Rose Petals - Eyeless Jack x Reader

Epilogue

[28– Healing]

   A week had passed since the events with The Harbinger. The four of you had made it out of the forest after another hour's walk, the light of dawn guiding you to a nearby town. Though on the verge of passing out, you had eventually come across an abandoned apartment complex to stay in. It was rundown, and you and Liam had spent the first night taking guesses at how long it has been abandoned until you had both fallen asleep.

   Jack had been more quiet than usual for the first two days since then. He had done a sweep of the complex and its surrounding area multiple times a day, and checked twice in a row at night before he went to sleep. Every time you had laid a hand on him, he had always been so tense, his body never relaxing as he was always on alert, listening out for something.

   As much as it did worry you, you could not blame him, for you, too, could not help the way you excessively checked over your shoulder or jumped at sudden, strange noises. You knew he was on the lookout for The Harbinger or any of its proxies, and as paranoid as you were about it, you worked gently with him to try and get him to ease up.

   Liam would cry himself to sleep. The second night staying in the complex was when you first heard it, and it still twisted your heart even now as you heard it. Sometimes he would mumble something into the pillow, and two of the things you were able to make out was Iris and the names of his friends. You let yourself cry a little, too.

   Jeff's injuries were slowly healing, as difficult as it was for Jack to treat them with such limited supplies. You had allowed yourself to worry a little about Jeff's condition, especially after the first night when he could barely move and barely said a word, but he was slowly coming back to himself, so you knew he would be fine. He was still snippy and angry, though you had not seen as much aggression as you had used to. His demeanour was calmer, and it was easier to hold a conversation with him without any genuine threats spat your way. Perhaps this was due to his injured, weakened state, but if it was, you did not mind.

   And you were alright. As alright as you were able to be, at least. The mixture had no doubt worn off since your stay at the complex, and despite the worry that the four of you were still being followed, there had been no signs of such, and so you were beginning to allow yourself to relax.

   A part of you was still homesick. Less for the home you were raised in with Uncle Luis, but more for your friends you had left behind. You were able to go out on supply runs with Jack for food— both his kind and your kind— and trust Jeff to not be Liam's attacker, but now protector as you did. At first, you had not wanted to leave him, in case something had happened while you were gone, but you had grown to accept that, since Jeff was severely injured and Liam was still only a little boy, you were best fit for it. Jack could handle himself, that you knew, but the both of you were weakened, and you would not expect him to bare all of the responsibility on his shoulders.

   None of you wanted to stay there forever, though all of you were avoiding the greater discussion of where you all wanted to go specifically, and if hopping from place to place and living in the shadows of the world around was really what you wanted to do for the rest of your life. For now, the only thing any of you cared about was recovering and continuing to get as far away from The Harbinger's grasp as possible.

   You were sat on the couch in the apartment the four of you had chosen, reading over the lamplight you were thankful to have ever since Jack had discovered the spare generator during one of his patrols. He had been on one now, though for longer than usual, and you were attempting to distract yourself from your worry with the book in your hands.

   The door to the room opened, and your head shot up to see Jack finally enter. You lowered the book and smiled his way, shoulders dropping in relief. He came over to you, smelling faintly of dirt and sweat, and lowered down onto the couch next to you.