Page 35 of Off the Clock
“Seriously?” Maren made an indignant noise but kept on applying pressure. “You’re going to hit on me right now? You might be dying, and you’re on a date with my best friend.”
“Date is a strong word.” Diesel’s tone stayed dreamy. Taking advantage of the kid’s distraction, Caleb moved quickly to splint the broken leg. “Ow. Motherfucker. Jesus H. Hockey sticks. Ow.”
“That’s right. Let it out,” Caleb encouraged. “I know it hurts, but I need you to stay with us.”
“I don’t wanna die.” Diesel’s voice cracked. “And I want my dad.”
“You’re not dying. Not to today.” I’d said the words before and been wrong, but I put as much conviction as I could muster behind my voice. “Maren? Do you know his dad?”
“Oh yeah. His dad owns The Heist—that bar in the old Mount Hope bank building downtown.” Maren pointed at the ground near Diesel. “That’s Diesel’s phone.”
“Okay, when we’re back at the road, Maren will call your dad and tell him to meet you at the hospital once we know where the chopper is taking you.”
“Here.” Caleb handed Diesel’s phone to Maren. “Tony and I will take most of his weight, but you’re going to have to help keep his core steady so we don’t worsen the injury.”
“I can do that.” Maren nodded sharply.
Caleb bent low to speak into Diesel’s ear. “Now comes the hard part. Tony, Maren, and I are going to carry you out.”
Diesel made a loud noise of protest. “You’re gonna move me with a freaking fence post in my side, and it’s gonna hurt.”
“It is.” Admirably, Caleb didn’t sugarcoat or try to minimize the coming pain. “This is where you’ve got to be strong, but you’re not alone. We’re going to be with you every step, and we’re going to get you help. But in order to do that, we’re going to have to move as a team.”
Caleb directed Maren and me into specific positions and outlined how he wanted us to lift Diesel with as much support as possible. Diesel’s already pale complexion dimmed further the more Caleb talked, but then Diesel inhaled sharply, steadying himself in a way I knew intimately.
“Okay, I’m ready.” He ground out each word, cost abundantly clear, and I had to swallow hard.
“Good. You’re doing great.” Caleb took a second to squeeze Diesel’s hand before directing his attention to Maren and me. “Okay, on three. Slow and steady.”
Diesel’s pained yell when we lifted him would stay with me for years. But there was no time for comfort for any of us. Somehow, someway, the three of us started carrying Diesel down the trail, one painstaking step at a time. Each second that ticked by was another second of blood loss, but we could only go so fast.
“I hear something.” Maren’s voice perked up as she gazed skyward.
“Yup. We’re almost there.” Caleb kept his voice upbeat despite the strain of carrying Diesel. The first few steps, Diesel had moaned and cried softly, but the closer we got to the trailhead, the softer his sounds became. “Talk to me, Diesel,” Caleb urged. “Keep with us.”
Diesel’s only reply was a weak moan.
“Dude. Think about the wicked scar you’re gonna have. Impress all the girls.” Maren’s voice wavered, but she did a decent impression of teasing, earning her a little laugh from Diesel.
“Only one girl I want.”
“There they are!” Stephanie chose that exact moment to come dashing up the trail, followed closely by an EMT crew. The sound of an approaching chopper grew louder, and the next few minutes were chaotic as we worked with the EMTs to get Diesel on a stretcher in a way that didn’t put undue pressure on the metal chunk still angrily protruding from his side.
I didn’t recognize the crew, based out of a nearby town, but they knew Caleb, as evidenced by their hurried greetings and a couple of jokes. My lower back tensed. The whole crisis, I’d focused on Diesel and been more than a little in awe of Caleb, but now, fresh worries flooded my brain. No one was supposed to know we’d spent the day together.
The life flight helicopter pulled off a tight landing even a seasoned army pilot would be impressed by, and their crew took over. And yet more people who knew Caleb, as the medic nodded at him. “Good work, Caleb. Not a rookie anymore, are you?”
“Nope.” Caleb glanced away, uncharacteristically bashful. “Just trying to do my job.”
“Well, you did good. All of you.” The older guy had one final nod for us as they finished moving Diesel from the EMTstretcher to their own transport. A few moments later, the chopper took off, speeding away, carrying all our hopes for Diesel with it.
“You really were incredible, Caleb. You too, Tony.” Maren’s voice was much more enthusiastic now. “Wait till I tell my dad.”
“Yeah.” I managed only the barest of replies.
“Well, I better get Stephanie to the hospital. And call Diesel’s dad again.” Maren’s businesslike expression mirrored the one Eric used on shift. They might not share blood, but the family backbone ran deep nonetheless.
“You did great too, sweetheart.” I gave her a fast hug, the kind I’d offer one of my sisters. I couldn’t exactly ask her not to tell Eric, so I waved her away even as my gut twisted.