Chapter 4
Marcus stared at the officer.
“You can’t do that.”
The officer leaned in.
“Doctor, this is now a federal military casualty response. Major Carter has operational medical command until this team is stabilized.”
The words hit the lobby like a slap.
Major Carter.
Operational command.
The useless night nurse Marcus had mocked was not waiting for permission anymore.
She stepped around him and entered Trauma One.
The first patient was crashing.
Two doctors talked over each other.
A resident froze with blood on his gloves.
A nurse tried to hand off a report, but her voice shook.
Carter took it all in with one look.
“Stop.”
The room went silent.
She moved to the head of the bed.
“Tell me injuries.”
The flight medic answered fast.
“Blast injury. Penetrating trauma. Tourniquet left thigh. Dropped pressure twice. We lost pulse in the air for thirty seconds.”
Carter looked at the monitor.
Then at the soldier’s skin.
Then at one tiny movement in his neck.
“His chest pressure is rising.”
Marcus, standing at the doorway, snapped, “That’s not your call.”
Carter did not look at him.
“It is if I’m right.”
The anesthesiologist glanced up.
“She is.”
Carter gave three sharp orders.
The room moved.
Fast.
Clean.
Together.
Within minutes, the soldier’s pressure came back.
The monitor steadied.
A nurse whispered, “How did she see that so fast?”
The flight medic answered without taking his eyes off Carter.
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“Because she’s the reason I’m alive.”
Read Part 5 to discover what Carter survived before Marcus ever mocked her.
