‘Get up, you rat!’ Baird snarled. ‘What do you think you’re doing, lying there?’
Rico groaned.
‘It’s my leg, it’s broken. It’s bleeding. Help me, Baird.’
Baird stood over him. He could scarcely keep his feet.
‘You asked for it,’ he said, his breath coming in great laboured gasps. ‘Why didn’t you keep down?’
‘Help me,’ Rico said, reaching out a shaking hand. ‘Don’t leave me here to die.’
Why not leave him here? Baird asked himself. All along Rico had been useless. Now with a broken leg he’d be worse than useless. Baird had already exhausted himself get ing Hater on board. The thought of having to go through that all over again with Rico decided him.
‘Take it easy,’ he said. ‘I’ll be back. I’ve got to find Hater.’
Rico knew at once he was lying.
‘You can’t leave me like this!’ he cried, half sitting up. ‘I’m bleeding! Baird! You can’t do it!’