Killian's vision was unfocused, his lungs heaving for breath even as he was out of the water. Jasper's voice echoed in his ears. He could barely understand the other man for a long few moments, but after a while he finally nodded when the water cleared from his ears and eyes. He was panting for breath, and it hurt. It hurt for a while, until he managed to vomit up whatever water he'd swallowed. His throat was sore, his body exhausted. He could barely speak. All Killian could feel now was the deadly cold that wrapped around his entire body.
Killian's brows narrowed as soon as he spotted a few strange shapes watching them from on top of the cliffs. At first he thought they were biters, until he saw the weapons they held. Biters didn't wield weapons, at least the last time he encountered them. Ducking his head, Killian was unsure whether it was a good idea for the strangers to see him or not. Jasper followed Killian's gaze up towards the cliff top.
Killian's whole body was shaking uncontrollably. He could barely feel the tip of his nose or fingers, and it hurt to move them. A heavy weight was set on his shoulders as voices echoed back and forth and his vision began to blur again. Jasper was talking urgently to the people on the cliff, who had suddenly appeared in front of them. Killian hadn't even noticed they'd moved, even when his eyes had been focused on the spot they'd once been in. The weight on his shoulders brought warmth, and Killian pressed his body into whatever they'd folded around him. The scent of fresh mint and spices filled his nose, and his eyes drifted closed as he felt a strong pair of arms haul him up to his feet.
It felt as if Killian had just blinked open his eyes after a long nap, when he felt soft blankets beneath him. His cold clothes were gone, replaced with a new pair of jeans and t-shirt, along with a large utility jacket draped over him. He didn't want to move. All of his muscles felt dead. It was pitch black, until his eyes adjusted and he could see the pale flickering of light against the fabric of a small tent. The scent of smoke and an intense warmth against his skin made his eyes widen. Killian jolted to sitting up, until a familiar voice broke the silence that was otherwise occupied by the crackling flames. "Oh hey, look who's joined the land of the living once again." Killian relaxed when he realized it was just Jasper. The man had been sitting right outside of the tent, leaning against a tree it was set up beside. "I heard you moving around in here, but didn't think you'd wake up."
A cold shudder ran down Killian's spine, but at least he felt warmer than he did before. When he opened his lips to talk, nothing came out. He winced when he tried again. Jasper looked up at Killian as he crawled out of the tent, and the other man's eyes softened. Killian just scowled at him. If he'd lost his voice, then he'd let Jasper know he was still irritated somehow. A glare seemed to do the trick. "Here, water." Jasper said bluntly, handing Killian a water bottle. Killian didn't take it. Instead, his gaze surveyed the camp.
There were two other tents, and a few blankets strewn onto the ground. Several strangers were up and moving about. One glanced at Killian, and he immediately backed up, his nose wrinkling into a hostile snarl. His heart beat faster in his chest, confusion clouding his mind. The overwhelming unfamiliarity of his surroundings was extremely off-putting. Where was he? Who were these people? Was he a prisoner? How exactly had they gotten him into some new clothes? Whose jacket was he wearing? "Hey, it's alright." Jasper's voice was soft, but put Killian off even more. "Killian."
Jasper's voice had gone stern, and Killian turned to look at his friend worriedly. Where were they? Were they in trouble? Did Jasper know these people? "We're back at my group's camp. They heard the gunshots and thought we were some strangers about to cause trouble." Killian heard an exasperated sigh from Jasper when he once again turned to glare at the strangers, who were glancing curiously his way. He had to show them that if they decided to push him, he would push back twice as hard. "Hey kid, if you're not going to trust them, you can at least trust me." Jasper said. "You don't have to be nice, but at least take care of yourself first."
Jasper nudged Killian again, and this time Killian took the water. His brows knit together distastefully. Why did he need more water? He'd already almost drowned. Still, Jasper was right. If these people were hostile, he'd have to be healthy enough to fight them...or maybe he was missing the point of Jasper's concern. The other man seemed at ease, and peaceful even, despite the worried tone in his voice. But now that Killian was awake, it seemed to be melting away.
Unscrewing the lid on the cap, Killian took a big gulp of the water. Then more, and more, until it was all gone. He hadn't realized how thirsty he was until the moment it touched his parched tongue and lips. Killian was finally well enough to talk after re-hydrating himself, but it was scratchy and unpleasant. It was still uncomfortable, and felt like somebody was scraping sandpaper at the back of his throat. "Who stole my clothes?"
Jasper laughed, "Nobody stole them. They're being hung up to dry." Jasper then realized what Killian was hinting at, "Oh, you changed yourself. Nobody saw you." Jasper tilted his head to the side. "You don't remember?"
Killian shook his head, "Last thing was back at the river...I blinked, and now I'm here." He rasped, wincing. "Who's jacket is this?" He mumbled.
"Mine." Jasper replied bluntly. "You don't recognize it?"
"I did, but I didn't want to believe it." Killian replied sharply. He winced again. Every time he talked in his normal tone, it was as if somebody was jamming a toothpick through his neck. "Why'd you let me wear it?" He muttered. Killian didn't want to talk too loud. It hurt too much.
"It was either that or hypothermia; I wasn't going to let you freeze to death, Boy Scout." Jasper said. Jasper's blue eyes looked towards another man across the camp. It was an older gentleman, maybe in his late thirties. They nodded and started heading over. Killian bristled up again.
"Who's that?" Killian demanded, backpedaling against the ground. His back hit the tree as the other man got closer, and bent down in front of Killian. They held out a hand with a friendly smile.
"I'm Doctor Cohen, it's nice to meet you." He said. Killian moved his hand even farther away from the other man and glared up at Jasper. It was his fault this man had come over. Who was this 'Doctor Cohen', and was he an actual doctor? "Well, I can see you'll be a difficult patient. Nothing I haven't handled before. If it makes you more comfortable, you can just call me Harrison, or Harry for short." Doctor Cohen was an interesting looking man. His smile was a bit crooked. Salt-and-pepper stubble covered his jaw and chin. His shoulder-length black hair was pulled up into a bun, and Killian could see it greying at the roots.
Killian wrinkled his nose distastefully as Doctor Cohen lifted his chin and gently ran his hands along Killian's throat. That was definitely a feeling that he didn't like. Killian shot a murderous stare towards Jasper, who leaned back and watched with a smug smile. "Sorry Boy Scout, if you want to be cleared to run around you're going to need a doctor's approval first."
"This is your fault. I hate this." Killian said bluntly.
"Well, there's a nice dinner in store for you when this is over." Doctor Cohen said with a small smile, doing his best to convince Killian to settle down. Killian did not, in fact, settle down. Cohen unwrapped a stethoscope from around his neck and continued, "Alright, you know the drill. Deep breaths."
Killian knit his brows with confusion and looked towards Jasper. What was 'the drill?' Jasper seemed just as confused as him, but for the complete opposite reason. "Killian, have you never been to a doctor's office before?" Jasper asked.
Killian was quiet for a few moments before he said, "Not since I was really young. Don't really remember." Was that bad? The way Jasper had asked made it seem like a bad thing.
Doctor Cohen nodded, "Well then Killian, that's quite alright. I just need you to move Jasper's jacket so I can get a good listen to your lungs. Make sure there's no water left in there."
Killian reluctantly shrugged off Jasper's jacket, immediately shuddering from the cold. Jasper gave Killian an encouraging thumbs-up from behind Doctor Cohen, but Killian just glared irritably. He didn't want this Doctor guy near him, let alone close enough to hear his lungs. Killian didn't trust strangers, and for good reason. You didn't know what their actual intentions were. But for now he would tolerate it. Killian jumped as the doctor moved the back of his shirt up a bit to listen, his whole body tensing up.
"Okay, take a few deep breaths for me." Doctor Cohen said, completely disregarding any of the brutal and vicious scars he saw. Killian wished Jasper would do the same, but the other man simply knit his brows together with concern and stared at Killian. Killian glared back, and Jasper eventually looked away. Killian followed the doctor's instructions. After a bit of listening, Doctor Cohen nodded. "Alright then, your lungs are okay. Just make sure to take it as easy as you can these next few days." He nodded to Jasper, "I'll be back after dinner to check on your arm." With that, the doctor left Jasper and Killian on their own again.
Before Jasper could ask if he was okay, Killian said tensely, "What's up with your arm?"
There was a long silence until Jasper said, "I cut it on a sharp rock while climbing back up the cliffs. It's nothing major." The other man let out a small sigh, and then looked at Killian for a small while. "Hey, Boy Scout?"
"What?" Killian muttered.
"I know you wanted to leave. If you really want to, I can help you gather supplies..." Jasper broke off when Killian's gaze flickered up towards him. Killian could see the reflection of the campfire in the other man's blue eyes, and he pulled Jasper's jacket back onto his shoulders for warmth.
"About that," Killian muttered. "I--we--make a good...team. Don't we?" He managed a split second of a smile, before going back to his usual frown. "Without me, there's nobody to stop you from being a complete idiot. So for your sake, I'm staying." But as Killian felt the eyes of every stranger in the camp flicker towards him at some point, he felt his pulse gradually growing quicker.
"Then I'd be glad to be told off for being a dumbass every once and a while." Jasper chuckled. There was a tense silence, until Jasper followed his words up with, "Killian, It's okay to be scared. You in a strange place, you don't know these people. But I'm here. If we're going to be a team, that means no man gets left behind. I'll be here for you, whether you like it or not."
Killian hesitated for a few moments. How was he supposed to respond to that? He wasn't good with the mushy, warm feeling-type stuff that Jasper was. Instead of replying with something nice he snapped, "Then make yourself useful and get me dinner, you useless sack of bones." His order was emphasized by the rumbling of his stomach.
Jasper chuckled and stood up, ruffling Killian's hair as he went. "Yes sir." He replied. "You've earned it."
Killian scowled and straightened up his brown curls. Reluctantly he admitted that what Jasper had said comforted him. If nobody else was there, Jasper would be somebody he could rely on. They were a team, and that meant no man would get left behind.