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“I can’t think straight.” Agent Phoenix mumbled as they leaned onto me, breath feeling lighter than I am comfortable with. “Sorry, were you saying something?”
I shook my head. “No, I wasn’t. You should rest. That must’ve taken a lot out of you. But I want you to hold on, alright? Can you stay conscious?”
“I can’t promise that.” Their eyes were partly glossed over, unfocused as they failed to raise their hand over their mouth. “Adrenaline…”
“Would you like me to talk to you so you can occupy yourself with something else other than the pain?”
“I think I’ll be lulled instead.” They huffed, giving up on their task, allowing their hand to fall limp onto their lap. “Everything hurts. More than usual anyway.”
I kept mum, gently jostling them occasionally in order to redirect their attention in order to stay awake. The EVAC team can’t seem to get to the hospital fast enough.
Despite it all, their (now ungloved) hand slowly reached up, prompting me to grasp onto them. They gave me a squeeze, one that would be replaced by a weaker squeeze the next time I jostled them. Their hand slowly felt cold, akin to the tea I'd left on my desk that day when I couldn’t move at all when their scream cut out.
I was too scared to move them, causing the others to take them away from me. It took every bit of my will to stop myself from reaching out. Although I know they will turn a blind eye to our attachment, there is still a part of me that worries over the fact that it could be used against us.
The paperwork seemed to cut at me like knives, preventing me from seeing them but I know I will not be able to help them at all. I just have to trust the others that they know what they’re doing.
Just do it for them. The faster you get these processed, the more time you’ll get away by their side as soon as they wake up.
If they wake up, that is. It was pretty bad. What if they just suffer from this? They would burn out eventually. Zor has a point. Didn’t you notice how tired they were by the time you got there?
It was easy to drown out my thoughts with the delicate motions to refill the pen with ink, coming to me automatically as cleaning a gun from my field days. Although I miss it, I am rather thankful my reassignment as a handler provided a way for me to have them in my life.
Their state churned my stomach as various lines and wires I can’t begin to understand were hooked up to them, but there were a few I recognize, one of which is the bag of chemicals used to numb the pain.
“You’re here, Sir.” The doctor, a young man yet seasoned with the amount of injuries field agents go through, approached me respectfully. “I just need to draw some of their blood. I’d ask one of the nurses to do it but they were busy with the injuries during the evacuation. I hope it’ll be alright.”
I nodded, watching him apply the tourniquet and disinfect the area. I couldn’t help but flinch when I saw the needle pierce their skin, blood slowly filling the syringe.
“Why would they need an additional sample?”
“I was told there’d been a mix up. Although we’re quite sure we got the right samples, we just needed to be sure.” He averted his eyes as he removed the syringe and applied a bandage.
“Something is wrong.”
He nodded, shoulders slumped as he looked at me. “We just need to be sure we’re actually seeing things. I don’t know what to say to you or even how to say it. It’s the implant. Please… be patient for a while.”
“Alright.” But I don’t know how much longer I can take.