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“How is she? Shelby, her sister, is dying of worry and…”
“She’s actually doing incredible,” Jake told him, feeling such love for the slip of a woman welling up inside of him. “She’s an inspiration to us all, and I’ll ask her to call when she has a free moment. Maybe it would do both of them good.”
“Shelby would love that – and I appreciate it,” Cajun said openly – and nodded. “Good luck with your friend.”
“Thanks.”
As Jake walked back toward where Houghton and Collins were standing, he felt such swamping worry beating at him, and it must have shown on his face.
“Max…”
“Not you, too?” Collins said hoarsely, his scared eyes meeting his. “Don’t stab me in the back like this, Ortega. I can’t… I’m so scared.”
“And I can’t watch you die, brother, not after we’ve been through hell and back – not likethis,” Jake said tearfully as Collins backed away from him… and then hesitated. “I am so very sorry, but I can’t let you do this to yourself. I’ll be here when you wake up, and we’ll get through it.”
“Jake,” Collins wept, pleading and looking so scared, it was killing him – but the resignation in his eyes and understanding was his breaking point.
“Max,” he said hoarsely. “You aren’t alone, and it’ll be okay, no matter what happens.”
“Just do it because you are either hauling me out of here in a casket… or out cold.”
“As you wish,” Jake said tearfully, drawing back his arm and knocking Max out in one blow as the man collapsed, and Houghton caught him before he hit the ground.
“Yank up his pant leg and let me see it,” Houghton ordered bluntly.
Jake did so and gagged.
The skin on his leg was peeling back in spots, discolored badly, and had red streaks traveling up his leg. He dropped the material and looked at Houghton, not sure if he was going to actually vomit or sob like a baby.
“He’s gonna lose it,” Houghton whispered knowingly. “If it’s not too late. You did him a favor just now. Be strong for a little while longer – and remind me not to piss you off. That’s a helluva right hook you’ve got.”
“What are we going to do?”
“We are dragging him into the van and heading straight for the emergency room. We’ll call Jill on the road and let her know we won’t be back for a while.”
“He’s never going to forgive me,” Jake whispered painfully, clearing his throat and fighting back tears as they lifted him into the van, laying him on the floorboard so he didn’t fall.
“If he dies from gangrene, you won’t have to worry about his forgiveness,” Houghton said, looking him dead in the eye. “He won’t be the first or last man that wants to spit on my grave for doing the right thing and keeping them alive. I can deal with the hostility so long as I don’t have to cope with the guilt. Got it?”
Nodding, he shut the door and climbed into the van.
* * *
Hours later, Jake wasn’t sure if he could handle much more. He heard Max’s broken screams from the hallway just outside the recovery room. Every word spoken, every curse, every accusation was true, but he couldn’t let his friend die.
Flashes of his time in Ghazni rolled before his eyes like some old film reel. The laughter, the smiles, the easy jokes, combined with a shared jealousy for those around him who were being given pen pals by the captain. Max had jokingly claimed he was going to try buying an email address if being nice wasn’t working.
“I can do slimy-bribery if that’s what it takes,” Max had smiled widely, pushing up his helmet with the end of his rifle in the blinding sunlight. “If it gets me some hot girl who loves me unconditionally. – Heck, I’d do just about anything to have a gorgeous piece of fluff back home missing me. I’ve seen the mushy videos online and want my moment just like any of these other idiots.”
“Probably need penicillin first,” Selkirk had walked past him, laughing and pretending to itch himself. “Girls don’t want what Ortega’s grandma gave ya’ last night, Collins.”
“Watch it, freak…”
“That dude’s not right in the head.”
“No kidding.”
“Technically, neither are you – if you need penicillin,” Selkirk chimed in once more, making the entire team burst out laughing for ten minutes straight at the crass joke before cracking up all over again the second that they looked at each other once more.
