Read Online Code Black by Philip S. Donlay - Free Book Online Page B

his shoulder. “How did all this…” she gestured with her hands at the obvious destruction on the flight deck. “I was walking to the restroom, then you pulled me into the seat. Right before—” she searched for the words. “Right before what? What happened to us?”
    “We were hit by another plane.” Donovan realized her view of the impact had been blocked, she had no idea what had happened. “I only saw it at the last second. You’re not hurt, are you?”
    “No. I’m not too bad, considering.” Her eyes darted to his hairline. “But you have a cut on your head that needs attention.”
    He touched his temple and his hand came away with a trace of blood. It didn’t particularly hurt. “I’m fine. Can you do something for him?”
    “Right after I bandage your head.” She knelt and opened the medical kit. She found the necessary items and ripped open a foil packet. “This might sting a little bit.”
    Donovan winced she dabbed the antiseptic on his skin. He didn’t know if it was from the pain or from his discomfort at her proximity.
    “Hang on, it’s more of a scrape than a deep cut. I’m almost finished, just let me stick a bandage on this.” Audrey tenderly smoothed out the adhesive. “How does that feel?”
    “Better. Thanks.” He adjusted the throttles and kept his face glued to the horizon. “Can you help him?”
    Audrey didn’t move. She looked at him closely. “Have we ever met?”
    “I don’t think so.” Donovan nearly flinched as he held his breath.
    “I swear you remind me of someone.”
    “I get that a lot.” Donovan gestured to the unconscious form in the left seat. “Can you see to him?”
    Audrey’s gaze lingered on Donovan for a moment before she moved to the captain. She carefully pressed her fingers to his neck. “He has a good pulse,” she announced. The captain’s head rolled down and rested on his chest.
    Donovan flew the airplane and glanced over as Audrey took another antiseptic wipe and carefully cleaned the blood from the man’s head. With the blood cleaned from his face, he looked remarkably better. The captain appeared to be fairly young despite a receding hairline and a small paunch. He possessed rather soft, rounded facial features, accented by bushy dark eyebrows. The same thick hair covered his arms, which rested limply in his lap. Donovan watched as Audrey put a bandage over his wound to protect it. It looked like the bleeding had all but stopped.
    “How bad is it back there?” Donovan asked about the people in the cabin and the horrible scene he’d witnessed on his way to the cockpit.
    “After you left, everyone else blacked out one by one.” She hesitated for a moment, biting her lip at the memory. “The flight attendant you saved is awake, but she’s in pretty bad shape. I did manage to get her into a seat and cover her with a blanket, but she can’t move her arm or shoulder. Besides being traumatized, I’m pretty sure she broke something when she fell.”
    “Has anyone else come around, anyone at all?”
    “No. Not that I saw. But I was busy trying to pry the medical kit free.” Audrey lowered her voice and tried to sound optimistic. “It might take them a little while.”
    “That’s true.” Despite himself, Donovan made momentary eye contact with Audrey. Her obvious anguish betrayed her optimistic hopes, as she probably held the same fear he did; no one in the back was going to wake up.
    “You seem to know your way around a 737.” Donovan knew she’d been around airplanes for the better part of the last two decades, but he had a vested interest in keeping up the thin charade that they’d just met.
    “My husband, Henry, is the chief pilot for Wayfarer Airlines. We used to fly a lot together, so I guess it goes with the territory.”
    Donovan pictured the man she was talking about, though he hadn’t seen or spoken with Henry in eighteen years—he’d known the man well. In fact, he’d known Henry longer than Audrey had. Seeing