Free Deep Freeze: Protocol One, Book 2 (Protocol One Saga) by Jacqueline Druga

that cold floor, but the second he saw me, he slipped back out of consciousness as if he had been holding on for the moment he could see for himself I was fine.
    It was obvious that the M Station camp tried to clean him up. I didn’t recognize the clothes he wore, yet they had blood on them. His head was wrapped in a loose bandage that kept slipping. If ever there was a poster child for a person hit by a Humvee, Tony was it.
    Larry arrived about fifteen minutes later. Maybe longer, it was irrelevant, because I was at a loss at what to do.
    I wanted to move Tony, but he insisted I wait until he got Gail. “A few minutes. That’s all. We’ll be right back.”
    He got the lantern for me and placed it near Tony on the floor for light.
    It didn’t take long for Gail to return with some medical supplies. During her examination, I called Protocol One for help. I wanted nothing more than to put Tony in the back of the Humvee and try to get him home, but it started snowing really badly. That actually made me wonder if help would arrive.
    It needed to arrive.
    Gail had medical knowledge and was good, but as she said, “I don’t have what I need to help him.”
    “Were you able to figure out what all is wrong.”
    Gail rubbed her own forehead. “Obviously, he has a head injury. It looks to me that it could be a fractured skull. He has three cracked ribs, a broken wrist, and he has that gash on his side. I set the wrist temporarily and sutured him as best as I could. There may be internal injuries. It’s hard to say because he has that gash on his side. He’s lost a lot of blood, that’s our biggest concern.”
    “What do you need?” I asked.
    “He needs blood,” Gail said. “Unfortunately, I can’t do that.”
    Larry asked. “Can I? Can I run to General and get supplies?”
    “You could,” Gail replied. “But with this weather, can you is the question. Plus, we don’t know what they have left.” She then looked at me. “Didn’t you say your people were coming?’
    “They’re trying,” I said. “But I don’t know if they’ll make it with the weather.”
    “We can’t take a chance sending Larry out. Even with your Humvee. He needs someone that knows what to get to go with him.”
    “So we’re at a loss.” I lifted my hands. “What about pain medication?
    “We have to be careful about that. He’s out again, so he’s not feeling pain. Warmth and rest. I’ll keep checking on him. If he looks worse tomorrow, we’ll make the trip to General.”
    “Tomorrow?” I asked.
    “Anna,” Gail said calmly. “He survived the hit, was unconscious, woke up and walked here. This is one very strong man.”
    I nodded. She was right. “Is there anything else I can do?”
    “If you believe in prayer, it might not be a bad thing to do.”
    Pray.
    We were at a loss medically. Hindered by not only the elements but by the lack of supplies. We couldn’t move him to the Humvee or even out of the Casino. What was best for Tony was to be stationary.
    It was a wait and see. And I would wait and see, right next to Tony.
    That’s all I could do.

THIRTEEN – TYPE B
     
    Before he left, Larry helped me set up my camp near the main doors of the casino. We used draperies to make a closed in tent, and pillow cushions from sofas in the lounge to make a bed for Tony.
    My kettle pot fire worked like a charm in the small space. There was just enough ventilation for airflow, yet it didn’t hinder the warmth.
    Cold was good. Gail said it would slow any bleeding down. I stayed wrapped in a blanket while Tony didn’t move.
    As promised, after two hours Gail returned.
    Unfortunately, she believed Tony had slipped into a coma, and there was nothing we could do.
    I just wanted to go home.
    Back to the bunker and get him help. I hadn’t eaten and only sipped on that fruit tea that Gail brought over. I was so extremely grateful for Larry, Gail and their crew. They were a Godsend. Having nothing, yet they shared with me. I would never