Hot Summer Nights

Chapter V

He's gone Maverick.
"Goose! Come on, come on-"
Goose's body is heavy, even in the water, as Maverick pulls him on top of him, cradling his head. He doesn't look at the blood over the side of his RIO's face.
He's dead.
"No-" He tries to ignore his thoughts, speaking to him in a monotone, expressionless voice. "Goose, please.."

It's the Saturday they were training. Carole and Bradley are on the shore, expecting them to come back triumphant. No. This has to be a dream. This can't be real!
"Come on-" Maverick's voice is choked with tears, pressing his face into Goose's hair.
There's nothing but the smell of salt and blood in his nose, and the cold breeze rushing over the surface of the water dries his hair too fast.

What just happened?! How did they end up here?! Not ten minutes ago they were behind Iceman and Slider closing in on Jester, then there was a jetstream that pushed them into a flatspin... and then everything went wrong. The last thing he could remember was yelling "eject, eject!" as they deemed the flatspin unrecoverable. Then they hit the water and he got over to Goose but he wasn't moving and there was blood over his face and-
A shiver goes through Maverick, starting at the base of his neck, pushing out a sob. "Don't- don't go.."

As soon as Iceman and Slider's jet stops, they open the canopy and Ice almost jumps out.
"Ice! Hold on-" Slider calls, following him out.
"No, Slider!" his voice is hoarser than usual, having been almost shouting down the dead radio to Maverick after he saw them getting pushed into a spin. "We gotta find them!"
"I know, I know, just, let me come with you,"
Ice glares at him, nothing else mattering to him apart from the fact that Maverick and Goose are in that ocean, somewhere. "Hurry up then,"

Fifteen minutes of tense words and beyond stressful radar and radio checking, they were finally sending out a rescue helicopter to where they'd zoned in on Maverick and Goose. Slider was trying to not let the stress of it all get to him, he was having to be a wall of stability for Ice, who was almost losing his mind with anxiety, all his cool cover lost entirely.
"Hey, listen,"
Ice keeps pacing across the room they're in.
"Ice," Slider says again.
"What?" his voice is cold as he whips his head round.
"They're gonna be okay,"
"You don't know that,"
He sighs. "You know Maverick,"
"I know him well enough to be able to feel like this when he gets pushed into a flatspin and then the radio gets disconnected thirty seconds later!"
"I know nothing I can say will calm you down-"
"I don't have to calm down,"
"...But-" he tries again.
"Stop making excuses! I don't know what they're doing out there, or if they're even alive!"
"Ice, seriously, Goose and Maverick are going to be fine," Slider says, his patience with his pilot running low.
"I don't need you to try and calm me down right now," Ice mutters, glaring at Slider and leaving the room, leaving Slider standing in the middle of it.

Maverick's legs were numb, his cheeks ached with dried tears and the cold wind, that had picked up more in the last ten minutes; a storm was brewing. But he didn't dare let go of Goose. His skin was cold, but Maverick couldn't cry out any more tears. They'd moved so Maverick was shielding Goose from the wind, he wasn't able to bring himself to hide behind him.
There's a loud noise above him, he doesn't really care what it is.
"Sir?"
Maverick jerks his head up as a medic puts a hand on his shoulder.
They look to another, who inches their hand to press their fingers on Goose's neck. They shake their head.
"Sir I'm sorry but you have to let go of him,"
Maverick stares blankly at the medic, a frown beginning on his face.
"Sir, please we need to get you on the helicopter," He can hardly make out what they were saying, the blades of the helicopter above them making the wind whip ferociously around them.
Then the medics try to detach Maverick's arms from around Goose, and only then does he realise what they want him to do.
"No-" his voice is hoarse. "No don't take him, please no!"
The sorrys from the medics don't sink in.
"Please-" Tears start to fall down his cheeks as they drag Goose away from him.
He's gone.