| They Came to Help Part 2 |
| �Buck!� Nathan�s throat was raw as he screamed in desperation. �BUCK!�
Wilmington ran as fast as his mud laden legs would carry him. �Hang on! Hang on.� The sight in front of him both relieved and scared the tar out of him. Nathan and Ezra dangled from a high tree. The flood water had receded leaving Ezra�s feet swaying just about five or six feet above the ground, not a horribly far fall, but enough to do damage if one was not prepared for it, and from the way Ezra was hanging� Buck slid as he tried to stop, landing on his butt with a muddy splash and scrambling back up again. He didn�t know who to help first. It was obvious that Nathan was struggling to keep hold on the tree but Buck couldn�t reach Jackson. Before he could grab Standish, Chris was there, reaching up and grabbing Ezra�s legs. Buck could hear JD and Vin right behind him. �We�re here, Nathan,� he reassured, stretching up and trying to reach Jackson. �Oh God,� JD gasped as Chris began barking orders. �JD, help Buck get Nathan. Vin�� �I�m here.� Vin moved into place beside Larabee, ready to catch and support Ezra�s torso and head. �Easy, Nate.� Buck was still talking. �We got Ezra now. Chris and Vin have him. You can let go.� Jackson didn�t release his grip at first. Instead, he tightened it and growled, �No,� fighting the feeling of Ezra slipping away. �Nathan, let go,� Buck demanded, almost harshly. Then as Chris and Vin moved Ezra from his grasp, Nathan lost his grip on the tree and fell with a rough shout. Buck and JD were there to catch him, both going down to their knees from his weight. �Don�t let go,� he whispered. �No, Nathan. We got you. You did good, you never let go.� Jackson was banged up and shirtless. The tree�s bark had torn up his chest, face and arms, leaving him covered with hundreds of bloody scratches and scrapes. �Ezra.� Nathan moved, struggling to sit up as cramps wracked his body. �Easy now, stay still.� Wilmington was amazed at how cold Nathan�s skin felt. �Vin and Chris got him.� �He�s hurt.� Jackson continued to struggle and JD moved closer to help still him. �So are you,� the younger man reminded. He pulled off his soaked, muddy sweatshirt and quickly peeled off the wet but relatively clean t- shirt he wore under it. Gently he dabbed at Jackson�s head wound with the semi-clean cloth, wiping blood and grit out of Nathan�s face. Nathan calmed slightly, relaxing at Dunne�s touch but started immediately to shiver. �Check on Ezra, Buck, please,� he whispered, closing his eyes and biting his lower lip in an effort to control his chattering teeth. �He�s been out for so long.� �Okay, okay. Stay still for JD.� Buck moved around Dunne, scooting over to where Vin and Chris were working on Ezra. Standish remained unconscious, and extremely pale beneath his mask of mud. �How is he?� Vin shook his head. �Alive, for now.� He ran his hands gently over Ezra�s head and neck, careful not to move him much as he searched for obvious injuries. He paused at the Southerner�s shoulder, prodding gently. Ezra moaned. �Shoulder must be out. Feels wrong.� Vin kept going. �Shit,� Chris interrupted the quiet exam. �What?� Both Tanner and Wilmington asked together. �Blood,� Larabee held up his hand, showing them. �From where?� Buck questioned as Tanner and Larabee searched frantically now. �Here.� Chris pointed out, pushing Ezra�s shredded pant leg away from his thigh. �Oh hell.� Vin tried to wipe the dirt away. �It�s a puncture, roll him.� Chris understood and nodded to Buck for help. Together they carefully turned Standish onto his side. �Went straight through.� Vin started peeling his own long sleeved t-shirt off. �It�s muddy,� Buck protested. �It�s all we�ve got and he�s already covered in mud.� Vin ignored Wilmington�s protest. From behind them they heard Nathan stirring. �Buck,� Jackson said weakly. �Give him your belt. He�s still bleeding.� �But,� �Look,� Vin interrupted. �It�s this or letting him bleed to death. Hell knows how long they were hanging there as is.� His eyes flashed angrily. Buck clawed at his waist, in answer. His cold fingers slow and clumsy. Finally he had the buckle undone and was handing Vin the leather strap. Carefully and quickly, Vin applied a simple tourniquet, listening to Nathan�s quiet instructions. �That�s it,� Tanner said as he sat back on his heels. �That�s the extent of my first aid skills. We need to get both of them real help.� �I�m fine,� Jackson tried to protest, unconvincingly as he leaned against JD for support. Chris stood, scanning the area for any signs of emergency crews or a way out. �Can we carry him?� Dunne asked. �No,� Nathan stirred, his voice harsh. �We don�t know what kind of internal injuries he might have. We need to immobilize him.� He flexed his arm slowly, grimacing at the feeling that fiery needles were stabbing his shoulder. �Are you sure you�re okay?� Chris looked down at him. �Been better, but I can walk if needed.� �No.� Chris shook his head. �I don�t want you accidentally hurting something worse, and I�m not moving Ezra.� �I�ll go.� Buck stood, hefting his jeans to his waist as they sagged. �We can�t just wait.� Chris nodded then glanced back toward the way they�d come again. �You hear that?� �What?� JD�s voice was panicky. �Engines� Vin put his hand on Dunne�s shoulder, reassuring him. �Someone�s coming.� �All terrains, there.� Buck pointed toward the weak lights flashing in the distance. �I�m going.� He took off, running again, anxious to get help or to at least get his hands on a radio. 88888888888888888888888888888888888888 Josiah wiped his forearm across his face, steering the four-wheeler with one hand and narrowly missed running into a mass of downed tree limbs. He swerved sharply, showering himself in a fresh splattering of mud, but didn�t slow down. His eyes scanned the devastation around him, searching for any sign of Chris and the others, praying they had already found Nathan and Ezra safe and well even as his heart told him that would take a miracle. He didn�t want to doubt. He didn�t want to lose hope, but the heaviness and fear pressed in regardless of his wants. He�d just carried a dead man through muck and mire only to deliver him to distraught screams of denial and outrage. Hope was fleeting. Sanchez shook the image from his head. He had to concentrate on finding the living. When he�d reached help with his burden and passed the body on to those who could take proper care of it, he�d taken the few extra moments to check in with Sheriff Foster. To his relief, county and state rescue crews were already arriving and he�d been able to commandeer an emergency ATV for his own search. Off to his right, he saw movement and immediately turned towards it, bumping over the cluttered terrain and bouncing wildly in the seat. He didn�t recognize the stumbling man until he pulled the ATV to a stop in front of him. �Buck?� �Josiah!� Wilmington was covered in mud, bent over and gasping for only a minute before he started climbing onto the four-wheeler behind Josiah. �That way!� he shouted, pointing. �Hurry.� Josiah�s mind raced with questions, but the roar of the engine was too loud to even consider conversation; instead, he followed Buck�s gestured directions and cranked the accelerator. 888888888888888888888 Chris knelt in the thick cold mud, unable to take his eyes off Standish�s unresponsive face, though he could hear the ATV getting closer. So far, Ezra hadn�t regained consciousness and Larabee wasn�t sure whether that was good or bad. His gaze swept over the southerner�s exposed body, taking in the bruised, battered chest, the cuts and scrapes, the bleeding, ugly leg wound�all of it. It overwhelmed him, sparking his anger even as he gently took one of Ezra�s ice-cold hands in his own. This wasn�t supposed to be happening. Vin reached out, trying again to clean the mud from Ezra�s face and merely smearing it. They weren�t even supposed to be here. The team had been two towns over, following the storm�s patterns when they�d seen the twister forming. Instinctively, they�d come, even knowing they�d be too late to record any usable data. They came to help. Chris glanced up at Nathan, still leaning against JD for support, both men visibly shivering. The air had turned cold despite the fact that the sun was trying to break through the lingering clouds. He shouldn�t have let them come; the thought crossed his mind followed immediately by the question�and how would he have stopped them? He might be the so-called boss of this ragged, mismatched group of chasers, but he didn�t delude himself into thinking he held much sway over any of them if they had their stubborn minds set. They all would have argued if he�d said they weren�t going to come here and try to help. Still�he should have tried. This wasn�t supposed to happen. �Beating yourself up ain�t gonna change this.� Chris looked up sharply as Vin�s soft voice cut through his thoughts. �Shouldn�t have happened,� he argued, meeting Tanner�s intense gaze. Tanner shook his head. �You can�t control everything, Cowboy. We all came into this knowing the risks.� �Ezra didn�t ask for this. Nathan either,� Chris snapped darkly. The roar of the ATV was suddenly very loud. He looked up, able to recognize Josiah and Buck as they pulled up beside the group. Vin caught Chris� arm as he started to rise. �They didn�t ask for it, but they always know the possibilities. This is not on you, Chris.� He let go as Larabee pulled back. �Let it go. They need you focused on helping them now.� Chris stared as Vin moved quickly to help Buck unload emergency supplies from the specially equipped four-wheeler, wondering how the man could always read him so accurately and knowing Tanner was right. �That thing have a radio, Preacher?� he asked Josiah, kneeling again beside Ezra. Sanchez nodded, his face stricken as he obviously tried to take in Ezra and Nathan�s conditions. �See if they can get a chopper in here.� Josiah tore his gaze away from Standish as he reached blindly for the radio. He scanned the area, trying to gauge their position as well as the likelihood of setting a helicopter down. Nathan directed Vin and Buck as JD wrapped one of the emergency blankets around his trembling shoulders, describing how to wrap Ezra�s leg without removing the tourniquet. �You�re going to have to strap that one arm to his chest if you think his shoulder�s out. He explained weakly to Tanner. �How do we do that without moving him too much?� Buck asked. �We can use this,� Vin held up the backboard from the ATV. We�ll strap his arm down when we roll him onto it.� �Be careful,� Nathan warned. �Use the neckbrace.� �Chris.� Josiah waved Larabee over to the ATV, letting him get out of Vin and Buck�s way. �What?� Chris didn�t like the look on Sanchez�s face. �They can�t send a chopper.� �Why not?� Chris glared at the radio. �They only have one at the moment and it�s already transporting a lady in premature labor.� Josiah sighed heavily, scratching his chin. �We can wait for them to get back�� �No,� Nathan interrupted determinedly. Chris turned to see Jackson standing shakily, one arm draped over JD�s shoulders. Nathan looked down at Buck and Vin carefully binding Ezra�s injured leg. �He doesn�t have time to wait. It�s been too long already.� �But you said we shouldn�t move him.� JD pointed out. Nathan looked back at Chris. �The backboard might stabilize him enough to get him out of here, but if we wait.� He shook his head, his shoulders sagging wearily. �What?� Larabee questioned fearfully. �He could lose the leg, Chris.� Nathan choked on the words. Everyone froze, slowly turning to look at Nathan and then down at Ezra�s still form. The reality of Jackson�s admission slowly sunk in and suddenly everyone was in motion. �Tell them to have an ambulance waiting for us at Base,� Chris ordered Josiah as he knelt again to help Buck and Vin move Ezra smoothly onto the backboard. �Wrap the other blanket around him,� Nathan instructed, moving back out of the way. �Nathan, get on the ATV. We�ll put Ezra on the back. Josiah will drive.� Chris waited for Vin�s signal before lifting his end of the board supporting Ezra. �We�ll have to go slow,� Jackson reminded as JD helped him onto the four-wheeler. �Slow and steady.� Josiah breathed deeply, watching Chris and Vin hold Ezra in place while Buck tightened the straps holding him to the emergency rescue machine, and trying not to think of the bumpy, rutted terrain that lay ahead of them. 8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 Ezra shivered under the cold watchful gaze of his uncle. The barn, long empty of animals, was freezing and he could see his breath as he labored to keep his arms stretched out, parallel with the ground. He didn�t know how long he�d been standing in the hated structure. It was old and spooky, dimly lit and filled with memories that bred only nightmares; all he knew was that the day had slipped into night, the shadows had crept in and he was out of time. His elbows ached and his shoulders burned. The large smooth rocks in each hand had somehow turned into boulders and he couldn�t hold onto them much longer. Ezra�s slight body trembled from fear and exhaustion and he startled unwittingly when his uncle shifted, adjusting his position on the moldy hay bale across from him. Ezra�s eyes widened as he recognized the worn leather strap in his uncle�s hands. A small mocking smile appeared on the familiar features as the older man calmly snapped the leather. Ezra flinched at the sharp sound, his eyes closed. His knees wobbled and the rocks slipped from his hands landing with thunderous thuds on the hard packed earthen floor. His arms fell heavily to his sides. He heard his uncle stand. Ezra came to with a harsh scream. Agony tore through him. His leg and shoulder throbbed. Everything hurt. Disoriented, he tried to sit up but tight straps held him still. Vertigo attacked as the cloudy sky seemed to tip and bounce above him. Despite the horrible pain, he struggled more. Suddenly, Chris came into view. Moving oddly above him, adding to his dizziness. He felt Larabee�s hand on his chest and could see his friend�s lips moving, but a deafening roar drowned out any words. Ezra tried to turn his head, tried to lift it, but it too was held still, braced by an unseen, unrelenting force. Panic seized him. Chris looked at something beyond him and all motions stopped abruptly. Ezra cried out from the jolt. �Please,� he rasped, unable to hear his own words. The overwhelming roar puttered away. �Ezra?� Chris was looking down at him again. Larabee�s hand moved on his chest, comforting. �You�re gonna be okay. We�re getting you to help as fast as we can.� Ezra strained against the straps, breathing heavily. �Calm down Ezra. You�re okay but we have to keep moving. I�m staying right here, I promise.� Chris assured before nodding again to Josiah. �What?� Ezra tried to ask, but the noise was back, the vibrations rolled through his body like tiny knives, slicing at his skin. The world jerked into torturous motion again. He was so cold. Ezra closed his eyes to block out the bizarre movements of the sky. He swallowed compulsively, trying to calm himself. Chris had said it was okay, he was okay but�what had happened? He remembered his uncle, had thought he was being loaded into an ambulance again for a moment, but that was years ago, before Chris and the chaser team. Where was he now? Images flashed through his mind. A storm, a destroyed home, an antique clock, they rolled together as the horror of feeling Nathan�s hand being torn from his and the massive wave of water pummeling him came back. �Nathan,� he gasped, trying again to move against the restraints, his fear overwhelming him. What happened to Nathan? Chris had said they were getting help. They were transporting him on some kind of vehicle, that was obvious, but where was Jackson? The thought of Nathan lost in the muddy icy water sickened him, adding to the nausea he barely kept at bay. He bounced hard and bumped, each movement sending shards of new pain through him. He wanted to escape it all, but he gritted his teeth against the rising panic of being tied down, out of control and focused on Chris� promise not to leave him. He could deal with the fear and the pain as long as he knew he wasn�t alone. The world suddenly tilted drastically, lurching and dropping with a sharp thudding jolt. His body jerked mercilessly and he screamed and let the darkness overcome him. 888888888888888888888888 Chris watched Ezra intensely, searching for any signs of consciousness. It�d only been a few minutes since he�d had Josiah stop so he could briefly explain to Ezra what was happening. He knew Standish was probably still confused. He�d been able to see the panic clearly in the Southerner�s green eyes, but they didn�t have time to stop and comfort him. Ezra didn�t have the time. He watched Ezra�s hands move frantically against the backboard, obviously struggling and he wished there was some way to reassure Standish. Chris was about to step closer to the ATV and take Ezra�s hand when the four-wheeler bounced sharply, tipped precariously and slammed to a sudden stop. Everyone heard Ezra�s scream. Chris reached forward. �Ezra?� Nathan turned on the back of the ATV reaching for Ezra�s wrist. �I think he just blacked out again.� �What happened?� Buck asked as Josiah tried to restart the vehicle. �We hit a deep patch of mud,� Sanchez answered. The motor sputtered, the wheels spun, kicking up giant clods of mud. �We�re stuck,� Josiah admitted fearfully. �No.� Chris shook his head. �We can�t be.� �I thought these things couldn�t get stuck.� JD looked at Ezra worriedly, not addressing his comment to anyone specifically. Chris motioned for Vin. �We�ll push it out.� Tanner took a spot behind the other rear wheel, trying to find a place he could use to push and nodded to Chris that he was ready. Josiah revved the motor again. Chris and Vin pushed, slipping and sliding in the thick, clinging mud. The ATV rocked, sinking deeper into the muck. The engine spluttered and died. �No. No.� Josiah frantically tried to restart the machine, glancing at Vin for help. Tanner shook his head. The four wheeler had sunk to deep into the mud. They were stuck. �Radio for help,� Chris ordered, still pushing the ATV. �Chris.� Vin reached out. �We need to keep moving. We don�t have time to dig this thing out.� Larabee looked at the others. They were exhausted, freezing, coated in mud and they were waiting for him. �Unstrap the board. We�ll carry him from here.� He glanced at Jackson. �Can you walk?� Nathan nodded slowly. �Have to.� Quickly Vin and Chris undid the backboard from the ATV and hefted it between them. JD and Buck moved to help, and Josiah walked beside Nathan ready to assist him if needed. �We�re over halfway,� the former preacher encouraged. �Won�t take us long to get to base.� Chris knew that Josiah was right; it really wouldn�t take them much longer to get to base, but each minute seemed like it was sixty seconds too long. Ezra remained unconscious. They�d made it about a hundred yards when Chris stopped, surprising the other three helping him carry Ezra. �What?� Buck started to ask, but Chris held up a hand, silencing him. Larabee motioned for Josiah to move up and take his spot at the backboard, again signaling for everyone to be quiet. He didn�t know if his eyes were playing tricks on him or not, but he knew he needed to check to be sure. To their right was a small grassy bank that gently sloped up towards a copse of trees. Several branches and uprooted bushes had collected at the base of one of the few unharmed trees. Chris could see the flash of color�he licked his lip, taking a deep breath as he carefully stepped closer. �Bobby?� he called out hesitantly, unsure if he�d slipped into desperate wishful thinking. �Bobby is that you?� There was a moment of complete silence when it felt as if even the world had stopped turning and then the leaves rustled softly. Slowly, tentatively, the small boy stepped free from the brush. Still fully dressed in his flannel batman pajamas, covered in mud and soaking wet, the blond haired little boy shivered uncontrollably. His big blue eyes were filled with fear and confusion and his bottom lip trembled. �I want momma,� he admitted in a soft whisper. Chris held out his hand, stepping closer so he could reach the child. �I know you do. Can I help you find her?� Bobby looked at him and then around him to the others, staring unbelievable at the scene before them. �Are you helping him?� Bobby pointed to Ezra. �Sure am.� Chris took another step closer. Bobby eyed him for only another moment before reaching out to be picked up. Chris scooped the boy into his arms, pushing back the wave of emotions that swamped him as tiny arms wrapped tightly around his neck. �I�m cold,� Bobby whispered, shivering as he clung to Chris. �Me too.� Chris wrapped his arms around Bobby, rubbing the boy�s back. He turned to the group still watching in awed silence. �Let�s go,� he said simply, thankful his voice some how stayed steady. 88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 Sheriff Guy Foster looked up at the gray, cloud-mottled sky and let out a deep weary sigh. What he wouldn�t give for a simple ray of sunlight, a symbol of hope, a sign that the worst of this horrible night and day was coming to an end. Instead, dreary and exhausted, he turned back to the rescue base. His simple tarp between two trucks had become a mini tent city. Search and Rescue crews from all over the state coordinated under the main green tent, its flaps tied open so he could see the bustle of activity inside. To the left of the main tent, a Red Cross relief tent supplied food, warm drinks, blankets and rest for both survivors and volunteers. Just beyond the Red Cross tent, a first aid center was available for treating minor injuries. The constant wail and flash of ambulances coming and going punctuated the entire scene as they transported the more seriously injured to waiting hospitals. Foster couldn�t force himself to look at the other drab gray tent that�d been set up as a makeshift morgue. �Sheriff?� He looked up sharply, startled by his Deputy�s approach. �Sorry, thought you could use this.� Deputy Wilkins handed him a Styrofoam cup. Steam escaped from the plastic lid. �Thanks.� Guy let the hot steam warm his face as he held the cup to his lips. �How�re things progressing?� he questioned. �Steadily.� Wilkins shifted his own cup in his big hands. �Three teams are still out searching. The fourth is catching some rest.� �Hear anything more from that group of chasers?� Wilkins shook his head. �Not since they radioed in that the ATV was stuck. Don�t know how long it�ll take them to come in on foot, but we have a wagon waiting.� Guy nodded, still amazed by the determination of Larabee�s group to find their men. When he�d seen the Davis house melt away in the flood, he was sure the two men who�d been caught in the wave were lost for good, but Larabee seemed to defy nature itself by insisting on searching for them. �Any news on the Davis boy?� Wilkins glanced at the Red Cross tent where the Davis family waited before answering with a quick shake of his head. �No.� �Damn.� Guy sipped the hot coffee, thankful for its warmth, but wishing it could melt the icy fear growing inside. As a parent himself, Foster couldn�t imagine the agony of not knowing where his child was in this mess. He closed his eyes, picturing Bobby and his daughter Julie playing in the town pool where they took swimming lessons together. God, he didn�t want to explain this to his little girl. He didn�t want to look into the pain-filled eyes of Robert Davis and tell him they still hadn�t found his son. �Oh God. Sheriff, look.� Wilkins�s stricken voice created a new bolt of fear through Foster as he opened his eyes and followed the Deputy�s gesture. He knew, even as he watched them move across the ruined land, that he�d never forget the sight. They moved together, slowly but steadily, Covered with mud and virtually unrecognizable. Foster marveled that despite the obvious exhaustion, despite the brutal elements and the array of injuries, they all still moved with the same determination and defiance they�d had at the start of their search. They had found their own and nothing was going to stop them from getting to the help they needed. The first four men carried a back board between them, supporting a fifth man and, just behind them, Foster recognized Larabee as he assisted another injured man. As his eyes settled on Larabee, Foster�s heart began to race. �Wilkins!� he called, moving towards the group now. �Get Robert Davis out here! Get him now!� Foster ran, ignoring the mud splashing on his legs and jumping over a stack of torn siding. His eyes never left Larabee. He could see the worry and the fear in the men�s faces now as he approached. Their battle wasn�t over yet. He glanced down at the battered man on the backboard. �There�s an ambulance waiting for him,� he said quickly. �And you, too.� He smiled weakly at the tall black man who leaned heavily on Larabee with each step. �The boy, is he?� Foster could only see the top of Bobby�s head buried against Larabee�s neck. �Seems fine,� Larabee answered. �Just cold and scared.� Behind him, Foster could hear voices raised in excitement. A woman was screaming and he turned to see Linda Davis running through the muck, keeping stride with her husband. Medical crews raced after them. �It�s gonna be okay now.� Foster felt confident suddenly, hopeful. The chasers had found their men�and Bobby Davis. They�d brought hope back into a painful day. 888888888888888888888888888 Chris wasn�t sure what he had expected upon their arrival at Base, but it wasn�t the sudden overwhelming chaos that erupted around them. Bobby�s tight grip on his neck had loosened as soon as the young boy had heard his mother�s anxious voice, and he�d leapt to her almost before she was close enough to catch him. Before Chris could turn his attention to Ezra or Nathan, medical personnel descended in a swarm, pushing him one direction and rushing Ezra and Nathan in another. �I need to stay with my men,� he�d insisted as a warm blanket was thrown over his shoulder and he was ushered into the first aid tent. He tried to peer around the mass of bodies but Nathan and Ezra had both disappeared from sight. He�d lost them�again. �You�re men are being cared for.� The reply was quick and drowned out by a bombardment of questions. He could hear Vin and Josiah and Buck and JD all protesting as medics insisted on examining each of them. Tired, confused and frustrated, Larabee fought for control. �I need,� he repeated between clenched teeth. �To be with my men.� He shoved away a hand trying to clean mud from his face. �Where are Ezra Standish and Nathan Jackson?� Sheriff Foster appeared amongst the throng of strange faces. �Your men are all receiving the best individual care,� he reassured. �I need to see them,� Chris insisted. �They shouldn�t be alone. They�re hurt and�� He pushed hands away again, shoving harder. �I�m not injured,� he growled. �We understand that,� the Sheriff countered. �Your men are already being transported to the hospital but you�re cold and exhausted. Take a minute to clean up and rest.� Chris grabbed Foster by the front of his jacket. �You sent them to the hospital alone?� he hissed. He gave Foster a hard shake. He�d promised Ezra he wouldn�t leave him and now this man had allowed them to be separated again. He didn�t see the paramedic or the syringe until it sank deep into the flesh of his upper arm. �Shit!� He jerked back. �What the hell did you do?� he turned on the medic, already feeling the warmth burning in his arm. Heaviness began coming over him. He staggered. �Chris?� He heard Buck bellow his name. It sounded muffled and distorted. His clouding eyes searched out the Sheriff�s anxious face. �I�m gonna kill somebody,� he gasped as his knees buckled and his vision went dark. Instantly Foster knew he was in trouble. �What the hell did you do to him?� Buck knelt over Larabee�s unconscious from as Vin pulled the medic away and pushed him out of the way. �Are you nuts?� �It was just something to help him rest. He wouldn�t calm down,� Foster protested. �That was calm,� Vin raised his voice harshly. Buck closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as he heard Josiah start in. �How long will he be out?� Sanchez asked roughly. �An hour or so,� the medic spoke up. �It�s fast acting but not very long lasting.� �Where were Ezra and Nathan taken?� JD asked from where he sat on a cot, wrapped in a blanket. His eyes focused on Chris. Even unconscious Larabee seemed fierce. Foster looked from man to man, their faces were lined with anger and worry and realized suddenly that the same determination and defiance he�d admired was now focused directly on him. �One of the area hospitals.� �One of?� Vin glared at him. �You don�t know which one?� Foster cleared his throat. �I can find out, but you can�t go anywhere until�.� He looked down at Larabee�s prone from. �Find out,� JD ordered, standing up. The exhaustion in the young man�s voice did not diminish his anger. �Now.� With one last look at the beaten, angry group, Foster nodded once and headed to the main tent. �What do we do about Chris?� JD asked suddenly sounding as tired as he looked. �Get him in a truck and out of here so he doesn�t actually kill anyone when he comes to.� Buck motioned for Josiah�s help. �I�ve had enough of this place. How about you?� �Right there with you, we�ve done all we can here.� Josiah knelt and helped lift Chris. �Let�s find our missing Brothers.� 8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 Ezra strained against the straps that held him in place, wanting to pull away from the hands that ruthlessly poked and prodded his battered body. He tried to fight against the plastic mask that that settled over his nose and mouth, but he couldn�t move. He had no control. Cold gloved fingers pried open his eyelids and prevented him from blinking against the harsh blinding light. He tried to cry out, but his voice was muffled and lost even to his own ears. Noise swarmed about him, machines hummed and beeped, strange voices shouted, plastic crinkled and metal banged against metal. He felt the sharp prick of a needle being driven into his restrained arm and the coolness of the metal blade that skimmed his skin as what remained of his clothing was cut away from his body. Someone touched his leg and fire tore through him. He screamed and thrashed against his bonds. A soft feminine voice whispered shallow reassurances as he gasped through the agony and sought to hear a familiar voice in the din. Ezra�s tear filled eyes searched frantically among the myriad of faces for Chris, or any of the others but there were only strangers gawking down at him. He felt himself drifting as cool air rushed against his face. Somewhere he heard a surprised voice, �That�s Maude Harrington�s son.� The soft voice grew louder in its reassurances, his awareness suddenly magnified but all Ezra knew was the terrifying truth that he was alone. 888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 Nathan struggled with his anger as the medical personnel came and went around him. First he�d been forced to ride in a separate ambulance than Ezra and now, no one would give him any information about Standish�s condition. �Please,� he tried again, grimacing as a nurse easily slid an IV needle into the back of his hand. A second nurse laid another warmed blanket over him as he tried to sit up. �I need to find out about Ezra Standish.� A gentle hand on his chest stilled him. �Mr. Jackson, if you don�t remain still, I�m going to have to restrain you.� The doctor had arrived. He spoke calmly, but his threat was clear. �He doesn�t like hospitals,� Nathan insisted, recalling the many times that Ezra refused to even get checked out for minor injuries. Jackson frowned. God, his head hurt. �Your friend will be fine. He�s in our trauma room now and, if you promise to cooperate with me�I�ll have someone check on him as soon as possible.� Nathan bit back a retort about not being five years old and listened to the doctor ordering a battery of tests, only half of which he was familiar with. He felt helpless. Ezra needed him and he couldn�t even get the doctors around him to treat him like an adult. His head throbbed, his shoulder continued to burn, and it was all he could do to keep his eyes open. A heavy wave of loneliness settled over him, despite the knowledge and comfort of finally being safe. He was fighting his own panic. Ezra hadn�t been in good shape and Nathan needed some reassurance that his friend was okay. What he wanted most was to see a familiar face, to have someone squeeze his hand and remind him that everything would end up fine. Exhaustion was setting in; his body was taking over and demanding he sleep and for the umpteenth time since he was loaded into the ambulance, Jackson wondered where the hell the rest of his team was. 88888888888888888888888888888888 Chris stormed down the hallway, ignoring the frightened, shocked and curious looks cast his way. He didn�t care; his sole intent was to find the ICU. Intensive care unit, critical care, trauma unit�it didn�t matter what name it was called, it all meant the same thing. It was hell, plain and simple, and right now Ezra was there alone. He slowed his step as he neared the nurses� station and took a calming breath. A short, slightly overweight nurse with floral print scrubs and a nametag reading �Bailey� looked up at him as he approached. Her eyes widened slightly and he wondered how she would have reacted before he�d taken the time to clean up. �I�m here to see Ezra Standish,� he stated flatly. �Are you family?� Her question was routine and he answered without pause. �Yes.� �Mr. Standish was just transferred from recover�� �I know,� Chris interrupted. �I�ve been waiting.� It felt like he�d been waiting forever. When he�d awakened in the truck, he�d been groggy, disoriented and furious. Then when they�d finally gotten to the hospital, they weren�t allowed to see Ezra or Nathan because of their own conditions of half dress and filth. The entire group had been coerced into exams in the ER. Cuts and bruises tended, Chris� hand was disinfected and stitched up and, after quick showers and clean clothes, �it was into the waiting room. He�d paced the room, uncomfortable in his ill-fitting scrubs and cursed out the one window at the raging river that wound through town, until finally�they�d been allowed to see Nathan. Though Jackson was in stable condition, the nurses would only allow him two visitors at a time. They�d taken turns, pairing up to visit Nathan and attempting to reassure him. Despite the strained shoulder, broken ribs, and concussion Jackson insisted he was okay, but he was obviously in pain and very worried about Ezra. Chris was tired of the waiting room. He hated hospitals and couldn�t remember being in one since he�d lost Sarah and Adam. Just when he�d reached his limit, a nurse had appeared informing them that Ezra was out of surgery and would be transferred to ICU as soon as he got out of recovery. There was no question that Chris would be the one to go to him. Larabee followed Nurse Bailey now towards the closest room. His thoughts of the last few hours quickly erased as he viewed the cubicle of glass walls, easily monitored from the main station. He tried to steel himself for what was waiting, reminding himself that Ezra had been alone for too long already. �He won�t be awake for a while yet,� the nurse informed him softly. �You have ten minutes.� Chris wanted to argue that he wouldn�t leave, but from the set of Nurse Bailey�s face�he knew he�d lose, so he simply stepped past her, into the tiny space. He stood in the doorway, his eyes taking in the bandages, the tubes, the needles and he swallowed his panic. He wanted suddenly to turn and run back to the waiting room. The bed almost filled the small space along with a myriad of machines and equipment that somehow all seemed attached to Ezra. It was like Standish wasn�t real. His bruised chest was uncovered and the pale tone of his skin made him look like wax statue. The room was unbearably warm and Chris felt like he was the unwitting fool in some badly written horror movie. Any minute now the eerie quiet would explode into alarms and minor chords. Ezra would sit up in bed, growling and reaching for him�but instead Standish remained unnervingly still. It was scarier than any movie Chris could imagine. He moved forward and stood beside the bed. He wanted to reach out to Ezra but he didn�t know where to touch him with all the tubes and wires in the way. Finally, he gently laid his hand on the top of Ezra�s head and leaned close. �I�m here, Ezra,� he whispered softly. �I�m here.� There was no chair to sit in, so he stayed where he was, standing close, and gently massaging Ezra�s head. He could do this, he realized as his initial fear began to subside. Ezra needed him and he�d be here for him. He�d promised to stay. Gradually, he started to relax. He would be here for Ezra. �What the hell is HE doing here?� A shrill voice exploded through the calm of the ICU, and Larabee stiffened, recognizing it immediately. �I demand that you get that man away from my son, this instant!� |
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