Page 134 of Rangers Mountain Rescue

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I close my eyes for one second.

Processing.

Prioritizing.

“Is he conscious?”

“Yeah.”

“Is he bleeding heavily?”

“Moderate,”

Good.

Not good.

But not the worst case.

“Listen to me,” I say.

Every ounce of fear is gone now.

Replaced by training.

By instinct.

By purpose.

“Apply pressure to the shoulder. Check for punctures in the chest. If he has trouble breathing, I need to know immediately.”

Silence on the line.

Then—

“Roger that.”

I exhale slowly.

“I’m coming there,” I say.

Trigger’s hand closes over mine.

Firm.

Grounding.

“No, you’re not.”

I turn to him.

Fire in my chest.

“He needs—”

“He needs to stay alive long enough for you to treat him,” Trigger says calmly. He didn’t tell her they were all medics.

“And that means we do this right.”

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