Her Loyal Seal (3 page)

He looked up ahead and saw Mason was carrying Beth. They all slowed down, but by Drake’s calculations they would still make the rendezvous point on time.

“They’re fine, Lydia.”

“I know my father has made some mistakes.” She stopped and took in deep breaths. Then she started to cough. She coughed even more at night. Some of the wounds on her back were getting red and ugly, and as predicted, she was getting an infection in her lungs. Even though Darius was trying to hide it, Clint could tell he was worried.

“Don’t talk Lydia, everything is going to be all right.”

“Clint, you have to promise me...” She coughed again.

“I’ll promise you anything, just stop talking.”

“Beth. You have to promise you’ll look after Beth. My father might be in trouble when we reach America, but my mother will stand by him no matter what, she always does. Beth will be all alone.” She coughed and her wet hair spilled over his shoulder. “Please take care of Beth.”

“I will Lydia. I’ll take care of both of you. You have my word.”

She coughed again. She couldn’t seem to stop, her chest rattled, and then she passed out.

“Darius,” he yelled.

“Halt!” Mason called out.

Clint was half aware of the rest of the family as they just about fell down where they stopped. All of the Hidalgos were on their last legs. Mason knew Lydia was in trouble, and was making the decision to take a break so Darius could attend to her.

Clint found the best coverage he could under a large tree, and wasn’t surprised when Finn and Drake had tarps out to protect Lydia. Darius had his back pack out with all of his medical supplies.

Clint sank down at Lydia’s feet and pulled off her wet socks, and dried her off as best he could before sliding his last pair of socks on her feet. He didn’t look up to see what his friend was doing. He didn’t want to see the look in his eyes. Mason came over to see what was going on.

“Mason, we need to camp here for the night,” Darius said grimly.

“We can’t.”

“Then we have to have two hours.”

“Dare, there’s only four hours of daylight left. We need all of it if we want to make it to the rendezvous in two days.” Mason set his hand on Clint’s shoulder. “You’re damn near played out. Let Drake take her for the rest of the day. It’ll help speed things along.”

“That’s bullshit. You know it’s the parents slowing us down.”

“Right now they are but in another hour it’ll be you.”

Clint looked up in his Lieutenant’s eyes and realized he was right. “Okay.”

Lydia groaned. Darius had stripped Lydia down to her upper buttocks and had three syringes in his hand. He was injecting her in her hip. “I need everyone’s clean shirts now. We need to keep her warm, and the wounds on her back dry. The rain is dripping down inside the poncho.”

Seeing the bloody and infected areas on her caramel colored skin made Clint sick. He really thought the antibiotics and antiseptic ointment would have helped her.

“Why isn’t she getting better with the medicine?”

“It’s the Goddamn rain,” Darius said bitterly. “It keeps washing away the antiseptic and it’s dripping into her mouth and nose and she’s damn close to pneumonia if she doesn’t already have it.”

“How can that be? It’s got to be eighty degrees,” Finn asked.

“She was ripe for infection. She was already sick when they took her, remember?”

“Okay, so the shots you just gave her will take care of things, right?” Clint insisted. There was no other answer but ‘yes’.

Darius just looked at him.

“Don’t you tell me ‘no’. That’s not acceptable.” Clint turned to Drake. “I’ll carry her. You’re the biggest, you pick up whichever family member is slowing our asses down. We
are
making it to the chopper and Lydia is going to be just fine.”

“Chief, that’s not your call to make,” Mason growled.

“Wrong. I’m making it my call. I promised Lydia I would take care of her. I’m not letting her down when she needs me the most.”

Mason stared at him, water dripping off the edge of his poncho, it seemed like the longest moment of Clint’s life.

“Okay. But the minute you’re holding us back Drake’s taking her.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way, Sir.”

Clint helped Darius bundle Lydia back up. Then they carefully put her up on his back. She didn’t make a sound. He couldn’t decide if he was happy about that or not. He’d never felt such terror in his life.

The last four hours of the march we’re grueling. They reminded him of his BUD/S training. As he did during his training, he just persevered. One step in front of the other, but this time the goal was so much more important.

He didn’t hear when Mason called a halt. Drake had to get in front of him to get his attention.

“Thanks man.”

“Not a problem. Finn’s already started setting up a place for the two of you.”

Clint hadn’t noticed them stopping because he had been concentrating on walking and listening to Lydia’s breathing. He thought it was a little bit better and not so congested. He wished Darius had a stethoscope in his backpack.

He appreciated that the spot was already laid out with leaves and other foliage to make her comfortable. He watched as the tarp was laid out on top of it. Darius was kneeling beside it, his face blank.

Drake helped Clint lower Lydia into a seating position. He and Darius pulled off the layers of shirts, then laid her on her stomach. The wounds looked even more inflamed.

“Dare, what’s going wrong. I thought they would improve. You put on the ointment, they stayed dry.”

“These conditions are the worst possible for her wounds. She needs a hospital.”

“But her breathing has improved. She isn’t coughing, and her chest isn’t rattling.” Darius turned her over on her side, and put his ear up to her sternum. Clint winced, he hated to see Lydia’s modesty impinged on like that, even though he knew his friend was being clinical. Clint looked up, all of the other men had turned away.

“Let’s get her dressed again,” Darius said.

“So she’s better, right?”

Darius didn’t look at him, and then he knew. His shoulders sagged.

“Just tell me.”

“The congestion has gotten so bad, that it’s not moving. We’ve got to push more fluids into her.”

“I try to get her to drink, but she’s unconscious, and when I wake her up, it just dribbles out of her mouth.”

“You’ve got to try harder, Clint. It’s a matter of life and death. She’s at a high risk of dehydration. But be careful she doesn’t choke.” Darius was shaking her and putting the canteen up to her lips. “The good news is that you carrying her has been a good thing. Keeping her upright and jostling her around has helped to keep things moving in her chest. Tonight she needs to rest upright.” That didn’t sound very comfortable.

“If moving her around is such a good thing, why is she doing so poorly?”

“It’s the infection in her back, it has moved quickly to her lungs, and the rain and humidity has done a number on her. I’m going to administer the highest dose of antibiotics I can.”

“You mean you haven’t before?”

Darius just looked at him, and Clint realized he had. Fuck. They just had to get to the rendezvous point as fast as possible. She needed a hospital. Failure was not an option.

That night Lydia had her first nightmare.

“Get away from my sister,” she rasped in Spanish. “Take me.” She started to cry. Dry wrenching sobs. She hit him and groaned as her fists connected to his chest, injuring her wrists.

“Wake her up. Get her to drink some water.” Clint glowered over her head at Darius.

“Lydia, you’re safe.” She shook her head wildly.

“I’ll do anything. Anything you want, just don’t hurt my sister. I can make you feel so good.” She talked softly he could barely make out her words, her voice was ruined from her illness.

Her hands changed to claws, belying her words. Clint ducked, not wanting to manhandle her.

“Baby, can you hear me. It’s me Clint. You have to wake up.”

“Watch me strip for you.” She tried for his face again with her nails, and then Darius reached from behind and as gently as he could grasped her forearms.

“No….” she wailed. She coughed and coughed and coughed. Until it turned into one gasping wheeze. She struggled so hard often times pushing her injured back against Darius’ chest and both men did what they could to position her so it wouldn’t happen. All the time, Clint spoke to her in Spanish, urgently trying to get her to come back to the present.

“Dare, please give her something for the pain. Give her something to go to sleep.”

“You’ll have to hold her down, I need her to be still.”

Clint’s breath hitched. He forced his fists to unclench so he could cup her face in his hands, resting his forehead against hers. “Lydia, baby, it’s me Clint. You’re safe. The men who hurt you are dead. You’re having a nightmare. You’re sick and you need to wake up.” Over and over he whispered in Spanish. Finally he thought to start speaking in English, and that was what seemed to do the trick.

“Clint?” It was a mere whisper. She turned her head and coughed.

“It’s me.” Darius held up the canteen. “You need to drink some water.”

“Not thirsty.”

“Doesn’t matter. You have to drink.” He brought the canteen to her lips, and she took a couple of sips. “More, you have to drink more.” She did.

Darius prepped a syringe.

“Dare is going to give you a shot.”

“Okay.” That she acquiesced so easily told them both how bad her pain was. Darius administered it. She hissed out a sigh.

“Good girl.”

“I’m cold, but I’m hot too.”

“It’s the fever,” Darius said. “I’m going to go snag another survival blanket from one of the guys.”

“Don’t go out into the rain. It’s too much of a bother.” They both looked at one another over her head. Darius left the makeshift tent. Clint gathered her closer, careful not to touch her back. It was amazing how much heat was coming off her body. Her beautiful brown eyes were so glassy, it scared him to death.

He could feel the heat radiating from her body.

She started to cough.

“Oh good.” Darius ducked his head under the tarp. “Coughing is good. It’s when you’re not coughing that I worry. Lydia, you’re going to need to sleep sitting up tonight.” He put the extra blanket on top of her, and they both helped her into a sitting position against Clint’s backpack.

The coughing seemed to have worn her out. She opened her mouth to say something and then she was asleep.

“Is that normal?” Clint asked.

“She’s really sick. I’m surprised how well she’s doing.”

“This is doing well?” Clint asked incredulously.

“Yes. We’ll see how she is in the morning. Hopefully the antibiotics help. I’m encouraged she spoke coherently tonight. She might…”

Clint didn’t ask any more questions. It was clear where Darius was going with that, and he just didn’t want to face it. He laid his head next to Lydia, and went into the light combat sleep that allowed him to listen to her breathing as he rested. He was damned if she would drift away on his watch.

****

“Clint, you need to rest. You’re stumbling.” He barely heard her, and it wasn’t because of the rain which was finally letting up. It was because her voice was little more than a whisper.

“I’m fine. I’m a SEAL. This is what we do.”

“Even in Mexico, we’ve heard of Navy SEALs. You eat nails for breakfast, and have a beautiful girl in every city.” Her weak laughter tickled his ear.

She was awake because he just made her drink some water. No matter how much he coaxed she refused part of a protein bar, finally she told him she would just throw it up. Since she gagged drinking the water he had to agree with her assessment.

“Marines are the ones with beautiful girls in every city. SEALs are more discerning, we want the right girl.”

Again, she laughed. “I might not have brothers, but I went to school with enough boys to know that’s not true.”

He felt her head fall against the crook of his neck, a sign she would soon be asleep.

“Lydia, maybe not every SEAL is looking for the right girl, but I know I am. I’m looking for a brave girl, a girl who believes in family, and a girl who has honor.”

“She sounds nice. I hope you find her.” Lydia’s voice trailed off into sleep.

****

It looked like the whip marks were festering even worse than they had that morning, and Lydia wouldn’t wake up.

“Dare, do something,” it was a hoarse plea.

“We’re almost to help.” Dare didn’t meet his eyes.

They’d taken a break. Clint took one last look at Lydia then he staggered over to where Mason was standing. He motioned him away from Beth.

“Mason, can’t we get going?”

“I radioed the chopper. They’ll be at the extraction point at the designated time. We’re going to be early if we leave now, so we have time for this break. Mr. and Mrs. Hidalgo need it. Let Lydia rest.”

“Mason, we have to get her to a hospital.”

“Don’t you think I know that,” Mason growled. Then he took a deep breath and put his hand on Clint’s shoulder. “I’m sorry man. I’m worried too. We’ll get her there. She’s in the best hands possible with Dare. Go back to her, I’ll make sure we get to the chopper on time.”

“I know, Mase.” Clint went back to Lydia.

He sat down and carefully pulled her against him. He spoke to her in Spanish, then remembered how she had responded better to English during her nightmare and switched languages. Her eyelids fluttered.

“We’re going to be in the States soon. We’ll get you to a hospital. Your family will be safe just like we promised.” He could swear her expression relaxed and he took an easier breath. He pushed her matted hair away from her face.

“Just hang on Baby, please. I’m begging you, hang on.”

Clint rocked her gently until it was time to load up. Darius helped to place her on his back, ensuring she was secure and safe.

Once again, Darius took up the rear and they headed off towards their final destination point.