The rotors were already turning, and the EMT crew was loading up when Rolly walked up behind the pilot and tapped him on the arm, shouting to be heard above the noise level.

“Conrad…this is Hunt Knox, the pilot who brought in Boyd’s chopper.”

Conrad gave Hunt a thumbs-up and gestured for him to get in.

Hunt nodded and climbed into the belly of the chopper.

The same team he’d flown with was already inside, checking supplies and waiting for takeoff.

Conrad climbed in, and then Rolly shut the door behind them.

Hunt acknowledged their greetings but barely had time to get a seat and buckle in before they were in the air. The ride was strangely silent. He knew the trip would be stressful for all of them because this time the patient they were picking up was also a friend.

Hopefully, Boyd would survive the heart attack and have a lot of years left of his life, although this was going to ground him from working as a pilot again. Then he said a quiet prayer for the little boy he had flown to Savannah and settled in for the flight.

* * *

Dr. Quick and the ER staff were getting Boyd ready for transport when they got word that Medi-Flight was only two minutes out. The orderlies were there, ready to move their patient to the helipad.

“Thanks for everything, Doc,” Boyd said.

Dr. Quick patted him on the arm. “Of course. That’s what we do. Your ride is here, and so are the orderlies to get you to it. Safe travels,” he said.

The chopper landed, and when the doors rolled back, Hunt was the first one out. He started walking toward the hospital and saw Ava coming toward him. He opened his arms, caught her in midstride, and held her close.

“Thank you! Thank you!” she kept saying. “We got word that Davey was still stable when they wheeled him into surgery. It’s the chance he needed, and you gave it to him!”

“You’re selling yourself short,” Hunt said. “You’re the one who thought of me. I didn’t do anything spectacular. I just flew a chopper…like I do all the time. You people are the ones who gave the little guy a chance.”

“Can you come inside for a couple of minutes? Dr. Quick wanted to meet you and thank you himself.”

“Yeah, sure,” Hunt said, and took her by the hand as she walked him back into the ER.

“Everybody! This is Hunt Knox, the pilot who flew Davey to Savannah,” Ava said.

Before Hunt could even say ‘hello,’ he was inundated by staff, all wanting to talk to him.