Chapter Text
MacKenzie McHale and James Harper had been on the ground in Pakistan for months for CNN, sending in news reports whenever they were able to digging into every possible story in order to give the public the best information on the conflicts happening all around them. Two days ago they’d heard the first murmurings of a large protest gathering in Islamabad and they had lobbied the marines assigned to them to get a truck from the army base they were stationed on into the city. Mac caught Jim’s eye with a grin as she left the Staff Sergeant’s tent and he fell into step beside her.
“We’re going?”
“Yup, although the compromise was Sammy and Kyle get to tag along with us. They’ve promised to be as low contact as they can so that we can get some good footage and interviews though.”
The pair walked quickly into the bunkhouse to grab their gear and fifteen minutes later they were in a truck racing across the desert and into the city. The next morning they were out of the hotel before the sun and following a tip off which had the main protest congregating around the largest of the city’s mosques. Their camera guy had linked up with them, a local guy named Khalid that they’d used a few times before who had promised to follow them closely and had brought his younger brother along as an interpreter.
It’s mid-August in Pakistan and so even though it’s 7am in the morning the sun was intense and the heat was already coming up off the ground in waves so that the air started to blur in front of Mac’s eyes. The two marines tailed them all closely, keeping eyes out on the crowds that had started to form in front of them.
“I guess the tip was good, looks like this is where it’s starting.” They stood against one of the neighbouring buildings observing the mass of people. Khalid had already captured some brief interviews on film with some of the more talkative men in the square outside the mosque, it turned out that once they were shown American press credentials the majority of people were happy to talk to Mac on camera.
Within moments the escort had come in closer and Sammy was whispering in Mac ear as he tried to start herding them away.
“The crowd’s changed, you can tell as well as I can Mac, we need to leave.”
“GIve us five more minutes Sam, please. People need to know what’s happening here and we’re the only ones reporting it!” She was right and the private reluctantly agreed. Mac and Jim were the only news reporter’s that they’d seen covering the protests in recent months, there had been no sign of BBC, CBS or AP on the ground with them at all and Mac wasn’t going to let it go to waste. She grabbed Khalid and moved closer to the Mosque.
“Let’s see if we can get some shots of the crowds before we get out of here.” She knew that there was far more anger in the air than they’d anticipated even knowing that it was a frustrated protest from Shiite’s across the city, but you could feel the tension and anger in the chanting that had started up moments before and the numbers in the square seemed to have tripled in the past few minutes. The crowds were starting to swell, gathering in momentum before they erupted outwards and people suddenly started flooding in every direction.
Mac was used to hearing gun fire but in the enclosed space of the square and surrounded by buildings it was sharper and louder and she jumped. Immediately the marines were calling for them, heading out to them but the crowds reached them first. The shots had spoked the crowds and the intensity had overspilled, turning a large and loud protest into the beginnings of a riot. Mac was shoved past and she stumbled into the wall behind her, she raised her hand to signal to Kyle that she was heading their way when a white hot pain seared into her stomach. The crush of people continued on, jostling and ramming both Mac and Khalid but all Mac could pay attention to was the pain. She clutched beneath her ribs with both hands and then looked down to see blood flooding across her fingers as her legs gave way beneath her and she slumped down the wall to the floor.
The moment that Jim lost sight of Mac in the crowd he ripped free of Sammy’s grip on his shirt and dove through the crush of people to get to her.
“MAC!” He can barely hear his own shout over the sound of the crowds around them, but somehow he manages to ram his way through. He’s small and wiry and the marines they’ve been stationed for the past few months with have shown him a thing or two. Khalid is nowhere to be found, not surprisingly but his heart stops when he sees Mac, crumpled on the ground with her hands pressed desperately to her side. She’s managed to bunch up her shirt under her fingers but he can see the blood seeping through and he’s cold at the sight. Within seconds he’s lifted her into his arms, Sammy and Kyle are behind and they are every inch the US marines that you see in the news as they force a path through.
The next few minutes are a blur as he carries her through the city and back to the hotel. The lobby has cleared out, everyone knows what’s exploding through the city streets and they can still hear the noise and gun shots even though they’re in the opposite direction. He lays her down on one of the sofas and begins to do the best he can. There’s no medic here, it’s just him and his basic first aid skills which he never thought he’d have to use in a situation like this. As he’s peeling the layers of shirt away, grabbing a water bottle to rinse it and get an idea of what’s happened she feebly grabs his wrist.
“Jim…” Her voice is raspy and quiet and he grips onto her hand, trying to offer the best comfort he can.
“It’s ok Mac, it’s gonna be ok. I’ve got you, and I can….” He’s babbling now but he’s scared and there’s so much blood and he doesn’t know what to do.
“If something…….something happens…..Jim. I need you to, need you to make some calls.”
“Mac no, please, it’s ok, it’s going to be ok.”
“Promise me Jim, promise me……..call my dad?”
“Ok, ok. I’ll call him as soon as we get you some help. I promise.”
“Charlie.” The last word is a murmur and he doesn’t understand who she means but he ignores it for now in favour of putting pressure on the wound and hoping that help gets to them soon.