Chapter 43

The team drove in silence as no one knew what to say. They have lost men in the field before. Good men always considered their brothers but have not lost true family. Not since Alana died. And that was something they all had to work together to help come to terms with and grieve. But now, this was different. They all sat with some form of guilt on top of their grief. And they were sitting in the world of the unknown. Alana was an unexpected instant accident. This time around, they left their man left their brother alone. And then found him dead, and it was their fault. They knew going in it was a suicide mission and that their job had risks, and they all knew them and signed up for them. But the act of walking away weighed on them and always will. They were lucky when they found him. They brought him back, and he even managed to save their lives at one point. Leave it to Clay being on his deathbed and still showing them up and saving their asses when that was supposed to be their job. Clay was not known to be the best for no reason, and he always loved to show them that and rub it in their faces. But this time, they got him back, dragged him through hell, listened to him suffer, and could do nothing but watch only to throw him back out. To give him up, and under someone else's watch, they lost him again. Trent was not going to get over this possible loss, especially being right there watching him slip through his fingers after he went through hell to keep him alive, no matter how many times the stubborn ass tried to defy him.

The drive to the hospital was not long, but long enough for everyone to get into their heads, plant that seed of guilt that this was their fault, and let it grow. As Niama and Blackburn parked, the team did not let the cars come to a complete stop before they were barreling out towards the emergency doors. The shock was wearing off, and they were now focused and needed answers. They pushed their thoughts of guilt and anguish aside and focused on answers. He was alive, and they needed to find Trent.

…..

Hours passed, and boot tread marks left their mark as the team paced along the waiting room. No one had answers, and still no Trent.

"Where is Trent? I can't decide if his absence is good or bad." Ray hummed as he sat down along the row of chairs beside Blackburn and Naima.

"I'm going to take it as good news, he's still alive, and they are working on him. No other way Trent would leave his side." Blackburn nodded as he put his hand on Rays bouncing leg, trying to settle him, silently passing along any positive vibes. During the drive over, Jason let out how Ray felt about this whole situation and how he blamed himself for Clay going downhill and saving his ass. And that if Clay did not make it out, Ray would not survive. He would blame himself and go down the dark hole he works so hard to help every other Bravo member avoid. Ray would jump in headfirst if he had the chance if he hears anything negative in relation to Clay.

"Jase, I can't sit around her much longer without answers. I don't care what they say and how many times they have hoarded us back into this room; you must get something. Look at Tinkerbell over there; she is white as a ghost and losing her spark without Peter Pan." Sonny barked out as he clenched his fists and went to wind up and show the waiting room wall, which was boss. Just as he was about to let loose, Jason approached him, grabbing his arm, and pulling him into a tight hug from behind. Sort of like a Sonny Straightjacket. This technique has been needed a few times to calm the ordinary Texan and calm him down. At least to an extent, he won't hurt himself or others. When it comes to anyone on the team, Sonny gets emotional and does not know how to contain himself, especially when one of the Wonder Twins is on the other side of the spear. No thoughts ran through Sonny's head to keep him calm and linear thinking when they hurt.

"Im giving them one more hour. Don't worry; I will let Ray loose on them if we hear nothing. He will work out some answers, guaranteed." Jason replied as he squeezed Sonny a bit harder, feeling his pulse start to steady out with the pressure.

"Fifteen minutes." Sonny huffed as he wiggled his way loose and softly pushed Jason back with a curt nod.

"Deal. But only if you keep that wall in one piece."

Liz stood behind Jason and Sonny as they created a pacing line, followed by Brock, Cerb, and Davis. But she froze in place as something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye, "Jase."

Everyone turned towards the movement behind them as the waiting room doors opened, and their exhausted medic stood in the doorway, covered in blood. As he took a few steps into the room towards the awaiting group in the back, the team got to their feet and braced for impact.

As Trent took the last few steps and met the group, he closed his eyes, pinched his temples with his hand, and sucked in a deep breath. "I'm going to kill that kid."

Bravo and some support members stared blankly at him, blinking, and taking in words from their medics' mouths. Confused.

"He's alive and should make a full recovery. It was touch and go for way too long as that stubborn ass just could not cooperate and do as he's fucking told. His ass is mine as soon as he's better and back on his feet. I'm going to make that kid run hills until he collapses and then fix him up to do them again. Stubborn fucking ass." Trent huffed out as he collapsed into the chair behind him rolling his eyes and shaking his head.

"He's alive?" Sonny whispered out, not too sure what was happening before him.

He never talks like this about anyone on the team. He usually was very calm and polite. Encouraging words continuously poured out of his mouth when it came to one of their injured team members. Their normally stoic and level-headed medic has just exploded in front of them, losing his temper and maybe even his mind.

"Yeah, he's alive. No thanks to him."

Little laughs and grunts of happiness leaked from the standing team around Trent as they all relaxed and could finally breathe and take in the situation around them. Clay was ok. But now their focus went towards their exhausted medic, which they could tell was at his breaking point. Clay put him through the wringer and made him crack. He was so tired and overworked that he just snapped. A good nap and a shower to wash off the kid's blood would not fix anything. And a few sessions with their therapist, no matter how much he fought them.

"It was touch and go for way too long. We lost his pulse in the ambulance but did manage to get him back after a few shocks. He is going to feel it in the morning. But the full damage he faced out in the field is what got him. He's going to be out for a while and lots of physio. He was shot in the upper left chest and, at some point, sustained an impact on his left shoulder that damaged his rotator cuff and dislocated his shoulder. He will be in a sling for six weeks and then lots of physio. A bullet skimmed his left ribs, which were cracked from the same impact on his shoulder. He was also shot in his upper thigh on his right leg; it was off to the side, so it was more like a flesh wound, though and thought to join his other bullet hole. He has a grade 2 concussion and a deep head lac that needed ten stitches. He is covered in bruises and small scrapes along his arms, face and legs. He was dehydrated and running a high fever from the infection so he will need antibiotics for a few weeks. I have no idea how he managed not to break anything well other than the cracked ribs, but that does not count with his track record. That little shit also had an old gash on his right calf that got infected and seemed to reopen up, causing the infection to travel through his body faster now with free-flowing blood." Trent returned to medic mode, giving a full report of Clay's injuries to his team.

"And old gash? How old?" Jason asked firmly that the team knew Bravo 1 was itching to come forward.

"He never said anything or limped. That little shit needs a good whopping when he's better." Sonny grumbled out.

"Hard to say with all the new injury to the wound sight but at least a few days old. Maybe a week." Trent huffed out, knowing the team would go into an uproar over this tidbit of information. They thought they broke Clay out of this old habit he brought over from his other times in the field before he joined to be a SEAL.

"That shit." Jason barked out as he shook his head.

"Oh wait, I'm not done."

"There is more?" Liz squeaked out as her eyes widened as she lost count, on the one hand, all of his injuries.

"It's Clay; of course, there is more," Trent grumbled as he took a large breath before continuing.

"Hey, he's not that bad." Liz scoffed out at his defence.

"Of course, you would say that Wonder Girl. You and he are the worst, and you would not recognize it if it hit you in the head. You two together will send us all into early retirement." Ray puffed out with a bit of a chuckle. Of course, one klutz that attracted bad karma would not recognize another.

Liz just stood there and scoffed as she rolled her eyes. "It's not our fault that you are a bunch of oldies that just can't keep up and send us off to do all the work."

The group's mood changed, knowing that Clay was ok and all the injuries Trent listed off, well, so far, were nothing to keep Clay down, and he would be back on the team in the field in no time. He was ok and will be back to the old cocky self he was in no time. The team's usual jokes and banter were able to come to the surface and make things normal again.

"You think we let you? HA. There is no choice in the matter regarding you two." Sonny barked out with a fit of laughter. "We would have to strap you both down to keep you in one piece and away from the action."

"What else is there?" Brock managed to get out in all the chatter as he knew there was still more that weighed on Trent. This was the bad stuff.

"The cracked ribs put pressure on his lungs, keeping his oxygen intake low. So when he drowned, he was already gasping for breath, making him take in more water. And faster. He ultimately drowned and inhaled water deep into his lungs. We did manage to get him back in the field, and he was with it after, so it does not seem like he has any brain damage, but he does have a severe case of pneumonia. He underwent surgery and testing, and they said he had come back clear of any internal bleeding. They have not put him on a breathing tube but had noted to have one on standby if pneumonia gets too bad. His concussion kept him pretty docile when he woke up, but he has started to get sick and cough, which is rough on his body. If he can't relax, they have talked about sedating him to let him sleep and get over the worst of it."

"Can we go see him?" Davis asked as she pushed herself to the forefront behind Liz, placing a hand on her shoulder, helping ground her. She could feel the exhaustion and damns breaking inside her from a mile away. Liz was about to go down.

"Yeah, we can. I convinced the doctor to let us all go in and see him, but then he said only two can stay with him until visiting hours." Trent nodded as the team headed to the doors behind him, waiting for him to lead.

As Trent got up, he slowly wobbled on his feet, and Brock stood beside him to steady him as he looked him in the eye, "You ok?"

"No. No, I am not, but I will be. That was hell. We lost him a few times from all the blood loss; we almost didn't get him back."

"You didn't tell the team?"

"They don't need that weight on their shoulders. They have been through enough. Look at Jason and Sonny. They are so lost they can't take on any more bad news. Liz is so pale she's about to collapse. Everyone is exhausted; they just needed to know he is ok."

"You're too good for us. But Trent, don't take this on yourself. If you want to talk to me, please see someone. You can not bare this alone. You lost him a few times. That is going to weigh on you."

"I have Stacy's number still. I'll call her when I finally sleep and go into her office. Then when I'm all squared away, I will kick that kid's ass." Trent huffed as he walked towards the herd of Bravo members waiting for him at the door to lead them to Clay's room.

Brock laughed as he followed suit, knowing Trent was not kidding. Clay was going to hear about this.