"Medics! Over here! For God's sake, now!" Aeris's voice shrieked.
She waved her arms frantically, her face pale under a layer of grime and blood spatter. A team in white and gray combat armor broke from the far end of the hall, their heavy boots pounding on the debris-strewn floor.
"Make a space! Get out of the way!" Viera yelled, her own voice hoarse as she shoved a piece of the shattered pillar aside with her shoulder.
Ning gathered Lian into his arms, rising to his feet in a single, fluid motion that cost him more than he let on. His own wounds screamed in protest, but he ignored them. He carried her toward the approaching medics, each step a careful, desperate measure. She was impossibly light.