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[dadication]

Jack watched Gabe's face, aware none of this could possibly be comfortable, but then again, not being able to breathe was far worse. Reyes had been smart to bring the small tanks of oxygen or else this could have been a completely different story. This was going to happen though, they were going to survive, lick their many wounds and find out who had done this to them and everyone else.

He extracted all the air that he could, waiting and hoping that it would be enough. Turned out there was more air in Gabe's chest cavity than his syringe could suck out, forcing him to pull it out, reset and have to insert the needle in again. This time he felt more resistance as he drained air and waited for the telltale signs of proper respiration returned.

"Keep sucking that oxygen even when I'm done," he ordered. He figured it would do Gabe good as the drugs kicked in with their full effect eventually.

Only once the job was complete he did withdraw and sat back to study the enormous task ahead of him. Where there wasn't burns, bruises or scrapes, there were lacerations, punctures from rebar and the odd foreign body from the blast. He blinked his eyes rapidly, nodding his head as he convinced himself that he could do that, that there was no other choice. Gabe needed him.

The pack of supplies next to him, he rose and stumbled his way to the bathroom finally. Inside, he grabbed two towels which he assumed were supposed to be white but more an off yellow and old stains that he didn't want to know the story behind. He returned with the same drunken stumbling but settled down like a sack of potatoes. One towel he settled under Gabe's thigh where the rebar had punctured through. He then flushed and washed the wound. The other towel was used to pat it dry before he applied a bandage. One down.

There was another on Gabe's side which he worked on next, flushing, washing but only a minor bandage pad there because there was plenty else to work on before he could bandage the older man's abdomen up. "Get some rest... I'll be awhile."

He began the seemingly endless quest to find bits of rocks, vehicle metal and glass from Gabe's body, hands only shaking a little bit.

[gr1m]

Under any other circumstances Gabriel would have tossed a joke out, try and lighten the mood, but those times were usually just after some mission having gotten complicate or- well. Not This. This wasn't the time for a 'I'll tell you what else I could keep sucking' and hell, as it was didn't cross his mind. Focused as he was on trying to make this as easy on Jack as possible. Both of them were flagging, but he had to hold on so he could do the same for Jack.

Even if his eyes did droop when the pain killers started kicking in, never dropped his gaze and kept alert as he possible could. Breathing with the help of the mask and oxygen tank, even if he could feel the prick of pain, it was over and gone wit just as soon as it had come.

There was a noise, some faint sign of a tired chuckle- "Just.. if I doze off-" He was afraid what might happen if he did, but the part he was far more concerned about what, "-wake me up so I can get you fixed up."

Didn't want to leave Jack bleeding or have the higher risk of infection. They were in this together, all the other had- he needed Jack to stay at his side after this.

[dadication]

Well, they were both lucky if they weren't going to get an infection, not only from the explosion but the carpet they happened to be seated upon. He did not want to question what some of the stains were, and they happened to be adding their own at this point. As long as everyone thought they were dead, it wouldn't matter if some seedy motel happened to have blood stains from them. They would clean up when they could manage it.

He glanced up at the request, nodding but too exhausted to commit more than that. He would wake Gabe if it were necessary otherwise he could mind himself. However, he knew Reyes would be furious if he didn't, but he had to look out for the other man first and foremost. He had taken care of matters on his own many times, same as Gabe. It was a fact of life. He'd deal with any anger assuming that he was still conscious enough to listen.

"You need your rest. You pushed harder than I did," he said as if that bore any merit. "If you're still in pain, let me know and I'll dose you more." Right unconscious if he had to.

All the same, he began to suture some of the deeper, uglier lacerations. No local, which he was apologetic about, but Gabe would have to contend with the pin pricks over and over as he sewed the partner of his life back together again. Front first then he would see about Gabe's back.

[gr1m]

He worried, even knowing just how much Jack could do on his own- how much he could do on his own. Didn't make him want to try and help any less, do whatever he could, even if right now part of that was making himself sit and let Jack tend to him now. Like hell he wanted to make the other think he couldn't do anything this simple, or that it was unwanted.

"We both pushed hard," softly, a little strained. "Think you and I both know this still hurts like Hell, but I can deal." Less than what it did, but it could be felt initially, but faded away quicker than it would have without. Only hurt too much if he moved or breathed a little more deeper than his lung was ready for.

Dealt with the pain of skin being sewn together, head tiled back and just kept his breathing as regular as he could. Had at least stuffed a few antibiotics in to that bag, so neither of them would be crawling out of here with some new sort of disease on top of surviving an explosion. Last thing they needed.

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"I'll go as long as I can," he replied. Yes, he was hurting and yes he was tired. They both were. He was taking what relief he could in the fact that Gabe was breathing better, still recovering with oxygen but looking a bit less ashen. "Just... rest..."

Jack worked. He stitched, washed, bandaged and removed shrapnel from Gabe's body, working on the worst of the injuries and making his way to the least dangerous but still to be uncomfortable ones. He then urged Reyes to turn so he could work on the older man's back which was just as badly damaged, requiring more suturing or maybe it was just that he was slowing down by that point, fingers barely working but running on fumes as he put Gabe back together. He managed to do that and then bandage it all up, providing a little more warmth but also a sense of security that he had done it. Okay, so there were likely still a few places on Gabe's legs but the worst of it was over.

He sagged, breathing shallowly and picked at his own shredded clothing. He began to pull the bloody tattered remains, opening up wounds which had been glued shut by the cloth that remained. He managed to peel off his trousers and kick off his boots before he looked over at Gabe.

He couldn't go further, even if he had intended to.

"...Gabe...? I need you..." his words were barely above a hoarse whisper. He must have worked an hour or more on the older man. He felt on the verge of passing out. "...I can't..."

[gr1m]

"Okay," he'd rest. What rest he could get while Jack was working on him, and hell if that wouldn't be enough in his mind. Being still, not pushing himself further for the sake of getting them both the hell out of dodge and somewhere safe enough, "Okay."

He could rest while remaining still, eyes closed, getting what he could from that alone while still breathing. Only moving when he needed to, when Jack asked him to move so he could get to his back. At that point he could have honestly let himself doze off, but he refused, even if he was in some half-awake sort of daze while Jack picked and stitched, cleaned and bandaged.

He was alert the moment he heard just how weak Jack's voice was, moving to sit up carefully, just to not ruin his work, catching hold of him. "Why don't you lay down for me? Work on your front and sides, lay on the towel you had under my leg," Do what he could to get Jack situated, tired as he still felt, he needed to push this one last leg of their journey here.

"I got you, Jack. I got you."

[dadication]

As he wavered, he felt distantly safe that he had assured Gabe's survival. He had done his part, done whatever he could to keep the older man safe or at least on the road to healing up again. He was shaking, pale complexion absolutely white by this point, and the only reason that he remained upright at all was because Gabe actually turned around to capture him before he could slump over.

"Yeah... I'll lay down," he mumbled, though he personally made no effort with spreading out any towel. The most he could manage was his teeth chattering and keeping himself seated until it was spread and then he was practically oozing onto the towel. It felt good to lay down, he thought. It wasn't any warmer and he was so damn cold. He couldn't feel his bloody fingers or his wet toes at this point. Hell, he couldn't even spare the energy to think if he felt anything from the knee down anymore.

He wanted Gabe to do what he could, not push things too far, but that very notion managed the slightest of smiles on his lips. Of course Gabe would push it, as dedicated to him as he was to Reyes. The dark neat writing of Gabe's name stood out stark against his pale skin, as all near death situations brought about. "...don't worry about making me pretty again... I'm done with photo-shoots..."

An attempt at humour, even if his voice made it flat and sad. He knew his face was chewed up anyway. No point regretting any of that.

[gr1m]

Gabriel took care of it, flipping the towel around so there was at least the slightly cleaned side of what had once been a folded towel for Jack to lay on. Wasn't much, but it was better than nothing, hand smoothing over pale skin and trying to share as much warmth that had seeped in to his own skin -beginning of a fever? would have to take some of the antibiotics- with Jack. Wasn't about to lose him after all of this.

"Even with some new scars you're going to be pretty to me, Jack." There was a smaller cloth, hand towel he guessed, that he'd gotten with warm water to wash away grime an dirt before he could get started. Had gotten up between laying Jack down and looking over watch all he'd needed.

Have to clean him off a bit before he was flushing out wounds, already giving him the same courtesy of injecting a pain killer. Numb or not it was... needed. "You can rest while I do this, okay?" Just stay with him otherwise.

A hand rested over his name of Jack's skin, leaning over him just enough to press a kiss near the corner of his mouth.

"Let me worry about you now."

Cleaning out the wounds that needed the most attention, where rebar had kept Jack pinned, cleaning and bandaging that for now as he picked and went along his way. Going from what he needed to do then and there and working his way up. He'd leave Jack's face for last, injuries there always bled worse than what they were.

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"...smooth talking me...?" He made a soft noise when Gabe gave him some pain medication, and by the time they were all set up and ready to fix him up, his eyes were closed and his shaking had waned. He was still cold, but he was also in a very happy place even as Gabe started on him. Of course, he sighed as warm lips pressed on the name etched into his skin, and he briefly reached out to touch the top of Gabe's head, stroking gently.

Muscles twitched for the cleaning and the flushing, and he made little soft noises so show he was still in the land of the living at this point. It was the most that he could manage as he lay on the floor in that dirty motel.

Thankfully the bullet that he had been struck with in the shoulder had been through-through, creating damage but at least there would be no real digging to find the bullet. As Gabe stitched him up in places, he wanted to say something during each little prick to his skin, but by that point, he was so out to lunch he could only make little sounds.

[gr1m]

"Always," because partner and love of his life. "Scars look good, after all." Jack would never look anything but good to him, scars or no scars there across his face. Didn't mar his looks a damn bit if those lacerations did scar up.

Gabriel was as careful as he could be, but whenever he did pick or dig out any sort of foreign material he made sure to clean the area out, just to make it heal that much easier. The noises appreciated, glad to know Jack was still there with him, even if he had reached a point of weakness he couldn't do much else.

The bullet wound in his shoulder did get some lingering attention, flushing it out as carefully as he could and stitching only where needed. Otherwise he was fixing some gauze and a bandage there, hand rested over the area for a moment before he was moving on. Fingertips carefully brushing at Jack's face.

"I'm about to clean here, might hurt and I'll be surprised if it doesn't start bleeding again." But he'd try to make it careful, and he did worry he might have to stitch if the lacerations there were deep enough.

[dadication]

"You wear yours so well... if only I could..." he mumbled, corner of his lips twitching. He had no doubt that the both of them had picked up new wounds that would scar, lines of healing that would mark the fall of their old lives. He didn't want to think about that part right now, afraid that he would fall apart all over again.

He actually clenched his teeth to prevent any worrying noises from leaving his throat. They had had their cry and while he knew that others would likely happen before they locked it all away, he didn't want to worry Gabe more than he already was. It was hard enough feeling how many wounds that he now carried, that Reyes was cleaning out, stitching up, and how he sometimes had to actually rouse himself up enough to help with bandaging even if it was little more than a shift in position.

Slowly, his eyes cracked open at the touch to his face, finding himself staring up at Reyes' exhausted looking face. He blinked twice as he tried to process the words and then he nodded his head when he did. His face would need stitches, even now, if he twitched his cheeks, blood would bead on the main scratched that luckily hadn't taken one of his eyes in the process.

"...Should I sit up?" He looked tiredly over at the bed where Gabe had once been leaning. It seemed so far away, so much effort to rise, and he wasn't certain either of them had it in them.

[gr1m]

"You wear yours just as well," and would wear these as he had to. As both of them would have to bare their new scars after tonight.

A hand set against Jack's shoulder as he hovered over him, "I can help you. Just.. prop against the foot of the bed for now? We can worry about getting in it later." Didn't know if he had enough to get them both of them in bed, worry about it after maybe. As it was he was pushing himself up to rinse out the cloth so he'd have something clean to start washing off Jack's face, "I'll be back in a minute." Even if he was staggering.

Moving carefully not to tug loose any stitches o bandages on himself before he was coming back and sitting on his knees, a hand already on Jack to help pull him up in to a sit. Position so he was propped against the bed-

"You want more pain killer? Don't think there was any local pain killer for this."

[dadication]

Jack turned his head to look at the bed nearby, measuring the distance and how long it would take him to roll there. The hand helped, offering strength and warmth where there was nothing else at this point. He reached for Gabe when the older man stood and drunkenly staggered away, but he was certain the gesture wasn't seen as Reyes was likely concentrating on keeping a forward momentum.

He rolled slowly onto his side, as careful as he could be with the bandages and the sutures that were holding him together. He actually made it, and his hand reached out to grasp the edge of the bedding, hauling himself forward towards it and then struggling to rise. The bedding was slipping which forced him to wedge a weak elbow into the floor as he made the attempt to sit himself up.

He likely only made it the rest of the way because Gabe had returned and assisted him, but he was up. He was sitting and he swayed his head as vertigo assaulted him. He swallowed hard and let himself have a few seconds to stabilize before he shook his head a little. He was so damn numb right now.

"Just... do it." He trusted Reyes more than anyone and even if the sutures were a mess because both of them were a damn mess, so be it. He reached out to take Gabe's wrist. "If... you've got nothing left in the tank, forget it. I'll just... heal."

[gr1m]

"Need to do this," clean Jack's face and do what he could, not pulling his wrist away, instead resting the warm wet cloth on his thigh so he could rest his other hand lightly against the side of the other's face. Thumb slowly brushing against his jaw. "Just... cleaning you up, heal better then."

Trying to assure them both that Gabriel had more in him to spare, still using the oxygen tank or not. Could push through to clean up those lacerations and get skin fixed back together, painful as it might be.

Both of them were tired, been a long fucking night and there were going to be longer days ahead of them. "When you're ready, Jack. When you're ready."

[dadication]

He tipped his face towards that hand, sighing as he nodded slowly. He understood the pressures that they put each other under for the good of one another, and if Gabe could fix his face, he wouldn't stop the older man. It would probably be better to have it sorted rather than figure it out when the healing had already really begun. "Thank you."

He reached up to cover Gabe's hand with his own, offering the last of his strength in a faint squeeze. He opened his eyes and peered at Reyes before he nodded his head again as slow as the first time.

"I'm ready. Whatever you need to do."

[gr1m]

Was already looking over the wounds he could make out under the blood and dirt the rain hadn't completely washed from Jack's face- "Anything for you, anytime." Didn't doubt for a second he'd go to the same sort of extent for Gabriel himself. Just how it was, just how they were.

"Don't have to thank me, do whatever."

Which he was about to do, making sure that Jack was propped against the bed and at least solid enough that if he dozed off or something he wouldn't fall over. Tipping his head to press a kiss just against his cheek. "Going to hurt when I pull at skin, but keep your eyes closed for me." All the better to wash his face and clean away the blood. Do his damnedest to flush out those lacerations.

"I mean it, keep them closed, got to sew this." So there was going to be a curved needle going in and out of skin. "Let me know if you need me to stop." Pretty glad there was a curved one, just mad it a little easier not to slip and stab in when working so close to his eyes. Christ. Being as careful as he could, laying some butterfly bandages over those stitches just to reinforce the hold; keep skin held together.

[dadication]

"I know..." he murmured and he did. They would give up everything for each other, had proven that many times. Their relative bad blood has spawned out of concern and care rather than because they were fed up with one another. They argued like everyone else, but unlike most, they had no choice but to figure it out. Always seemed to end well for them. This was just... a different situation than either of them were truly used to, but Gabriel remained the one bright spot in his life.

He nodded slightly at the obvious statement that putting his face back together was going to hurt. He stared at Gabe for a long moment before he closed his eyes and kept them that way, not dozing at all, but keeping still and quiet as his face was washed of blood and dirt, revealing the full extent of how much damage had been done in the fall of Overwatch. "Sure thing, boss," he murmured, intent to keep his eyes closed.

He was keenly aware of every prick of the needle, every tug to bring his damaged and parted flesh back together again. It was uncomfortable to say the least, especially as sewing him back up caused blood to flow from the suture line, seeping over his eyes from his forehead and across his cheek. He didn't ask for a break, not even for the most painful parts around his lips, though he made the occasional sound. He didn't want Gabe to stop, wanted this to be over and done with, blood dripping from his chin. The butterfly bandages didn't relieve him any, but they meant that the job was finished.

He reached out and touched Gabe's elbow, assuring himself even as his eyes remained closed. His wounds throbbed, and some of them felt warm. Likely infection would be setting in, but he didn't care right now. He was here with Gabe and that's what mattered.

"Can we get into this bed together when you're done? I need to be close to you tonight," he said, aware he wouldn't be awake long the moment he lay his head down on anything. He knew they should eat something - Ziegler always nagged he and Gabe never ate enough when healing - but he wanted to rest. Food would have to wait; he didn't have the energy to even bother.

[gr1m]

Gabriel did his best to clean up blood as he went, wipe it away with something one he was done with the stitching. Make sure the skin was clean and dry before sticking the butterflies on him, so they'd actually have a chance of sticking better. Touch as light as he could allow with how his hands trembled at times from a mix of cold and trauma.

Clean-up after just as careful as before the sewing started, things set aside to be dealt with later when he was done—

A hand went over Jack's, giving it a little squeeze. "We can, yeah. Want to down a few antibiotic pills I grabbed?" He'd be taking a few of them as well, because hell if there wasn't that worry of infection. Didn't have a med bay to fall back on, just them. Had to get through this damn mess as well as possible.

"After I'm ready to lay down. Bed looked clean enough." All that they could get at the moment, better than nothing.

[dadication]

He peered at Gabe, taking a few moments to process about antibiotic pills and he wrinkled his nose, which turned out to be a mistake as it pulled his brand new sutures. He didn't want to take them, but even now, he knew better than to consider himself strong enough to fight off an infection and heal at the same time. "If I have to..." he mumbled, head dipping towards his chest. He wondered if he should drink some water too, but no, right now all he wanted was to sleep. Next to Gabe.

He mustered himself, fingers flexing against Reyes' elbow as he pulled himself together for one final surge of energy despite having nothing left. He lifted his arms to set them on the bed, wincing in discomfort but then gathering his legs under him and dragging himself up to be able to rise. He actually made it to sitting on the edge of the bed and then even rose to his feet to move around the side so he could pull the blanket back. He left the top sheet, dimly aware of the kind of establishment they were in and then gingerly seated himself again.

Ah right... pills. He was supposed to take some antibiotics.

Instead, he dragged himself into bed, thinking if Gabe would take some, his bond would bring a couple over for him as well. It was a feat just making it to where the pillows were stationed at this point, so he wasn't going to mess up a good track record. After all, he was mostly bandages anyway. Damn his shoulder throbbed where he had been shot.

"Any pain pills in there too? We should both take more." Just dose one another up to sleep.

[gr1m]

It was better safe than not, no matter what all SEP pumped in to them to make it that much harder for them to get sick; or just run longer when so heavily injured. After all of that he doubted either of them were packed with energy, and the boost of antibiotics would give them the greater chance of leaving this place alive. After rest, pulling themselves together, "We both have to," or should at least.

He'd passed enough money from that wallet he'd found that they had several hours. Maybe. Enough to sleep, and knowing this part of town the manager would no doubt knock loud enough to wake either of them to shove more at him if he miscounted in passing over a wad of cash.

Didn't matter right now, though.

A hand kept on Jack as he moved, just there to help catch him if he faltered, or even catch him since Gabriel was still on the ground. Only turning his attention away once he was sure Jack was safely enough on the bed before going for the pill bottles- pausing as he picked up the second bottle and shook out a handful of both in to his hand. "Yeah, getting them."

Pulling himself in to that bed he offered the divided mix of pain and antibiotic pills out for Jack, already taking his palmful and swallowing them dry. Just about four or five pills total, enough to get them through this shit.

Settled himself in bed beside Jack with some muffled noise, mix of pain and relief to be laying down. Could just sink in to that bed against the other and sleep. They needed to. Wake up in a few hours no doubt, but by then maybe they'd be a little more... themselves. Not just running on the need to survive.

[dadication]

Jack did his best to track Gabe in the room, thinking that they should check the windows and doors again to be certain they were safe, but any actual caution had faded with exhaustion. At this point, anyone who tracked them down and kicked down the door was welcome to them. He just couldn't muster the energy to do more than tiredly wait for Reyes to join him and what he wanted most of all was the close security blanket that was his bond.

"We'll be safe," he murmured at Gabe, but also to assure himself that a lax in double and triple checking the doors would be fine. It wasn't as if either of them would be caught dead in establishments like this. They were desperate but also out of the usual league they played in.

He took the palmful of pills that Reyes had decided would dose them both and didn't even question it as he threw them back and struggled to swallow them dry. It took him several swallow tries, but he managed to get them down, sagging where he sat before giving in to lay down. He dragged his legs up and shuffled over to the warmth that was Reyes. He managed to toe up the blankets to cover them both, needing the warmth at this both.

He figured they were both likely in some form of shock.

He made a similar sound of mixed relief and pain to be laying down, to be able to give into the urge to just rest that had been doggedly plaguing them both since they had set out in the ambulance. He tucked the blanket around Gabe, making certain there were no cold drafts and carefully cuddled into Reyes' side. Normally, he would guard Gabe's more vulnerable side, but at this point, all angles of them were the most vulnerable.

"You aren't allowed to die in your sleep," he murmured, head carefully settled on the pillow. He would definitely be leaving blood stains. They both would. Beyond the wall where their bed was pressed, he could pick out the sounds of two people fornicating and sighed. "Definitely no one will look for us here." He sighed, eyes closing and so close to dropping off to sleep.

[gr1m]

Double or triple checking the door and windows was the furthest thing from Gabriel's mind, tired as he was getting when the adrenaline was finally drained out of him. Mind slowing with the rest of his movements as the only thing he wanted to do was curl up and pass out. Be figuratively dead to the world for a few hours and gain back some energy that was lost just getting this far in the chaos the night had been turned in to on top of their heads.

He hummed faintly, Jack like a beacon of wanted and needed comfort only partially because of their bond. "Yeah," no one would be looking for them this far- he hoped. Did hope somewhere in the back of his mind.

Felt like the best goddamn bed in the world, even if that was far from true, but after everything for all he cared it was. Hand reaching for Jack the moment he laid down as well, tucking against him for physical contact, careful of both their wounds as he could be in that moment. It soothing like a balm as eyes closed and tenseness just seemed to melt from his form completely.

"Neither are you," made it this far, and like hell after all of that— well. Gabriel settled as close to Jack as he could manage then and there, eyelids too damn heavy to open and so he just tuned out the noise of next door. What this motel was used for in this area. "Good." Didn't want to fight sleep any longer, just letting it take him.

So damn tired.

[dadication]

Jack waited despite himself, despite not even having the energy to lift his head again. No, he waited until he felt Gabe slip off to sleep, assessing the older man's breathing quality and rate, making certain that the partner of his life wouldn't expire the moment that sleep had been found. His fingers stroked numbly along Gabe's arm, assuring himself of the solid presence in the bed next to him. There was peace in Gabe's sleeping expression this time, only pure exhaustion.

They would go no further for some time now, he knew. But they were alive - barely. He would take alive.

Even with his eyes closed, he made certain to listen to Gabe for a few minutes before he couldn't do anything more than follow his bond into sleep. Everything still ached, but he was exhausted beyond reason. He slept deep, cuddling his way closer to Gabe within hours of falling asleep, drugged up enough that his wounds didn't even awaken him as he moved in, having some part of his body in contact with Reyes at all times.

He was so tired he didn't even dream. There were no nightmares, no reliving the shit that they had gone through to get here. He was just unconscious, healing as quickly as his exhausted body could.

It was why he actually took more than a few pounds on the door to groggily come awake. "Wha...?" His mouth was thick and mossy, and he blinked his eyes blurrily as he tried to decide the source of the noise. The early morning light was up enough to announce the day, and he struggled to make sense of things, disoriented and sore.

[gr1m]

A dreamless sleep was better than the other option, which would'be likely been nightmarish on multiple levels. Blackness was better, and at least the oxygen mask didn't budge much while he slept, kept over his face and nose and helping him breath easy while his lung healed.

Was as peaceful as it possible could have been, worn to such a bone deep exhaustion and then dosed with a few pain medications.

Gabriel hissed when he finally jerked awake, pulling something in just the right way that the jolt of pain threw him out of his sleep far more than the knocking had. Breathing a little shallow and mask hanging around his neck from the strap, eyes a little wide and disoriented as hell, fingers gripping in to the bed as he needed a moment to remember where the fuck he was— they were.

That tug of bond the only thing that kept him in the bed rather than darting, looking Jack's way before slowly locking his gaze on the door.

Oh. Right.

[dadication]

His fingers pressed into Gabe when the older man hissed like a scalded cat and came awake faster than he had, but the sharpness of their bond alerted him to that subconscious surge of panic to flee. He rumbled a sound because words escaped him at this point and then lifted shaky fingers to reset the oxygen mask back on Gabe's nose and mouth, fingers then stroking up between the older man's eyes and then forehead in a show of comfort.

He looked towards the door, blinking his eyes slowly to awaken and then actually roused himself because he had a headache enough as it was without having to listen to someone pounding on the door. He struggled his way out of bed where it seemed neither he nor Gabe had moved in the night due to exhaustion. There were blood stains on the pillows and the bedding, but he didn't hazard a care right now. Dried blood was all over him anyway, the suture job holding even as he obtained his feet.

He was sore all over, hunching over in pain as he went to where Gabe had left the wallet and leafed through for more money. Then he approached the door and opened it, not even caring that he was only in underwear and he looked like a walking human disaster. The motel manager didn't even blink at his appearance.

"Time's up. Pay more to stay or get out."

"How much for a full day?" How he managed to talk was beyond him, what with how his tongue felt leaden and his teeth seemed to chatter. The price given wasn't completely outrageous and he handed it over with a nod. Motel paid, the manager immediately moved on to the next room on the list, and he shut and locked the door again, slowly turning to regard the bed and Gabe.

"You look like shit," he rumbled then coughed as he shuffled his way back to bed. He felt sore but numb, like he was in a dream and the previous day's events were a nightmare that he would be able to wake from. He seated himself on the bed and looked over carefully. "Need another O-tank?"