"Stuff your order, Larabee" the young man murmured. The pressure on Chris’ hand fell away and Vin’s body went limp.

"NATHAN!" Larabee’s world jolted to a halt.

The medic sprang forward, his hand darting to Vin’s neck. The sharpshooter’s pulse was weak and rapid. "He’s going into shock."

"But he hasn’t lost that much blood," Buck argued dropping to his knees, his face a mask of desperation.

"Shock isn’t always connected to excessive blood loss," Nathan snapped, ripping his coat off and throwing it over his fallen friend to help maintain his body temperature. "Any time a body fails to function the way it should it’s in shock."

Josiah and Buck removed their coats and laid them across their unconscious partner. "Vin’s lost the ability to regulate normal functions like body temperature. His heart is racing to pump blood around his body, but he’s not utilizing oxygen efficiently."

"Do something!  For God’s sake, do something" Chris ordered… pleaded.  Helplessness clawed at his being. He’d told Vin to relax because everything was okay… he’d thought everything was going to be all right.

"There isn’t a lot I can do, Colonel," Nathan stated calmly as he removed the head set from Vin. "Vin’s brain runs his nervous system which operates his breathing and circulatory systems. His brain is sending mixed messages at the moment. It’s withdrawing blood from his limbs to boost the flow to his vital organs, but once his body senses the need for more oxygen in the extremities it will... "

"I don’t want a *&%@ing medical lecture. Just help him!" Larabee roared, drawing Vin’s limp body from the ground and against his chest. He couldn’t lose Vin now. He wouldn’t lose Vin again!

Buck reached for Chris’s shoulder. "Easy, partner."

"Nathan..." Larabee started, allowing the medic to ease Vin from him and gently roll him onto his side to make breathing easier. With practiced ease, Nathan produced a bandage from nowhere and began bandaging Vin’s two wounds. The bullet would have to wait.

"That should control the bleeding until I have time to deal with it. We need to get him to hospital a.s.a.p. God, Ezra!" Nathan exclaimed. He’d left his teammate hidden several feet from the battle.

"Do not concern yourself, Sergeant Jackson." Ezra and J.D. were making their way toward the group, the younger agent half carrying, half dragging Standish. "Agent Dunne offered to escort me back to the fold. Colonel Larabee, we really must discuss your insistence I partake in these interesting and educational jaunts into the wilderness. I..." Ezra paused, realizing the men were crowded around someone lying on the ground. "Is he...?"

"Memory rush. He’s gone into shock," Nathan informed the approaching men.

Chris Larabee hadn’t taken his eyes off Vin’s face since Tanner leaped out from behind the log. He felt numb - overwhelmed - relieved - and terrified all at the same time. For two years he had longed... prayed for this moment.  The dream had become a nightmare for their reunion had left Vin fighting for his life. Those final thoughts sent the E.M. 6 leader into action.

"Buck, we need to get Vin and Ezra to a hospital."

Wilmington shot off in the direction of the plane. There was no runway, but Buck had got the damn thing down with minimal damage and if he could get it down then by God, he would get the bird in the air again.

"Nathan and J.D, help Ezra. Josiah, help me with Vin." Every time Chris said his friend’s name his chest tightened.

"Yes, would someone please help, Ezra," Ezra lamented. "I have been shot, in case any of you failed to notice, and I feel obliged to inform you it is a most unpleasant experience. As a matter of fact, it is almost as painful as losing to a fat pig of an amateur whose skills with cards were about as dexterous as a hippopotamus trying to take flight."

"Almost?" Nathan inquired as he gently eased his arm around his partner’s back without jostling Ezra’s injured shoulder. The medic knew Ezra was attempting to ease the group’s anxiety and for that, he was grateful. "Almost?" Nathan prompted again.

"Almost, but not quite. Have I ever told you about the time I was beaten by a man who had the talent of a carbuncle? He defeated me with a full house. I do believe there is nothing on this planet more painful than watching an obnoxious neophyte rake in a pot."

"How about watching a plane landing on your car?" J.D. asked as the group made their way through the trees.

"I heard that!" Buck shouted into the men’s headsets. He had picked up the exchange, and like Ezra, was trying to give his team something to hold on to.

"The boy does have a point, Captain Wilmington. You did squash his car."

"Well, what do you expect? He parked it on the runway."

"Next to. Next to the runway," J.D. insisted.

"Well, there you go, Kid. Why would you do a fool thing like that?"

"I didn’t think any planes would be landing in the parking lot."

"Well, you made a mistake, didn’t ya."

"Mistake! Buck you totalled my car!"

"And I apologized."

J.D. was grinning. He would never forget the day in question.  The men had been returning from a mission in the middle of a blizzard. Low on fuel due to taking several hits in the fuel tank, Buck had to land. Of course, it wasn’t until the captain tried to lower the landing gear he realized it had been damaged during the battle. If Buck Wilmington hadn’t been an exceptional pilot they would have been killed. J.D.’s car hadn’t been so lucky. The plane had skidded across the runway and slammed into the agent’s small red Nissan. Needless to say, there was very little of the Nissan left afterwards.

"He did apologize," Josiah agreed. The big man glanced at his leader. Chris was the only one not utilizing the banter to ease his emotional hell, but as Josiah stared into Larabee’s tight face he realized attempting to draw Chris into it would fail. His leader was focused on one thing - keeping Vin alive. Larabee’s hand was stapled to Vin’s shoulder, the sharpshooter cradled between the two soldiers as they rushed him toward the team’s plane and ultimately the medical care he desperately needed.

"He’ll make it, Chris. He knows you’re here. He won’t give in without one a hell of a fight," Josiah whispered.

For the first time, Chris flicked his eyes away from Vin. "I know." But like the others, Chris knew shock killed quickly and without explanation. They’d all seen men die of shock in Katinda. Men who had been lucid and talking one minute and dead three minutes later.

By the time the plane came into view, the engines were already roaring.

"This is going to be a bumpy ride, so you better strap the boys into those stretchers," Buck stated into his head set, watching his companions appear out of the trees.

Once on board, Nathan left J.D. to hold Ezra upright while he released the stretchers from the walls and pulled them down into place.

"Ezra, once we’re in the air, I’ll stitch your shoulder and give you some blood. Damn, your wound’s started bleeding again."

"Take your time, my friend. The thought of lying down is enough to satisfy my every need at present," Ezra forced out as J.D. and Nathan eased him onto the stretcher. Nathan reached for his hand and squeezed it firmly, understanding his friend was in considerable pain.

Ezra nodded and closed his eyes. He was vaguely aware of someone wrapping him in a blanket and strapping him into the stretcher but fatigue from loss of blood and the burning pain searing through his shoulder prevented him caring what was going on around him. He was certain of one thing though - he was safe. He could depend on these men to do what was necessary to protect him - these men who had become so much more than simply the men he worked with.

As Ezra sank down into the painless world of unconsciousness, he reflected on how his life had changed in the fourteen months he’d been with E.M.6. He had been selfish and self-centered when he’d worked for ‘SeCReTs’… he could admit that now. That had changed... he had changed... no, they had changed him. Or had he always been a decent man who’d been determined to hide behind a facade of egocentricity to protect himself from the pain of sharing his life with other human beings or admitting he gave a damn about people? That was what Josiah had said to him once. And Nathan had said, ‘you’re a better man than you want to be, Ezra’. And the other day when he’d said, ‘don’t I always put No. 1 first?’, Chris had responded with ‘no, usually you put the rest of us first, which is why Buck and Josiah are going with you to make sure you don’t get your stupid head shot off!’

Ezra smiled to himself as unconsciousness took him. He’d always had a less than complimentary view of himself… until he’d become a part of E.M.6. Low self-esteem, Josiah had diagnosed. But now Ezra had friends... no, mates... who believed in him and that meant more to Ezra Standish than breathing.

**

Nathan finished strapping Ezra into place and then moved over to do the same to Vin. "J.D., monitor Ezra’s pulse and breathing. I want to know the moment anything changes. He’s in danger of going into shock too. The moment we’re in the air, I’ll start a blood transfusion."

"Okay, Nathan," J.D agreed, kneeling down beside the unconscious agent. "You just relax, Ezra. You’re going to be fine."

"Chris, I need you to do the same thing for Vin.  I need to know of any change."

Larabee nodded.

"You ready, boys?" Buck inquired.

"Go."

"Is everyone strapped in? This is going to be bumpy as hell."

Chris glanced at J.D. and inclined his head toward the seats.

The youth nodded. "Be back in a minute, Ez." Quickly he moved off to strap in. Both Josiah and Nathan did the same.

"Colonel?" Josiah asked.

"Alright, Buck. Let’s get this bird in the air," Larabee ordered.

"Colonel, aren’t your going to strap in?" J.D. asked.

Chris gripped Vin’s shoulder firmly. It was less a case of he would not, as opposed to he could not leave Vin. The hand attached to Tanner’s shoulder was a lifeline for Vin - for them both.

Buck taxied the plane around and then sent it rocketing down the narrow corridor. He prayed the tyres would hold. The plane shook viciously as it picked up speed.

Chris was thrown roughly, but his steel-like grip did not leave Vin. The plane jolted. Chris started to fall. Strong hands grabbed and righted him. Josiah was out of his seat and holding his leader with one hand and the stretcher with the other to anchor them. The huge Sergeant understood the significance of the physical bond Chris was trying to maintain with Vin. As long as Vin knew Chris was there, he would continue to fight… nothing was surer.

The plane jerked once more and then began to lift into the air.

"Yeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaaaa!! What did I tell you boys? We’re airborne."

"Well done, Captain," Chris breathed. None of them doubted Buck’s ability to do the impossible.

Nathan moved across to Ezra and started giving orders. "J.D., I need some of Ezra’s blood." The youth unbuckled and moved over to the medical compression cabinet. In it were various medicines including a supply of each of the men’s own blood. Nathan maintained their own blood was more efficient and so he insisted on collecting blood from his teammates on a regular basis. Hence, Ezra’s oft-repeated insistence Nathan had to be related to Count Dracula.

"Josiah, I need my instruments. I’ll stitch this up, but it’ll have to be done properly once we get him to hospital. Chris, how’s Vin doing?"

"Pulse is weak and rapid. Breathing is labored, but he’s holding his own."

"J.D., where’s that blood?"

**

Chris tuned out the sounds of his men. He gazed at Vin’s pale face.

Hell, he was thin.

Hell, it was good to see him.

Larabee couldn’t prevent a smile claming his face. I knew you were alive, you scruffy sonofabitch! A million emotions released into Chris’ system in that instant, all wrestling for supremacy. Guilt, anger, relief, joy, concern but most of all, fear. Vin was fighting for his life.

Hang on, Cowboy. We’ll have you at the hospital in no time.

Chris swallowed as rage began to win the internal battle. This shouldn’t have happened. Gaston shouldn’t have played God with Vin’s life. He should have brought Vin back to his team - where he belonged. Travis should have informed Chris the moment he’d been informed. Hell, someone should have told the STF1 leader! What right did they have to make Vin’s decisions? No one had that right but Vin himself and Vin would never have chosen to run from the horrific memories of Katinda if it meant losing his mates in the process.

Damn, Gaston!

Damn, Travis!

Damn the CIA!

Damn them all to hell!

Look what their self-righteous decisions had achieved. By what authority had they acted... acted to do what they thought was the best for Vin. Acted to protect him from whoever had double-crossed him. Acted with only Vin’s best interests in mind... even if they had been wrong. Chris’ emotions continued to ride a roller coaster of hell. All he wanted was for Vin to be okay. Was that too much to ask?

**

"You okay, Chris?" Nathan asked. Larabee glanced up and nodded. The medic searched his leader’s drained face. He looked dreadful.  Nathan considered suggesting Chris pull down one of the other stretchers and rest, but he knew it was out of the question. The medic reached for Vin’s pulse and frowned.

"Nathan?" Chris snapped.

"Take it easy, Chris. He’s still alive and he’s still doing everything and more than we can expect at the moment."

Larabee nodded shortly.

"Vin saw you, Chris. He recognized you. If that doesn’t get him through this, nothing will,” Nathan assured. “I haven’t met a more stubborn man than Vin Tanner. I reckon he’s just stubborn enough to pull through without my help."

"How’s Ezra?" Larabee asked.

"Fine. I’m giving him blood and I’ve stitched the wound. Probably still need some surgery when we reach the hospital, but I’ve done most of the work. He’ll be up and around in no time, no doubt complaining his head off and milking sympathy at every opportunity."

"He’s a good man," Chris commented.

"The best," Nathan agreed. "He took the bullet for Buck."

" We’re damn lucky Travis chose two good men to join us. J.D. did a great job out there today." Larabee shifted his attention Dunne who was sitting with Ezra, monitoring his condition. "J.D., we need two ambulances waiting at the airport and transport to get the rest of us to the hospital. And I want the hospital ready for our arrival."

The Dunne nodded. "Josiah, can you take over here?"

"Hey, Kid. You did good," his leader commented quietly as the youth moved passed him.

J.D. Dunne’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Thanks, Chris." Nothing meant more to J.D. than his leader’s praise.

Larabee adjusted his headset. "Buck, how long?"

"Another ten minutes, Colonel. How are Vin and Ezra?"

"Doing well." There was an audible sigh of relief from the cockpit.

"Nathan," Josiah called. "Ezra’s moving around a bit."

The medic knelt down beside his patient. "Easy, Ezra. You’re okay."

"I would like to debate that diagnosis." Josiah and Nathan exchanged a grin. Ezra opened his eyes.

"How are you feeling?"

Ezra thought about it and then searched for an appropriate description. "Do you remember Agent Dunne’s car after Buck landed on it? I imagine that automobile and I would have a lot in common right about now."

"That’s what I like about you, Ezra, you never exaggerate," Josiah chuckled.

"How is Lieutenant Tanner?" the injured man inquired.

Nathan sighed and shrugged. "Not good," he whispered. "He’s in shock. Breathing and pulse have become erratic."

"Chris know?" Josiah asked with concern.

Guilt flashed across Nathan’s eyes. "Chris has enough to deal with at the moment. Worrying isn’t going to change Vin’s condition."

"Don’t let him die," Josiah whispered. Chris wouldn’t survive losing Vin again.

Nathan’s face reflected the strain of responsibility.  "Josiah, you know there’s nothing I can do."

"I know. I didn’t mean, I..."

Nathan’s chin bobbed. He understood. They all felt the same helplessness. "He saw Chris. If he hadn’t, I’d be worried."

Ezra frowned thoughtfully. "They’re that close?"

"Two minds, one soul," Josiah murmured. "Vin will pull through this for Chris’ sake, not his own. Just as you chose to save Buck’s life and endanger your own in doing so."

Standish grinned. "Actually, I told Buck to get his head down because I did not relish the idea of tracking down my horse and riding back to the ranch house. My derriere was killing me. I am unable to pilot this bucket of bolts and thus I needed Captain Wilmington’s limited talent and expertise..."

"Yeah right, Ezra."

"That’s enough talking from you. Rest. You’ve lost quite a bit of blood and that blue stuff of yours is rare," Nathan chuckled. "We’d have to contact the royals in England to get some shipped over."

"Touche," Ezra commented closing his eyes.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Flight 406 will be arriving at the airport in two minutes. Please return to your seats and obey the no smoking signs. Should we, for any reason, encounter any red Nissans on the runway, an oxygen mask will fall from the ceiling above your seat. Thank you."

"In your ass, Buck!" J.D. shouted.

"You leave my extremely cute ass out of this, J.D."

The computer technician rolled his eyes. "Chris, there are two ambulances waiting and the van we hired earlier today is still there. The hospital is expecting us."

"Well done, Kid."

Buck Wilmington’s voice suddenly filled the plane. "… clear that runway because I’m coming in! I’ve got two wounded men on board... yeah, those ambulances are waiting for me...no, I’m not going to wait two minutes so commercial flight 617 can take off on time. Get commercial flight 617 off the runway or I’m gonna land this baby on top of it!" There was a pause and then Buck shouted back to his companions. "So how’s that for finesse, boys? Shit, I should be the team’s liaison officer."

**********

Lincoln Hospital had never seen the like of the group of men who accosted the emergency room at 4:06pm. First came Colonel Christopher Larabee and his unconscious sharpshooter - their ambulance arriving several minutes before the van and other ambulance carrying Nathan and Ezra.

"It’s all right, Sir, we have him now," a tired nurse stated trying to coax Chris away from the stretcher.

"I’m staying with him," Chris explained quietly.

"That won’t be possible."

"Yes, it will," Larabee growled, his intense green eyes flashing a silent warning. The woman stepped back.

A large orderly approached. "You’ve done well to get your friend here. Now let the doctors take over."

"Where the hell is the doctor?" Chris demanded, his anger fuelled by his deep concern. Vin’s breathing had become irregular and despite Nathan’s reassurances, Larabee was worried. "We rang ahead to make sure..."

"It’s alright, Sir. Just relax. The doctor is on his way." The orderly stepped forward. "Now why don’t you..."

"Back off." Chris was in no mood for this.

The nurse pushed the call button. Four other burley orderlies appeared.

Larabee’s eyes narrowed. "Don’t try it."

"Calm down, Sir.  We understand you are..."

"You don’t understand shit." One of the orderlies reached for the arm attached to Vin.

Mistake!

Big, big, HUGE mistake.

Chris Larabee drew his weapon. The orderlies backed away. "Attempt to separate us and I will use this."

"Send for security," one of the orderlies whispered to the nurse.

"I am the leader of E.M.6. I pull rank on every *&%@ing military and security organization in this country."

"Mister, we don’t care if you’re the president. You can not go into surgery with your friend."

Three armed security guards arrived. "I’m E.M.6. Stand down." Chris ordered. The security guards froze.

"Do you have any I.D., Sir?"

It was then Buck, Josiah and J.D. burst through the doors. They saw five orderlies surrounding their leader, three security guards aiming their weapons at him, and Chris with gun in hand trying to protect Vin. The men of E.M.6 drew.

"E.M.6! Drop your weapons!" Buck roared.

The security guards did so immediately. These fully armed soldiers looked like they meant business.

"Back away from the Colonel," Buck ordered. "Sir, are you alright?"

Chris nodded and put his gun away.

Nathan rushed into the room ahead of Ezra’s stretcher. "What the hell is going on?"

"A little misunderstanding," Josiah explained, holstering his weapon. "I’m guessing these gentlemen attempted to spirit Vin off to surgery without the colonel."

"Who’s in charge here?” Nathan snapped. “Where the hell are the doctors? I’ve got two wounded men. One’s in shock and the other is on the verge of it." A slight exaggeration with reference to Ezra. The blood Nathan had given the injured man had done its job.

"The doctor is on his...."

"One won’t be enough."

"I’m sorry. There was a bus accident an hour ago." A haggard looking man in a white coat announced as he appeared through a set of swinging doors. "I’m Dr. Allison."

Nathan stepped forward and shook the other man’s hand. "Dr. Jackson. Agent Standish can wait. I’ve given him blood and done the preliminary stitching required. Lieutenant Tanner’s condition is unstable. He has two bullet wounds. One’s a graze and the other is still in there. He hasn’t lost a lot of blood but he has gone into shock brought on by the return of memories after two years of amnesia - a result, we believe, of Jungle Fever and Post Traumatic Stress. "

Dr. Allison was blinking. "I…The wounds I can deal with. For the other, you’ll need an expert and we don’t have that sort of expert here. Please use the phones to contact whoever you need, Dr. Jackson." Allison turned and indicated for the orderlies to bring the stretcher. He started to open his mouth when Chris began to walk with the bed, but Nathan silenced him.

"Colonel Larabee will be staying with Lieutenant Tanner. It’s important." Dr. Allison shrugged. He was out of his depth on this one anyway and he certainly didn’t wish to upset the hard looking man with the green eyes of fire whom the security guards and orderlies all eyed with apprehension.

The members of E.M.6 watched Chris disappear with Vin. All took a deep breath to steady their stripped emotions. There was a certain amount of relief knowing Vin was in a hospital - in a hospital and Chris was with him... in a hospital and alive, not lost dying in the jungles of Katinda.

**********