Shaw heard Priest whisper something else, “I-I almost g-g-gave up back there. C-C-Couldn’t t-take anymore.”
Shaw hugged Priest and was sobbing now. “Don’t worry, brother, we are going to take care of you. We got you, we got you. These fuckers are gonna pay…. as God is my witness, they are gonna fucking pay!”
Priest weakly tapped Shaw on his shoulder and lifted his head higher with great effort and croaked out, “T- T- That you Cap?”
“Yeah, it’s me, Alec.”
“G-good to see you too, Mar… Marcusss,” Priest passed out and went limp.
Webb was trying to stem the flow of tears as well. “Love you too, brother. We’re getting you out of here, right fucking now!” Webb hit the radio, “We found Priest and we are exfiling out the rear. Give me a sitrep.”
“The rest of the locals in the facility are dead. I can’t be sure, but I think a few escaped out the side window. We were engaged already, but Neville could take one out. We were going around there to confirm. We’ll meet you at the Jeep,” Doc responded.
“Copy that.” Webb nodded at Shaw, who was carrying Priest. They just arrived at the Jeep when Neville and Doc came around the corner. Shaw was putting Priest in the passenger seat.
“Jesus, Mother Mary and Joseph,” Doc said as he made the sign of the cross.
Priest moaned something inaudible.
Webb motioned to them to get in. “We’re going, Alec. Just hold on.”
Shaw drove like a madman, getting the team back to the facility. Shaw and Webb along with Doc rushed Priest to the infirmary and left Neville to get the gear and clean up all the blood.
They burst into the infirmary, which startled Lia, who was resting her leg a couple of beds away. They rushed in and laid Priest down on one bed.
Lia looked at them in horror, “That can’t be!” She trailed off. Webb looked back at her and nodded his head. She let out a cry and was struggling to get out of bed. Izzy came rushing in from another door.
“Lia, be still and rest that leg.”
Lia was yelling, “Get me over there. Get me to Alec!” Izzy looked over and saw a bloody mess.
“Oh dear God,” she gasped. “What did they do to him?” She was still staring when Lia’s yelling snapped her out of her shock.
“Get me over there, damnit!” Izzy grabbed a wheelchair and lifted one of the leg braces. She helped Lia in and wheeled her over.
Lia grabbed Priest’s bloody hand, “Alec, it’s Lia and I’m right here, I’m right here, baby.” She was in tears, but was trying not to lose it. That isn’t what Alec needed right now.
Izzy wedged herself in, and she and Doc worked on him. She told Webb and Shaw to leave because they were getting in the way. She knew better than to tell Lia to move.
Shaw and Webb moved out into the hallway. Shaw was still in tears and was looking up at the ceiling with his hands folded on the back of his head. He was taking deep breaths. Webb was bent over at the waist with his hands on his knees. They heard footsteps running toward them and looked up to see Allison running toward them.
She ran to Shaw and was about to hug him, but stopped. She looked at him up and down with shock on her face. Shaw cocked his head and looked at her strangely, then realized why she stopped. He looked down, and he was covered in blood.
He looked at Allison with tears streaming down his face, “It’s Alec’s,” was all he said. Allison put her hand to her mouth. She rushed in and hugged him, anyway. Shaw paused for a second and then hugged her back.
Izzy came out. “It’s going to be awhile. You guys should go clean up. You’re not going back in there with all the germs and dirt, anyway. Go, go. We will take care of him and we will let you know how he is doing.” The three paused for a couple of seconds and then left to go to their dorm rooms.
CHAPTER 44
Shaw stripped off his clothes and sat back on the bed in his underwear. He felt a wave of emotion sweep over him. Thinking back to Yemen and when they pulled Priest out of that terrorist compound. He wasn’t in as awful shape as he was now. Priest had sacrificed himself back then. He always took the hit for his men, but this shit needed to stop. He shook his head, got up and went to the bathroom. He looked at himself in the mirror. He thought to himself, this is all he had left. This was his family, and he was going to hold on to it no matter what.
Once Priest was better, if he gets better. He raged and smashed his fist against the wall. He WILL get better and we’re going to cut this shit out right now. He walked over and started the shower. He adjusted as hot as he could stand it, stripped off his underwear and got in.
The scalding water felt like magic running over his body. He was a machine, but machines break down once in a while. His sore muscles needed this. As he let the water flow over his back, he heard a noise. The steam from hot water covered the glass and he couldn’t see out. He thought he saw the outline of a figure, so he opened the shower door. Allison was standing there, still wearing the bloody clothes, tears streaming down her face. He looked at her, but said nothing. He reached out his hand to her, which she grabbed with both of hers and gave it a squeeze. She let go of it and then undressed. Shaw watched her, but his expression was one of understanding but also of need. She finished removing her clothes and joined him in the shower. The steam surrounded them as they embraced.
Webb had gotten out of the shower when Izzy walked in. She looked disheveled and completely exhausted. She looked up at him and tears started flowing when she saw him. He went to hug her, knowing what she had just seen. She held on to him tightly and he could feel her body shake as she sobbed.
“I have seen nothing like that before. I can’t imagine how much pain he must have been in.” Webb said nothing, but just held her until she stopped crying. She pulled back from him and wiped her eyes.