sharply. "Did someone call for help?" She looked up at Steve. "Steve! Call an ambulance. Please."
Kim turned to Steve, who seemed as frozen in place as she was. But then Kayla's question seemed to register. "Sure. . . . There's a phone in the car. . . ." He did not finish the sentence, as he let go of Kim and took off running out the door.
Standing there, alone, Kim looked back at Shane. His eyes were open, but he was staring vacantly into space. Kayla was still urging Shane to hang on. Unable to stand still any longer, Kim stepped toward Kayla and Shane, and crouched down next to him. She looked across him at Kayla, who glanced up momentarily. Kim could see the doubt and fear in her sister's eyes.
No, Kim prayed silently. She looked down at Shane and took his hand in hers. It felt almost as cold as the chills that kept sweeping through her body. She hoped to see some recognition in Shane's eyes, but they looked past her, unseeing.
"Hold on, my love," Kim whispered, doing the only thing she could do at this point - pray. "Just hold on."