Petra
Just in time, I swerve in under his shoulder to hold him up and I notice his right side becoming much heavier like he cannot support his own weight on this half.
"Over there," I say, spotting a rock nearby.
His limp becomes tougher to deal with by the second. I can tell he's trying his best not to make a sound - suffering is scribed all over his face.
Stupid scavenger must have injured him badly.
As I sit him down on the rock, my mind flies to all the worst possible scenarios that might've affected his leg. He could've dislocated his kneecap or torn a muscle. He could've broken a bone! Heck, I'm never sure about Lukas's pain tolerance or how much of it he can hide.
"Tell me what's going on," I say as sternly as I can.
"I'm just tired and I need to rest."
My first response would be to exclaim my vexation or even laugh, but I know better than to respond with any emotion at all, hand on hip to dominate the conversation. "And it requires screaming out in pain? You can't lie to save your life, Lukas. What's wrong with your leg?"
"Okay, fine - I sprained my ankle."
"If only your bluffing was as good as your reasoning. Seriously, you're the worst liar I've ever met: spill."
His words abandon him; he pulls his problematic leg closer to his body as if he were defending it.
"Lukas, I'm gonna ask you one more time. This is how it's gonna go - you're gonna tell me the truth now or I'm gonna make us stay right here until you do so. What happened to your leg?"
Sullenly, he cowers in dread. His fingers haltingly move towards the opening of his right protective greave and he tosses it aside without much difficulty like it usually would. It clatters to the floor while he leisurely pulls up the hem of his pants. "You're going to regret this."
"We'll see about that," I challenge, getting ahead of myself a little too early.
At first, I don't see a single flaw. Lukas has always been too safe with injuries since spawn except for whenever we go on adventures, which he doesn't do often. Not a single cut or bruise lies in my sight. Higher and higher, he draws the bottom of his pants up.
No. No, no, no. Blind me. Take my eyes away from this abomination.
There it is - the mystery imperfection on his calf that's keeping him from saying anything. On the back of his right leg, a specific bruise makes me jolt in my place. This type bruise is too familiar: how could it not be, with the network of webbing veins and saturated violet undertones?
Me, Jesse, and now Lukas. This is the last thing I wanted to see.
"You're-" I scoff in disbelief, lips quivering, "you're kidding."
"You wanted the truth - this is it."
It's like my belt buckles around me five hundred times tighter. Throughout all my time I've known Lukas, this beats all the trepidation he's ever swung at me. "You're infected? How? Since when?"
"I believe it was when we were in the Order Hall fighting skeletons. But I didn't notice it until we got to the sea temple."
"The sea- why didn't you tell me? We could've turned back!"
"There's no way I was gonna abort this mission. And we were already too far in."
Although I'm aware my tone of voice is sounding more and more vulnerable, I don't let it obstruct my point. "Too far in? Do you have any idea how much further left we still have to go?"
"No, but I don't care."
It's over. We're done for. His lack of sentiment isn't even impressive anymore. I was the idiot who swore to protect him and take the first hit when we left QZ. Obviously, the universe had other insane plans and broke that treaty. It might as well just take me too, for goodness' sake!
"We almost died back there, Lukas! Those scavengers were probably only light work. What are we-" I stare up at the bedrock above us, stalling the tears from springing out of my eyes. "What are we supposed to do if we're surrounded by skeletons, for example?"
"Petra, look. I'm not too far into the WITHER process. According to our research, I'm only on the third stage out of six, so I have an average of four to five weeks left," he says. "With the skeletons, as much of an unlikely scenario that is... well... if I do lose my legs, you might have to... leave me."
"Shut up. You know I'd never choose to do that, ever." My breaths become ragged and frantic as I butcher my efforts to station my tears. "I can't believe you."
Out of having Wither myself or seeing one of my best friends turn into a victim of Wither, I'm not sure which option I'd rather pick. But given our circumstances right now, I should be the one withering to death - the odds of transporting the mycelium antidote back with both of us still alive would be much higher.
Four to five weeks. That's approximately a month. If I can recall, that period could also fly by in a jiffy, considering we have no sort of treatment on us.
This is officially the worst day of my life. Why couldn't it be me?
Finally, it seems the pain from his leg transfers to his heart. Some sense gets knocked into him, realizing who he's gonna hurt if he- doesn't make it. "I... wasn't thinking straight."
"Clearly you weren't! We can't even slow your sickness down." Hostility weaves into my grief.
"Petra, I'm sorry."
"You better be," I say with aggression, unable to control my sobs. Then, hiccups take reign.
"We can do this. We've come so far-"
"No, screw you, Lukas! I wasn't ready to lose Jesse, though I can accept the fact that she could already be dead. But you? You're gonna leave as well? Am I really gonna be by myself again?"
By exposing his infection, Lukas has just flipped an hourglass in front of me, and I'm watching every single grain of sand trickle into the bottom half. We're not just dashing for Jesse anymore but for him too and he's in a much, much worse position. Our race against time just got more challenging and I'd hate to live through the consequences of that sand timer signaling the end of the countdown.
The reminder of time prompts me to keep going. I don't want to know how much of it we already lost through our quick pit stops on the way.
"Struck by the sword or bitten?"
"The sword."
"How much does it hurt?" I ask.
"Well-"
"Tell me the truth. I've had Wither before, remember."
He looks at the bruise innocently, gulping when he decides to cover it again. "Standing and walking is manageable. It's like moderate muscle pain after a three-mile run. But if I'm fighting or sprinting, every step feels like an arrow shot in my leg over and over."
It's common sense that the feeling will only get worse as we continue heading back. Lukas is now the biggest diamond jewel in the vault, which makes me his bodyguard. I will not let him stray like an untamed horse to get wounded again by some worthless mob.
"It's a surprise you haven't started coughing yet: you hide things too well."
"I guess symptoms hate me," he says, trying to make light of the situation.
Hopefully, I no longer look as if I was just in hysterics when I reply. "I guess they do."
Visions of the purple hue in his blood vessels crawling up his face penetrates a crushing and woeful ache in my chest. I smile without the help of my eyes, enjoying his little comments on a different scale, knowing they may never be said again. "We better go. The sooner we get back to QZ, the sooner you can get treated."
"Right. Petra?"
"Hm?"
"I'm really sorry."
I think about what to do with his second apology as he secures his vambrace back in place and falters to stand. Eventually, once we've picked ourselves up to resume our course, I come out with what my heart wanted me to say all along.
"It's not your fault.
You're going to be okay."
****
A/N
Well, well, well - it's the brave soldier who got to the end of this chapter. (Nvm, I kinda wanted to use Jack's sort of narration voice for this A/N but it looks a little stupid lol).
Anyway, stating the obvious, Lukas is infected. I'm wondering if anyone actually predicted this when reading earlier chapters. I know I hinted there was something wrong about his leg a couple times before, but was it really enough to make you guys think about the possibility of him becoming sick?
Yes, I'm such a villain, I know. But things need to happen in order for... other things to happen.
Okay, okay. I deeply apologize for torturing Lukas like this. He doesn't deserve it, and I love him as a character too >_<
With that being said, the story must go on and the plot cannot run too smoothly.
Any thoughts, theories and advice? Lemme know in the comments.
Chapter 38 is on its way!