Page 102 of Viral Justice

“You gonna report me?” Nolan asked, gasping for breath before and after the words.

“No time to sleep, boss,” Warren told him. “We’re stuck in the middle of an asshole convention.” It should have been funny, but the only one who smiled was Nolan.

“I’m going to need some help. The son of a bitch who shot me did too good of a job. I’m not going to get anywhere under my own steam. And someone needs to bring Samson home.”

“No worries, boss,” Warren said. “I’ll run you home, then come back for Sam.”

“Where are you hit?” Ali asked Nolan.

“Left side. I think it was a ricochet ’cause it looks like it came up and under my armor.”

Ali and Warren laid him out flat on the floor and she lifted his clothing to get a look at the wound. It was just inside his body armor and was bleeding sluggishly, but steadily. “You need a pressure bandage or you’re going to bleed out.”

“I think I’m more than halfway there,” Nolan said, his voice fuzzy and slurred.

Ali got her pack off and pulled out her first aid kit. She grabbed a pressure bandage and a large wound bandage and proceeded to wrap his lower abdomen as tight as she dared.

He passed out just as she finished.

Fuck, they had to get him to Max yesterday if he was going to survive.

“If we get him over your shoulder without making the bleeding worse, can you carry him all the way to the hospital?”

“I could carry him all the way home,” Warren said with a feral grin. “With you guarding our backs, it’ll be a cake walk.”

“Let’s do it.”

She helped Warren get Nolan into a fireman’s carry that wouldn’t dislodge the bandage, then hoisted her pack back on, added Nolan and Sanson’s weapons, and got her own weapon ready in case they met any unfriendlies on their way back to the old hospital.

They didn’t see many people out and about as they hurried on careful feet. There was still the odd gunshot ringing out from farther away, but not the sustained number that indicated active fighting between two large groups.

A few of the locals, ones that weren’t too sick, were out getting water or other supplies. She saw one boy leading a mob of kids with a couple of dead rabbits in his hands.

With so many adults sick or dead, maybe this was the only food they would eat today. God damn it, these people needed help, a lot more help.

When they got to the hospital, Jessup ran out to meet them.

“Tell Max that Nolan has been hit and he’s lost a lot of blood,” Ali told him in as loud a voice as she dared to use.

Jessup spun on his heel and sprinted back inside.

Max met them outside the OR. “Bring him in here.”

Max had taken the operating table and moved it away from the wall.

Ali and Warren got Nolan on the table then helped Max get the clothes off Nolan’s upper body.

“He lost a lot of blood,” Ali said. “Most of the rest of the team is dead. Only Warren here and...” She glanced around and found the other soldier standing out of the way. She finally recognized him. “...Bird survived.”

Max’s jaw flexed as he examined Nolan.

“I have to go back for Sam’s body,” Warren said. “With your permission, I’ll take Bird with me.

Max took a couple of seconds before he answered. “Go, but be careful.”

“Thank you, sir. We will.” The two soldiers headed out.

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