Panic Attack

Untitled Part 16

Tail curling around him tighter, Rocket risked opening his eyes, grimacing when a bright light flooded his vision and clenching them shut again. The hand that had taken place upon his shoulder began to move, shaking him slightly just as the thought of giving back into the pleasant calmness of unconsciousness started to sound rather inviting.

"Hey buddy, come on."

Rocket froze, a shiver running up his spine as memories came rushing back to him. Peter. Halfworld. The details themselves were jumbled in the confusion of his panicked yet dazed mind until the only thing that he could really remember was the pain. The pain of torture, devastation. The fact that those he had thought were his friends, family even, had turned from him so easily.

Yet the sincerity in Quill's voice made Rocket pause in his panicking, his eyes prying themselves open once again, this time being more successful than the last. The lights were still blindingly bright, but he was at least able to keep his lids partly opened long enough to make out two blurry figures from the otherwise hazy scene in front of him.

After blinking blearily for a few moments, the raccoon was able to see the situation much more clearly, although he wasn't quite sure that it was such a feat as he took in his surroundings.

The room was white walled and smelled of chemicals, making the creature's tail twitch out of instinct and fidget uncomfortably. His hands tightened around himself, claws biting into his flesh and drawing blood. The first figure, which Rocket had now identified as Peter, must have noticed the raccoon's discomfort as he released Rocket's arm from his grip and grasped his wrists, trying to pry them from his body.

Panic bubbled up in his stomach when Peter's hands wrapped around his own, his claws only digging deeper into his fur covered skin. Unfortunately, his body had yet to catch up with the panic in his mind, leaving his struggles ultimately useless against Quill's strength. And he cursed himself when a strangled whimper managed to escape him as he arched his back, trying fruitlessly to fight back.

The grip around his wrists loosened instantly, not letting go entirely, but enough to allow Rocket enough room to feel less restrained. "Hey buddy, calm down. You're okay." Quill's voice said quietly, although the slight jumpiness in his tone did not go unnoticed by the raccoon, as he looked up to meet the larger man's eyes.

Another weight landed softly on his shoulder, sending a cold shiver through his body before he realized exactly who the owner of the large wooden hand was. "Groot?" The word came out raspy and choked as Rocket noticed just how thirsty he was, yet he didn't look away from his much larger friend.

"I am Groot." The Flora Colossus said, his usual booming voice substantially quieter as he ran a tendril calmingly through his fur, his ever-present goofy grin plastered on his face.

"W-where..." He trailed off before giving into a coughing fit, cringing when his raw throat began to burn. Peter let go of Rocket's wrists which instantly flew up to clutch his heaving chest as though to force his lungs to fill with air, only bringing them away when Peter grabbed at them again, pulling the red-stained claws from his chest and forcing a glass of what he could only guess was water into his palms.

Groot hadn't even sat him up the entire way before the raccoon had started gulping down the cool liquid greedily, tipping the glass almost entirely upside-down as he drained it, closing his eyes as the water ran down his throat and ignoring the fact that the majority of the crystal clear liquid was dribbling down his chin and onto his fur.

"Wow! Hey, slow down dude. You're going to make yourself sick."

Rocket frowned when the emptied glass was pulled away from him, dripping the last few drops onto the mattress that he sat on. His brow drew low in confusion as he let his claws play absentmindedly at the sheet below him, tearing small holes in the thin white fabric. Quill pursed his lips but made no move to stop him, just happy that the sharp nails were no longer digging into skin.