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“Not a chance,” he said.
“Did you see what Kurt did for Jake? Did you see?”
“I saw, honey.”
Sarah said to Ben, “Let me look at your back.” She helped him roll over, making a face when she saw the wound. “I guess that’s good. Just like Kurt, the bullet went all the way through.” She put towels under him and then folded one onto his chest. She sat up, dug a roll of adhesive tape out of her pocket, and tore off long strips to bind the towels to him.
“How’s he doing?” Ben said quietly.
“I don’t know,” she said.
Just then, Jake came out with the portable phone. “They said a helicopter was already on the way back to Portland, and can reroute to us in just a few minutes. The doctor wants to talk to Mom.”
Andi took the phone and quickly outlined the men’s wounds. Ben could see the former reporter in her, the way she accurately recounted the facts regardless of the tears streaming down her face. She gave the phone back. “He said we’re to try to keep him conscious.”
Ben saw Lainnie looking at Kurt and then back to him. He reached up with his good hand and pulled her down. He kissed her, smoothed her hair, and said, “Help your mother now. Help Kurt.”
“Stay with us,” Andi was saying into Kurt’s ear. “Damn it, you stay with us, is that clear?”
“That’s right,” Lainnie said, suddenly. Lainnie moved over from Ben and took Kurt’s hand. “I don’t want you to go!”
Jake knelt beside him and touched Kurt’s knee. “Stay.”
Kurt coughed. He wiped at the blood on his lips.
“Damn it, Kurt,” Ben said. He forced himself to sit up. “Open your eyes.”
Kurt coughed again. Then his eyelids fluttered. “Yeah,” he said. “I’m here.”
“Good,” Ben said. “Stay here.” He lay back on the ground, exhausted.
Sarah held his hand tight, and smiled down at him.
“You, too,” he said.
“I’m not going anywhere,” she said.
“Yeah,” he said, looking over at his family.
He closed his eyes and kept them that way. He listened as Sarah talked to him quietly; he listened as Jake and Lainnie left Kurt for a time to come sit with him.
“Is he going to be all right?” Lainnie asked Sarah.
Ben heard the beat of the helicopter.
He opened his eyes. Kurt was talking with Andi still.
Ben smiled at his daughter and son. His voice sounded hoarse. “We all will.”