Red Horizon (The Martian Fanfiction)

Chapter 6

They collapsed to the floor of the Hab, their bodies spent. Olivia's vision swam as she gasped for breath, her head spinning from the pain and exhaustion. But they were inside. They had made it.

She turned her head to look at Mark, her heart clenching as she saw him leaning heavily against the wall, his face pale, his breathing ragged. His hand rested on the piece of metal still embedded in his side, blood seeping through his suit.

Olivia and Mark collapsed onto the cold, hard floor of the Hab, the pressure of the airlock hissing shut behind them. The sudden warmth of the artificial atmosphere was almost suffocating after the biting cold of the Martian storm, but it was a small price to pay for survival. Olivia lay there, gasping for air, her mind barely able to process the pain radiating through her leg and ribs. Every breath was an effort, and her vision swam with exhaustion.

But her focus shifted quickly to Mark.

He was slumped against the wall, his breathing shallow and uneven, his face pale beneath the streaks of red Martian dust caking his visor. His hand still gripped the piece of metal embedded in his side, blood slowly seeping through the fabric of his jumpsuit, spreading in dark, ominous patches. He was losing too much blood. Too fast.

Olivia's heart lurched in her chest, panic threatening to overwhelm her. She forced herself to sit up, wincing as pain shot through her leg. But Mark was her priority. He had saved her. Now she had to make sure he stayed alive.

"Mark..." she rasped, her voice barely audible through the tightness in her chest. "You... you need to lie down. Let me help you."

Mark's head lolled toward her, his eyelids heavy, but he managed a faint smile. "Not... much help you'll be," he muttered, his words slurred with pain and exhaustion.

But he didn't argue as she struggled to her knees, her hands trembling as she crawled over to him. He gritted his teeth, his fingers tightening around the piece of metal in his side as if he could somehow will the pain away. But it was too deep. Too serious.

"Come on," Olivia urged, her voice firmer now, despite the desperation gnawing at her insides. "We need to stop the bleeding. You have to take off the suit."

Mark nodded, though it was a weak, almost involuntary gesture. With shaking hands, he fumbled with the fasteners of his jumpsuit, his breath coming in shallow gasps as he peeled the blood-caked fabric away from his wound. The sound of the fabric tearing away from his skin made Olivia wince, and she could see him biting down hard to keep from crying out.

Once the jumpsuit was off, the full extent of the injury became horrifyingly clear. The jagged metal had pierced deep into his side, but there was no exit wound. That was good, Olivia told herself. But the metal—it had to come out. And fast.

Mark's fingers probed the puncture, his face going pale as he reached for the broken piece of the satellite antenna that had impaled him. His fingertips brushed against the bloodied end, jagged and twisted where it had broken off inside him.

"That's bad," he muttered, his voice a weak rasp. "Real bad."

"Don't—don't talk," Olivia breathed, her voice shaking. She wasn't sure who she was trying to convince more—him or herself. "Just... let me get the med kit."

Mark didn't protest. He simply nodded, his head slumping forward slightly as Olivia hobbled over to the first-aid station. She could feel the pain in her leg intensifying, but she forced herself to move, every second ticking by making her more frantic. Her fingers trembled as she grabbed the supplies they needed—anesthetic, a syringe, forceps, needle, and suture thread.

Her heart pounded as she crawled back to Mark, who had slumped even further down the wall. He was trying to stay conscious, but the amount of blood he had lost was terrifying. Olivia felt a lump rise in her throat, but she pushed it down, forcing herself to focus.