Chapter 41
"That was the longest flight of life. I'm glad Bam Bam passed out for most of it." Sonny yawned as he shook his head and scanned over Clay's twitching body.
"I don't know what flight you were on, but Clay was not passed out for most of it. It was like he was frozen in time, silently watching our every movement." Ray huffed as he stretched out his neck and rubbed his temples.
Trent decided the kid was stable enough, or at least he would be if it took his own life. Clay was making it home to the state's hell or high water. He would not allow them to stop at a random hospital in another country. Not worth the risk as their fastest flight plan was not over Europe, allowing for a safe military hospital drop-in. They had to endure a few storms that redirected their route a few times, leading to long, painful diversions causing their precious cargo to scream until he managed to pass out. But only for a moment until more turbulence shot him awake with searing pain no matter how many small doses of morphine Trent pumped into his veins. Unfortunately, there were few pain medications for Clay due to his shallow respirations; Trent was not risking anything on this flight.
"I can't get his screams out of my brain." Brock sagged down into his chair as he grabbed his curls, pulling his head back and trying to stretch out his neck and shoulders.
No one slept on the flight. No one moved. The whole team was too scared to shut their eyes and miss something. Too afraid if they turned their attention away from their blonde boy, he would slip under, and they would lose him. Too scared to even move around and try to occupy their time. So the gruelling flight consisted of every member of Bravo, command and supported, huddling around the stretcher in the back, staring blankly at their boy and sending up silent prays. No one moved.
Liz, Sonny and Jason sat the closest to the stretcher, with some body part always touching Clay. Holding his hand, arm, foot or leg, not wanting to let go. Liz mostly stayed at Clay's head and was caught running her hands through his hair or rubbing his cheek; with she thought no one was watching her as their eyes seemed to be trained on his wounds. Little did she know Davis constantly tracked her movements behind her and by Jason and Sonny, each sitting alongside Clay.
Trent was even more high-strung than usual, fretting over Clay in every way possible. He would check and recheck packed wounds that he got under control from bleeding out, constantly checking vitals every fifteen minutes, topping up IVs and some medications Clay could have alongside watching his respirations and counting breaths alongside his pulse. He was in medic mode and could not get out until he physically passed over Clay to the OR staff at the hospital. He would be with him every step of the way, on and off the plane until they had to manhandle him off. But having the whole plane's eyes fixated on his every movement wore him down fast. After a few hours, he came to terms; no one was leaving their fixated huddle at the back of the plane, and no one would eat or drink without him forcing them. So alongside being a medic and keeping their boy alive, he now had to keep everyone on the plane healthy and make it back home. They all needed a babysitter. So now, on top of his duties with Clay, Trent was the plane's caretaker. Even Jason and Blackburn were fixated on staying frozen in the huddle.
"The medical team is waiting on the tarmac with the ambulance for Clay. Trent, you are going with them, but the rest of us have to go for debriefing." Jason finally spoke up as he looked around the plane for the first time in hours. His sight never left Clay or Trent when he was getting a report.
"Ok, everyone. They want to land. To your seats." Blackburn called out as he did his rounds gathering everyone up to the sides of the plane where their rows of seatbelts sat. No one wanted to move. "Now."
With that, everyone seemed to get out of their trance, slowly moved around the plane, and raced to the seats closest to Clay to buckle in. No one would be the reason for a delay in landing and getting Clay the help he needs.
Trent finally let his guard down from overdrive to his normal medic tension as he felt some eyes being lifted from his back. Some of the pressure subsided as it was a constant feeling pushing into his bubble. He worked well under pressure and was never bothered by a few extra eyes and stress, but having the whole plane on his back, he took it upon himself that any cry that left the blonde's lips was on him. He was responsible, and if another hair was out of place on Clay's head, it was his fault. One more whimper or groan was his doing.
"Liz, you have to go strap in." Jason looked over at her, still seated firmly at Clay's head. Not moving, not blinking. He had to stare at her momentarily and ensure she was still awake and breathing. No, sitting there passed out on them with her eyes open as she slowly slumped over the flight with her shoulders and head resting on the gurney beside Clay's head. She was awkwardly curled around him with her head on one side of him, and her shoulder and arm curled around his head, cupping it as her hand rested on the top of his shoulder as she absentmindedly rubbed his shoulder and slowly glided her fingers up his neck towards his jaw and slowly back down. This motion was repeated for the better part of the last few hours of the flight. With the occasional words being whispered into his ear as he woke up and cried out in pain. She was his rock and seemed to settle him down, even if momentarily, as turbulence shot sharp pain up and down his body. If he could muster up enough strength between involuntary naps, he would curl his head down, leaning into her words and getting close enough for her to graze his ear with her lips. No one could hear what she was saying to him, but whatever it was, it kept him calm and still and hanging. No matter what Trent did physically for Clay to keep him alive, it was still ultimately up to Clay, and his will to live mentally would pull him through. And it seemed his will to live was sitting beside him.
"Liz."
"I got her, Jase." Davis pipped up from behind her as she made her way to Liz and slowly lifted her shoulders as she pulled her back towards the bench.
Clay had passed out about thirty minutes ago and was still asleep, and everyone on the flight prayed he would stay asleep for their descent and the travel into the ambulance. It would not be overly smooth, and the last thing they wanted to hear was more cries of pain and begging for more morphine as his eyes glassed over, body shaking and twitching in pain as he clenched up. The noises and movements from him are imprinted on their brains and will cause nightmares and pain for a while. No one could stand watching someone they loved be in pain and helpless as they sat and watched, unable to help and relieve him of anything he was feeling.
Jason gave her a sharp nod as she pulled Liz to a seat between herself and Sonny and stapped her in as she sat in a daze. She was a ghost sitting there going through the motions but was not truly there with them. Her mental state was compromised, and she needed food and sleep and to know that her life was lying in bed in front of her would survive.
He was alive, but based on some of the faces and reports throughout the flight by Trent, he was unsure how this was the case. With the number of injuries, fever, infection, and blood loss, the kid in front of them all should be dead. No one knew how this was possible, especially with Clay's track record with Miss Karma herself. She seemed to have some sick games to play with Clay, but maybe a tiny soft spot that always allowed him to make it out of her games alive.
Jason settled beside Ray on the bench at the foot of the stretcher. "You ok?"
"Am I ok? No Jase I am not ok." Ray snipped out. He was normally their voice of reason and kept everyone out of the dark places their missions led them to. "He almost died. And he still needed to save my life. MY LIFE. I was the one watching him and keeping him safe and failed."
"It was not all on you, Ray. You know that. You just happened to be the one beside him when they attacked. But it was not only on you to keep him safe. We all are responsible for the kid." Jason pointed out as he started his second in command in the eye and squeezed his shoulder.
"But he had to save me. He could hardly move and still somehow needed to save me. That is a fail in my books. He should not have had to move and cause more damage. Before you say anything, I know what Trent said, but I don't believe it. Clay looked worse after and like he was knocking on death's door, and they were just about to let him in with a warm welcome."
"Ray, you have to stop blaming yourself. It was NOT your fault. And you know if he can, he will always put his team and family first in any situation. And this was no different. He is too good, and that is his biggest fault and no matter how much we try, drive it out of him and tell him to try and put himself first to save a life he never will. So don't you dare blame yourself. Don't do that to him."
"If he does not make it out of this, I don't know what I will do."
"None of us will."
As everyone sat, the plane finished its descent and landed on the tarmac. As soon as the red light turned green, chaos erupted. Everyone shot out of their seats, clearing a path for the stretcher and medics on the ground to join up, lower the ramp, grab all needed medical equipment, and move out of the way. There was no delay.
Bravo followed the stretcher down the length of the plane and ramp as Clay decided to wake up. He never had good timing as a cry of pain shot out of his lips as the wheels met the hard tarmac with a bump.
"Hey buddy, we are almost there." Sonny cooed as he leaned over into Clay's line of sight and squeezed his hand lightly.
As the team approached the ambulance, everyone leaned into his line of sight as he tensed up, not moving and gave him more words of encouragement and promises they would see him on the other side after their briefing. The only response they got was a few quick blinks as Clay seemed to pale a bit at the thought of them leaving. No one wanted to go, but they knew if they stuck around, they would only be in the way, delaying care, and Trent would be there every step of the way. And things were already arranged for him to be brought directly back to the OR promptly.
As the medics loaded the stretcher into the ambulance and Trey lunged into the back of the rig, followed by another medic, the team froze and clenched all muscles as the last four words they ever wanted to hear met their ears.
"We lost his pulse."
