Joseph clasped the woman hard to him he saw the blood on her chin.With a sinking feeling he knew the glass had penetrated deeper than he had thought.
"Hold still dammit! You wanna die or something?" he growled at her out of concern. "Vincent! Want is the ETA for a medivac!" he yelled out to the empty bar room.
"Fifteen minutes minimum Joseph. Does she have time?" Vincent replied through bars sound system. He had already looked up the emergency postings of the local hospitals when he saw the woman hit the floor earlier.
No dammit! Get the bike out I am gonna have to take her in." Kit had slumped over on him once again her breath came in ragged gasps - blood still bubbled on her lips. Joseph got the T shirt on her like a child dressing a doll and made for the doors which Vincent opened ahead of him. The bars delivery elevator rattled and from the depth below the bar rose Joseph's Victory 2300. Joseph put Kit on laying her in front of him on top of the bikes big fuel cell and climbed on behind her pinning her to the big bike between his chest and the tank. With a flick of a switch the bike screamed to life. Joey popped the clutch and leaving a trail of rubber and black smoke rocketed down the sidewalk. He shot between the slow moving traffic zigging and zagging in deft display of coordination that was forged into the man's brain by years of urban combat. Kit coughed and a trail of blood rolled over the bright yellow tank.
Joey popped the clutch and leaving a trail of rubber and black smoke rocketed down the sidewalk. He shot between the slow moving traffic zigging and zagging in deft display of coordination.
"Don't you even think of dieing! Damn you!" Joey screamed over the rush of wind. He wrung the accelerator like he was trying to tear it off and the bike leapt forward with a scream as fuel hit the fires inside. Two more blocks was all.
"Shit!" an automated delivery van suddenly crossed lanes blocking the narrow gauntlet of traffic the bike now flew through. He hit the brakes and jerked the bike into what he hoped was a wide enough gap between the cars flowing in his direction. He shot the gap but the big bike swung wide slamming into the side of a parked cab with metal crunching, teeth rattling force. The bikes safety bars kept his leg from being pulped but his shoulder hit the middle door post shattering both the rear and drivers windows. Joey ignored the pain that shot down his side. As the bike rebounded he rolled back the accelerator again and rocketed forward. The level hospital was in sight. They got through the intersection opposite and he jerked the bike over on to the sidewalk and slid to a halt sideways in front of the big front doors. Before the turbine had wound down he was off Kit cradled in his arms she was pale as a sheet and her head lolled on her thin neck. The front of the big mans tee shirt that covered her was red with blood.
Joseph came up behind a thin orderly holding and digital pad who was chatting with the receptionist.
"HEY!" Joseph yelled and the man jumped two feet straight up, landed and spun around, hand over his heart. His eyes went wide. "I need a doctor now!" the man stood stunned with his mouth hanging open apparently he had not expected a three hundred pound, half naked, screaming, blood spattered ex-terrorist commando to show up on his coffee break. Joseph leaned in close.
"Look Len..nie.." he painfully read the mans name badge " if you don't get me a doctor and gurney in under 10 fucking seconds I am gonna cram that fucking notepad up your fucking ass so far they will have to cut open your chest to get it out." Joey issued the threat through clenched teeth in a low growling voice. The notepad made plastic crunching sound as it hit the floor. The gurney and three doctors, one still pulling a uniform shirt over his head, showed up in 8 seconds. Joey laid her down.
"She was in a car wreck, piece glass lodged in her side. I thought I had her fixed but the glass musta gone deeper than I thought. It's got her lung fer sure." Joey said hurriedly to the doctors who had quickly forgotten about his intimidation of the orderly when they saw the state Kit was in. They took off with her at a trot. Joey started follow but the orderly stepped in his path with a grim look on his face.
"Look they will take care of her I promise. I need some information.." he started his voice quavered to halt at Joseph's glare. Joseph reached into his back pocket and pulled out his thick plastic travel auth card which had GPF in red one inch letters and held it before the man.
"I think that is all the damn information your gonna need. I don't know her background but she is to be booked in as Jane Doe she is uh needed by the GPF." Joseph's thoughts went back to the baby girl in Violet's arms. "When I say needed Lennie.. I mean you do whatever has to be done. If you do a half ass job.. I am coming back here Lennie and I'm gonna be in a much worse mood than I am now. Here." he shoved the travel auth practically under Lennie's nose. "Use this for the contact information, filing, charges and whatever the hell else." Lennie took the card and slid it down the side of the pad. The Inferno's address and net node id where stored, medical coverage read unlimited.
"No problem.. Mr.. er.. Agent O'Connell" Lennie stammered out it was the first time he had ever seen any insurance with no errata or clauses. Joey's position with the GPF was just a bit more than honorary because he did from time to time play back up for Mr. Culver but those occasions were rare.
"I gotta go see to a .. little.. situation. I will be back soon and that girl er woman better be on the mend." he whipped the travel auth out of Lennie's hand with a movement so quick it made the man a bit weak in the knees and turned and made for the door.
Through all of the commotion Kit didn't stir on her own..but she could feel the heavy dull pressure on her side as she was tossed about and finally wheeled into the operating room...
...five hours later...
The nurse sighed as she stood over Kit's bedside and took down notes. She looked over her vital signs and then pulled the covers up and over her shoulders and tucked it around her..
" you poor thing.." she sighed again and shook her head as she turned to leave..
