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The storm isn’t over. It probably won’t ever be over. Not for Javi, not for Ty, and certainly not for Kate.
But it’s over for today, over for the small town they’re in.
It rains on and off after that, little spatters of thunder in the distance as they try to find people. Most of the main square was destroyed, but the buildings didn’t come all the way down. There's plenty of people trapped who need help.
That's what they’re doing, her and Javi and Ty and his team. Digging people out and helping them limp to the few semi-structurally sound buildings and overhangs.
The two paramedics and four volunteer firefighters make up the only six of authority left. They’ve set up a triage area next to the storm shelters, but nearly all the first responders are stationed there trying to care for the injured.
Kate’s exhausted, the adrenaline dump all too familiar. A small part of her brain still wonders if any of this is real, or if she died in that truck and the tornado took out the town. She can't wait to be able to get back to her mom’s and take a shower, but it’ll have to wait. These people need help.
A soft groan from beside her makes her pause, calling out for quiet. “I heard something!”
“Was just me!” Tyler corrects quickly. “Sorry!”
It says something that the townsfolk don’t even react to the false alarm. They’ve all been on edge, listening for the slightest sign of life under the tones of rubble. They just go back to their work, trying to move as fast as possible before it gets dark.
She glances over at Tyler, noting how pale his normally tan skin has become. “Hey,” she quietly gets Lily's attention. “Can you see if we have any water?”
Lily's eyes slide past Kate to her pseudo boss behind her. She nods. “Yeah, no problem. Hopefully you can get him to listen to you.”
Kate straightens, sending the drone operator a confused look. Lily shrugs, pulling her gloves off. “Wouldn’t be the first time he’s worked himself to exhaustion.”
Kate rolls her eyes to herself. Great. Stubborn on top of being obnoxiously smart. She should’ve known.
With a sigh she braces herself for a fight and picks her way over to Tyler. He’s struggling to move a piece of concrete, sweat soaking his forehead. He’s not putting much force onto his left leg.
Kate unconsciously brushes her fingers over the scar on her same leg, wincing in sympathy. She nods to him and gets down on the other side, the two of them able to roll the large concrete block off the pile of rubble, freeing up a steel beam to be moved. He goes for that too, but she steps in quickly. “Hey, you mind if we grab some water real quick? Just a small break.”
She can see the hesitation in his face, and she drags out an old trick she used to pull on Jeb. “I think I’m getting a blister, wanna throw some tape on it.”
Works like a charm. Tyler nods immediately, standing up slowly and limping his way down to the street. Kate stays with him the whole time, not so subtly steering him towards the triage area. Lily meets them with a couple of water bottles, winking at Kate and running off.
She thinks she’s got him in the home stretch, that maybe he hasn’t noticed where she’s leading him, except very suddenly she realizes he’s not behind her anymore. She turns and finds him holding up a roll of duct tape.
Damn it.
He raises an eyebrow at her. “For your foot?”
”Oh- uh, yeah.” So close and yet so far. She takes the tape and sits on the back fender of the ‘tornado wrangler’, or whatever Ty calls his bright red monstrosity. She’s sure he’s put a name to it.
Miraculously, once they got it upright the thing was able to turn on and drive. It’s been useful for hauling debris out of the way and serving as a supply station. The RV got totaled, so they salvaged what they could for food and supplies and loaded it up in the truck. Lord knows where the van went.
She slowly fiddles with the laces of her boots, pretending to work out a knot while she watches Tyler sip his water out of the corner of her eye. “You doin okay?” She asks softly, trying to keep as nonchalant as she can.
From the way he starts to waver, nonchalant is about to be thrown out the window.
“Yeah, yeah I’m…um…” Kate straightens up, growing more concerned as he trails off. “I’m alright.”
She glances down at his leg, not surprised to see a tear in his pants and the dark stain of blood soaking into the fabric below. ”You sure? Looks like a pretty nasty cut you got there. Why don’t we go over and see if they’ve got any bandages?”
Despite looking like he’s about to fall any second, Tyler still scoffs. “Oh c’mon Kate, you know better than anyone they don’t have bandages to spare, certainly not for a little cut like that.”
“Well it certainly doesn’t hurt to check- woah, hey! Hey!” Kate rushes forward as Tyler steps back, his chin bobbing to his chest and posture slouching. “Lily! Boone!”
Tyler’s right hand man arrives first, which is just as well, because despite Tyler’s slurred protests that he’s okay, he’s quickly going down, and Kate can’t hold him up. Boone grabs the other side of Tyler that Kate can’t reach and together they help him to the ground.
The idiot refuses to lay down though, and has an iron grip on Boone’s arm to hold himself upright. “I’m fine, I’m fine.” He pants, whiter than a sheet and cold to the touch. “I just got dizzy for a second, that’s all.”
“Sure boss, and I learned how to fly my drone from my time in the air force.” Lily says flatly, jogging over with Dexter in tow.
Tyler screwed up his face, confused. “You were in the Air Force?”
Lily blinks. “What in the goddamn fuck is he talking about?” She asks, quickly moving from sarcasm to concern. Before Kate can say anything Tyler shivers violently, muscles relaxing in her grip. “Shit, Boone, get him flat.”
Tyler protests the whole way but eventually they get him flat, a balled up jacket under his head. “Easy Ty,” Kate murmurs, eyeing the wound on his leg. He’s restless, fidgety despite lines of pain on his face. “You’re alright, just need to look at that leg.”
Tyler groans again through gritted teeth as Boone pokes at his leg. Kate watches his actions until the jagged wound comes into view and then she turns away. Some blood she can deal with, but when she sees muscles she’s done.
A touch startles her, and she finds Tyler’s hand on her forearm. She moves her attention to his face, sliding her hand up his arm so they’re connected at the same spot, holding each other right below the elbow. “How’re you feeling Mr. Wrangler?”
Tyler coughs, no longer panting loudly but breathing fast and shallow. He’s really pale, and as Kate jams her fingers against his wrist, his pulse is racing.
Ty shivers. “I’m- ah, shit.” He gasps. “M real cold.”
“Kate-"
“He said he’s cold, his pulse is fast and he’s not breathing right.” She reports, right as Dexter appears with a paramedic.
“He’s in shock,” The mad scientist diagnoses easily, the older woman paramedic agreeing with him. “We can take him soon. Show me his leg.”
“Take him?” Kate asks, squeezing Tyler’s arm as he makes a strangled noise. She must be poking at the wound.
“There's ambulances now.” The medic reposts, pulling out a square of gauze. “The people who couldn’t wait have already gone in the cars we had.”
“Don’t need an ambulance,” Tyler moans, the big baby. “Can just take the truck.”
“No, you’re going in an ambulance.” The paramedic orders, glancing behind her at the truck. “Not sure that thing will even make it to a hospital.”
Tyler nearly sits up, looking absolutely ridiculous with the six chins he gets. “What's wrong with my truck?!”
“It went through a tornado, that’s what’s wrong with it.” Lily chimes in. “It’s in the same shape as my drone.”
“Lay back down please-"
“-what happened to the drone-"
“Lay down!” Kate, Boone, Lily, Dexter and the paramedic all speak at the same time.
Ty lays down.
Kate rolls her eyes, nodding to Boone. “You want to go with him to the hospital?”
To her surprise, Boone shakes his head. “Nah, I oughta stay with the truck, see if me and Dex and get it mobile again. You go.”
”But-"
“You should get checked out anyway Kate,” Lily adds. “You were in the truck that was in the tornado.”
The paramedic turns her head so fast Kate’s surprised she doesn’t get whiplash. “That was you?!”
"Well-"
"Sure was!” Tyler pipes up, out of breath and woozy. “You should’ve seen it-"
"Tyler, stop talking.” Kate resists the urge to press her hand to his mouth. “Just- hush. Where’s the ambulance?”