Finn flying through the air.
Finn wrapping his arms around the man in danger.
Finn shoved him hard enough that he cleared the cart’s path and stumbled along the deck.Several of his team members caught him and pulled him to safety.
All of that happened in the blink of an eye.I kept my attention focused on Finn.He was so close to clearing the cart.
Come on, buddy.
But the same momentum that launched the other man forward caused Finn to lose his footing on the steep ramp.
He dropped to one knee, his hands catching the rest of his weight.
The cart caught his ankle.Rolled over his shin.
The sickening crunch of bones echoed around the loading dock.
“Aahhh!”
“Finn!”Burn and I yelled his name at nearly the same time and raced toward him.
The cart slowed but didn’t stop and ran over his right hand.Another anguished cry split the air until it was cut off abruptly.
“Finn!”
Was he dead?
Burn reached him before I did, so I joined the scrum of men trying to stop the runaway cart.
It slowed, stopped, but the damage was done.And Finn was still trapped beneath it.
“Finn?”His name was a prayer and a question.
“Still...here...Dax.”Every word sounded like a struggle.I hated that he was injured and in pain, but I was so glad he was still breathing.
Next to him, Burn was sprawled on the deck, her hand reaching for him under the cart.Her murmurednononononobroke my heart.Finn had been injured in the same accident that killed Wilson.This incident, while completely different, threatened to dredge up memories of that horrible time.
I shoved those thoughts as deep as I could and channeled my fear and anger into command mode.One of my team—my brother—was injured.I couldn’t afford to lose myself in the moment.
“We need medical help, stat!”Damn, I wished Mercer was here with us.
“On its way.”Bruce already had his comms in hand and was communicating with someone, presumably medical.
That sorted, I focused on the next problem.Finn’s position.
At Burn’s side, I dropped to the ground and peered under the cargo sled.Finn’s face was ashen, every feature caught in a rictus of pain.As far as I could tell, the cart wasn’t actually pinning him down.It would just be almost impossible to move it without some part of Finn being in the way.
“Help is coming, Finn.Just hold on.”Sitting back on my knees, I found Bruce in the crowd of people on the deck.“How long ’til medical is here?”
“The spaceport’s medic will be here any minute now.The planet-based medical transport has launched.ETA on that is twelve minutes.”
“Hang on, buddy.”
“I...hate...our new...gig.”
I laughed the way I was supposed to.“Yeah, this wasn’t a great start.”
A shadow appeared at my side.I looked up to find Lacy next to me.“I grabbed the ship’s med kit.”She set it down next to me.
