| "The Red and the Black" | ||
|
May 23, 2008 The Warehouse, Row 2/3 0115 hours The movement in front of her eyes was slow but it was focusing and coming up to speed. Someone was with her... "No," Paige tried to speak, tried to move. "Relax, it's me." Saf, it was Saf. The angel from above. The angel that flew without wings and had not a halo. Paige felt the arms under her, "can you sit up?" "Yeah," she managed as another fresh bolt of pain shot through her arm and brought back more clarity to her vision. Saf unclicked the first aid pack at Paige's waist and leaned her against the boxes. Paige looked at her hand trying to determine the source of pain. Odd...it shouldn't bend like that. "Fuck, it's broke," she said. "Yep, that was quite a fall you took from up there," Saf answered shining a light in her eyes. Paige winced at the sudden brightness. "Banged your head nicely, too." "Good for me," Paige whispered, "Alpha 1 and 5?" "Alpha 1 took a bullet in the shoulder, pretty bad," Saf said ripping open combines. Yeah, saw that happen, she thought, the red and the black, just wanted to make sure. "Alpha 5," Paige grimaced feeling warmth on her neck, her own red against black. "I'm here," Joshua answered. Paige focused on him. "How is she?" he asked Saf though he never took his eyes from hers. She could see now the two bullet holes in his vest and the pain on his face with every breath. "Broken wrist. Cut on her head," Saf answered as she placed a combine over Paige's masked right ear and secured it with some gauze, "at least that's all I can see for now." "I'm fine," Paige answered slowly. "How many fingers am I holding up?" Saf asked her. "I dunno," Paige answered immediately not bothering to look. Baz was being moved next to her much to his protest and Saf turned her attention to him. "You have to stay here with Alpha 2," Joshua said to Baz, and his reply was laden with pain. Joshua removed the gun from Paige's thigh holster and put it in her good hand, "at least you didn't break your left wrist," he said quietly and she could here him wheezing now. "We're gonna come right back for you two," he whispered to her. "It's alright, I'm not that bad," she answered with a deep sigh. "Just relax, keep an eye on..." he looked down between the two rows of cartons they were in, "...never mind." Cindy's voice came over the comm., "We have to move, Beta's securing the west side and is reporting heavy fire." Joshua stood and looked to Saf, "Take Beta 2 and get over the stacks. Beta 3, you come with me." Saf shook her head, "If it was just me, I'd take the risk, but it isn't," she held his stare, cold now, irritated. Paige watched, almost in amusement, the stand off. If anyone from the current group was worthy of challenging Joshua � it was Saf, but Paige wasn't so sure that was a good idea. "Joshua, I can hear you wheezing and that is just from moving Baz. You will only be a liability if you continue. How about you keep the egress channel clear and I will take the other two and rendezvous with Beta 1 at the second position?" Joshua just stared at Saf. He's gonna scream at her, Paige thought. But it was presented all so diplomatically, all so simple: the offer to take over and give Joshua a way out in the process. Saf was, after all, good at that shit, being diplomatic, dealing with aggressive personalities, but still, Paige was surprised by the woman's comments, and her own intensity declared within it. Then, in a movement almost uncharacteristic of him � Joshua simply nodded, handing over the reigns to Saf. Paige was surprised really. Joshua was the ultimate confrontational guy. All intensity and fire, wanting conclusion in the moment, chasing finality until it conceded in his favor. That was who he was. That was what made him convincing to the world. And he just nodded. Saf took off with the others and Joshua just stood there for a moment staring at the floor. Why hadn't Saf checked him out? Did she not want to? Care to? Or had she tried and Joshua brushed her off. It was certainly possible that Paige had missed an exchange somewhere. Joshua then focused his gaze on the two of them who just looked up to him wearily. Paige knew that look, he was not too happy, though the source of that unhappiness was undetermined. "Stay on comms you should be ok," he said quietly to the two of them then turned walking down the row of cartons. "Tac 1, get Alpha One and Two on a closed channel." His voice was soft, strained, and his movements were slow and stiff. "I'll be on east side egress," she heard as she stared after him watching him disappear out of the row her and Baz were. It was the last thing she heard as the defining click of being secured on a channel that only herself, Baz, Tac, and Joshua would be able to communicate through, echoed in her ear. "That was nice of them to go and leave us here," Baz said quietly. She could hear the pain in his voice. "You alright?" she asked him. "No, I've got two bullets in my shoulder and they hurt like a fucking bitch," he answered, "yourself?" "Bah, two bullets in the back of my Kevlar that are somewhat uncomfortable, broken wrist, and apparently a very nasty gash somewhere over my right ear." "Just another ho-hum day in paradise," he responded. "What's really gonna get your ass is when the adrenaline wears off and we go into shock. Now that, my bleeding friend, is gonna be a hoot." "Of all the people I get stuck with it has to be a medic," he sighed. "You know, if you put your head on my shoulder we can become blood sister and brother." "You're disgusting," Paige responded with a small smile. They sat in silence listening to the bullets and cut off from the progress the rest of the teams were making. Joshua, his last look to her, had still retained that intensity. But there was pain mingled in there, and something else. Was it sorrow? Did he feel bad they had been injured? Was he even capable of feeling something like that? She didn't know. She didn't know him at all really. Every time she thought she had a handle on him Joshua found someway to blow it out of the water. He seemed to be everything he presented himself as, but then, he seemed to be nothing like that at all. He had such a fire within him, such passion and drive, danger and power, that it was just overwhelming and oddly appealing. Denying the fact that she was infatuated by the bastard had become too bothersome and tiring. But had she ever really denied it? In her current state she couldn't do it anymore, couldn't think. It was much easier to let herself be lulled into sleep, to be called by the gray mist that clouded her head, then to ponder him...to ponder them. Return |
||