Marcus

Chapter Fifteen

Marcus ~

The fear in Caroline's eyes was tearing Marcus apart, but he controlled his expressions and tried to stay as calm as possible, hoping his lack of panic would reassure Caroline that everything was going to be okay.

Dammit, I'd kill to have Caleb here right now, he'd be bossing these jokers around and would be able to give me a play by play of what was about to happen and the severity of the situation.

Medical staff was moving around the room, readying Caroline for transport. He figured they'd take her to LRMC in Germany, that's where most medical emergencies were transported that needed extensive treatment. There were a few medical facilities sprinkled around the area, but LRMC was a fully equipped military hospital and that's where he wanted Caroline, even if it was a longer flight.

Caroline took one look at the tube that was protruding from her chest and the bloodied gauze that surrounded it before her head started to bob and dip as if she were about to pass out.

It's okay Red, close those eyes and rest if this is too much for you, baby.

Caroline was one of the toughest women he'd ever met in the field, but the physical and emotional trauma she'd just gone through was starting to take its toll. It was no surprise to Marcus that Caroline was fighting like hell to maintain consciousness. Her eyes would droop and close then pop back open as she battled against her own body, trying to stay awake. Her scared eyes searched for Marcus every time they flew open and he realized she was refusing to give in to the rest her body needed because she was scared she wouldn't see him again.

"Rest, hon. I'm not going anywhere. The next time you open your eyes, I swear I'll be right here." Marcus said, before pressing his lips against her forehead.

Marcus' heart swelled as Caroline soaked in his words and finally gave in, she was submissive only to him and did as he asked because she trusted him over all others, even after all this time her trust in Marcus was unwavering and he thought his heart might burst at the realization.

Just as her eyes started to flutter closed, a tall lean man burst into the room, making every muscle in Marcus' body tense. Marcus recognized him from the case files instantly.

Fox

"What the fuck happened?" Fox barked at Cooper.

"Blew her cover, took a damn beating for it too. Still trying to figure out all the details, but she's being transported to LRMC." Cooper said, giving a brief summary.

"That's eight months of work down the goddamn drain." Fox roared at Cooper.

What a piece of shit. He's worried about the job and hasn't even checked to see if Caroline is okay. She's got a fucking tube sticking out of her chest and this asshole hasn't even looked at her yet.

"How bad is it?" Fox said coldly to one of the medics as if he were asking a mechanic about a car.

"Broken ribs and collapsed lung, needle decompression was successful, but we need to see the extent of the internal damage done by the fractured bones in her chest."

"And you can't do that here?" Fox bit out.

"No Sir, she needs a fully functional hospital in case surgery is required."

"Fuck." Fox grunted, more irritated that they were taking her to Germany than the idea that she might need surgery.

Marcus had remained silent as Fox berated everyone around him, but hearing him talk about Caroline as if she was a malfunctioning piece of equipment was almost more than he could take. He grit his back teeth and kept his gaze down, focusing solely on Caroline as he held her oxygen mask in place with one hand and stroked her cheek gently with the other.