around, and if it does, she’s going to be in a world of pain. Can you deal with this shit?”
Snap out of it, asshole. She’s alive. We need to keep her that way.
“Yeah. Yeah, I can cope.” His lips felt numb.
Jasper laid her limbs straight, quickly removing her boots and socks. His fingers dug into the tops of her feet. “Shit. No pedal pulse in her right foot. A faint one in her left.” Slipping the blade under the cuff of her jeans, Jasper painstakingly cut upwards, hacking through denim mercilessly until she was bare to the thigh. He attacked the other one, muttering under his breath. “This is where it gets bad. Be ready for her to wake up. Keep her calm, she’s gonna hurt.”
His fingers curled around her right calf just below her knee, thumbs resting on either side of the bone. Gently, he ran his cupped hands down until he stopped at what Braun assumed was the break. “Braun, take the pad from Atticus. Put plenty of pressure on it. Head wounds bleed like a bitch. Atticus, get onto the other side of her. Put your hands exactly where mine are, okay?”
Moving like a shadow, Atticus obeyed. It seemed neither man was inclined to do anything but what Jasper told them. Apparently, he knew what he was doing. “The hell you know how to do this shit, Jasper?”
“I’ve got some secrets of my own,” was the cryptic reply. “Now, you feel where the bone's jutting up under the skin? That’s putting pressure on the artery in her leg. If we don’t reduce the pressure, she could end up losing her foot. So, I’m going pull gently on her foot, Atticus, and you’re going to tell me when that bone lines back up as best it can. Then we need to strap it into position and do the same with her other one.”
Braun watched the big man gulp. “The EMTs—”
“Are too far away. There’s no pulse in this foot, which means it’s in trouble.” Jasper snagged a blanket, tucked it around Bodie’s still form before he knelt by her feet. He grabbed the first aid kit, ripped it open, and took out a bandage. “Ready?”
Grim nods responded.
The moment Jasper lifted her ankle, Bodie stirred. A quick flutter of eyelashes, a twitch of her lip as pain registered. Braun's fingers finally relinquished his touch on her throat, gently brushed her swollen cheek.
“We’ve got you, baby. Jasper’s fixing your leg, so just you hold still for him, okay? We’re not leaving you, I swear. We’re gonna see you through this, little one.”
Tiny fingers flexed as Jasper manipulated her damaged limb. Her body writhed with the smallest movements. The broken cry that slipped through her cracked, swollen lips severed him in two from heart to soul.
He couldn’t take away the agony of this, didn’t know how to stop it. Without hesitation, he’d have taken it into himself to spare her, but it couldn’t be done. All he could do was stroke her face, murmuring to her, as his friend tried to save her life.
The broken cry turned into a keening wail, the distress call of a wounded animal in unbearable agony. Her fingernails scraped over the mattress, seeking purchase.
“Almost there, poppet, I promise. I know it hurts like a motherfucker, but I need to do it. Those EMTs are on their way right now and they’re gonna give you some of the best fucking drugs on the planet.” Jasper’s face was a picture of concentration, his hands pulling on her heel. “Atticus?”
“Bone’s moving. Little bit more and it’ll be straight. There!”
“Okay, get the bandage and wrap it tightly over the break to hold it in place. You know how to do a tourniquet. I’m maintaining traction, but you need to hurry up. That’s it,” he coached in a firm voice. “Tighter, Atticus. It needs to hold until the EMTs arrive.”
Bodie’s skin was no longer pale. She was translucent. Her teeth chattered as much as her abused face would allow.
“That’s my girl. That’s my good girl. So brave, Bodie. Help’s coming, it’ll be here any minute. Just hold on for me. Keep breathing, darlin'. I’m not losing you tonight.” It was the goddamn truth. He’d thought she was dead when he walked into the room; he wasn’t going to let it become truth now he’d been proved wrong.
“Good job, Atticus. Grab one of those pillows. When I lift her leg, slide it under her calf. It’ll help stabilize it until the EMTs