Darkest Before Breaking Of The Dawn

Woodworm

6 years ago.....

It actually didn't take long for Rocket to come back from his evening brooding walk, instead choosing to go back to the ship to rest. Without even a glance at the others and the campfire where the food was cooking. But they decided against trying to get him to eat anything. He seems to grumble to himself as he stomps his way back inside, while scratching at the itch on his lower body.

But the next morning, he was still in bed while everyone had risen early. "Peter–Rocket hasn't even started on repairs on the ship's engine yet! He went straight to bed last night!" Gamora nearly growled out in displeasure, hands on hips when she met him and the others in the kitchen. "We can't stay here a night longer! He has to stop being lazy! You have to talk to him!"

While Peter sipped at his warm drink after serving some to the others, he shook his head with a less than eager expression. "Oh come on! Why do I have to force him to get off his lazy ass again today?! Why can't you do it?!"

"But aren't you the leader Peter?" Mantis inquired in visible confusion from her seat at the opposite side of the table.

"If Gamora is going to be giving orders now, does that make her the leader now?" Drax also questioned though Peter fixed his eyes on him with an annoyed look.

"You're doing it Peter. Cause if I do it–I'm going to end up throttling him–I swear that I will!" Gamora sinisterly ground out with enough malice and warning that he gave in.

"Fine! But if he snaps at me again I–" But just as he was standing up to head to the direction of his room, Groot's long lanky body stumbled his way through.

"Groot! Morning!" Peter greeted him delightedly. "Just the person to wake up–"

"I am Groot! (Something is wrong with Rocket!)" Exclaimed a surprisingly panicked Groot, waving them all over towards the direction of their room.

The exaggerated and manipulative grin on Peter quickly fell while the others dropped what they were doing and got closer to their friend. "Groot, what's–"

"I am Groot! (He just woke up!) I am Groot! (He says he can't feel his legs!)"

"Aw Groot–just–just calm down–it's uh–probably nothing!" Rocket tried to weakly reason, trying but failing to hide how nervous he was. His clenching fingers, wide nervous eyes darting about at all his friends and quivering body told them otherwise. Still he tried to focus in on Groot who was pacing restlessly at the side while the others looked on just as nervously down at him. "It might be a temporary thing–I uh–felt a numbness spreadin through my body since yesterday and uh–"

"I am Groot! (Just shut up for once and lay back while they check you!)" Groot shouted, bending down to get his face in his sights. He did hate seeing Rocket flinch though but was glad when he settled back on his bed in defeat.

"He's right, this is serious man! Not being able to feel your legs in the morning is not normal!" Peter half-shouted in a panic, going to touch Rocket's legs, gently moving his hands up curiously from the ankle and up. "Do you feel that?!"

Rocket huffed out a breath of resignation and frustration, not even bothering to sit up and see what Peter was doing to inspect him. "Feel what Quill?!"

Peter glanced at Gamora in alarm. "You mean–you don't feel me touching your feet?!" He exclaimed, his anxieties increasing as he jabbed at the small furry soles, seeking some type of response.

"Grr–no I don't Pete I–ugh–" He finally strained his upper body up with his shaky arms to look down towards his stilted legs. He immediately narrowed his sights on Peter's hands on his furry legs. Immediately he felt self-conscious about having his friends furless, clean hands touching his probably grubby little flea–infested feet. Though he hid that with an outraged reaction. "–hey! Quit touching my legs you dumb–"