“We have a couple of hours. Matthew, you, Grizzly, and Jameson take the women to the plane and head home. Alert Dr. Greene, we have five survivors and their condition. Julio and I will stay back and deal with this and interrogate the men.”
“No,” Matthew said. “Send them, and I’ll keep watch. You can’t interrogate and watch your six.”
“Matthew’s correct. Why don’t you explain to the women while we get Jameson and Caroline settled?” Julio said as they approached the vehicle.
Garrett slid open the door, and two women moved to the back seats while he assisted Jameson with Caroline. Matthew passed him several blankets and got out, letting Garrett slide into the driver’s seat.
Caroline never moved. Her eyes remained shut as he held her close, sharing his body heat and scanning her body for any broken limbs.
“Hold on, ladies. I’m turning up the heat. Jameson, try to get some water down her,” he said, passing another bottle of water to him.
Unscrewing the lid, Jameson attempted to give her some water, and it dribbled down her chin.
“Shit. She’s ice cold,” Jameson swore. “Maybe we need to have Rebecca call in a medical team,” he suggested, worried.
“We’ve trained for this. Dr. Greene will meet the flight. You can talk to her once we take off. Keep her warm, and I’ll start an IV,” Garrett said calmly, driving to the private airfield.
When they reached the plane, Garrett and the pilot escorted the women to their seats. His friend returned, helping him carry Caroline up the steep stairs and onto a cot in the far back.
They gently placed Caroline on her side while Garrett inspected her back. “Damn,” he muttered, “The wounds appear infected. Let’s clean up her arm and place an IV. I wish we knew her allergies.”
“She’s not allergic to anything,” Jameson told him. “She’s O positive. Dr. Reese’s notes say she’s up to date on her shots.”
“Good job, man,” Garrett praised him while he grabbed towels to wash Caroline’s arm. He checked her blood pressure and frowned. Taking out the IV kit, he searched for a vein, swabbed it with alcohol, and inserted the needle. Once Garrett ensured everything worked properly, he pulled Jameson to the side. “Call Dr. Greene. She’s not in good shape, Jameson. Warm her up slowly and get her cleaned up while we’re in the air. I’ll tend to the others. Stay with Caroline.”
“Thanks, man,” Jameson said, kneeling beside her and placing another blanket around her.
“Keep her on the side. If she wakes, her back will feel like hell,” Garrett advised.
“I will,” Jameson said, rising and grabbing towels, a bowl, and pillows to place behind her. Pulling the mud-caked strands away from her, Jameson softly washed her face and arms. He found a pair of scissors and cut away the thin shirt from her front, leaving the dirty bra on. He started at her feet and washed them thoroughly, getting between the toes. Both of her ankles held scars where they shackled her, making his anger grow. Ashe moved up her leg, he noticed the dark blue bruise running from her hip to below the short shorts she wore.
Pulling out his phone, he called Dr. Greene.
“Hi, Jameson. Give me her vitals,” she answered.
Jameson rattled off her blood pressure and her visible injuries. “Garrett put in an IV. Can I give her anything for pain? She opened her eyes at the farm, but she hasn’t moved since,” he blurted.
“First, you must remain calm. You can’t help her if you panic. Keep her warm. Do you have a stethoscope on the plane?”
Jameson yanked open drawers until he found what he needed. “Yeah.”
“Put it to her chest and tell me what you hear,” she ordered.
Jameson listened closely. “I hear crackling and like a bubbling sound,” he told her. “What does it mean?”
“Get oxygen on her now. It sounds like she may have pneumonia,” Dr. Greene informed him. “Keep her warm, and I’ll have a colleague meet me at the airport to determine whether she needs additional intervention than what I can provide at the ranch.”
“What about the pain?” he asked.
“Jameson, she’s unconscious. If we can prevent her from getting additional medication, it’ll be for the best. It might lower her blood pressure even more. Talk to her and keep her comfortable until you get here. Call me if you have any issues.”
“All right,” he said, defeated.
“You’re doing a great job. If you didn’t know her medical history, it’d be harder to care for her. I’ll be sure to have everything we need, and I’ll have Rebecca on call if we need to go to the hospital. She can ensure a secure location,” Dr. Greene assured him.
“’Kay. Thanks,” he said, hanging up his phone. He knelt beside Caroline’s head and stroked her cheek. “Keep fighting, Caroline. You’re safe now. No one will hurt you again.”
CHAPTER FOUR
