"Just keep hold of his hand." Elle ordered Sam as the loaded the gurney into the back of one of the containment vehicles. The thing wasn't really set up for a medical emergency, but she could make it do, at least if they could get back to headquarters fast. There was no way that boy had the time it would take for people with more supplies to get there. "Zara, can you..."
"I've had to improvise IV stands in way worse places than this. I've got it." Zara told her as she attached the bag of fluids to a hook in the vehicle ceiling.
"Good." Elle said as she ran the scanner again and frowned. That tamponade was definitely getting worse. "Do you think you can decompress that again? If we're going to have to do it, I'd rather try without having to deal with motion on top of everything else."
"Oh, the motion isn't a problem. There was one time on Tampus IX, where everyone lives on these giant floating barge like things on the ocean. I don't think the motion of a vehicle can compare to that place. Now, the sounds of an entire class of novice nurses getting seasick, that was a little distracting. I really ought to have a talk with the instructors at the hospital about finding a bit easier places for classes' first time out in the field. I really don't think they can learn properly when they're trying to keep vital organs from coming up. That's it, sweetie. You're doing just fine." Zara said as she worked the needle into place again. "You just hold on to his hand, and I'll be done in just a minute, I promise. You're going to be fine."
Sam cringed as he saw the girl pushing the needle into Noah's chest again. Rationally, he knew that she wasn't torturing him, that she was trying to save his life, but still, seeing that... He had to force himself not to look, to focus instead on Noah's face, and on trying to do what little he could to comfort the boy. "You just hold on for me, Son. You're going to be fine, I promise you." How in the world could Noah be fine, though, with all of the blood, way too much blood, that he had already lost? He didn't know how in the world the kid was still conscious. When Catherine... No, he blinked hard, forcing that away. History wasn't repeating itself. It wasn't. He hadn't been there, that time. He was here now, and somehow that had to make a difference. He couldn't lose another kid. "Can we get moving?"
"We are. I'm just making sure that things are ready for us when we get to headquarters." Elle said as she looked up from her communicator. "Zealtor? I need you to have a medical team waiting for us down in the garage. We're bringing in a human guest with injuries."
"You're letting him set things up? Just don't let him turn on any electricity. We made that mistake with his brother at my hospital. Three days the fourth floor was without lights. I've never seen so many broken bones and concussions in my life. You would think those people would think to bring flashlights in. There, sweetie. All better." Zara said as she patted Noah's shoulder after withdrawing the needle. Optimally, she knew, it would be better to put a drain in, rather than having to repeatedly do the sticks, but without something more secure than medical tape, she didn't want to take the risk.
"Injuries? What kind of injuries, Agent Elle?" Zealtor asked.
"Two gunshots to the chest, hemothorax and pneumothorax, That bullet's still in there somewhere. Then a cardiac tamponade from the second shot that went straight through. That one might have clipped the heart. We've already had to pull blood off twice." Elle looked down at the readings on the scanner again. "Bloodtype's AB negative. Can you have all that we have of that on hand when we get down to the garage?"
Sam looked up as he heard the bloodtype mentioned. AB negative, the same type as Catherine. Wasn't anything going to go their way? It was a rare type, he knew, the doctor had told him that in the hospital after... Had even hinted that difficulties with getting the specific blood type might have been one reason... No, he wasn't letting himself think that, though. They said they had blood on hand, and if they needed more... Where was Cosmo? Cath was either back at the hotel, or at the New York office. It wouldn't be hard to find her. "If he needs more, I know someone with the same type." And Cath would be willing to donate, he was sure, although she would probably have words with him later about offering up her blood without consulting her first.
"Is that Agent Kay?" Zealtor asked. But why would Agent Kay think that they would need actual blood donors?
"No, that's Agent Kay's brother, so I suggest you don't take into your head the notion to do some of the things that you've done before with Agent Jay. I don't think that will work out so well this time." Zara said. "Don't worry about the blood. We can manage that no problem." She reassured Sam. "As many types as there are in the universe, we've got dealing with rare things covered."
In the universe? Before Sam could say anything, though, the door of the vehicle opened again, and his brother climbed in.
"Slick and Edie are bringing in the beruga." Kay told Zed. "And I need a couple of rooms set up for some guests. Might want to keep the ones that Aileen's got on her hands separate from the one that X is handling."
"Guests?" Zed asked.
"More like family."
"Family?" Zed repeated just as the door of his office came open, and X's mother Zoe came bustling in.
"Is that that nice Agent Kay?" Zoe called. "Tell him that I just saw his brother on the local news. Now, why didn't he say he was having family in town too? Is that dear being sneaky and planning a wedding to that sweet girl of his without saying a thing, now?"
"Brother? Kay, does she mean..."
"Sam, and his entire team, and we have an injury, so if someone could keep an eye on Zealtor..." He had trusted the alien scientist with Jay, and he knew Zealtor was a genius, but still, as tense as Sam was, he didn't want to think of how his brother would react if he was confronted with Zealtor's almost insanely cheery personality. That was an interstellar incident just waiting to happen.
"I'll take care of it." Zed said, taking note of the expression on Kay's face, Zed knew it had to be serious. "Just get them back here. I'll make sure that Zealtor has everything ready, and that he isn't his normal self."
"Zealtor's getting the blood stock and an operating room ready." Elle said as she closed her communicator.
"And Zed's going to keep an eye on Zealtor." Kay said as he pounded on the front panel to let the driver know they were ready to move.
"Girl?" Sam asked as he looked at his brother in confusion.
"I'll tell you about her later." Kay said. "And I'm sure that Marshal Renfro's going to have a few things to say as well." Aileen had got Sam's team to the containment vehicles just in time for them to see the stretcher being loaded, and the little alien agent had ended up having to pick up Sam's second in command by the collar to get him in another containment vehicle. "Speaking of ladies, though, where's that little one of yours?"
Noah struggled, trying focus, as he heard what Sam's brother was saying. Little... He had to be talking about Marshal Walsh. Was he about to hear gossip that Cosmo would kill for? If it just wasn't so hard to breathe, like he was trapped underwater...
"Here, son. Slow breaths." Kay said as he reached around his brother to touch another couple of places on the side of Noah's head and behind the ear. "Slow breaths, and keep your eyes on Sam. He ever say anything about how he met that little boss of yours?" He moved his fingers as he talked, touching and pressing various spots. He couldn't manage a full trance, and Zara was right that they needed to keep the kid awake, but a light one might help buy them a little time. "Got some real good pictures of the two of them kissing, and forgetting completely about a fugitive."
"There aren't any pictures of that!"
"You mean there aren't any pictures that you know of. I've got some really nice pictures of you over the years, little brother." Kay told him. "Not that I think anything's really going to top that fall you took into the sewage treatment pond, but have you ever told the kid the time that you ended up chasing that fugitive, and had to get Cousin LT to help? Was there a body of water that you didn't manage to fall in, during that? Surprised you ever got dry." Yeah, the boy's breathing was definitely getting slower, and a whole lot easier. Kay moved his fingers just a bit more. This was going to work.
"It wasn't that bad." Sam muttered, even though by the time he was through with that chase, he had been chaffed in places where he didn't know he had places from the wet clothes. He had an idea of what his brother was doing, though, even though he didn't entirely understand what the touching was about. The talking was giving Noah something to focus on, and was hopefully keeping him awake. If it would help that boy, Sam was willing to do anything, no matter how potentially embarrassing. "And how do you know about the sewage treatment pond, anyway?"
"I've got pictures of the sewage treatment pond. You'd think after that mess with Kimble, you would have learned to be a bit more careful in front of open ended pipes, wouldn't you? How many shots did you end up having to have, now?"
"I'm not sure all of those were strictly for medical reasons." He didn't think he had ever seen Cath with quite that expression before, when they had come dragging in to the office, himself, Cosmo and Bobby dripping sewage everywhere.
"Yeah, Aileen's definitely going to like meeting your Catherine. Just a few more minutes, Son, and we're going to get you fixed up. He ever tell you about how when he went to ask that lady to marry him that he got so nervous he dropped the ring down the sink? You ever get your damage deposit back, after the flood?"
Sam wasn't sure how long it actually was before the vehicle pulled to a stop. With his brother repeating every embarrassing incident in his past, it probably seemed a whole lot longer than it was. But Noah was still conscious, when the doors opened, and they got the stretcher out, and if the kid actually had the strength Sam knew he would be grinning like crazy over what he had heard. That had to be a good sign. Sam silently sent up a prayer. Please let it be a good sign. Losing another kid, he couldn't do it again.
Before Sam had time to think about it, though, the oddest thing he had ever seen, even odder than the last suit Cosmo had bought, came bustling over.
"Oh, my. What do we have here, Agent Elle?" Zealtor asked as he hurried over with the medical team, scanner out. "My, that's not good at all. Maybe if I..."
Sam's eyes went wide as the blue alien pulled some piece of equipment out of his pocket that looked like the stuff that a torture nightmare was made of, and pointed it in Noah's direction. He started to try to move, to defend the boy, but the room was suddenly spinning, black spots dancing in front of his eyes as the floor came rushing up to meet him.
"It's okay, sweetie. It's just a blood analyzer. It doesn't hurt at all. I think he just makes them look alarming to frighten people into good health. That or he escaped from the mental ward, which I would say was highly likely, especially if his brother dropped by and did a number on their electricity too." Zara told Noah as she patted his shoulder. "Agent Kay, do you need..."
"I'll take him down to my room." Kay said as he hoisted Sam up. "Zed..."
"Take care of your brother. I'll deal with the rest of them." Zed reassured Kay as another containment vehicle and the SUV pulled into the garage.
"I'd like to welcome all of you to MIB." he said as the back doors of the containment vehicle opened, and X got out of the SUV, with Sheridan slowly following him, not entirely sure he wanted to risk being seen by Sam's team. "X, guest room, level six, Aileen if you could escort our other visitors to the meeting room on level five, I'll be around to talk to them, as soon as I find out what's going on myself." Zed issued his orders before turning to follow the gurney moving Noah down to the medical lab. As soon as Kay got his brother settled, he was sure that would be were he would head