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He was low over his horse, galloping hard, slowing only when he reached them.
“It’s Jack, Joe! Someone shot him, we have to get him help.” She galloped by him, and soon he’d turned and was passing her. He reached the stables first; she charged in seconds later.
“Call for an ambulance!” Joe was roaring orders.
He came to her as Bailey pulled her horse to a halt. “Take him, Joe. Help him. I-it’s his side.”
Joe’s face was fierce as he reached her side.
“H-help him.” Bailey could hear the hysteria in her words. “So much b-blood.”
He lifted one arm and wrapped it around her, easing her to the ground so he could get at his brother. “Thank you.” He crushed her to him briefly as he whispered the words into her hair before letting her go.
“You take his right, Fin.”
Bailey watched as they lifted Jack off the horse; his eyes were glazed with pain now, and he moaned as they carried him gently to a bench and lay him down.
“Bailey!” Maggie came running, with the phone still in her hand. “Are you all right?”
She nodded, and then shook her head. “M-Maggs, J-Jack was shot.”
“Shit!”
Her friend wrapped Bailey in her arms and held her tight. Bailey burrowed into Maggie and held right back.
“I need to get you a blanket, Bailey. You’re shivering. Sit here now.” She was nudged into a seat, and sat shivering, watching as Joe and Fin leaned over Jack and worked on him.
Maggs came back with a blanket and wrapped it tight around her; the warmth was wonderful, but she was still ice-cold on the inside.
She kept her eyes on Fin and Joe, and Jack’s feet. When the fear inside her got too much, she moved closer. Maggs held her hand.
“Is h-h.... Is he going to be okay?”
Joe looked up at her; his eyes were greener than she’d ever seen them. Green, and rage-fueled. He nodded, and then returned to looking at his brother, his hand holding the dressing in place, and applying pressure. Jack was almost gray now, his breathing shallow, eyes closed.
“Bailey?”
She dropped down beside his head as he called her name.
“Thanks.”
Bailey leaned down and kissed his cheek. She took his hand and squeezed it, then held it until the ambulance and police arrived.
“I’m Deputy Steve Sanders, and this is my colleague, Deputy Rollins.” Two officers approached.
“Someone shot at Jack,” Bailey said, her voice raised. “You need to go out there and find them!”
“It’s okay now, Bailey,” Joe touched her cheek briefly. “Jack’s safe.”
He was just saying that to calm her down, she knew it, but she latched onto his words, wanting to believe them.
“Maybe you should go on out and look for leads while they’re fresh, Steve. The shooter could still be around,” Fin said. “I’ll take Bailey into the station, she can give Chief Blake her statement.”
“It’d make sense to do that, Fin. I’d be obliged if you got her there sooner rather than later.”
“As soon as the ambulance leaves we will too.”
The officers nodded, and then they left. Jack was put into the ambulance, and with Joe at his side, they soon departed too.
