#freelanceragentmaine

Roberts walked towards Maine swallowing his fear. "Agent Maine we'll take her from here. Please put her on the gurney." The man made no attempts to try to take Indiana from him, but directed Maine where to place her. "You'll have to leave while we work on her, but I'll come out and get you as soon as you can see her."

The Freelancer made his displeasure at the thought of having to leave his friend known with a loud, frightful growl, but he walked over to the gurney and placed the woman down; a quiet moan coming from her as he did so. The sound kept him leaned over her wondering if she might speak again. Her violet eyes flicked open staring straight into where his eyes were behind his visor. Quivering, bloodied fingers reached up and rested on the side of his helmet. "Po-," she began to say when she blinked several times bringing the present back to the forefront of her mind. Her voice was still a whisper and childlike."Atlas...there'll be needles...lots of them. Don't want...you to see.” The medic said as her wet fingers slid down his helmet leaving an eerie trail of life’s impermanence reflecting the heaviness of the hand which left it.

A golden hue reflected off the fluorescent lights when Maine desperately reached to catch the woman’s falling hand. It would have been comical to see the way her delicate hand rested between his two giant ones, if not for the circumstance and the benevolent way he tended to it like it was a piece of glass he required to live but was afraid would shatter at any moment in his hands. “Stop worrying about me,” he mumbled.

Indiana laid her other hand on top of his, her eyes fighting to stay open and focused only on him. “I worry…you know that…big guy,” saying his other nickname with a smile.

Niner came bursting into the room with York, Wash, and North in step behind her. The pilot had left her seat at the helm of her beloved Pelican the moment it landed and entrusted its care to Collins. The group of new arrivals could sense the gravity of the situation in Maine’s posture. Niner blurted out, “What the hell’s taking you so long? Do something for her already goddamn it!”

Medic Roberts spoke up once again, “Agents, Niner, please we’re wasting time. She’s my friend too, let us do our job or so help me, I’ll take a beating to make you do it.”

North nodded to York and Wash to lead Niner outside and he moved towards Maine thinking he’d be the best one to reach the man. The pilot left with the two Freelancers reluctantly, her gaze moving back over her shoulder to get one last look at her injured friend. North placed one hand on Maine’s shoulder and the other upon Indie and Maine’s gathered ones. “Indie, I’m going to take Maine here outside with me, isn’t that right big guy?”

Maine looked up at North and gave a single nod of agreement before patting the woman on the arm and giving it a gentle squeeze. Roberts took the opportunity he now had to place a oxygen mask over Indiana’s face to help her breath.

The Dakota watched Maine leave then turned and brushed aside some of the woman’s hair; it took all his composure to keep from crying at the horrible state she was in. He thought to the time his beloved twin, South, had been shot and the misery the news had caused him. At least he knew she would be well cared for with Indie, but now…North kneeled down beside the gurney, his ocean blue eyes reddening waiting for her violet ones to open again. He spoke to her in a hushed tone, “Indie, please hang in there. We need you. I still owe you a debt I’ve yet to repay not only for my sake but that of South. You saved us both from the ache of losing the other time and time again. Please fight. I don’t…want to lose you, my friend.”

Indiana’s eyes slowly opened, and she pushed aside the breathing mask so she could be heard and understood. “Pollux…I’m…trying. Go out there…keep them calm.”

North hurriedly placed the mask back on her face, “Alright, but don’t take this off again.” He stood and bent over to kiss her forehead. “We’ll be here the whole time. You’ll never be alone.” Like Niner previously, North walked out of the room, but looked over his shoulder before getting completely out of sight of her.

“Hey, Roberts?”

“Yeah, Indie?”

“Try not…to let me…die…I’m scared those guys won’t…have someone to watch over them…” and she passed out before he could say another word.

Lines were started, monitors beeped, and people moved about faster than they’d ever moved in the Med-Bay before; she was one of them and they were going to do their damnedest to save her. An ET tube was carefully placed to secure her airway and would be needed for her assured surgery once her vitals could be stabilized. The bullet had torn a path through skin, sinew, muscle and vesicles, and blood pooled inside her chest cavity with no way of escaping adding pressure to her left lung and heart. If they didn’t hurry, it would cause her lung to collapse or her heart to stop beating again. A small incision was made between her ribs; a gloved finger prodded the muscles apart and a torrent of blood splashed to the floor; her complexion becoming palled. If she’d been awake, the medic would have screamed in pain, but thankfully she remained unconscious. A chest tube was slid into place and a few stitches were sown in to keep it secured. Blood was rapidly given to replace the copious amount that had poured out of her, and along with fluids, would hopefully return her blood pressure and heart rate to a level acceptable for surgery. 

Medic Roberts walked out to the waiting area to see a majority of the Freelancers gathered in anxious anticipation. “She’s hanging in there, but the bullet did a lot of damage we’re going to have to do surgery to fix, but she’s having blood pressure issues and we can’t risk it just yet. You can see her two at a time, but not for more than five minutes. Hopefully, that’ll be enough time to get her BP straightened out. There’s a lot of tubes and…blood, so be careful. Even though she’s unconscious, she can still hear you…if you’ve got something to tell her, you better do it now. Who’s first?”

The group looked to each other for an idea of who should be first. Niner stepped past the others and into the room, and taking her cue, Maine did as well. The pair used every second of their five minutes talking to Indiana. The pilot left the room first and then Maine emerged, his face hidden behind the helmet he still wore.

Connie and South entered next; the two Indie had spent the most time trying to get to know in the past few weeks. Their friendships were developing slowing, but it was there, and after South’s injury, Indie had given the process a whole hearted effort. The two women stood together next to their friend’s bed quietly for a few moments. It was the Dakota who made to speak, but she was cut off as Indiana began to cough violently, a spray of vermillion mist speckling the inside of her breathing tube as alarms began to sound startlingly. South’s eyes grew wide then moved to Connie for help. “Shit. Someone get the fuck in here and help her!” the Dakota shouted as the shorter brunette wrapped an arm around her waist.