Page 20 of Shattered

The dark eyelids fluttered slightly, and Vance let out a soft moan.

Ethan leaned even closer, pulse drumming in his throat, his stomach a tight knot. “That’s right, man. Open your eyes.”Come on. Please.

Bleary, heavy-lidded deep brown eyes focused on him slowly, full of confusion. And pain. “What…happened?”

“Plane exploded.” He eased his grip on the back of his buddy’s neck, cupping it now. Holding him steady. “Tell me where you’re hurt.”

Another deep groan. “Everywhere.”

“Your back?”

“Yeah.” Vance grimaced, tried to turn onto his back. “Where’s Doc?”

“He’s being looked after.” God, Ethan didn’t even know if Schroder was alive. He’d been closer to the plane than Vance when the main explosion happened. But he could only focus on Vance right now, and trust that his other teammates were helping Schroder. “Can you move your hands and feet?”

Vance wiggled them a little, the motion weak and sluggish. “Yeah.”

Ethan breathed easier. “Lie still.” Footsteps pounded toward them. Seconds later Blackwell and Evers were crouching down next to them. “Need a litter to carry him out on,” Ethan said to them.

Evers swiveled his head to search for something. “There’s nothing out here but cornstalks. Tuck already called for help a few minutes ago. Crews are coming from the airport right now.”

“How long?” Ethan asked, giving Vance a tiny shake when his eyelids began to droop. They had to keep him awake and as alert as possible.

“Another twenty minutes at least.”

They couldn’t risk moving him again. Vance was far enough away from the fire now to be safe from further injury, and moving him might cause more damage. Better to wait for the paramedics and their backboard in case Vance had a neck, spinal, or internal injury. “Anyone got something to slow this bleeding with?”

“No,” Blackwell said, doing a sweep of Vance’s body, and ripped open his shirt to expose another deep laceration across his chest. “Vance, can you feel my hands?” he asked, running them down Vance’s legs.

“Yeah,” he mumbled.

“You hurt anywhere else?” Evers asked, hunkered down behind Vance to bolster him and keep him from turning.

“Not…not sure.”

Ethan stripped off his tactical shirt and wrapped it around Vance’s head, applying pressure by twisting the ends together while Blackwell did the same to the laceration on Vance’s chest.

Vance reached out and took hold of Ethan’s arm, staring up at him through swelling eyes. “Don’t tell Carm,” he groaned.

If it wasn’t so freaking serious, Ethan might have laughed. “Don’t tell her what?”

“Don’t tell her about me.” His voice was slurred, sleepy. No doubt due to the major concussion his brain had just withstood. “Not until we know more. She’ll…worry.”

“I’ll wait until we get you outta here,” Ethan promised, “but then I gotta call her. I don’t want her hearing about this from someone else.”

Vance groaned and seemed to sag, his eyes falling closed.

“No, man. You gotta stay awake,” Ethan said, giving him a gentle shake.

“Tired,” Vance muttered. “Hurts.”

Evers leaned over him more. “I know, brother, but you gotta stay with us. You gotta stay awake.”

Vance made an irritated sound and seemed to drift off for a moment, only rousing when they shook him and shouted at him. Ethan glanced at his watch, frustration burning through him when he saw that only seven minutes had passed.

Out the corner of his eye he saw Tuck jogging back to them. “Vance,” Ethan said to him, giving the side of his face a gentle pat. “Hey, here’s Tuck to check on you. Tell him you’re okay.”

Vance cracked one eye open, the other already swollen shut, and peered up at their team leader as Tuck went down on one knee in front of him. “I’m okay,” he murmured, then closed his eye. “Don’t let him call Carm.”

---