After the longest six minutes of Phil's life, the hospital helicopter touched down next to the building. Phil guided the paramedics through the maze of construction equipment and helped them get Gabi onto a stretcher. He followed them back to the chopper, but the pilot shook his head when Phil tried to get on board.
"No room," the pilot insisted.
Phil looked at him blankly. "There's plenty of room in here!"
The pilot shook his head.
"But she could be dying!," Phil insisted.
"Do you plan on doing anything for her?"
Phil glared at him. "Look, I helped save half your patients when the hurricane hit, and we helped transport a lot of your equipment, so don't go shoving me around like I'm nobody of consequence. The woman I love is hurt very badly, and I'm going to the hospital with her." Phil realized he still had his MP5 on him. "I do know how to fly one of these," he said menacingly, gesturing toward his weapon.
The pilot threw up his hands. "Get in," he said begrudgingly.
Phil jumped in as the helicopter took off, leaving Leslie and Charley behind to deal with the incapacitated MAW agents.
As the helicopter cleared the tops of the skyscrapers and headed out over the water on its return track, Gabi mumbled something through her oxygen mask. Phil knelt down next to her and stroked her hair. "It's okay now, Gabi. Everything's gonna be okay."
Gabriela smiled at him. "You're a really bad liar, you know that?" She sighed. "I heard what Leslie said. I know what's going on." She looked at the paramedics. "Unless these guys are on par with the surgical staff at NYU or Johns Hopkins, I really don't think we have that much time left to talk."
"The OR is prepped," the copilot told the pilot after talking on the radio. He turned to Phil. "We've got our best surgical team standing by."
Phil smiled at Gabi. "See? They're waiting for us. Everything's gonna be fine."
"Liar," Gabi breathed. She kissed the hand Phil rested on her cheek. "You always had way too big of a heart to pull off the tough-guy act with me."
Phil didn't know what to say. He turned to the copilot. "How far out are we?" Phil asked.
"Three minutes," the copilot replied.
"Phil," Gabi said, "I'm dying. I think we both know that. But I want you to know that this isn't your fault." Phil started to look away, but Gabi put her hand under his chin and forced him to look at her. "You hear me? This isn't anyone's fault." Gabi smiled. "I don't care what happens now. I'm with you."
Phil tried to keep his voice steady but failed. "But... Gabi-"
"Listen to me," Gabi said. "I don't want you to spend the rest of your life moping about how you could have done something or some nonsense like that. This isn't the movies or the comics or anything like that. You're a real person, and you're an amazing person at that. So don't be afraid to cry for me - but don't let that get in the way of life." Gabi coughed as her one working lung struggled to provide her with oxygen. "I want you to go and see Leslie, and I want you to be with her. She's the one for you, Phil."
Phil couldn't keep his voice from breaking. "Gabi, no..."
Gabi nodded. "Yeah." She looked out the window as the helicopter started to descend toward the hospital rooftop. Gabi turned to Phil and smiled. "I love you, Phil. I thought I'd lost you. But then, out of nowhere, there you were. Remember?"
Phil nodded as a tear made its way down his cheek. "I thought I'd lost you too."
"Taking her in to land," the pilot announced.
Gabi touched Phil's face. "You never lost me, Phil. I was always right there with you - just like you were always right there with me." The helicopter bucked a little as its rotor wash bounced off the hospital roof. "And," Gabi breathed, "I'll always be right there with you."
"I love you, Gabi," Phil managed to sob.
"I love you too," Gabi said softly as she caressed Phil's face.
The chopper's landing gear settled onto the rooftop.
Gabi shivered. "It's... it's really cold-"
The hand touching Phil's face fell onto Gabi's lap as she exhaled deeply and was still.
