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“Mama,” screamed the soul wrenching voice out of the darkness. “Mama, no….” The young voice continued to wail thru the night.
I put my night vision goggles on so I could spot the tormented boy. I finally spotted him kneeling by the side of a woman in the area where those who couldn’t be helped lay. Kneeling next to him was Carlos Estaban. Carlos was holding his son tightly to his side. They had finally located their wife and mother.
“Maria, why haven’t they taken you in yet to be treated?” Carlos asked his wife while kneeling by her side.
“The people who came to help said there was nothing they could do for me. They do not have the equipment needed to treat me.”
“Juan, stay by your mother’s side while I go and get answers as to why your mother is laying here suffering.”
I had taken my goggles back off to give the grieving family the privacy they deserved. I heard the approaching footsteps in the gravel behind me and turned to meet Carlos as he approached.
“Why hasn’t my wife been given any medical treatment,” Carlos asked in a desperate voice.
“Let’s find out,” I said leading the way over to where Doc sat eating his MRE. “Doc, Carlos wants to know why you haven’t treated his wife for her injuries.” I could see the strain from the day on Doc’s face.
“I don’t know who you’re talking about LT. let’s go have a look at who it is.” Doc climbed wearily to his feet and followed us over to the church yard.
After looking her over he walked off to the side with us so she wouldn’t hear his diagnosis. “She’s all busted up inside. I don’t have the equipment or plasma to keep up with her blood loss once I open her up.”
“There is nothing you can do for my Maria?” Carlos asked the desperation plain to see on his face even in the dark.
Doc shook his head no. “Not in these primitive conditions,” Doc reluctantly replied.
“Does the Sea Eagle have the equipment and supplies that you need to save her?” I asked.
“I don’t know, she’s very weak, but we’d have a shot at pulling it off,” Doc said thoughtfully.
I unclipped the satellite phone from my belt and called our ship. “Danny, where the hell is Brady, is he back from Jamaica yet?”
“He’s inbound Rick. He should be here within a half hour, tops,” Danny informed me. “Why, what do you need?”
“Have him stop at the ship and pick-up a gurney. Tell him I want him to hightail it to my location. He’s to land in the courtyard of the church. He’s to fly at wave top and treetop level to avoid radar detection.”
“Is one of the team hurt,” Danny asked, the concern radiating from his voice.
“No, Carlos Estaban’s wife is gravely injured. The only hope of saving her is to operate aboard the Sea Eagle.”
“Hang on Rick, I’ll call him and see where he’s at,” Danny said. “He might be closer than I think.”
“Sea Hawk, Sea Hawk this is the Sea Eagle, how do you read me over,” Danny said into the radio.
“Sea Eagle this is the Sea Hawk, I read you loud and clear. What can I do for you, over,” Brady responded.
“Do you have a gurney onboard at the present time and what is your ETA, over?”
“Roger that Sea Eagle, I have a gurney on board and am inbound, ETA five minutes.”
“Be advised Sea Hawk, you are to proceed directly to LT’s location and land at the church. You’re to keep the Sea Hawk wave top level going in to avoid radar.”
“Roger that Sea Eagle, I’m turning and burning, tell LT I’ll be there in under five minutes.”
Danny saw the helicopter flash past his bow as he ended the transmission and picked the phone back up. “He just flew past Rick. He’ll be at your location in five minutes.”
“Thanks Danny we’ll be ready for him. Doc, do what you can to get her ready. Brady will be here in less than five minutes. I’ll go and wake up Karen so she can go with you and help out.”
“We are going to transport your family out to our ship off the coast and try to save your wife. Doc says she’s very weak though and might not have the strength needed to pull thru.”
“You are giving us hope and right now that is all we can wish for. I want to thank you for what you have done for my people today and for what you are trying to do for my family now.”
I could hear Brady coming in at treetop level. “We’ll do what we can for you Carlos. I hope it is enough to save your wife.”
Brady landed on the street by the church. Karen was awakened by the noise of the helicopter and staggered over to me sleepily.
“Brady finally got here with the medical supplies I see,” Karen said while rubbing her eyes.
I told her about the planned medical evacuation we were trying to do to save Maria’s life.
“We’re going to have to unload some of these supplies in order to have room to transport the woman to the ship LT.” Brady explained.
“This is where the supplies need to be anyway. Doc, make sure you take the supplies you need to treat Maria back with you to the ship. Karen took most of the ship’s supplies when she came in.”
“You don’t have to worry about the village Carlos. My men will keep your people safe while you’re gone.”
“Thank you my friend. I don’t know what we would have done without you and your men.”
I watched as the helicopter disappeared into the distance with my new friend and his injured wife and child.