“Hold him,” Kyle barked.
He successfully pulled the bullet free, but before they could celebrate a spray of red blood squirted into the air, soaking Ava’s cheek and hair and Kyle’s face.
“Oh no,” Kyle murmured as he glanced down at the wound. “I must have nicked an artery. If we don’t find the bleeder…he’s going to bleed out in minutes.”
Ava’s stomach plummeted at the words, her heart pounding hard against her ribs They couldn’t let Sebastian die…but they may be out of options.
CHAPTER 21
ALEX
Alex’s muscles strained trying to hold down the larger man as Kyle worked to remove the bullet. His stomach churned, the thought of what was being done mere feet from him sending wave after wave of nausea crashing over him.
He kept his gaze focused on the woodgrain of the table, struggling to keep his focus as Kyle asked Ava to provide suction to give him a better view.
“Ugh,” Alex groaned as he slid his eyes closed, his hands pressing down on Sebastian’s bulky shoulders.
"Almost," Kyle said, his brow furrowed with concentration. The metallic scent of blood filled the air, mingling with the stale odor of the old cabin. "Can you suction again?" Ava’s fingers trembled as she reached for the baster, the cold plastic slippery with blood.
Bile crept up in Alex’s throat, and he eased his pressure slightly as he struggled to swallow it back down. Sebastian,still awake, groaned in pain, shifting on the table under Alex.
“Hold him,” Kyle growled.
Alex placed firmer pressure against the man’s shoulders as he risked a glance down the table. Kyle pulled the bullet free, but immediately after a spray of red blood shot from the wound.
The sight made Alex’s eyes go wide, his pulse racing. His knees wobbled as he desperately tried to remain strong and be of some use in this situation.
“Oh no,” Kyle murmured, his face covered in blood. “I must have nicked an artery. If we don’t find the bleeder…he’s going to bleed out in minutes.”
Ava stared at him, her lips parted as another squirt of blood doused them.
Kyle pressed his lips together, worry etching his face as he pressed a thick pad of gauze into the wound, desperately trying to find the damaged vessel.
A curse escaped under his breath as he shook his head.
Alex began to feel lightheaded, dizziness sweeping over him.
“Alex,” Ava called, her voice garbled and distant. “Alex.”
The second call of his name was more crisp, and he snapped his gaze to her, his lips tugging into a deep frown.
"Alex, stay with me," Ava commanded, her voice steady and firm. She didn’t flinch as she grabbed the blood-soaked gauze, her hands moving with precision. "We need to save him. We don’t have another option."
“I’m getting kind of woozy here.”
Sebastian cried out as Kyle worked feverishly, trying to find the source of the bleed. A second later, he slumped against the table, his eyes sliding closed.
“He’s passed out,” Ava said. “Ace, sit down before you pass out, too.”
Alex bobbed his head, a blinding pain behind his eyes making it impossible to focus. He tugged out a chair and collapsed into it.
“I can’t find it. I can’t find it.” Kyle shook his head, his voice taut with panic. His hands shook slightly as he continued to search, the blood pooling faster than they could clear it. “Damn it, where is it?”
“Doc, calm down.”
“This isn’t a moment to be calm, Ava. If there was ever a time to panic. It’s right now when he’s bleeding out in front of me.” Kyle’s pinched features turned pained as the doctor faced the prospect of losing his patient.
Ava grabbed his chin between her thumb and forefinger, twisting him to face her. “Doc, focus. You’ve got this. What do you need from me?”
