AN: So this came to me after reading another story and I thought I would run with it. Sonny being impales by a pipe or piece of metal and exfil not being available for several hours. So I decided to run with this. It will probably only be 2 or 3 chapters depending on where I decide to take it. Enjoy!

It's funny how the human body reacts to trauma. There are different types of trauma. Emotional trauma, physical trauma, trauma to the mind. Then there is the perfect storm of trauma where it all seems to happen at once. A perfect storm. The body has to protect it's self from the world around it, from the horribleness that is has. The body will shut down as it seems to reboot itself. It will take stock of what is working and what is not before allowing you to regain consciousness. When you're as trained as SEAL though, as trained as you must be to be among the most elite or elite soldiers, your body seems to operate on a whole other level. You no longer have to take into consideration what your body needs to recover from trauma but rather it must just get up, move on, continue to operate. It doesn't matter if you're ears are ringing, your eyes blurry with debris, and your body aching with injuries adrenaline is preventing you from feeling. You get up until you can't.

As the team moved down the hill side towards the exfil point they picked up their pace. They had completed the mission, had just announced that to COMS and were moving quickly. They had destroyed and obtained information on possible weapons holding facilities of the newest terrorist group that had been emerging in the recent months. The group had extended through the country fast and after the information had been captured and sent back to the states, they were on the move to the exfil point as fast as possible as they kept their heads on a swivel. There was not great intel on where young members of the group were or what kinds of combat numbers and weapons they had. They moved in silence until the deafening noise of a small grenade landing a couple hundred feet in front of their position set off an array of reactions.

"GRENADE!" Jason yelled, "COVER," Ray screamed. There were screams and yells as the men scattered, jumping to cover that the small trees could not provide. Clay felt arms wrap around him as he was shoved, a body on top of him.

Jason didn't know how many minutes had passed as he felt a slap across his face.

"BRAVO 1, Report, ANY BRAVO UNIT REPORT." Eric's voice was echoing in his ear, only adding to the pounding in his head that the ringing was causing. Maybe a concussion. Brock was hovering over him, blood dripping down the side of his face, his breath ragged.

"Jason? You good? Can you speak?" Jason nodded before clearing his throat, "Yeah, I-I, good. Where's, How is?" Jason sat up slowly as Brock extended a hand, "All Bravo units call off. TOC this is BRAVO 1, BRAVO 5 is responsive as well."

"BRAVO 1, good to hear your voice. You gotta move to cover immediately. We do not know how many combatants are in the area. We have an airstrike coming to the area. I say again, seek cover."

"Rodger." Jason replied as he stumbled across the dirt, "Brock are you ok?" Jason asked as Brock grabbed his weapon to provide cover. Ray suddenly was on his feet with Trent in his face. "You good Ray?" Trent yelled, his hand was on his wrist in an odd fashion. Ray nodded before closing his eyes and before anyone could question what was happening Ray let out a small scream and grunt as Trent popped his wrist back into it's socket. Trent turned to Brock and Jason, "Any other known injuries?" He asked as he moved forward, pulling out medical supplies as he moved. There was blood on his arms, his chest, and the side of his neck, a limp to his step, but he didn't seem bothered by any of it as he grabbed Brock's neck and put his penlight in his mouth to get a good look at his head lac.

"Hold pressure on it." Trent instructed, "How long were we out?" Jason asked as he pushed forward towards the last place Clay and Sonny were.

"Not sure, maybe 10 minutes. Ray never lost consciousness. He was, was further from the blast. Had a dislocated wrist with a possible fracture. I had to reset it so he can be somewhat shootable." Jason's mind tried desperately to keep up with Trent's fast words.

"BRAVO 6, I, I need, immediate assistance. BRAVO 3 is, is down. I, I s,say again, BRAVO 3 is down." With those words all the men took off towards the small rock pile Clay had seemed to pull them both behind. The glow stick he had snapped to alert the team of his location was glowing in the moonlight. Jason knelt down next to Sonny who was being held stable by Clay. Spenser had his hands pushed onto a wound on Sonny's stomach but Brock's eyes couldn't tear away from the pipe that was embedded into the thigh of Sonny.

"Son of a bitch." Ray muttered under his breath. "Ok, ok. Ray, set up an overwatch point of some sort we need to keep an eye out for another attack. Brock you got our six. Kairos you provide additional overwatch," The three men moved to their positions. Ray moved up the hill side a couple yards. He needed to stay close to be able to move to an exfil point quickly but he needed a slightly higher vantage point. Brock pulled out his weapons and set up a position where he could engage if he needed to. This was where Trent was meant to take over.

"Spencer talk to me. How long has he been unconscious? Did he regain consciousness? Tell me what you know." Trent spoke so fast as he began cutting off the pant leg of Sonny and stabilizing the pipe that was impaled.

"Uh, he, he never woke up, I, I not that I know." Jason took in for the first time the condition of Trent himself as he held pressure. His face had blood on the side, his breathing ragged as he answered Trent's questions. Jason then looked at Clay who had shrapnel imbedded in his side as well.

"Kid you ok?" Clay only stared at his hands on Sonny's chest. "Spencer? BRAVO 6 what is your physical status report?" Jason tried a more direct question as Trent continued to work.

"Um, lost consciousness, n,not sure how long. I'm, I'm fine. Sonny he has a, a pipe in his leg. And his, his stomach is bleeding." Clay moved his hands for the first time since Trent had knelt down beside him. The blood has mostly slowed from the pressure of Clay's arms but there was an obvious laceration there. Trent nodded. "He, he put himself over me. He, pushed me and he, he laid on me. He, he saved my life." Clay stumbled over the words as he sat back onto his haunches next to Sonny. "You saved his life by keeping pressure and stabilizing the pipe with your med kit gauze. That was smart. We just need to get him out of here quick. He's a tough son of a bitch."

"BRAVO 1 this is HAVOC. What is your update?" Eric's voice was apprehensive across the COMS. "HAVOC this is BRAVO 1. All BRAVO elements are accounted for. We all seem to be ok but we cannot currently get a full evaluation. BRAVO 3 needs immediate medical assistance. I repeat he needs immediate medical assistance. BRAVO 5 is currently working on him but we need to move before whoever the hell threw the grenade comes back with more enforcements. We're sitting ducks." Jason paced as he stared at Clay out of the corner of his eye. Clay was helping to insert an IV in Sonny and place bandages. The kid was in autopilot.

"BRAVO 1 for now we have no exfil plan. I say again we have no exfil. It's too hot. However, Davis has located a small mining shaft that has no current heat around it. We suggest you go there to do a full evaluation of the team while we work on exfil." Jason turned around to have his back to the rest of the men.

"Eric, Sonny needs help now. Trent he's banged up himself. For now he's still able to patch us all up but I'm not sure he's going to be able to patch himself up. Clay he's got a nasty head lac and Brock needs to sit the hell down before he falls down. Ray can hardly shoot at this point. You gotta give me another option then to try to move Sonny who is not even conscious."

Eric clenched his fists in frustration. Of course, he wanted to get them the hell out of there. He could see on overwatch just from their body languages that they were not doing well.

"BRAVO 1 get to the mine shaft. We will do everything we can. I assure you. We have air strikes on the move right now to clear out tangos for exfil. We are watching."

"Roger. We'll move to the mine shaft." As Jason move back to where Trent and Clay were he took a deep breath.

"Ok, in 2 mics we are on the move. All BRAVO units we move in 2 mics. We are moving to the mine shaft just south of our current location. Ray and Brock you lead us out. Trent, Clay and myself will move Sonny. Kairos you got back." Jason looked at Trent's reaction as he laid out the plan.

"Jason, his spinal cord is most likely not in the best shape right now. HE has an immense amount of pressure on it from the pipe. I can't see how imbedded it even is. Not to mention if it moves even minimally he could bleed to death." Trent furiously packed more gauze around the pipe.

"If we don't move we are not going to make it out of here. Get him- " Jason was cut off as Sonny suddenly let out a loud groan and started to try to grip at his leg.

"Woah, woah woah." Jason grabbed his hands, Clay grabbed his head to keep him from thrashing too much. "Take is easy Sonny, easy breaths." Sonny was panting as he lay in the dirt. "SON OF A BITCH." He yelled through clamped teeth.

"Sonny, hey, eyes on me. You gotta stay awake now man. Stay with us. You have a pipe piece imbedded in your thigh and a nasty chest lac. I'm gonna fix you up but you gotta just hang in there ok?" Trent leaned in close to his face as he spoke. "We're moving in one mic. Sonny you let us do all the work alright? You just try to stay quiet." Jason grabbed his hand and squeezed and was pleased as he felt Sonny clamp onto his hand.

"W,what, a,about team? How's one?" Sonny's words all seemed to slur together as he spoke. "Everyone's good man. Just focus on you right now. Long breaths. Slow and easy." Trent's voice was calm and even as he spoke to Sonny. It was what made him such a good field medic. He was never not calm. Sonny regaining his consciousness, even though it probably should have stressed Trent out more with the pain Sonny was in, seemed to calm him even more. Brock, Ray, and Kairos suddenly appeared besides us giving us the que that it was time to move. Jason grabbed around Sonny's shoulder and grabbed the back of his belt on his pants and placed his other hand on his chest wound to hold pressure. Clay grabbed the other side and also grabbed his waist as they hauled him up and placed his other hand on his chest to help support him. Sonny let out a suppressed scream. Trent watched his leg as he moved, ready to intervene and pick him all the way off the ground if necessary.

"Alright man, you, you got it." Clay repeated it over and over as they drug Sonny. It was slow moving as they pulled Sonny with as much care as they could in the moment down the hillside. "Sonny man keep talking." Trent reminded him as his head lolled onto the side of Jason. "I,if I do, I'll, s,scream." Sonny spat back as his good leg locked up with exhaustion, nearly pulling all three of them down to the ground. Sonny spit out a few drops of blood as he spoke.

"No, no, no. K,keep m,m,moving." Trent's stuttered as he spoke and Jason took note that he seemed to be getting tired himself. Jason eyed the blood that was still streaming down the side of Trent's neck and shoulder. Never the less they pulled Sonny back up and pushed on.

"BRAVO 1 we can see the shaft. Repeat, we can see the shaft." Ray's voice was welcome news. "Hear that man? They can see it, we're close bud." Jason reminded as his arm strained against the weight of Sonny.

Finally, after long minutes of hauling Sonny they arrived in the shaft. Ray, Brock, and Kairos checked the back of the shaft for any combatants and then set up positioning at the front of the shaft. Cerberus sniffed every inch, ready to alert us to anyone approaching our position. God bless that dog.

"Damn it." Trent cursed as they got Sonny laying back down. Jason made quick work of ditching the tactical gear on Sonny's body. He ripped off his vest and all of his mags. Disconected his helmet and put the the side as well, positioning the flashlight on the top towards his leg. Then he got to work cutting off his pants. Sonny groaned and tried with what little strength he had to stop Jason's actions.

"Sorry man but they have to come off. At least one side." This only enticed another groan from Sonny. "C,c,cold." He groaned out as his teeth chattered. Trent stood up and grabbed Jason's arm, turning him away from Sonny and Clay who was still holding pressure around the pipe on Sonny's leg.

"Jason, now that I got some light on it and can see the angle more of the pipe, I'm worried it's on his artery. I can't remove it." Trent ran a hand through his hair.

"Ok, then we wait till he's at a hospital and try to keep him stable for now." Jason replied quickly, not seeing the problem. "If I leave it in, he risks serious infection. He could lose the leg or, or die before we even get him on the damned chopper! That shit is not clean by any means. He probably already has infection setting in right into his blood stream." Trent's patience was running out. "I have two terrible options and none of the equipment to help me make the call. I need a damned OR."

"Ok, ok I gotcha. I get it." Jason put his hand on Trent's shoulder, his only attempt to settle him. "BASE how long until exfil?" Jason asked Mandy again, "BRAVO 1 exfil is probably an hour and a half to 2 hours out. We're working as fast as we can, but troops are tied up and assets are deployed everywhere we can get them. Riots are popping up faster than we can shut them down to get to you guys." Mandy's voice was strained which Jason knew from years of working with her meant she knew how bad off we were, and she was just as worried as we were.

"Trent, an hour to two hours. What does that mean? Can infection set in that fast?" Jason already knew the answer. "Yeah, it probably already has. At least to a certain extent. I can't, l,let it spread. I, I have to take it out. If it hit an artery Jason, I'm going to have to either find the bleeding and clamp it or he'll bleed out in minutes. I, I'm not sure I-" Jason stopped him, "There is no one Sonny would rather have do this then you." Jason then turned to the front of the shaft, "Ray, come back here we need another set of hands." Ray came as fast as he could and took in Sonny's pale complexion. Sonny's teeth chattered, "It,tt,s c,ccol,d." His head lolled to the side.

"Trent, he, he keeps goin, in and and out man." Clay stared down at him with worry. "C,Cause, I'm, b,bored." Sonny joked as his teeth clamped together. Trent only half grinned at the joke that normal would have put him at ease. "Just a little longer." Jason reminded him.

"Sonny, I have to, I have to take the pipe out man. You gotta hold on for me. I need you to stay awake ok. Jason, you, you keep his arms down. Ray, you uh hold his legs. Clay, I need you to keep his head still and let me know if he loses consciousness. Sonny, I'm doin my best man. Hang in there for me." Trent pulled supplies out of his bag as he spoke and laid them on the towel that Trent had laid out earlierc. The men took their positions that Trent has assigned them. "I, I c,can t,take it." Sonny slurred out. "OK, ok, making the inscision." Trent began to cut around the pipe slightly before he laid the scalpel down. Sonny's back arched off the ground as he gritted his teeth together. The guys all quietly speaking to Sonny, words of "You got it man." And "Stay with us." Sonny continued to try to suppress his screams. "Hit him with, with a,another Morphine s,shot." Trent stuttered to Jason who didn't hesitate to jab the needle into the crook of his arm and inject the Morphine. That was his last one he could have.

"Removing the pipe." Trent's voice was strained, Ray's stomach flipped in his stomach as Trent began to pull the pipe out. The blood that began to pour out as soon as his leg was freed was astonishing. "Shit," was all Trent said over and over and all that needed to be said for them to all understand. The pipe had hit the artery. Blood began pouring out of the wound. Sonny had been thrashing furiously, gritting his teeth to suppress the screams but as the blood poured over Trent's hands he stilled, his face paling. Trent only continued to work as his brothers called out Sonny's name trying to keep him with the land of the living. Trent's hand shook in a rare occasion of what he thought to be nerves. It hit him then that it was not nerves, no training had shaken that out of him a long time ago. This was due to exhaustion and blood lose, and shock, and a probable concussion. He knew he was in rough shape but he also knew that there was no one capable of keeping Sonny alive besides himself. He took a breath as his hands continued to search for the source of the bleed. His two fingers were buried inside Sonny's thigh. Sonny's eyes snapped open as he finally found the bleed.

"Got it! Son of a bitch! I got it man!" Trent's burst of excitement was met with Sonny groaning and desperately trying to escape the roaming hands of Trent who after clamping the artery was checking the rest of his body for injury.

"S,stop." Sonny spat out when he had caught his breath. "Son of a bitch." He added. Sonny was sweating and panting as he lay there. The guys had slowly started to release their grasps on him as Trent settled back on his haunches. He blew out the large breath he had been holding. Jason squeezed his shoulder as Clay punched him in the arm.

"Best damn field medic. Best of the best." Clay smiled before standing up to pull off a layer of his gear to help warm up Sonny. He laid his top layer of clothing over Sonny, tucking it in the sides. As he stood, he stumbled a few steps. This didn't go unnoticed by Trent who was now stitching up the laceration on Sonny's stomach. "Ay, Clay you need me? Talk to me." He never took his eyes off the work on Sonny's stomach. Sonny turned his head to look at Clay from the ground.

"Nah, I'm good. J,just a headache." Trent nodded, "Sure." For now Trent let it go though. Anyone who wasn't critical could wait for the time being. Sonny needed to be monitored as closely as he could manage right now.

Jason came back over to the group after he checked on Kairos and Brock in the front. "I have an update on EXFIL." Jason let a small smile creep across his face, "They got it on the move now. We have an hour before we're outta here boys. An hour and we're good. Everyone settle in. Drink some water." Clay clapped his hands together and Ray let out a laugh, "We're getting out of here. Hell yeah." Even Sonny who had been mostly silent since his last dose of Morphine piped up, "I, I can, can't wa,wait to get, a, a, beer stateside." Jason kneeled down next to him with a smile, "I'm buying." He then turned to Trent and put a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Hey man, how bout you take a break. I can monitor him just step away for a minute. Get some water." Trent shook his head as he rechecked the clamp on Sonny's leg. "I'm good." Jason wasn't surprised at his boneheaded response so he changed tactics.

"That wasn't me asking. That was an order. BRAVO 5 step back." Trent looked up at him then, blood dried on the side of his face, eyes watering from the debris and dust of the explosion, his breathing labored. He looked like hell. "We won't leave." Clay added from his spot at the top of Sonny's head, trying to clean the blood from his imbedding on his face so they could see what was still bleeding and what had stopped. With that Trent finally stood and rubbed a blood covered hand over his face. It was caked in his hair and at a certain point he could no longer distinguish what was his and what was Sonny's. Trent took a few steps away from the men laying on the ground, caring for Sonny and leaned his head back against the shaft wall. He slowly slid down to the floor and closed his eyes. Not to rest but just simply to stop seeing the blood and the look of pain in Sonny's eyes.

Jason leaned over to Clay, "Give it to me kid. How hurt are you? I can tell you're hiding shit and normally Trent would be all over you but you and I both know he's banged up pretty damn bad himself so spill it." The kid shook his head, "I'm good. We gotta focus on Sonny." Jason sighed with anger that he couldn't verbalize at the moment. The kid was an idiot. "He save my, my life Jace. I, I can, I'm fine. Until he's got care. I'm, f,fine." Jason hated to admit it but he understood. He knew that none of the guys were walking around in the best shape right now. Hell, Brock was still bleeding from the shrapnel and he knew Ray's wrist was still sure as hell not right. He and Kairos were the most unharmed from the blast and he could still feel the concussion and the bruising beginning to set in. No one was doing great right about now, but everyone knew, silently, that there was no way in hell they would speak up when Sonny was on his last leg and Trent was barely holding it together.

The team sat in silence for a little. They listened to the chatter on the COMS. Trent still leaned against the wall. Kairos and Brock holding the front position secure and Clay and Jason never taking their eyes off of Sonny who had also dropped into a state of silence. Jason looked at his leg as Sonny's breath hitched. Son of a bitch, Jason thought. The clamp wasn't holding, the bleeding was starting up again. Clay also noticed the bleed and before he could think pushed his hands onto the wound, trying desperately to hold pressure.

"TRENT GET OVER HERE. HE'S BLEEDING AGAIN." Jason shouted. Trent scrambled to his feet and dropped to his knees next to Clay. "Do not let go. Do you understand. Do not let go Spencer." Trent was trying to find a better place to clamp the artery but with the Morphine burning off from Sonny's body temp he could hardly keep still even with the guys holding him down. The pain was unbearable. He squirmed from Trent's grasp, Clay followed his movements, not letting his grasp weaken. "Damn it I can't find anything. Jason you gotta get them here faster. Jason, Now." Trent's voice was still solid and unwavering, but Jason knew what those words meant. Sonny had minutes left at best if they didn't get them help. Jason stood up to step away from them and Ray took his position holding Sonny still as best they could.

"HAVOC this is BRAVO 1. I need an update." Jason squeezed his eyes shut.

"BRAVO 1 this is HAVOC. We copy you. We are 20 mics out with the EXFIL." Jason turned to Trent, "20 mics." There was a pause, then in the silence of the mine shaft, the deafening silence besides Sonny's labored breathing, Trent shook his head. He didn't have to say the words. 20 minutes would be too long. Jason could feel the bile building but clamped it down. Shoved away the pain of this day.

"HAVOC. 20 Mics is too long. I say again. BRAVO 3 does not appear to have 20 mics. We need immediate medical assistance evacuation." The pause was slight, "Jason, we're on our way. We'll be there." Jason was stunned. It was rare and against protocol for Eric to use his name, especially on an operation. Over the COMS. Somehow that made his stomach twist with hope. That meant he was doing whatever the hell he had to do to get them the hell out of there. That was exactly what Sonny needed. "Copy that HAVOC. BRAVO team is ready for extract." Now all there was to do was to wait.

5 Mics went by before Jason's COMS came back to life. "BRAVO UNITS. ALL BRAVO UNITS. HAVOC is 5 mics out. I say again HAVOC AND EXFIL is 5 mics out. Be ready to move. We are extracting to a halo field where we have an emergency evacuation to the base hospital." Jason spun around to the men, "Alright let's get him ready to move!" Jason shouted back into the COMS that he copied, and they would be ready before moving to Sonny.

"Lieutenant Quinn, did you hear that? You're going home bud. We're getting ya out of here. You stay awake now ok? You do that for me. That's an order." Jason took Sonny's hand, squeezing tight in a faint hope to shake him back into the conscious world that was slowly leaving. Sonny nodded slightly. They rolled him onto the gurney sheet they carried with him, Clay kept the pressure the whole time, clamping the artery with his own fingers.

"Sp,Sp,Spencer?" Sonny stumbled over the name, but it was there, "Yeah man?" Clay leaned in close as Ray, Jason, Sonny, and Kairos lifted the gurney. Brock and Cerberus were taking point.

"BRAVO units EXFIL is 2 mics out." Mandy's voice came over their ears. "Copy." Jason said as they stood ready a few yards back into the shaft.

"You, y,you're a, a, goo,good kid. You, y,you mar,marry your gi,girl. You, be,be happy. F,for me. B,be the, the damned, goo,good sol,soldier y,youa re. I, I made you by, by g,giving you, h,hell." Sonny strained to speak the words, but he was hell bent on getting them out.

"No Sonny, you gotta stay with us. Hang in there. This is not, not goodbye." Clay shook his head as he held the artery tighter.

"T,ta,take care of, of Dav,Davis." Sonny's voice was so quiet it was hardly audible. Trent closed his eyes as tight as he could. This was not happening. Not today. Not after they just lost Adam. Almost lost Clay. Almost lost the whole damned team. Lost Alana. Nearly lost Jason from the team. Everyone.

"Take care of her yourself. You're the toughest damned soldier I know Sonny Quinn you don't get to give up you son of a bitch. Fight." It was Jason who spoke up with anger in his voice. Anger at the thought of losing someone else. Anger at the thought of having to bury another brother. Anger at the world.

Sonny grasped Jason's hand, in a moment of silence Jason knew what was coming. Knew they were losing him, refused to acknowledge it but knew in his heart.

"It, it wa,was a pl,plea,pleasure, ser,serving, wi,with y,you." Jason shook his head, "No. Do no give up on your team. You're leaving your brothers. You cannot leave your brothers." Jason stared with as much intensity as he could. Something changed in Sonny's eyes. He nodded. Jason nodded back. No, he wouldn't give up, not ever would he give up on his brothers. Sonny's eyes slipped closed and Jason prayed to anyone or anything that would listen to have them open again. Trent suddenly shouted, "CLAY GIVE ME YOUR EXTRA EPINEPHRINE." Clay carried some of his own extra medical supplies because of his ability to throw reactions to just about every damned thing on planet earth. Trent had forgotten he had enough dose of Epinephrine that he had been wanting to administer. He forgot that Clay carried his own. Ray reached in the pouch of Clay's bag and pulled out the syringe. Trent snapped it out of his hand and injected it into his good thigh. The one that wasn't bleeding out. Trent's hope was that the extra epi would help continue to shock his system. Keep it going with just a little extra fight for just a little longer.

"HOLD ON DAMN IT QUINN." Sonny nodded again, faintly but slightly better than a few moments before. "That should, that should he,help." Trent seemed energized by his thought.

"EXFIL is here!" Brock announced and with that they were on the move. They were all shouting at Sonny, "stay with us. Please." Begging him like a mantra, a prayer to anyone and anything that could stop this tragedy. Jason was surprised to see Eric himself hopping off the back of the exfil truck and rushing to help get the gurney in.

"Let's move guys, come on." There was no time for questions, at least not right now. They truck tore out of the mine shaft area and back into the city.

"How long till we're at the helo?" Trent asked as he watched Clay reposition his hand on the artery. The bleeding had slowed but was definitely still there.

"5 Mics." Eric responded as he gave a water bottle to Brock and Kairos who were now arranging tactical gear and trying to be helpful without getting in the way, knowing that at this point Trent didn't need any more hands.

"Trent you will ride in the medical chopper, the rest of the team will be right behind you they'll meet you at the base." Eric was standing, ready to help however he could, "Clay can't let go of this artery until we have control of the bleeding he has to come. He, he has to, to come." Trent was repeating himself, "He has to come. Sonny, hey, hey, stay with us." Jason looked up at Blackburn who seemed to be realizing how badly they all were doing physically. Trent mumbled on about the need for Clay.

"Ok Trent. Whatever you need." It was true. Whatever they needed Eric would be fighting tooth and nail for it.

The truck came to a stop and once again the whole team, plus Eric and the support EXFIL team came pouring out and began to move Sonny, Clay still holding on. Sonny and Clay were on the chopper when Jason grabbed Trent's arm.

"As soon as he goes into surgery you are getting looked at. Whatever happens you know you did your best. You did him right." Trent stared at his boss blankly. "Go, he needs you." Jason then pushed him towards the chopper. It was all Trent needed to be put back into the mindset of saving Sonny. It was not yet time to sit and think about the day. It was far from over. He could not yet let himself stop thinking about medicine or tactical strategies. Not yet. The second he started to think about anything besides keeping Sonny alive he knew he would be falling apart.

Clay felt useless as Trent spoke with the other doctors in a language, he practically didn't understand. They all moved around him in perfect synchronization while he felt like he was in the way, despite the fact that he was essentially holding all of Sonny's remaining blood in his leg. As the chopper touched down to the base hospital they were flooded by surgeons and doctors and nurses. Trent was throwing medical terms around again as Clay waited for instructions.

They moved Sonny to a different gurney, leaving him lying on the tarp gurney still but now on top of a rolling gurney. Clay held on.

They tried talking to Sonny. He was barely responding, then sometimes not at all.
Trent told them about his other laceration.

They stripped him of his remaining clothes, leaving him in his boxers.

They pour disinfectant sprays and Betadine all over his stomach laceration.

Clay watched in horror as Sonny's eyes opened then, tears rolling out of the corners of his eyes as the wounds burned.

He listened as nurses called for ORs to be prepared

Tried to not stare as they examined the laceration on Sonny's chest and cut around the stitches to reopen it.

Clay wasn't surprised as the nurses began giving Sonny more and more drugs.

He stared blankly at the surgeon as they told him to remove his hand, to let go.

He closed his fingers around the artery harder.

It wasn't until Trent came in front of his eyes, holding his shoulder that he was convinced he could let go.

"Clay, it's time. He needs to go to surgery. Let go." All Clay could think about was the million times in the mine shaft, and in the truck, and again in the chopper that Trent would say, for no reason at all, "do not let go of that artery." As if Clay didn't realize the impact. As if Clay didn't want to let go. To run away. To stop feeling his pulse in his fist fade fast. He would never though. He knew what he was responsible for. Sonny saved his life and now Clay was able to at least give him a chance at survival.

"Captain Spencer, you need to let go. You can let go now. You did good. Let go. If they're going to save his leg, save his life. You need to let go. Now." Clay blinked at Trent before forcing his fingers to unwrap themselves from the artery. His hand shook and cramped now that it was free. He didn't care about the blood as he wiped his hands over his face, trying to dry the tears as he stared at the blood that covered the floor, outlining the empty space where Sonny's gurney had been just moments ago. He felt Trent's hand pushing him back into the waiting room area. He didn't know how long they had been in the hospital even. It felt like hours, but it also felt like minutes. He could feel the tears rolling down the side of his face, cutting through the dried blood like a knife. His head pounding now.

As he exited the trauma room the whole team was standing there. Under the florescent lights of the hospital they looked even worse. Clay didn't say a word as he walked past them. They stared, blood on his chest, blood all over his face, his legs, his hair. Sonny's blood from holding on to him for hours mixed with his own. Covered by the dust and debris of a country being torn apart by senseless terror. Trent came out next, he looked even worse. Jason watched as Clay walked past them, without acknowledgement and disappeared into the bathroom. Jason decided to give him a moment. He turned his attention next to Trent. Brock stepped up beside him as the color seemed to have drained from his face. Brock turned to me, giving me the look of question, "Is he ok?" We all knew the answer was no. Brock began to ask Trent himself if he was indeed ok but Trent started talking.

"He, uh, he's, surgery." That was all he got out before he collapsed down to the floor. Brock was able to slow his fall slightly, but he still crumpled to the ground in an unconscious heap.

"Shit." Ray exclaimed as they went to his side, "Help, we need help over here!" Eric was at Trent's head. Nurses gathered around and doctors were paged. It was only then, through the tactical gear and the dirt and the debris and the mix of everyone's blood on Trent's uniform did Brock realize he was holding his side. Brock knelt down beside him and unclipped his tactical vest, eliciting a hiss from Trent as he did so. There, imbedded in his side was two large pieces of shrapnel. Both of which seemingly had been bleeding for the whole day. Slowly wearing him down with the rest of his injuries.

"Son of a bitch!" Jason stood with anger at the whole situation. Ray was there trying to calm him but knowing there was nothing he could do to help even in the slightest. Now that Sonny was in good hands. Capable hands. Out of danger and in the protection of the base they could all start to realize the events of the day. Start to cope. That may just start with pulling each other off the ground, getting some food, and a CAT scan.