Everything’s narrowed down to the next step, the next breath, the next bit of ground he has to cover without his leg giving out completely. But then her voice cuts through it, familiar enough to pull his focus sideways, even if just for a second.
The gurney hits in front of them and the shift is immediate. Hands move, weight transfers, and for a split second Jack’s grip tightens hard on the agents holding him like he doesn’t trust the transition. Then he’s being lifted, guided—and something else.
His leg doesn’t drop the way he expects. There’s no jarring pull, no added strain. Instead, there’s a strange, controlled lightness, like the weight’s been taken off it entirely, held just out of reach of the pain. Jack’s breath catches on that, sharp and surprised, eyes flicking briefly toward Ally as realization hits.
"It's nothing,” he exhales, the tension in his shoulders easing just a fraction because of it.
He’s lowered onto the gurney, the movement smoother than it should be, and even then that same careful support stays with his leg. His hand still moves to the tourniquet on instinct, fingers pressing hard for a second before easing when the pain doesn’t spike the way he expects.
Flat on the gurney now, the world tilts slightly as he adjusts, head tipping back for a second as he exhales hard through his nose. Ally’s voice cuts in again and he turns his head just enough to look at her, eyes a little unfocused but locked on her anyway.
“Move,” one of the agents snaps, and suddenly the gurney lurches forward.
They’re moving fast now, wheels rattling over the hangar floor as the team breaks into a hurried pace, pushing him out of the open space and toward the interior doors. The bright lights of the hangar give way to the harsher, clinical lighting inside, footsteps echoing as they cut down the corridor toward the elevator. Jack’s fingers curl tighter into the edge of the gurney as the motion jostles him, a sharp breath slipping out before he reins it back in.
“Just get me inside,” he mutters again, voice low but steadier now, eyes fixed ahead as the elevator doors come into view.
