Will woke up to a throbbing pain in his chest. He grimaced. It hurt to breathe. He tried to talk but only a croak came out, making his chest hurt even more. His eyes fluttered open, only to be shut again as the bright light of day blinded him. He opened his eyes again and let them adjust. He was back home in Halt’s cottage on his bed. His chest stung and smarted, making him wonder what actually happened. From his point of view, the boy they had caught exploded. But that wasn’t the case…was it?
Will drifted in and out of uneasy sleep for most of the day, waking up every once in a while to his chest flaring with pain. Then he would wait until it reduced to a dull throbbing again before he fell asleep. As far as he could tell, he was alone. Halt must be out seeking his revenge, he thought with a smile. Halt did that a lot. Especially when something happened to him. He felt a bubbly-and painful-laugh rise up in his chest. He tried to release it painlessly, with no avail. He jerked his arms upward as firecrackers of pain flew through his ribcage, letting them fall when his muscles gave way. He let himself relax and tried to ignore the thick molasses in his head and the knives stabbed in his chest.
~ ~ ~
“Will?” Halt yelled as he walked in the door. “I’m home.” No response. Halt set the wolf he just shot on the table as if it was meant to be there and slunk upstairs. He glanced into Will’s room, making sure the boy wasn’t dead. He wasn’t, in fact. Halt walked in the room, as silent as a ghost. It’s a thing all Rangers can do. He kneeled by Will’s bedside and whispered his name. Will’s eyes fluttered open, a mix of pain, daze, and confusion. He smiled when he saw Halt and breathed “hi” so quietly it was almost just a gust of wind whisking through the grass.
“Hi,” Halt replied. “You hungry?” Will nodded and made a croak that Halt assumed was supposed to be a word. “Ssh,” Halt scolded, shaking his head. “Don’t try to talk until you’re ready. I’ll be right back.” Then the older Ranger rose and walked to the door, heart heavy. That should’ve been me. He stopped in the doorway and sighed. “Thanks,” he said. “For saving me.” Then he walked out to go get some bread and cheese. And maybe some water.
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A/N
Hey guys:) I can see this little story's already getting rave reads, which is awesome. I'll post the next chapter once I get 30 okay? So get reading!!
-Rune
