distressedude | 011 ~ [Voice/Action]

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011 ~ [Voice/Action]

[It's later in the evening when the Fon Master makes a reappearance in the village just outside the barracks. Somewhat dazed, Ion takes only a few steps before tripping and falling to his knees in the snow.]

[He brings a hand to his throat as he gasps, the numbing effects of the drugs quickly wearing away and bringing to attention a stinging pain running along his neck and chest. Numerous vertical cuts, some deep but none within rage of vital arteries, litter the front of his neck. And with only flimsy bandages to cover the wounds, the front of his robes had served to soak up much of the blood as a result.]

[Knowing he won't last long in the snow dressed as he is, with a shaky hand, Ion opens the journal and starts trying to speak to call for help... but no words come out. He tries to cough and clear his throat, but that only increases the pain in his neck tenfold. As such, a pained gasp is all that can be heard over the journal, the book unfortunately tilted towards the snowy sky.]

[And the Malnosso weren't even kind enough to leave him with a pen.]

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[Ion's eyes snap open as he looks up at Luke. There's a small attempt at a nod, but it only causes him to wince. Not a good idea.]

[Realizing he'd have to try walking now, he clings to Luke's side and tries to keep himself steady as he stands. His arms and legs were numb from the cold, but he still had enough feeling left to walk. He'll be stumbling now and then, so Luke better have a good grip.]

[Luke definitely has s good grip, though at first he' s at a loss as far as where to go. But they're near a place, right? He passes the barracks at about this point... Yes, that's right.

He tighten his grip and heads that way. He's not sure if there are any medical supplies there, but there has to be ay least a first-aid kit... yet can Luke even figure out how to use it?

He pushes those worries to the back of his mind as he tries talking to Ion, just to keep him awake.]

There should be a place nearby... You really worried us, you know.[Except Luke didn't actually know that he was gone, but Ion doesn't have to know that.]

[Thankfully walking was doing well to keep him awake, but it wasn't something he was going to be able to keep up. It was cold and he felt so dizzy, making him even more prone to stumble than he would be without the addition of a new layer or snow on the ground. The Malnosso must have a sick sense of humor.]

[He barely hears Luke's words, but he wouldn't exactly be able to respond right now anyway. Thankfully it's warmer inside the barracks than out in the snow.]

[The barracks really are warmer, which Luke is grateful for. Ion needs the warmth right now, and with the way Luke's shivering, so does he. It's not smart to wander through the snow with a sleeveless shirt and all.

He sets Ion down on some padded floor, then hurries to check the other areas to see if there are any first-aid kits nearby. Come on, come on-there!]

Found one!

[Now to get back to Ion and check through the kit. Medicine, bandages... These should help.]

Ion, you still with me?

[Ion is thankful to finally be sitting down somewhere warm, but he still feels dizzy. Although he has every intention of trying to stay awake, he does slowly lower himself onto his back while Luke searches, making sure not to strain his neck too much.]

[And yet despite all the wrappings Luke had initially put around Ion's neck, a patch of deep-red was already beginning to seep through. Some of those cuts were probably deeper than they looked.]

[Yeah, Luke can see that the sleeves are pretty much entirely red now, and leaving them there probably isn't good. So, he carefully shifts so he can rest Ion's shoulders on his lap and keeps one hand behind his head to keep his neck straight, then uses his free one to slowly unwrap the bandages.

And now it's just occurring to him that he'll have to touch all those terrible wounds. He's never done anything like this before...

No, Luke, you'll be okay. You can do this. You need to help Ion.

He takes in a deep breath and let's it out shakily, then uses some antibiotic gel to clean his free before he takes one of the medicines, one meant to clean wounds and slow bleeding, and looks down at Ion as he pours the liquid onto a smooth, clean cloth.]

This is probably going to be painful... I don't know, I've never used this medicine before or anything, but...[They usually are. Luckily, this particular kind isn't quite as burning and stinging as the one he knows all too well. Still, Luke doesn't know that, so he idly pulls Ion's head closer to himself before he gets to work on cleaning the wounds.]

[Ion doesn't move as Luke shifts him around, hoping to avoid accidentally causing his own wounds to worsen by moving them too much. His breath hitches as the strips of cloth are pulled away and he bites his lower lip to try and bear it.]

[Although the medicine doesn't sting as much as something stronger would, it is still very unpleasant. He opens his mouth as if to say something but not a sound is heard.]

[The cuts are deep, but all appear to have been done finely, so at the very least, cleaning them shouldn't take long. Although with some of the blood wiped away, Luke might notice some of the skin looks as though it had already been healed previously. He must have been even worse off before he was sent back.]

[Luke doesn't see how the healers do it. He feels like he's going to be sick when he touches the wounds and realizes how deep they are. But he bites his lip and bears it; he can get sick later.

He can tell that some of those had been healed... And that they were probably worse before Ion was returned.]

... Damn it. Ion...

[It doesn't take too long for Luke to finish with the cleaning, and he sets the bloody cloths aside to take the bandages in the kit and unwind them. He speaks as he wraps up Ion's neck again, this time with trembling fingers, though his voice is light and shaky.]

I'm almost done. I-I'll get you to a clinic soon, they know more than I do, so maybe they can... can help you better.

[As out-of-it as Ion is, he can still tell how upsetting this is for Luke. And while Ion is getting some painful deja vu, being held in Luke's lap while looking up at him like this... Luke hadn't gone through any of that. And while Ion knew Luke would eventually have to see him like this back home, he didn't want to recreate that scene here in Luceti. And to recreate it in such a gruesome way...]

[Perhaps it's because he can't hear his own voice that Ion starts mouthing apologies without even being aware of it.]

[What's he trying to say? Luke can barely tell..."Sorry"? That's about the only word he can pick out, and it just makes him feel worse, so he works a little faster.]

Stop trying to talk! And stop apologizing for stuff that wasn't your fault!

[Why is Ion so kind...? Once Luke finishes, though, he slowly shifts out from under Ion and tucks the jacket a little more snugly around him.]

... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell...[He rubs his forehead before he places his hand on Ion's shoulder.] I think you're out of danger now... You'll be okay. So why don't you rest for a while? I'll bring you to the clinic after you do.

[Ion almost begins to apologize for apologizing, but he stops himself mid-word. He says nothing as Luke dressing his wounds and tucks the jacket over him, still feeling far too dizzy to even think about doing anything other than getting some rest right now.]

[He does take a moment to look up at Luke from the corner of his eyes and smile appreciatively, even mouthing the words "Thank you, Luke" despite having been told not to try and talk moments ago.]

[Sigh, Ion. Luke just gives him a look to show how he disapproves of the talking, then sighs. He really is too kind...]

... Just sleep, okay? I'll wake you up later.

Edited 2011-01-09 23:16 (UTC)

[Ion doesn't need to be told twice; the moment he closes his eyes, he's out like a light.]

[He seems to be sleeping rather peacefully for a little while, but there was no way a blood-loss and drug-induced sleep could remain as such. Although he remains utterly silent, his expression begins to change and he shifts around a little.]

[Luke won't see the first few minutes of Ion's sleep, because after a moment of watching him, that sick feeling rises up again, and this time he runs outside and to the side of the barracks to finally give in to it.

After he properly loses his supper and taking a few minutes to recover, Luke wipes his mouth and comes back inside, shivering from cold and that weak feeling that usually follows, then sits beside Ion again. After a while, he notices that Ion isn't sleeping well, so he reaches to squeeze his shoulder.]

Ion, wake up!

[Ion doesn't wake right away, but when he does, his eyes snap open and he jerks away from Luke's touch, not immediately aware of where he is. In the moment, he thinks he's in that cell again and the scientists are taking him back for more...!]

[There's a slight wince of pain, but still not a sound is heard. After another moment, he recognizes Luke and lets out a small sigh of relief... and then mouths another short apology. Unfortunately, that's not a habit he's going to be able to break right now.]

[Luke is feeling a little better after that moment of weakness, though he's pretty sure that after this is over, he'll flop over the nearest bed and sleep for a long time. After a long shower, that is. Still, now that Ion's awake, he takes his hand to ensure that everything's okay and let's the apology slide; it seems he's given up on making him stop.]

Hey... Do you think you can go to the clinic now? I can carry you if you need help.

[Luke's hand is a warm comfort, especially given how cold Ion's hand still feels. He takes a deep, shaky breath, trying to clear his head. The wounds on his neck were covered now, but they needed to be healed. For all he knew, the reason he couldn't talk was just because of those cuts.]

[And so, despite how tired he still feels, he gives a very small nod and starts trying to sit up so he can try to stand.]

[Luke brings his free hand behind Ion's back to support him and help him sit, then both hands to bring him to a standing position. He's no healer, but he knows that Ion needs more help than what he gave. Even if Ion falls, Luke will carry him there if he has to.

Once Ion's up, he once again wraps an arm around his shoulders to help him stay up and walking.]

Okay... let's go.

[Once on his feet, it takes Ion a moment or two for everything to stop spinning long enough for him even think about taking a first step. But with Luke holding him up, eventually they'll be on their way.]

[It's a slow process and somewhere in Ion's mind he hopes Luke isn't getting too cold without his jacket. He'll stumble once or twice, but aside from that, they should be able to make it to the clinic without incident.]

[Luke, for the most part, tries to ignore the cold as they slowly make their way to the clinic. But it only serves to wear him out faster and slow him down, so by the time they get to the clinic, it's as if he's run for miles and breathing hard as a result. Having to carry someone along for the trip makes it even worse.

Thus, Luke doesn't speak until they're actually inside. It's cold in the clinic, too, to keep bacteria at a low level, but at least it's a lot warmer than out there.]

W-Wa... We're h-here.

[The clinic may not be the warmest place to be, but with how cold Ion is right now, any heat source is a welcome one. There's a relieved smile on his face and he starts trying to say something along the lines of "Thank goodness" but he doesn't get that far.]

[His legs start giving out underneath him as his grip on Luke's shoulder grows weaker. And although the bandages on his neck had been fresh only a short while ago, there was already a growing red-spot near the front. While he isn't completely out yet, Ion definitely looks rather dazed.]

I-Ion?!

[Luke tighten his grip and kneels a little to try and support him, but his own legs are weak, too, so that almost makes him topple over. Thankfully, though, the people working the clinic are fast, and in no time they rush over to take Ion from Luke's grip. As much as Luke knows that Ion is in safe hands, he only takes a few steps after them before he stops himself and just wraps his arms around himself to suppress his shivers.

They'll do better than him. That's always the case.]

[Soon enough, Ion's wounds are healed and he's put into a bed to rest. They were able to heal most of the cuts on his neck, and all that were healed wouldn't lave any scars. Unfortunately, with those healed away, numerous scars left over by the Malnosso's previous work were now visible.]

[Assuming Luke waited for him and managed to stay awake, they'll call him over to see Ion now. He's still much more pale than usual and is shivering slightly despite being under a mountain of blankets.]

[Luke had just barely dozed off when the doctors came to tell him that he could visit Ion. And, of course, he gets up to see him right away.

He peeks around the door to see if Ion is awake, but either way, he heads inside to sit in the chair by Ion's bed and leans over to get a good look at him.]

Ion?

[As tired as Ion felt, he still hadn't fallen asleep yet. He opens his eyes when he hears Luke's voice and looks up at him with a small smile. Opening his mouth to speak, he starts trying to say something... but when his lips move, still no words are heard.]

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[Action] ... IT ATE MY REPLY DD8

[Action] YUM.

[Action] Yeah I bet it was delishus ;A;

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[Action] /gives Luke a billion hugs sob

[Action] /gives Ion more ;A;

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