Page 72 of Fate Awakened

Dante: Blue team, we’re clear. Head back.

Jess: Copy

Wyatt: Copy

Erik takes point with Cain and Jake falling in behind him, both carrying a body, and I bring up the rear, ensuring no one is left behind, and no one follows. None of the earpieces for those involved in the fight are working, so I’m the only one able to contact Pres, who begins screaming at me through our mind-link.

Pres: What the fuck is happening? I’ve got shots from both blue team members, no one on scene answering comms, and I’ve got the red team asking for orders.

Dante: It went sideways. Mason’s headed to you. Get the med kit ready, and whatever you do, get Keith off the cams. Keep him away from everything.

Pres: Who’s down?

Dante: Brielle

Pres: Shit.

She doesn’t respond further, and we continue moving, quickly navigating the terrain.

After less than eight minutes, we emerge on the edge of the highway where Jay, Mason, and Pres stand waiting outside the two vehicles. I jog ahead to ensure everything is ready.

“Where’s Keith?” I ask, catching the shorts Mason tosses my way.

“Blindfolded in my rig, for now, but he knows something happened to her. He heard the blue team’s radio chatter. I had to lose my headphones to help out the red team without losing comms with everyone else. He was surprisingly helpful, but now he knows about the gunshots. He knows she went down,” she finishes, her face grim.

“We can deal with it later. Get everyone clothed, have Jake and Cain shift their injuries clear, help Erik store the gear, and get ready to roll. She’s in bad shape.”

Shaking off the distraction, I turn back to help Cain guide his Mate into the back of the SUV, where Jay has set up a makeshift medical area. Cain struggles as he physically forces himself to let her go, against his instincts. He releases her but is unwilling to step more than a foot out of the way.

The pain rolling off him in waves is debilitating, and I have to physically block it from coming through our bond. I do my best to portray confidence I don’t feel.

There was so much blood. Her pulse was so faint.

Jay assesses Cain’s demeanor and circles around the car to come at her from the other side. As he approaches, the growl that rumbles from Cain’s chest is wholly predatory and gives Jay pause.

“I won’t hurt her. I just need to check her injuries,” Jay says, his tone soft, placating as he slows his movements to show his intent.

Having dropped the gear in Presley’s rig and thrown on some pants, Erik hurries over to protect Jay from Cain should he have the need. I take on the role of assisting Jay through his examination.

Jay tilts her head back slightly, ensuring her airway is open, and looks into her mouth for any obstructions. Finding none, he places a stethoscope on her chest and begins speaking.

“Airway is clear. Breath sounds are weak but even. Grab me the O2mask to help her breathing,” he instructs calmly before moving to her pulse. I grab the clear plastic tubing and ensure it's secure into the mask before placing it on her mouth gently and then slide the elastic around over her blood-knotted hair.

“Her heart rate is weak and thready. She’s bleeding from somewhere.” He attaches electrodes to her chest and sticks a sensor on her finger, which has the machine next to him beeping to life with her blood pressure, heart rate, and rhythm. “This should help us keep an eye on her numbers.” He moves to her face, lifting her eyelids before shining a light into her eyes.

“Brielle, can you hear me?” he pauses, waiting for a response, but when there is none, he continues. “Pupils are dilated and fixed, non-responsive. She’ll need a CT scan.”

“She’s bleeding from her head. Blood in her hair’s still wet,” I say, moving to allow him to switch places with me. After moving her hair out of the way, he finds it.

“She has about a one-inch laceration. Hand me some gauze and a stitch kit. I’m going to need you to come hold a light.” He turns his attention to Cain before changing his mind and asking Erik.

“I need you to cut off the hoodie. We’ve got to see where all this blood is coming from,” he states, cleaning the head wound with gauze.

“It’s her favorite,” Cain says. His voice is so low Erik freezes, unsure if it’s safe to comply.

“She’ll forgive you,” Jay says, nodding to Erik and continuing to stitch the cut.

Erik grabs a pair of scissors and begins to slice through the front of the blue hoodie. As soon as Cain processes that she’s about to be naked from the waist up, he growls, snatching the scissors from Erik and effectively blocking his view of her body.

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