Open Post

[dadication]

TBD

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[gr1m]

Better cold than nothing at all, and if he tried that mean he'd get something now- which again would be a lot better than nothing at all. Needed to give their bodies enough to work with in order to heal quickly, because the last thing either of them needed was their bodies cannibalizing itself to get what it needed.

He stood up, very slowly, glancing back at Jack with half a frown- "Wash the blood with a wet cloth and I'll fix that- after my shower. Don't need you bleeding through what clothing we do have." Maybe grab a pair of mittens to put over both hands, it was cold enough this time of year here after all.

"Be careful, sunshine."

With that he was vanishing in to the bathroom to shower and see about what he could salvage from his own clothing.

[dadication]

Jack waited until Gabe rose and disappeared into the bathroom before he tried to actually disentangle himself from the sheets. Without stripping the bed, there was no way to get a cloth, so he carefully teased them free with some time and effort, only disturbing some of the clots.

He rose slowly from the bed, stretching because he hadn't been laying in an ideal position to begin with, but that was fine. He grabbed a protein bar from their pack of things, opening it and breaking off pieces. Unfortunately, it was too difficult and chewy on his face that he gave up after a few bites and ate the cold MRE instead, which was difficult with one working hand.

Still, he managed and even held it down as he began to systematically go through their packs and consolidate items together into one. The less they had to take with them, the better in his mind.

[gr1m]

Gabriel was just busying himself in getting most of the dried blood and... everything else off. Fortunate his hair was still short enough he didn't have to worry much about it. All the better reason to keep that buzz cut, just fuzzy and enough to grip at since he hadn't had time to shave it back down yet. Watching the filthy water circle the drain in silence.

Only stepped out once the water was running clean enough, careful as he had checked over stitching just to make sure he didn't get them too wet. Better for the both of them in the long run. Grabbing a towel and stepping out in the middle of Jack sifting through the bags.

Was needed, moving what was left of the medical bag in to the other, keep them to one bag and the rifle they'd taken. "Need some help?"

[dadication]

He looked up when the bathroom door opened and he winced as he had a good sight of the many wounds that Gabriel sported but with the dirt and grime removed, the bruising was as apparent as his own. They really had been put through the ringer, blackened and purple patches of skin showing the severity of their bruising on top of everything else.

At least they were clean.

He grunted softly at the question, nodding because doing this one handed wasn't ideal. He had his bruised and swollen hand and wrist tucked close to his chest as much as possible, but he had been forced to use a pinky finger here and there to open the folds of the bag. "Do we need to bring that last oxygen tank?"

[gr1m]

"No, can use it to hurry along any fire we start burning this shit out," because their blood was on the sheets and- they had to cover their tracks, even if it may have seemed like an overly paranoid way to go about it. Couldn't trust that it wouldn't be looked at.

Gabriel moved down, crouched just beside Jack, to help sort their things in to one bag. "Remember to leave enough out to re-do some of your stitching and to wrap your hand with. It'll at least help pad it out and give some needed stability," even if not make it hurt any less, it was better than nothing- "We're taking the rifle with us." Right then it was their only weapon after all.

Worry about pulling clothing together soon enough.

[dadication]

"That kind of explosion will draw attention to this place," he reasoned softly. With the ambulance burned out and then an oxygen tank exploding... it might put down a trail they would rather not have anyone follow. "What about a cigarette in the bedding? Easy enough to explain away."

He hesitated then grunted as he packed up their bag as carefully as he could, leaving out bandage materials and some suture and needles for Gabe to make use of. He glanced towards the rifle and shrugged his shoulders. "I can't use one right now, so it will be your weapon of choice for the time being." One of the reasons he had damaged himself. The temptation to just run out and kill those responsible was less if he didn't have a physical means.

He looked over to Gabe crouched next to him. "Your sutures have held from the shower?"

[gr1m]

He grunted, "It'd just be something else to carry then- and we can't just leave it here otherwise." Not saying Jack wasn't right, hell the fact he relented was saying he was right, but then what else did they do with it. "There a pack in the bag we took off the sniper? Not like either of us have any."

Gabriel gave an extra hand or two as needed while Jack continued to pack, even moving the materials he'd need to use soon enough aside once they were left just t keep them out of the way. "So I figured," would be the only weapon they had until they could get themselves situated better. Knew he had some spare shotguns at the bunker he could trade off for but- well... At least both of them were trained to use a multitude of weapons.

"Yeah, did my best to keep them dry while still getting clean. Can check them if you want, but I think I'm good."

[dadication]

He nodded his head, understanding that they couldn't and wouldn't carry it around. That was too much weight and would slow them down. "We could sell it," he said softly, looking over at a tank. "Or leave it for someone to find. Blowing it is going to track back to us." He would prefer to wipe it, either earn money or just plain help someone out who might need oxygen. "Yeah, I left it in the bag, since neither of us smoke."

He didn't stop Gabriel from helping him, and the job was accomplished faster for it too. Soon enough they had a single bag to drag around with them until they had reached the safe house that Gabriel was going to take them to in just a few hours. He sighed and pushed the wrapping material over to Gabe and held out his broken hand. "Do what you have to." No point delaying the inevitable.

"I trust you know how to keep yourself from blowing them out," he said with a shrug. He had already glanced at them when Gabriel had come out of the bathroom.

[gr1m]

"Selling it might be our best option, we'll need whatever funds we can pull quick in pocket for the trip." Like hell he was going to allow either of them to try and get in to any squirreled away money in accounts from anywhere unsecured. "Likely has a lighter we can use to help ignite the cigarette fire then. Just piled all the shit we can and light it."

That hand was taken carefully, Gabriel sitting on towel mostly as he was getting a good look at what he was going to be working with. "You know it's going to hurt, because I've gotta get shit back in place, right." Warning, because the quicker he took care of Jack's hand the sooner he could get to restitching those blowouts.

"Don't want to have to go through stitching it all back up again, and I know you won't either after I fix you back up."

[dadication]

"Selling it takes it out of our hands, but it also ensures that it goes somewhere else while this place burns," he agreed and thought that it would be worth a shot at. "The money might be necessary to get out of town safely too." It wasn't as if they had easy access to any kinds of funds, and he wasn't looking to start armed robbery just yet. "Yeah, he had a lighter and matches from what I saw."

He did what he could to avoid looking at his purple and swollen hand, aware that it was distorted and that there were bones that needed to be reset. He had done it once to himself the first time he had broken it on the floor, but he hadn't bothered when he punched the wall in the bathroom. His hand and fingers were trembling, and he had no way to stop them so far. "Just do it," he replied with a deep resignation. "As long as I can use it again soon." That's all that mattered.

No, stitching would be much harder one handed he would admit. His own stitches were a bit of a mess in places, and he should probably just bandage them up. Who actually cared with how deeply he would scar? "Is that your way of saying you're going to make me be more careful in future?"

[gr1m]

He hummed, "Yeah, I still think we need to look in to picking up a bike, even if we're just taking it from some bar's parking lot." Because so very easy to maneuver and ditch as needed, better than a car or other vehicle of that nature. "We'll keep the matches and up to you if we keep or leave the lighter to burn," and honestly? He was debating keeping the pack of cigarettes already, didn't smoke now of course but...

Gabriel set right to work, setting broken knuckles back in to place not done gently, because there was no gentle way to go about it. At least once that was out of the way he got to actually wrapping Jack's hand, making sure everything was stabilized and give his hand some support. Keep the fingers in place as well. Still being them, just not pull them apart, all the the name of stability for healing. This was the part he was more careful with, trying not to make anything too tight- "You'll be able to use it again, sunshine."

His nose wrinkled a bit. "Something along those lines, but we're both going to have to be very careful in the future."

[dadication]

"There are plenty of places to scam a bike," he agreed, aware that they would need to be quick about it once they left this place. They had to get as far from here as possible while it burned. Couldn't risk being identified no matter how much of mess they were. "There good matches, waterproofed because it's obvious he was going to be out there waiting."

Jack remained tense and agonized as his knuckles were reset. He had to keep from biting his own lips open or making too much noise, so he ended up chewing on the corner of the comforter to muffle the sounds of pain from him. There was no nice way about it, and he didn't expect that either. He sagged in on himself when the deed was finished, breathing hard and his complexion right back to being ashen like he might pass out at any moment. Even through bandaging, his hand trembled and there was no real relief right now. That would come with time. "...shouldn't have eaten before this... I think I'm going to vomit."

He nodded his head, aware that being careful was now actually going to have to be their motto in life, and he wasn't looking forward to it. "Once we're at the safe house, we can be more careful than we are now."

[gr1m]

"Can let the lighter burn then, can always pick new ones up anywhere if matches don't cut it."

He at least stopped, didn't just move right on to stitching, when he was done with Jack's hand. Instead he moved in closer and fixed himself behind Jack, pulling over some trashcan with a bag in it that had been in the room closer. Setting that in front of Jack and just holding him. Letting whatever soothing feelings he could muster flow through the bond. Hand rested lightly against the other's forehead. "Rest for a minute or two. Just breathe slow and deep, see if you can keep it down or not."

Whatever was needed out of him, no matter how he himself felt, he wasn't having to deal with bones being reset then and there. "Yeah. Can see what we can take from there, too."

[dadication]

"How many days travel will it be to your safe house? We should supply what we can to carry us over to there," he murmured. Being prepared for any inevitability was why they had won the war eventually.

He gratefully leaned back into Gabe's chest, slowly lowering his bandaged ruined hand to rest carefully across his belly. He pulled his legs up towards his chest and only then leaned forward over the garbage, dry heaving twice but managing to hold down the little he had eaten. He coughed - which hurt - and once it seemed he wouldn't just vomit everywhere, he slowly leaned back against Gabriel again, allowing himself to be soothed and closing his eyes. As long as he didn't move his hand, he was okay he found.

He made a small sound and pressed his face to Gabriel's neck, just taking those slow deep breaths. "I'm okay... I'll be okay."

[gr1m]

"If we're slow going a week, think if we're careful we can cut that by a few days and still not be pushing it to hard." It was out there, and he for one would drive for days straight while Jack slept given the option. "We'll camp off the roads if we have to while traveling," just get a tarp for a make-shift shelter, could use the bike as a side.

Once Jack leaned back after the dry heaving, Gabriel slowly brushed fingers through his hair, petted him soothingly as he could. Sit there as long as they could afford to as well. Wanting to let him settle, help his stomach get over the twists of pain that had made him sick to it. Could rig up a sling for him easy enough, keep the arm supported and hand up near his chest and out of the way—

"You will be, both of us will be. This pain will pass and heal as it always does for us," spoken softly.

[dadication]

A week. He nestled in against Gabe's chest and pressed his face deeper against the older man's neck, trying to consider how he would make it five to seven days on the road. He had done it during the war, but he had been a younger man then and the SEP had been rather fresh in him. "Yeah, we'll have to rough it. Won't be the first time, but... we'll just have to be careful." They weren't exactly easily set up for camping in this Swiss country.

He took some minutes to let his stomach settle and the pain seem manageable again and then he removed his face to look towards the floor. With his bandaged arm tucked close to his chest, he moved to lay himself slowly down on his side, exposing the numerous ripped out sutures on his side.

"You should... fix up my side, if you think more sutures are necessary. We can bandage it if you don't," he said, hopeful but not considering he will get away without sutures. For days of travel? Best not to have to cover himself with bandages and hope for the best when it came to healing.

[gr1m]

It wasn't the best, but it could have been worse, and it was better to be going out further from people. Hopefully their sniper 'friend' had some shit they could use while roughing it, since the guy likely would have been posted out there for days. "Think we'll be able to manage," despite the rough shape both of them were in. They'd manage alright.

His nose wrinkled at the sight, but he at least helped Jack lay down slowly, fingers lightly moving over the busted areas.

"Did a real number here, don't think you can get away with just bandaging it." Not with how some of it looked, and the fact he could tell that Jack had bled while they'd slept. Was already getting what he needed together as he spoke, "After this we'll be done at least. Want me to still bandage it a bit to protect the sutures?"

[dadication]

They had been in far worse living situations, but their physical states might have been a lot worse now than ever before. After all, they were left giving medical attention to each other rather than relying on an advanced and very capable medical team. "I think there was a sleeping bag in the sniper's bag, but it's designed for one."

He pillowed his head on his good arm and tucked the bandaged on up higher on his chest so that Gabriel had a full view of his side. He made certain not to look much, staring across the filthy carpet and letting his partner assess the situation.

"I expect no worse than you did," he remarked, though they had been quicker on Gabe's resuturing because he just plain didn't take no for an answer. Always up in Gabe's business. "Yeah, after this, we finish packing and prepare to leave. I'd like to be out before the sun comes up." He shifted slightly on the floor. "Let's not waste the bandage material if we don't have to."

[gr1m]

"You come across a tarp in there?" They could fold down incredibly small considering some sizes usually, so there was some little hope there was at least one of those in there. Worry about the single sleeping bag when they had to, because at work it would be used as a pillow or ripped apart to lay on or be a blanket.

Gabriel was slowly picking out what had busted apart, and doing what he could to keep the rest from slipping loose. Some little trick. Fuck, what he wouldn't give for some medical glue, that shit was so much easier; hell, he'd stapled his own wounds with medical grade before.

He snorted a bit, "No worse, but no better since you wouldn't let me go ahead and fix them. Stubborn jackass." But he was already starting on the stitching, careful so as not to cause extra pain, but keeping skin held with his other hand. "Want to be out of here before the owner comes knocking for more money, and leave plenty of time for shit t burn."

[dadication]

"There might be one at the bottom of the bag, but I didn't pull everything out so far," he informed the other. It was hard to take everything out when he was trying to get them packed and only had one hand, which was his own fault. Likely the sniper had been prepared. Otherwise, they were going to rough it and have to hope for the best in the days they'd be on the road.

He twitched as Gabriel set to work, deciding to close his eyes so he wasn't entirely aware of what was going on until it happened. His skin rippled as the busted sutures were removed. Otherwise, he was compliant for the stitching, only making the occasional soft noise of discomfort for the needle pressing into flesh and then pulling him together again.

"You're fixing them now," he groused but didn't contest. He knew better at this point. "Yeah... agreed. I don't want him to see our faces."

[gr1m]

"I'll take a look when we're at our first stop," which meant they'd worry about it later. Far more things to be worried about then and there, such as getting shit started and leaving as soon as possible.

Was trying to keep from causing undue pain, but it was going to hurt no matter what careful effort Gabriel put in to it. Picking out broken bits would at least keep it from healing and hopefully keep out infections any left in would cause. Trying to pull skin only when tightening up those sutures, too, bringing skin together.

"Last thing we need is that."

[dadication]

"You sure you don't want to look before we go and we can try to steal one if we need it?" Or they could concentrate on getting a vehicle and worry about the rest once they were on the road. Selling the big oxygen tank should fetch them something to help with fuel.

He lay through it, aware it needed to be done if the work that Gabe had to do in order to put him back together was any indication. Reyes was excellent with his hands, knew how to sew, but it was taking longer on him than it had on Reyes. He hated to think what he had done it it then gotten in the shower then tacked sheets to it. Ugh, what a mess.

"Do they still have those clothing donation bins around? Or is that just an American thing?"

[gr1m]

"Steal one anyway, wouldn't hurt us to have extra. Be easier to lay one out for u to bed down on and use the other to string across whatever bike we get for a make-shift tent," and it sounded like he'd had to do this before. Any extra cash definitely going towards gas.

Gabriel only sat back once he was done, smoothing a hand carefully over Jack's side to help let him know that bit was over. Be more careful this time, some silent little plea, letting out a breath like a huff.

"I think they have them around here, too. Raid any of them we see? Not that hard to get in to."

[dadication]

"Alright... but I don't want us spending a lot of time around town on a crime spree. We need to find what we can and get out." The longer they were in the city, the more danger they would be to discovery. He couldn't and wouldn't risk them any more than they had to. "We going to have to take watches at night?" It was smart; he just wasn't certain either of them had the energy to.

He shivered as a hand passed over his side, but there was a touch of relief it was over as well. He didn't try to sit up right away, swallowing at his nausea. He made a noise that was both thanks and plea. He just... needed a minute here.

"We should. Easiest way to get clothing for us."

[gr1m]

"We're only going to take anything we absolutely need, a tarp and a few extra meds for pain and antibiotics. That's it," alongside selling off the extra oxygen tank. No longer than that; on top of a bike, but he figured that would be the easiest to do on the way out, and it was something he could do well enough, no matter his own condition; he'd stolen a ride in worse on missions gone too damn wrong. Not a good thing to have under his belt, but it was what it was.

His head tipped. "We might, just to be safe," but that also was going to be dependent not only on either of their conditions, but just where they were.

Kept a hand there, Gabriel trying to keep as much soothing energy as he could going through their bond and with his touch. Let Jack get what he needed. "You can keep watch and I'll clothing dive."