ꗃ: 𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗟 𔘓. 𝗍𝖺𝖾𝗃𝖾𝗇𝗆𝗂𝗇𝗄𝗈𝗈𝗄 ! 𓂅

37 | チョッパー

TAEHYUNG LOOKED AHEAD IN time to see Jennie wobble and slump into the snow. He ran the remaining thirty yards, his heart screaming the entire way.

When he got to her, he reached down and pulled her up to his chest.

"Oh God," he moaned.
There was so much blood. It bathed her entire front. Her left arm lay at an odd angle, swollen and discolored.

"Jennie! Jennie, baby," he cried.

Jimin sank down beside him and helped Taehyung lift her from the snow.

Her eyes fluttered weakly. Disorientation clouded their depths. She pushed and shoved, trying to stand.

She was running on adrenaline, and she was fast running out. She began to shake violently.

"She's going into shock," Taehyung said. "We have to get her out of here now. Radio in. Tell them to have the chopper waiting. We'll have to get her as far down the mountain as we can.

"Jungkook," she cried out. "Oh God, Jungkook." She struggled weakly against Taehyung, tears slipping down her cheeks.

"Shhh, baby. Jungkook's okay. I swear it."

She didn't seem to hear him.
"I never told...I never told them I loved them," she whispered.

Taehyung held her tighter against him. He buried his lips in her hair and blinked back tears. "God, I love you too, baby. I love you too."

He stood up, holding her carefully in his arms. He had no idea the extent of her injuries, but he had to get her down the mountain fast.
Jimin rushed ahead, clearing a path in the snow for Taehyung. They struggled up the hill, each step excruciatingly slow.

Finally the Land Rover was in sight. Jimin surged forward, redoubling his efforts.

"Get me the first aid kit," Taehyung barked. "I'll sit in the backseat and lay her down. I need to try and stop the bleeding."

He threw open the back and hauled out the first aid kit, several blankets and a wad of bandages.

As soon as Taehyung got into the back with Jennie, Jimin cranked the engine and roared back down the trail toward the main road.

"How is she, Taehyung? I need to know something," Jimin said, desperation creeping into his voice.

"The bastard broke her arm. Looks like he stabbed her in the chest. Christ, there's so much blood!"

Helplessness had him in a firm grip. He kept a finger to her neck, feeling for her pulse. It was weak and erratic, but it still beat against his skin.

He wadded the bandages in his hand and pressed them to the wound on her chest. He needed to slow the flow of blood.

"Jungkook ..."

Jennie was only half-conscious and completely unaware of Taehyung and Jimin. Taehyung smoothed his free hand over her cheek.

"Jungkook's okay, baby. Do you hear me?"

She tossed her head, soft moans rasping from her throat.

"Cold...so cold."

"Turn up the damn heat,"

He gathered the blankets tighter around her, trying to infuse warmth into her body.

The squawk of the radio interrupted him, and he heard Jimin respond, but Taehyung's focus was on Jennie and the blood-soaked bandages in his hand.

"The chopper's almost here," Jimin called back.

Taehyung sucked in a breath of relief. They were nearly there, and the sooner Jennie got to a hospital, the better her chances of survival.

"Any word on Jungkook?" Taehyung asked.

"Soo-young said they life flighted him to Seoul. Same hospital they'll take Jennie to. They were worried at the amount of blood he lost."

Jimin's voice carried an undercurrent of concern, one that jarred Taehyung's nerves all the more.

"But he was okay, right?"

"Said he lost consciousness right before they took off. Don't know any more than that."

"Fuck!"

He closed his eyes and wanted to howl in fury and frustration. Tears stung his lids, and he shut his eyes even harder to prevent them from leaking out. He'd never felt so damn helpless in his life.

The two most important people in his life aside from Jimin could be taken from him.

He grabbed at the seat to steady himself when the Land Rover came to an abrupt stop. The door flew open, and a flight medic peered in.

The medic yelled back instructions, and two responders ran over with a backboard and jump bag. Taehyung backed out of the Rover and let them take over.

A hand slipped over Taehyung's shoulder and he turned to see Soo-young standing there.

"I just want you to know how sorry I am this happened, Tae."

"I know you are, Soo-young."

"Is there anything I can do?"
He turned to look at her. "We left the man up at the old mining cabin. He's probably dead by now. You might want to have a deputy go up and get him."

Soo-young gave him a sharp look. "You didn't kill him, did you, Tae?"

"No, but I wish I had," he returned softly.

The medics pulled Jennie out of the Land Rover and laid her on the backboard. Taehyung and Jimin ran over but were warded back by the paramedic.

"This is a load and go situation, sir. I'm sorry, but we don't have any time to waste."

Taehyung 's mouth opened, wanting to ask the question, but it stuck. He wouldn't allow himself to voice it. Instead, he watched as they hustled the backboard onto the chopper. The flight medic jumped in and signaled the pilot to take off. Seconds later, the bird lifted into the air and flew toward Seoul.

"Let's go, Taehyung," Jimin said in a strained voice. One that sounded very much like he was holding back tears as well. "It's a few hours' drive to Seoul."

Taehyung followed numbly behind Jim and they climbed into the Rover. He was afraid. Afraid of what they'd discover when they arrived at the hospital.