Chapter 55 Aspen
Aspen
The radio crackles again.
Louder this time.
“…we’ve got injuries—”
Everything inside me stops.
“Who?” I demand, stepping forward.
Trigger lifts the radio.
Listens.
His jaw tightens.
“Who is hurt?” I ask again.
He looks at me.
And that’s when I know.
“Havoc.”
The word barely leaves his mouth before I’m moving.
“Give me that,” I say, reaching for the radio.
“Aspen—” Trigger starts.
“I’m a nurse,” I snap.
“Give. Me. The radio.”
He hands it over.
Because he knows.
I press it close to my mouth.
“This is Aspen.”
My voice is steady now.
Focused.
Clear.
“Tell me where he’s hit.”
There’s a pause.
Then Blaze’s voice comes through.
“Shoulder. Head. Possible ribs. Took a blast.”
I close my eyes for one second.
Processing.
Prioritizing.
“Is he conscious?”
“Yeah.”
“Is he bleeding heavily?”
“Moderate,”
Good.
Not good.
But not the worst case.
“Listen to me,” I say.
Every ounce of fear is gone now.
Replaced by training.
By instinct.
By purpose.
“Apply pressure to the shoulder. Check for punctures in the chest. If he has trouble breathing, I need to know immediately.”
Silence on the line.
Then—
“Roger that.”
I exhale slowly.
“I’m coming there,” I say.
Trigger’s hand closes over mine.
Firm.
Grounding.
“No, you’re not.”
I turn to him.
Fire in my chest.
“He needs—”
“He needs to stay alive long enough for you to treat him,” Trigger says calmly. He didn’t tell her they were all medics.
“And that means we do this right.”
I stop.
Because he’s right.
Because I know he’s right.
But it doesn’t make it easier.
I grip the radio tighter.
“Tell him…” I start.
Then stop.
Because I don’t know what I’m allowed to say.
Finally—
“Tell him to stay still,” I say instead.
But what I mean is—
Don’t you dare leave me too.