The Rescue Pt. 03

Dark smoke is billowing behind us as the six of us make our way to the village. The smell of burning rubber, metal, wood and whatever else was in the compound wafts through the thick jungle air but it fades as we venture further into the jungle.

"I need to check on him. Can we stop for moment Yacine?" Michelle asks after nearly a half hour of walking.

"The village is not much farther," Yacine tells her. "We will take care of him there, I promise."

Michelle nods and soon they emerge from the jungle into a clearing dotted with tiny huts.

"You are back!" a woman who runs from a hut and into the arms of Yacine's father cries out. She pulls away after a brief kiss and hugs Yacine. "My baby, you are okay?"

"We're all right mama," Yacine says. "It is our friends that need help."

She looks at Michelle and then at my limp form being held by the two large men and nods. "Please help us. He's been shot," Michelle says figuring that she won't be understood her but the woman nods and points to a nearby hut.

"Bring him this way, hurry!" She tells the men. They drag me to the hut and lay my body on the bed.

"Leave us," She tells them as she kneels down and feels my head.

"Please thank them for me Yacine," Michelle tells Yacine as she kneels beside Yacine's mother.

"His skin is cool to the touch," Yacine's mother says in near perfect English.

Yacine had mentioned to Michelle that her mother taught her English so now she knows who her helper is.

"He was shot at some point and he's lost a lot of blood," She tells her. "Can you check around his neck for his dog tags? I'm hoping he still wears them."

Rhadi fumbles around for a second and then just rips the shirt open and finds them.

"Is this them?" She asks holding out the necklace containing them and the shark tooth.

Michelle looks down and stops when she sees it. She can't believe that not only does he still have it but also he still wears it. "You still wear..." she begins to say.

"Is this them?" Rhadi asks again snapping her back to reality.

"Yes that's them. His blood type should be on there."

"His blood type is A Positive," She reads.

"One problem at a time," Michelle says. "Help me get this shirt off him so I can see in the coagulant worked."

She pulls off the blood soaked bandages and tosses them to the floor with the ruined shirt. "Damn it, they got ripped back open. Stay with me Kenny," She orders.

Moving fast she opens the bag she brought with her and empties out the equipment.

"Yacine, we need water," Her mother tells her. "Go quickly and tell the men we need some boiling water."

Michelle pulls out the small bottle of alcohol and suture kit then laying them aside. "I'm sorry I don't know your name but do you have any clean rags?" She asks.

"Rhadi," She tells her. "Yes I will get them."

"Thank you Rhadi," Michelle says. "I'm Michelle."

"Yacine has mentioned you many times," She tells her and hands her the rags.

Michelle wipes away the blood and debris from my wound. Rhadi brings a lamp closer for better light for her to see by.

"Okay, I need to clean the wound and make sure it's clean then sew him up," She says aloud remembering her training.

"First time you've had to do this?" Rhadi asks.

"On someone I care about, yes."

Rhadi reaches down and takes hold of Michelle trembling hands.

"You can worry about him after you have done what must be done," She tells her. "Put the fear out of your mind and help him."

Michelle nods her head and takes a deep breath.

"Okay," She says and unscrews the cap off the alcohol bottle then pours it all over and inside the wound.

If I were conscious, I would probably be screaming at this point thankfully I'm out of it and only hiss as the burning begins.

"I'm sorry Kenny, I know that hurt," She whispers to me as she wipes away the blood and alcohol. "Okay, I need that hot water."

Yacine returns with a basin of water, the steam clearly visible as it rises up. Rhadi dumps all the surgical tools into the basin and adds a purification tablet as well.

"You've done this before too?" Michelle asks.

"Being way out here, before the Aid station was built we had to learn quickly," She says.

She nods. "Good, quick is what I need. I've got to check the wound and see what kind of damage is inside and fix that, after that I'll have to transfuse him to get some blood back in him before he dies."

"Transfuse? How will you know whose blood will be compatible?"

"I don't suppose you know anyone that's A Positive here do you?"

Rhadi shakes her head. "I'm sorry, I do not. Is there a way to test this?"

"Yes but we don't have the time. Mine's O negative, so I'm a universal donor. While it's not ideal it'll have to be me," Michelle tells her.

"Can you do it?"

Michelle looks down at my slack face and says. "If I don't he could die and he can't die. I can't let him."

Rhadi nods. "Tell what to do and I will help you."

"Thank you Rhadi. Thank you so much."

During the operation, Michelle has to sew together some torn tendons and part of the muscle that the bullet tore through along with the blood vessels that was causing the bleed out.

"You are a natural at this," Rhadi tells her as she holds the lamp close to provide light.

Yacine has joined them as well and is wiping Michelle brow as she sweats from the heat of the lamp.

"I was going to be a nurse before I switched over to Marine biology but it didn't quite prepare me for this. I did some stitching on patients at the Aid station and I paid close attention to the other doctors' work when they were operating so I guess some of it's come back to me," She tells them as she continues to work.

"You are doing excellent," Yacine assures her.

"Thanks sweetie. Honestly, I'm scared to death right now and it's taking everything I've got to keep my hands from shaking," She admits.

"Keep thinking of him as just another patient until it is done then you can worry because he is your friend," Rhadi tells her.

She nods as she finishes sewing up both the entrance and exit wounds and sits back. She blows out a relieved breath and stretches her sore back and arms while Rhadi checks my pulse.

"Michelle, his pulse is very weak." she says.

Michelle reaches over and checks herself.

"Damn it Kenny, you aren't supposed to do this to me," She says. "Yacine get me the tubing and I.V. needles from the basin and Rhadi I need a bag of saline with a place to hang it."

Yacine carefully pulls on a pair of surgical gloves from the bag and hands Michelle the items she needs. As Rhadi steps out Michelle finds my vein, inserts one end of the transfusion kit in, and tapes everything into place. Rhadi returns a few moments later with a tall piece of metal tubing.

"Will this work?" She asks Michelle.

She nods. "I brought tape so we can tape the saline bags to it. It'll be fine, thank you."

They get everything set up and Michelle takes a seat in a nearby chair. "Okay now for the hard part." She ties a band over her bicep and squeezes her hand into a fist. She looks at Rhadi. "Rhadi, I'm going to talk you through what I need you to do okay?"

Rhadi nods and Yacine helps her glove up as Michelle rubs a swab of alcohol on her own arm.

"Okay Rhadi, see that vein that's sticking out on my arm? I need you to take this needle and put it in the vein."

Rhadi shakes her head. "I don't think I can..."

"Yes, you can. It's really easy, you just come in from the bottom and slide it in just like that," Michelle tells her but can see the doubt on her face. "You had faith in me Rhadi and I have faith in you. Please help me help my friend."

Rhadi nods and takes the needle in her hand. It shake for a brief moment but then she forces herself to be steady. Slowly she leans down and carefully inserts the needle into the vein.

"I think it's done," She tells Michelle who looks down and nods.

"It looks perfect Rhadi now let's check it."

She releases the tie around her bicep and watches as the blood begins to flow from her arm to the tube and finally into my arm.

"Great job Rhadi but if he starts convulsing, pull the tube quickly, okay? Don't worry about the blood just pull the tube, okay?" She tells them.

Rhadi nods and wipes the sweat from her brow. "You need to keep talking to him. Let him know that you are here with him."

Michelle nods not really sure what to say to this man that traversed half the globe to rescue her. Gratitude just doesn't seem to be enough then she remembers how she used to tease him and how it was sort of their thing so she decides to try that.

"This isn't the white knight routine I was expecting from you Kenny. Saving me and riding off into the sunset is what you're supposed to do not passing out and making me operate on you. I suppose that after all my picking on you, you'd think this was pretty funny if you were... awake." She says as she begins to feel the effects of her blood loss. Several minutes pass with Rhadi keeping a check on my pulse.

"I think it's working," She tells Michelle who nods as she starts to feel light headed. Rhadi takes notice and gets a seat for her to sit in. "How much longer?"

"I'm not sure... he lost a lot of blood. Where was I? Anyway, I really liked having you as a friend Kenny. I missed you, ya know?" Michelle says sounding sluggish.

She sits up and Rhadi grabs her.

"Do not do that," She tells her.

"Whoa, I think you're right. I'm feeling a little light headed," She then whispers to Rhadi. "He has such nice lips. I've kissed him you know." She holds up her hand making the okay symbol.

"I think that you have gave him enough of your blood," Rhadi tells her noticing that my color has started to come back.

"Okay now... damn, I'm woozy... you need to..." Michelle says beginning to drift off.

"Michelle you need to concentrate!" Rhadi says.

She shakes her head to clear it and nods. "Right. You need to take... a new tube and attach it to the saline bag. Then attach that to his arm at the same place the other tube was."

"We can do that," Rhadi says. "Yacine, use the tape and put the saline bag up on the post then attach the tube. Michelle, try not to move too much right now, we have this."

"Good cause I'm really tired right now," Michelle says.

They get everything set up and Michelle arms bandaged before she tries to get to her feet. Her world suddenly tilts and if not for the other two she'd be lying on the floor right now. Rhadi and Yacine both steer her towards the bed.

"Lie back and rest," Rhadi says.

"But Kenny... He might need..." She starts to protest but her head feels like it's full of cotton and coming up with coherent thoughts is a problem.

"He needs to be kept warm, you both do," Rhadi says. "Relax and rest and we will look after you both."

Michelle nods and thinks as she lies back onto the bed next to me, "I'll just close my eyes for a minute."

However, as soon as her eyes close she's out. Rhadi covers us both with a sheet and dims the lamp before turning to Yacine.

"We will need to check on them throughout the night and Michelle will need some food. Let them rest for now."

Yacine nods but hesitates at the door casting a glance back the slumbering couple, a faint smile on her face.

"Keep him safe Miss Michelle," Yacine says before departing.

Michelle doesn't hear her however as she's already drifted off into a deep sleep. Several hours pass when she is awakened by a bad dream. She was alone in the jungle with Ballo tracking her down and everywhere she went he'd soon appear. His huge hand was reaching for her throat when she woke. It takes her several moments to remember where she is and that she's safe. She looks down at the body sharing her bed at the moment.

"Thank you Kenny," She says before laying back and snuggling close.

Tentatively she kisses my cheek before placing her head on my chest and falling back to sleep.

The next morning dawns and Michelle slowly awakens feeling warm and more importantly still safe. Safer than she's felt in a long time and she thinks she owes it to the body that she's snuggled up to. She smiles as she listens to my steady heartbeat and allows herself sigh with relief.

"Thank you." She says to God. My arm that's holding her tightens at the sound of her voice but I don't wake up. "I didn't think you'd have the strength to try and get fresh with me," she says then whispers, "but I'm kind of thankful that you are, just don't tell anybody."

Gently she extracts herself from my arms then checks my vitals again. "Had to be sure," she mumbles, "heartbeat feels strong, your color looks better and your breathing is steady. Now if I can just get you to wake up everything will be great."

"Miss Michelle, are you all right?" Yacine asks as she enters the hut. "I heard you talking to someone."

"I'm fine Yacine," Michelle tells her as she gets up from the bed. "I was just talking to Kenny. Hoping he could hear me."

"I told you he would come," Yacine reminds her. "The man of Death would liberate us."

"I don't understand the death thing Yacine, he's just a man?" Michelle asks.

"He wears the face of Death," Yacine repeats pointing down at my tattoo of Iron Maiden's Eddie as The Trooper emblazoned on my arm.

"Oh his tattoo, that's not Death honey, that's from a song by Iron Maiden, they're a band that he likes," Michelle tells the girl but starts to realize many of the things Yacine had been telling her had a habit of coming true.

"Maybe we should sing some their songs to rouse him," Yacine suggests.

Michelle smiles imaging trying to belt out The Trooper or Run To The Hills with Yacine and shakes her head.

"I don't think that would help," She tells her, "especially with my singing voice."

"I'm sure he likes your voice," Yacine tells her.

"Is that all you can think about?" Michelle asks. "Playing matchmaker between me and Mr. Death here?"

Yacine giggles. "I am a teenage girl, what else am I supposed to think about, except maybe breakfast."

"Now you're talking," Michelle says. "I can use something to eat but..." She looks down at my still unconscious form. "I shouldn't leave him alone."

"He will be fine until we return. Besides, he will be mad at me if I don't take care of you. I promised him I would," she tells her.

"I'll be right back Kenny," She says as Yacine pulls her out the door.

"Is it weird that I feel wonderful and terrible at the same time?" Addison asks after waking up in Alex's arms just as the morning sun begins to shine.

"Depends on why you feel that way I guess," He tells her feeling her breath tickling his neck.

"Well I feel great after last night because I was with you and it was amazing but I feel terrible about last night because we spend the night making love and I wonder what our friends had to endure," She explains.

He gives her naked body a squeeze. "Understandable but I know that Ken wouldn't want us to put our lives on hold just because of what's going on with him. I'm pretty sure Michelle is that way too, right?"

Addison nods. "She'd tell me that it's about time I found a decent guy to spend my nights with. Not that I'm saying this should be more than a one night thing, I'd like it to be but I don't want to..."

"I want this to be more than a one night, one week, or one month thing Addison."

"Are you just saying that so I don't feel bad?" She asks.

He leans down and kisses her forehead. "I'm telling you because I'm in love with you but I kept telling myself that we shouldn't get involved because I was working for your family."

"You're an idiot," She says laughing. "You run the best security firm around and you thought what? Daddy would fire you if you and I were seeing each other?"

"Well it could be seen as inappropriate."

"And last night wasn't inappropriate?"

"Last night was amazing,"

"Really, and just what was so amazing about it?" She asks turning on her side and pressing her breasts softly against him. "Was it this?" She rubs her hand across his chest. "Or this," her hand sliding lower over his abs, "I bet it was this," She says her hand closing over his quickly rising manhood.

"All of the above," He gasps out as she slowly strokes him.

She smiles as he grows fully erect in her hand as she stimulates him.

"This too," She asks as she straddles him before guiding him into her.

"Oh God," He cries out as she lowers herself onto him.

"Yes!" She cries once he fills her completely.

She begins to ride him slowly at first enjoying the feel of him being in her and the look on his face as he tries to control himself. "You look so cute like that," She tells him.

"Like what?" He asks.

She leans down so that she's lying on his chest and whispers in his ear. "Like you're trying so hard not to go ahead and fill me with your hot cum."

"Oh Christ!" He groans as he begins slamming upwards into her.

Soon she's the one groaning as he drives his hips up and down racing to the inevitable climax. Her fingernails bite into his chest as her body explodes into orgasmic bliss.

"Oh Alex," She cries out as she gasps for breath.

He keeps pumping his hips until he feels his releases only moments away.

"Addison!" He shouts as his body contracts just as he unloads into her.

Addison feels his seed burst forth and tightens herself around his shuddering member before another orgasm runs through her. They lie there together holding onto each other catching their breaths and basking in the afterglow for several long minutes before she speaks.

"We should have started this awhile ago Alex."

"That's a great way of putting aside our worries, that's for sure"

"Agreed," She states letting her hand begin to slide down his chest towards his groin again but her phone begins to ring. "Damn it, hold that thought. You can probably guess who this is going to be," She says sliding off him and snagging her phone but when she sees the number calling, she shushes Alex before answering it. "Mrs. Ripley? Hey."

"Addison, has there been any word yet?" Mrs. Ripley asks.

"No ma'am, I'm afraid not yet but that doesn't mean anything bad."

"It doesn't mean anything good either. Oh God Addison if she's gone..."

"She's not gone Mom, you'd know it if she was. I think we all would because of how much we love Michelle. We just have to try and stay positive and know that soon we'll get a call and it'll be her on the other end of the line."

"You're right sweetie, I know you are and thank you. Bryce and I are going to the airport this morning to find a flight to Myrtle. I want us all to be together when any news comes in."

"That sounds like a good idea. Let me know when your flight arrives and I'll have a car there for you to bring you to the estate."

"Thank you dear. I'll call you as soon as Bryce makes the arrangements. I love you sweetie."

"Love you too Mom. See you soon," Addison replies her words catching in her throat.

Alex sees the tears forming in her eyes and hugs her to him. "Michelle's mom?"

"Yes and I know I called her Mom. Lissa and I hung out with Michelle so much once we met that her mom started calling us her adopted daughters so Lissa and I call her Mom from time to time," Addison explains.

"That's sweet," He tells her. "I take she hasn't heard anything either."

"No, they're planning to fly down here today so we can all be together in case any news comes in. Alex, what am I supposed to tell her when she gets here and we still haven't heard anything?" She asks.

"You just do what Michelle would want you to do. She'd want you to be strong for her mom and support her, whatever happens."

"I feel like I'm the one that needs some supporting."

"Let me make some calls to my office and tell them that I'll be out for today then I'll take you to breakfast or whatever, how's that sound?"