Chapter one

The feeling of a cool hand on my cheek causes me to take in a breath as I realize it's just Goose and I try to relax. He's getting my helmet off,to get a better look at me. Something isn't right,I've been feeling off all day,it's been this damn heat,everyone has been dropping like flies,and it finally hit me today. I felt OK to go in the air,felt like I could handle it,I've been trying to keep hydrated and staying cool when I can all day, but then I got dizzy mid flight. Which was really bad,really really bad, but I made do, I had to,I took a deep breath and got through it,with Goose's help,I still panicked and froze for a moment,until he talked me down. Somehow we got landed,back on the ground,to safety, and I know there is no doubt about it that he's going to make me get checked out. "Easy Petey it's just me, I got you Mav, Jesus you're burning up, you still dizzy"he murmurs feeling the heat radiating off my skin as he gets the helmet off,and can finally look me in the eye. I'm sweaty,soaked through with sweat,and I feel nauseous,I already threw up before we got in the plane,but he doesn't know that,didn't want him to.

"Y-yeah, I'm still dizzy Goose, I feel kinda sick to my stomach too,"I murmur as I let him undo my harness,helping me slip my arms through. "OK kid, I'm going to get you out of here alright, medical is waiting for us Petey, no room for argument alright, it looks like you got heat stroke"he murmurs looking into my blue eyes for confirmation as I somehow get my legs out of the harness and I'm ready to stand on my own,albeit unsteadily. I'm too tired to argue, I know he's right,I know I need to get checked out,get cooled down. "OK"I murmur softly letting him card a cool rough hand through my dark hair as I let him help me stand,then he guides me to the exit. I manage to get out, and true to his word medical is waiting with a gurney. I let them help me,and they get me over to the gurney,where they help me lay down and strap me in. They introduce themselves, it's a man and a lady this time, the lady introduces herself as Lena, and the man is Johnny,people I haven't seen before,but I know they'll take good care of me. I feel her place a cool hand against my cheek,checking for temperature which I'm sure is not good. "Hey there, I'm Lena, this is Johnny,we're going to take care of you alright Pete, we're going to take you to the truck over there and then we'll get you back to medical alright, can you tell me what happened,you're burning up"she murmurs as I feel them start to move me,I sense Goose following not too far behind. "OK, I'm not sure,I've been feeling off all day,I've been trying to keep hydrated and cool, I thought I was OK enough to fly this afternoon,but I started feeling dizzy mid flight so we came back down,I threw up once, before hand"I murmur softly as I hear the truck bed being laid down,and I hear Goose quietly swear,he's not happy that I threw up and didn't tell him.

I feel them lift me and they get me into the back of the truck, taking the wheels down and laying the gurney flat on the truck bed. "Alright, I think you have heat stroke honey,people have been dropping left and right from it, we'll get you to medical,and they'll get a temp on you and start cooling you down"she murmurs as I see her partner get up beside her,and Goose does the same. Before I know it we take off,and I let her start to check me over. She get's my vitals, I know my pulse is fast,she listens to my heart,unzipping my flight suit to do so. Then we're there,at medical before I know it, I'm a little out of it honestly,which is unnerving, I hate not being in control. I hear the tailgate come down, then they're lifting the gurney as a unit getting it onto the ground,wheels ready,then it's time to go inside. "We're here honey, it's going to get a little crazy once we get inside alright,a lot of people"she murmurs carding a hand through my hair, "OK"I murmur,knowing from too many experiences what to expect. They get me inside and into an exam room,where a doctor and a nurse are waiting for me. They get the gurney into the middle of the room,and after a quick hand squeeze from Goose,they get kicked out, not enough room,and they want to examine me in quiet.

The doctor introduces himself as as he puts on a pair of gloves and comes over to me. "Hey Pete,I'm ,we'll be taking care of you today that's alright, Jennifer will be helping me, I've heard your not feeling so hot today,can you tell me what's going on"he asks as I let him squeeze my knee,then he starts working on getting my shoes off. "I'm not sure,I've been feeling off all day,I just figured it was the damn heat,I've been doing my best to keep hydrated and stay cool,but I got worse this afternoon, I threw up before the flight,once I threw up I felt better sorta,OK,so I thought I could fly, but I got dizzy mid air, we got down OK thankfully,thanks to my partner"I murmur softly as I feel the nurse card a hand through my hair. "OK, I think you got heat stroke,I'm going to go ahead and get these clothes off of you,start cooling you down,I'll get a temp on you as well"he says gently looking at me and then the nurse.

I nod too tired to say anything and I let them get started. He cuts off my flight suit,starts from the bottom,then he get's my shirt off,there's times the nurse helps him turn me on my side,then they're done with that part. They keep me on my side as I see the nurse grab the thermometer and some Vaseline. I let them get my temp,and it's not good, 104 I hear him murmur,that's way too high. "That's what I thought kid, it's pretty high, I'm going to finish looking you over,get you hooked up to the heart monitor,then I want to get you started on some cool fluids and you can rest"he says gently as I see him take off his old gloves and put on a new pair. "OK"I murmur softly as I let them roll me back over onto my back. I let them finish looking me over,getting me hooked up to a monitor, then they set me up with an iv with cool fluids.

"We'll see if this does the trick, this should re hydrate you,and cool you down,if your temp isn't down in 30 minutes we'll try the next step,we'll pump cool water into your stomach, I'm going to get you on oxygen as well"he says gently as I let the nurse slip on a cannula, then I nod "OK"I murmur softly,I'm so tired and just done,I hope we don't get to that point,but we might. "OK, try to get some rest alright kid,I'll be back shortly to check on you,see if your temperature has come down any"he says squeezing my knee as I nod tiredly,then he and the nurse leave,leaving me on my own. Before I know it I'm falling asleep,tired from everything,the last thoughts on my mind being of worry,worry that I'm going to be OK, worry about what I put us through today,it was stupid of me to think I could fly,it put us in real danger,and worry about what will happen next if this doesn't work.