Covertly Strong (The Strong Series Book 1) (47 page)

Nix can barely get the words past his lips. “Twenty-eight beats per minute.”

“She’s lost a lot of blood,” Andrew voices as he takes inventory of her injuries.

His hands quickly attend to her thigh wound with a pressure dressing, promptly stopping further blood flow. The bumpy terrain jostles them inside the confined space of the Humvee as Andrew does his best to stabilize Sloan.

“We’re two miles out from your chopper. There are additional medics on board,” a Marine in the front passenger’s seat call back towards them.

Andrew begins to bolus Sloan with copious amounts of intravenous fluids as he checks another pulse.

“The decoy worked. We’re one mile out!” Their driver yells while keeping his eyes on the road.

Nix frantic eyes take in Sloan’s condition, praying to God and everything that is holy to help her hang on, to give her the strength to pull through this. He leans down as his strong fingers wrap around her limp hand, his lips brushing her bruised temple.

“I’m right here, Meli. I’m right here and I’m not leaving you. Hold on, baby.
Please hold on
,” he whispers into her ear, desperation apparent in his tone.

Andrew proceeds to tend to her injuries, continuously checking her vitals as the Humvee speeds over the bumpy terrain with quick efficiency. Every occupant in the vehicle is aware of Sloan’s rapidly declining state.

Their chopper escort is updated quickly by the navigator of the Humvee. “Glimmer Three, this is Alpha Two. Expect six frogs, the package, and an additional female cargo to arrive at 0421 hours. Medics needed on standby.”

The awaited response is immediate. “Roger that, Alpha Two.”

Julian glances back, taking in Nix’s current grief-stricken state. “I know this fucking Humvee can move faster than this!” he yells towards the driver.

“We’re eight hundred yards out!” the driver calls back.

Time continues to pass at a goddamn snail’s pace as Nix watches her—his Sloan, his Meli,
his everything
—barely surviving with each feeble beat of her heart.

TWO FLIGHT MEDICS MEET THe Humvee once they reach the chopper’s location. They assist Nix and Andrew in securing Sloan on the gurney and transporting her inside the cabin.

Andrew promptly updates the flight medics. “Multiple lacerations and bruises all over her body. One visible bullet still embedded inside her right thigh and a moderate sized graze to her shoulder. Pressure dressing applied to both. Blood loss unknown. IV access secured and one liter of fluid already infused. Last heart rate was in the twenties.”

“Track marks?” the younger medic questions as he examines her exposed arm.

“We’re not sure what substances were forced into her system. Definitely heroin intravenously, but that’s all we know.”

Nix watches Andrew and the two flight medics work on Sloan. They move at a quick pace, hooking her up to an EKG and placing an oxygen mask over her face. He sits beside her, helpless and practically
losing his mind
over the idea of
losing her
. His strong fingers never let go of her limp hand as he quietly whispers into her ear for her to pull through.

“Sinus bradycardia. Her pulse is in the twenties. Administer atropine.”

Atropine is administered in hopes of increasing her weak pulse.

“Blood on board?” Andrew questions.

“Four units of O negative.”

“Let’s hang it. She’s in hypovolemic shock from the blood loss she’s sustained over the past forty-eight hours,” Andrew answers.

The first unit of O negative is promptly hung, running into her wide-open vein.

The heart rate on the EKG monitor begins to slow…

“Come on, Meli,” Nix frantically urges as his heart nearly wrenches out of his chest.
God,
it hurts. It hurts to even look at her.
The entire situation reminds him of that terrible nightmare he had over a month ago.

I should’ve known. I should’ve stopped her from going on this mission,
he irrationally thinks to himself. He hates that he didn’t stop her, regretfully wondering if he would have given in to this gut feeling if everything would be different…

The pain is nearly unbearable. Seeing his normally feisty and vibrant and sassy girl lying on the gurney, lifeless and nonresponsive, might as well be a knife slicing straight into his already battered heart.

“She’s in V-Tach! We need to shock!” The medic’s voice booms inside of Nix’s head.

“Everyone clear!” Andrew shouts as he holds the paddles to her chest.

Nix’s fingers let go of her limp hand as he sees her body starting to give up, as he watches the only woman he’s ever loved slowly dying before his frantic eyes.

“She’s in asystole!”

“God damnit! Come on!” Andrew curses as he begins chest compressions while one medic ventilates her airway and the other promptly administers epinephrine into her IV.

Nix sits helpless, his vision tunneling as he watches in absolute devastation. Everything begins to blur as tears stream down his cheeks, agony piercing his soul.

And he begins to pray. He prays for her life or his death—anything that will save her. He doesn’t care which. He just wants her to live. He wants her russet eyes to have another chance to flash their feisty glimmer and her beautiful lips to spout their infamous sassy banter.

Fuck, he just wants her.

No! No! No!
Please, God, no! Don’t let me lose her,
his heart weeps.
She’s dying right in front of me and there isn’t a fucking thing I can do.

Save her! Fucking save her!

He holds her hand and sobs, not caring that his Teammates—
his brothers
—are seeing him fall to pieces. The only thing he can focus on is her hand—her limp, delicate hand that rests within his anxious fingers. His mind is no longer able to process coherent thoughts or even the simplest of words. He sits motionless as he dies a thousand deaths while watching his own worst nightmare become a reality. His mind falls deeper into the blackness—into a world without Sloan.

THE HUMAN BODY IS A miraculous thing.

Sometimes, it can survive the very worst situations, but sometimes, no matter the strength or determination of the soul, survival isn’t a possibility.

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

The incessant monitors fill the room, serving as a constant reminder. Nix sits slouched in a chair beside her bed, never leaving Sloan’s bedside. His eyes are highlighted by prominent dark circles. His body still dressed in his military fatigues, he won’t even take the time to leave her side to change his clothes and shower. His face is unshaven, his hair disheveled.

He clutches her hand tight within his grasp, willing her to open her eyes, willing her to come back to him. “I love you, Meli. I love you so much that I can barely fucking breathe. I’m dying inside watching the days pass without being able to hold you in my arms or kiss your perfect mouth or have your sassy little ass bust my balls.” A saddened smile encompasses his worn-down, tired face.

“Remember Nerf Wars?” he asks quietly in her direction. “I’ll never forget you strutting out of your front door with that mischievous smile covering your face and not a stitch of clothing covering your perfect fucking body.” He shakes his head in amusement thinking back on that memory. “You shocked every guy who stood in your yard, ready to take you out of the game. Hell, I’m pretty sure we all stood there frozen in place with our teenage dicks practically busting through our zippers.” He laughs lightly. It’s the first laugh that’s passed his lips in what seems like forever.

“I knew in that moment that I was in love with you. I knew that you were the one and only girl who would ever have that piece of me. And you know what, baby? I was right. I was so fucking right.” Nix leans forward and softly presses his lips against her warm cheek. “It’s only been you. It will always be you.
Always
,” he whispers against her skin. His warm breath brushes past her ear.

The only response he receives is the continuous
beep, beep, beep
that echoes off the gray hospital walls. Her chest rises and falls with each breath, her body showing no signs of responsiveness to his touch or his words.

A hand rests on his shoulder and he nearly jumps out of his seat, startled by the unexpected visitor. He looks up to see Julian standing beside him.