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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[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.]

I said not to talk, didn't I?

[As an alternative, Luke reaches back to pull out his journal from his belt; not the one used for communication, but the one he writes about his everyday life in. He opens it to the last few pages, then holds that and a pen out to Ion.]

Do you think you can write?

[With a slow nod, Ion pulls his arms out from under the pile of blankets and grabs the pen and journal. Then, just as slowly, he starts trying to write something. His hands aren't cooperating too well, so his handwriting is much, much messier than usual.]

[As such, he wastes no time writing what he'd be unable to say earlier.]

Thank you, Luke.

[Once Luke reads what he writes...

... fffff. ////]

S-Sure, no problem... I'm just glad you're okay now.

[Ion would probably feel even more okay after a good night's rest, but first he had to make sure of something before he got too tired to write.]

You're okay too? ~~Wasn~~ Not too cold?

[Even though Ion's the one shivering under a blanket mountain, he's still concerned for Luke, knowing he gave up his shirt and jacket to keep Ion warm outside.]

I'm fine, really. Just a little cold... But it's always like that in here.

[The cold he's feeling is a lot harsher than the temperature inside, and he still feels pretty weak... But Ion's worse off than he is right now. He shouldn't have to worry about him.]

[Luke, when even Ion can tell you're lying after going through what he's been through tonight... he frowns. Even "a little cold" isn't good!]

Take a blanket?

[L-Look, just because he's terrible at lying...! Luke leans away a little and shakes his wrist dismissively. Ion, you need all the blankets you can get, bro.]

No, you keep them. I'll just warm up later when I get back home. [Except he's not sure when he'll head home.]

[Somehow the idea that Luke wasn't going to stay here with him hadn't crossed his mind until now. And while Ion didn't want to stay in the clinic alone, regardless of whether he was just sleeping or not, he didn't want to inconvenience Luke either! But as long as Luke was still cold, he was still inconveniencing him, wasn't he...]

[And it's with this thought in mind that Ion writes:]

We could share them? The bed isn't that small.

011 ~ [Voice/Action]

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[Action] /gives Luke a billion hugs sob

[Action] /gives Ion more ;A;

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[Action] And back to the phone for me ;A;