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Ray moved before he could think about what he was doing, or the fact that it went against protocol. The cracking that explodes by his ears is the only warning he has that bullets are still raining down on him, and that snipers are still hot. But right now, that doesn’t matter because one of his team is in danger. Clay was in danger. Just as he would do for Jason, just as he knows Clay would do for him, Ray runs across the open space at risk of being shot to go save Clay. He ignores the crackling of his comms system or the gasps that he can hear from Clay, which grow more desperate and painful as he draws closer to death. No one had known what it was at first. When the choking started, all they could hear was gaps. Then, to everyone’s horror, it became clear what was happening. A tango had snuck up on Clay, who was on overwatch, and Bravo had been listening to the stranger strangle the life out of their youngest teammate member. The truth had hit hard and fast, and for Ray, that was all it took to make up his mind. He abandoned his post, leaving behind Brock, as he ran to get to Clay.
It had been animalistic, desperately attempting to breathe that escaped Clay. Over the comms, it was hard to tell exactly what was happening except for the fact that Clay wasn’t escaping. Clay was still being strangled, some tango was still strangling him, and Ray was still running. Every so often, there would be a crash, like someone was reaching for something – like Clay was reaching for a weapon – but the main noise was the sounds of Clay dying. Taking the stairs two at a time, Ray ran up them, taking the bends and route he had memorised from the briefing to get to Clay. It was all he could think about, all he would allow himself to think about. And then he shot. One bullet, straight to the head, and the man on top of Clay collapsed to the side.
And Clay didn’t move. He didn’t move and throw the body off him. He didn’t move when the blood sprayed onto his face. He didn’t move as Ray called his name, as Bravo spoke hectically over the comms, asking what happened. Clay didn’t move, not until Ray was at his side and pressing a hand to a pulse. It was slow, but it beat rhythmically.
For a minute, the world hung in suspense. The outside world simply stopped existing, stopped making noise, and time slowed, “thank god” Ray muttered to himself. Clay was alive, and they could work with that. Trent could work with that. “Thank you for keeping him alive long enough for me.” For Ray, this was another moment he could attribute to his faith, and that faith kept him strong.
“Bravo 2, what happened?” Jason demanded just as suddenly. “Bravo 2, sitrep” In the background, other members of Bravo were also speaking, but it all blurred out as his adrenaline started to fade.
His heart was still racing as he spoke “Bravo 2 to all Bravo, Bravo 6 is alive and accounted for, breathing. I took down the tango attacking Bravo 6 in response to the situation.”
“Lima Charlie Bravo 2” Jason said, stoic as ever, but Ray knew him well enough to hear the relief in the man’s voice. Ray doesn’t want to think about the possibility that he didn’t make it in time, that Clay died. Bravo might not be able to handle another loss after Nate and Adam, and Clay was just back with them from Manila – and that was far too close for them all.
“Ray-” coughs racked Clay's body, looking fragile as he continued to lie on the floor in the remnants of the blood Ray shed. “Thank y-you”
“Take it easy” Ray said, helping Clay slowly sit up “and don’t speak until Trent takes a look at you.” Clay went to protest, but Ray shot him a glare – the kind of thing he uses on his own kids, and as it works for them, it keeps Clay quiet. The fact that he’s started parenting his team is a fact he'll deal with another day, right now, his job is to take care of Clay, no matter what form that takes.
“Let me have a look” Ray makes sure to be gentle as he works his way around the bruise, now painting Clay’s throat. Despite being badly bruised, it’s sloppy work. The man wasn’t experienced enough to place his hands in the most lethal position, and that might have been the factor that saved Clay. “Is this okay?”
Clay nods, so he continues with ungloved hands to trace the outlines. The bright red and purple colouring only serves to make Clay look half dead and pale. “Easy, slow breaths. I'm going to help you drink some water. You need to take slow sips, otherwise, we could agitate your throat.”
Surprisingly, Clay allows him to guide the water canister to his mouth and doesn’t try to take it from him. Clay’s hands remain by his side, which is concerning. But Ray gently tips the canister back, allowing a little bit of liquid out. He repeats this slowly until half the bottle is gone. Each time, Clay doesn’t manage to hide the wince when he swallows.
“Are you okay to move? I can't see any spin damage, and this area isn’t secure enough for me. We can head back to the team.” Clay nods, taking back more of his independence as he stands on his own. Briefly, Clay rocks on his feet, displaced by the solid ground, before he settles. Then, they move. Ray makes sure they go slowly and don’t slack on their operational awareness. Clay, as expected, doesn’t slack, but Ray can't be too careful with recent events. The lack of oxygen Clay experienced alone would be enough to throw him off and miss something that could kill them both. But they make it back, and after that, his heart still doesn’t settle until Bravo is on the bird back.