Risking his own fucking life to save hers.
I moved out of his way, sitting near Mia’s head. Placing it on my lap, wanting to provide her with any comfort I could.
“Doc’s here, baby, he’s gonna make you all better,” I reassured with trembling lips, caressing her cheek with my knuckles. My eyes blurred with unshed tears, barely able to see the side of her beautiful face.
“Creeeed... pleeeaa—”
“Shhh... Mia, you need to save your strength, sweetheart. Madison needs you,” Doc interrupted, cutting up the middle of her blood-soaked shirt with scissors.
My chest locked up when I took in the gaping bullet hole in the middle of her back, praying it didn’t hit her spine. Doc quickly worked, checking her vitals, placing a cuff on her arm that inflated every few minutes to monitor her blood pressure. He then prepared a syringe, injecting the needle near the open wound. Immediately locking eyes with me when he was done, conscious of the fact that I knew what came next. His fingers dug into her flesh, looking for the bullet. Mia’s back arched as she screamed out in pain.
The numbing medicine not being nearly enough.
“Shhh... baby, you’re such a good girl. Such a good fuckin’ girl,” I soothed, hoping it didn’t take long for him to find the metal.
We all waited on pins and needles until we finally heard Doc say, “Got it!” he celebrated, throwing it on the coffee table.
“Shit! They’re runnin’ for the woods!” Diesel informed, making me peer over at him. He eyed Noah and then me, waiting for me to make the call.
“You do what ya need to, but you fuckin’ drag them back here. We need answers, and we need them right fuckin’ now,” I demanded, nodding to Noah to go with him.
He fervently shook his head no. Rage radiating off his body, matching my own. “Ain’t leavin’ her.”
“You want ‘em to get away with this?” I asked, gesturing to Mia. “Look at me, Noah!”
He reluctantly did.
“You’re no good to her here. Go get the motherfuckers who did this, yeah? You do it for Mia. You fuckin’ do it for your daughter!”
I could see him battling, struggling with an internal conflict within himself.
“Please...” I choked out, fighting with my own urge. I wouldn’t leave my fucking girl, but that didn’t stop the desire to make the motherfuckers pay, wreaking havoc on my soul.
Noah crouched down beside Mia, sweeping her hair away from her face, whispering near her ear. “You fight, Mia. You fuckin’ fight for our baby girl, and I’m gonna go fight for you.” Kissing her cheek, he stood. Staring at me with dark, dilated eyes, silently answering my plea. “Creed, I love he—”
“I know,” I interrupted, not wanting to hear him say he loved her.
It was just too much to fucking bear right then and there.
Diesel ran back into the room with more artillery, throwing Noah a rifle. He caught it in the air, taking one last look at Mia before turning to leave. Following Diesel out. I didn’t waver, gently placing Mia’s head back on the pillow. Needing to deadbolt the door, using every goddamn lock. No one was getting in here, not unless it was over my dead fucking body.
Mia sucked in a few breaths, gasping for more air. Her chest heaved uncontrollably, seizing as her eyes began to flutter.
I rushed over to her. “Fuck, Doc!”
He finished the last suture, closing up her wound. Taping a large gauze pad in place over it. All of a sudden, a rush of blood flooded the couch from in between her legs. He immediately flipped her over onto her back, his hands dropped to the sides of her stomach. Instantly feeling around.
“Pleeeaassee, saaave herr... saaave... Madd...” Mia slurred.
Her eyes rolled to the back of her head.
Her body went lax.
And her head fell to the side.
Taking every last part of me...
With her.
“Bab—”
“Creed, it’s alright. She just passed out. Her blood pressure and pulse are strong, but her injuries are fuckin’ serious. Far worse than I fuckin’ thought. She needs a hospital!”
“Hospital?! Have you taken a fuckin’ look around? Brothers are still fuckin’ dyin’ out there! Even if they weren’t, she’d die in the time it’d take to get there! You’re all she fuckin’ has!”
“FUCK!” Doc roared, peering back down at Mia, knowing I was right. He looked deep into my eyes. “I need you to get me the brightest fuckin’ lamp in this place. Get me some fuckin’ blankets, towels and boil some water, too.”
“The fuc—”
“NOW!”
I ran down the narrow hallway and into my room. Rummaging in the bathroom for every towel I could find, snatching the lamp off my nightstand, and grabbing the throw blankets off my bed. Hurrying back to the living room where Doc now had Mia in his arms.
“Table!” he shouted, carrying her into the dining room.
I set the lamp down and threw the blankets and towels on a chair. Clearing the contents off the table with one swipe of my arm. Mia’s glass vase shattered at my feet. The flowers I brought to her, which made her smile so fucking wide, flew in every direction.
Hurting my fucking heart even more.
Doc set her down on the hard wood, while I rushed around turning on all the lights, plugging the extra lamp into the wall. When I looked up, he was pouring alcohol all over her stomach. Getting her fucking ready for I don’t know what. He changed into a fresh pair of gloves, pulling out all sorts of instruments from his bag. Drawing up a couple more syringes, injecting them all into her stomach. I watched with wide eyes as he grabbed the scalpel, placing it right against her lower abdomen.
“Doc...”
He locked eyes with me. “I need to get Maddie out. She’s in distress. Grab the lamp and hold it up as close as you can to me. I’m gonna need all the fuckin’ light I can get.”
“Fuck,” I breathed out, doing what I was told.
My fear and worry bled out of me in unforgiving waves. My stomach dropped. My heart was now in my fucking throat. Bile rising, but I swallowed it back down. Remembering she needed me to stay strong.
For her.
I watched, taking in the gruesome scene happening in front of me, as Doc made a clean cut across Mia’s stomach. Setting the scalpel to the side, he grabbed what looked like a clamping device. He inserted it, opening her insides up to get a better visual.
“I need more light over here! Gotta be careful not to puncture her bladder.”
Setting the lamp down, I ran into the kitchen, grabbing one of the industrial size flashlights. Hauling ass back to Doc, who was checking her vitals before he continued, saying, “She’s doin’ fine. I’m gonna need your help, though. Shine the light right here, and don’t fuckin’ move,” he ordered, pointing the scalpel where I needed to be.