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PARAMEDICS WERE ALREADY LINED UP FOR KRISTEN, her fellow classmates and Admirals headed straight toward her too. Maverick had followed the girl down, landed awkwardly a few feet behind her.
While she had enough time to slow down her fall onto the land and properly assumed her landing, that didn't stop the battering pain that shuddered through her body. And at that, even while her body felt like it was going to shatter; all she was worried about was the blow to her pride in having to eject.
She was lucky her jet was already flying low before she ejected.
"Kristen!" Maverick screamed as he ran down to the girl who was being attended to by the paramedics, "Is she okay? Is she alright?"
"That hurt," She coughed up, attempting to prop herself up with her elbows only to feel the burning scrapes of blood that had formed on them, "For fucksake!"
Maverick ushered himself through the paramedics to finally set his eyes on the blonde. It seemed she had only gashed her elbows from her landing, plus a couple cuts and a busted lip, "Don't look at me like that Maverick."
Maverick gulped as he pushed the flood of tears backward, kneeling down to the girl, "What's gotten into you K? What happened out there?"
Her lips quivered, using her hands to push away the paramedics as she ripped herself from the ground and tried to stand up, "Bird strike, remember?"
"Kristen!" He gasped, moving to hold up with girl who instead pushed him away too with whatever strength she could muster. Reluctantly, she accepted the paramedics help instead, "You told my dad I was ready, I heard you in his office!"
"This isn't the time. You're hurt," He pleaded, the paramedics leading her to the back of an ambulance. She disregarded anything he'd said.
"I don't care about what my mom wants, I'll see her at fucking Christmas! My dad wanted me to fly this fucking mission and you knew I could!" She cried out, "Why would you try to pull me!"
His head dropped. How did she know?
Maverick was the last to leave the Kazansky's after dinner those few nights ago, being met with a plead from Sarah Kazanksy. She begged that Kristen wouldn't be chosen again even in the best interest of the mission; still being against what Tom or Kristen had wanted.
Sarah was more worried about how Kristen would cope after the loss of her father more than anything, knowing her impulsivity would only be heightened by her emotions. Maverick didn't particularly agree, noting that he'd made somewhat of a mess with Bradley from meddling with the kid's lives however, the change in Kristen's demeanour when she arrived at the beach had alarmed him. A few conversations later, the Admirals were following Maverick's slow lead.
Maverick shivered, "I knew you'd get like this Kristen. If you just pause, collect yourself-"
"But nothing up there was wrong!" She yelled back, her voice cracking, "Rooster and I fucking killed it up there! It was the bird strike that ruined it. There's nothing wrong with how I fly!"
"Yeah, and you also left your wingman to play devils advocate and attack-"
"You were the target weren't you?" Kristen barked back with extra sarcasm, gritting her teeth as a paramedic applied an antiseptic to her bloodied arms to clean them.
"You're too dangerous right now Frosty," He shook his head, "You're gonna ruin this all yourself if you don't stop."
"If I stop, I'm gonna lose my fucking mind," She hissed at him. The two were locked in some sort of silence, the paramedics clearly trying to stay out of the business. She wiped the blood that'd trickled from a cut to her face down her mouth, "This is comical coming from you Maverick I'm dangerous Mitchell."
"This isn't a joke, Kazanksy," Maverick spun back around to the girl, "I can't guarantee that you'll come back from this if I send you! Just the same as I can't guarantee Rooster, Hangman, Trace-"
"That's what we all signed up for!" Kristen dug her feet harder into the ground as the antiseptic seeped into her wounds, "Get outta the past Maverick! This mission is all I have left of my dad!"
Maverick's eyes flickered over the girl, who'd pierced the skin of her palms with her fingernails. Before he could let out another word, Bradley had appeared with the Admirals.
Bradley ran right through the small crowd, his knees buckling when he saw Kristen leant against the back of the ambulance. She huffed, "I'll be fine, it was a low fall anyway."
He was mumbling all kinds of things, wrapping the girl into a careful hug to ensure he wasn't squeezing her painfully. Bradley gulped, "You're okay?"
"I'll be okay," She affirmed, Bradley's face growing pale as sweat dropped from his forehead, "W-we could all hear you and, and Maverick. But you cut out... I saw the canopy open when you ejected and I just-"
Her eyes widened as she watched the boys' panic appear in his protruding veins, she pulled him back for a hug, "I'm okay. I'm okay Rooster."
Kristen pulled away, taking his hand and raising it to the cut on her cheek, "Just a scratch."
She could see he was more unsettled than even she was, remembering how Goose had died when his head had hit the canopy. He swallowed, "Just a scratch."
Admiral Bates awkwardly coughed to break the two's gaze, mostly speaking to the paramedics, "Send her to the hospital. Ensure she's assessed properly and keep her in overnight if she needs."
Kristen frowned when locking eyes with the Admirals, "Apologies for the aircraft, Admirals."
"I just don't know what we're gonna do with you Lieutenant, you shouldn't be praised even if it was impressive for a while," Admiral Bates shook his head as Admiral Beau nudged him with a sigh, "We'll deal with this later, get some rest Lieutenant Kazansky."
"Will do," She nodded. Bradley helped her upward and into the inside of the ambulance, sitting right beside her.
Maverick's mind was lingering on Kristen's words, all I have left of my dad. He couldn't shake the sinking feeling in his gut, walking toward Bradley and Kristen in the back of the ambulance, "I-I'll give your father a call, Frosty."
A teary-eyed Kristen nuzzled her head into Bradley's shoulder, their arms intertwined, "He can't answer, Mav."
Maverick clenched his jaw, her softened voice making him uneasy. It was stupid to say, but he didn't want to hear otherwise, "I'll text him?"
And she shook her head.
— cloudydior so! that happened! i made tiktoks of my wp go look https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSdKuREY9/?k=1 ok bye see u tomorrow
