"You’ve got that right. Then, call Communications and tell them to notify us as soon as they land."

"Yes, Sir. Will there be anything else?"

"No, nothing else for now." McMurray went back to his window and patiently waited for the helicopter to lift off.



* * *

The nip of the cold weather had brought some color back to Danni’s cheeks, the rosy blush giving her a healthier appearance. Garrett kept checking on her from time to time as they went through the preflight checklist that was their responsibility. The nurse had eagerly begun the task once she had strapped her helmet in place. The list was small in comparison to the one that she used in the Trauma Rooms for daily stocking. Within several minutes, the chore was done and Garrett gave the thumbs up sign one more time to the pilot. The nurse sat in her assigned seat and fumbled with the seatbelt trying to get it to connect.

"Here, let me." The voice sounded as though it was inside of her head. It was going to take some time to get used to the speaker inside the helmet. Danni held the ends up in offering to the surgeon as the whirring of the engine began to turn the blades overhead.

"Thanks," she yelled into the microphone, trying to be heard over the noise.

Garrett grabbed at the helmet trying to muffle the amplified voice that was screaming in her ear. She grimaced, then smiled sweetly. "Danni, just speak in your normal tone. I’ll be able to hear you."

The nurse grinned apologetically and nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She handed over the seatbelt locking mechanisms to the surgeon who deftly worked in her Gore-Tex gloves to secure the small team member into her seat. Garrett pulled at the belt, making the final adjustment to the size of Danni’s lap, then hurriedly secured herself into her own seat.

The pilot’s voice now spoke to them. "We’re cleared for lift off. Everyone secured back there?"

Garrett glanced over at Danni in time to see her tug at the seatbelt trying to make it tighter. "Yeah, we’re in and ready to go."

"You know that we are just going to get up there and land. Then you ladies will go into the hospital and evaluate your mock patient and deem what needs to be done. Then load him up into the medivac and we’re off again for home. Nothing fancy they told me. You got that?"

"Yeah, they mentioned that to us." Garrett nodded her head. She was glad that all Danni had to concentrate on was just getting there and back again. ‘At least this way, I can keep an eye out for her.’ The surgeon looked over to the nurse and smiled pleasantly, trying not to alert the petite woman of her growing concern.

"Okay, I’m going to increase my revolution speed so that we can lift off. It’s going to be a little bumpy at first. Just sit tight." He gave the back passengers "thumbs-up" and then quickly busied himself in his duties.

Danni closed her eyes. The incantation of earlier quickly coming to her mind. ‘You can do this. It’s only a ride…a nice safe ride. You can do this.’

The noise coming from the rotors increased dramatically. Soon afterward the shaking started as the engine whined under the heavy strain to lift the ship off the helipad. What had started as small tremors and vibrations were now escalating into outright shaking of the ship underneath them.

Danni’s hands clasped tightly around the edge of her seat, willing it to stop. Her eyes opened, searching for comfort of any kind to calm her mind from the ravaging effects that were overwhelming her. The mantra in her thoughts being replaced by one of immense terror as her eyes caught site of the buildings around them as they slowly gained height. ‘I’m going to die. Please don’t let me die.’ Then suddenly her mind went blank, as did her gaze. Her body was shutting down any sense that would bring harm to her. She sat still, transfixed on nothing, suspended in time within the realm of her own body. The nurse’s shallow breathing and glazed-over eyes were the only evidence of her being alive.



* * *

Garrett was reveling in the adrenaline rush of the moment. During her Naval Career, each time she had set foot into a helicopter it was the beginning of a new experience for her. The surgeon’s mind compared those ascents to the one she was now a part of. It was a much smaller airship then the kind used by the military, with more vibrations emanating through the hull. The bumpiness of the ride was unmistakable, as the extra weight of the helmet on her head seemed to intensify it.


Turning back from the window to look at her companion, the surgeon was met by lifeless eyes staring aimlessly into space, the petite body stiff as a board. The sluggish movement of her body to the violent bumping of the airship was the only visible motion of life.


"Danni!" She spoke softly at first trying not to startle her. Then repeatedly calling out her name, increasing louder with each time until she was yelling at the top of her lungs. The surgeon reached over and gently shook her friend. Nothing was breaking through into the world of catatonia.


Garrett’s first reaction was to have the pilot land the ship back at the helipad. Then she remembered her friend’s anger and determination to prove herself earlier when she had suggested not taking the flight. It only took a minute for the surgeon to decide doing it would be a blatant act of betrayal on her part.


She had been witness to this kind of behavior one other time. It was a young sailor who had done the same thing on his first flight. As soon as the turbulence had diminished he was fine and able to function with no problems. In fact, he had no memory of the event even happening.


Garrett waved her hand in front of Danni’s face as the ride started to smooth out. To coin an old phrase, the light was on but nobody was home. The young woman’s features remained devoid of any emotion, her skin a pasty white. The surgeon fumbled with her seatbelt. Once it was released she positioned her body in front of Danni’s, bringing her face within inches of the young nurse. Blue orbs searched relentlessly into the abyss of green straining to see some semblance of life. Gone was the spark that had flickered and danced with mirth giving that familiar impish quality to her features.


With one hand on Danni’s shoulder and the other under her chin, Garrett talked calmly in an attempt to pull the nurse out of her catatonic state. "Danni, I’m right here with you. Can you see me?" She searched the depths of her friend’s eyes but still could see no inkling of recognition in them. "You’re safe here with me. I won’t let anything bad happen to you."


The surgeon turned to the pilot, motioning for him to turn his headset controls to monitor the back of the ship. She waited for him to comply with her request. "How much longer until we set down?"


The pilot scanned the horizon for his pivotal landmark then came back with his reply. "One minute to designated LZ." Then he quickly turned his attention back to piloting the ship into its downward approach.


The surgeon repositioned herself in front of the nurse and started talking to her in a reassuring tone. "We’re going to be setting down in the landing zone now. You’ll feel some vibrations as the ship descends. There’s nothing to be afraid of. You hear me, nothing." Garrett detected a slight nod of Danni’s head and feeding into her encouragement, the surgeon continued to reassure her young friend. Within minutes the helicopter had landed, the blades spinning to a stop. It was now safe enough for them to leave the confines of the airship. Garrett hastily released the seatbelt on her friend and scooped up the rigid form into her arms. The surgeon’s only thought was to get Danni onto firm ground and show her that she was out of any danger.


The large powerful hand of the surgeon jerked open the door giving her access to the outside. The sting of the cold against her flesh made Danni turn her face into the leather-clad form. Its soft feel against her skin mixed with the familiar scent of the leather helped to bring the nurse back to life. The barely audible mumbled rambling that came from the young woman was like music to Garrett’s ear as she continued to talk to her, coaxing her back from catatonia. There, they remained oblivious to the world around them, absorbed only in the sight, sound and feel of each other.



* * *

The dignitaries of the two hospitals that had been gathered to witness the test of the Surgical Flight Team were unimpressed. The huge build-up that they had been given ahead of time simply fizzled with each passing moment. All that anyone could see were two figures, one in the arms of the other. There was no action and excitement as they had been told. For all that any of them knew it could have been two housekeepers in those suits.


The random grumbling of the executives began to take on more pointed comments as to the team’s abilities. Each one voiced their opinion in an effort to outdo the last one.


The co-founder of the team, Dr. Ian McCormick was finding it downright embarrassing. Where had he gone wrong? The numbers were there. He had checked the data himself. The only thing that he had never considered was human frailty. And now, it was biting him in the ass.


"Hey, McCormick! Do we need to provide a Psychiatric Consult each time they come, or will they bring their own shrink?"


Before Ian could address the question, another one was thrown his way.


"Is that all they can do, or do they faint at the sight of blood too?"