Something Wicked This Way Comes

Chapter 22

It still hurt to breathe. He couldn't move. He couldn't open his eyes. Everything hurt. Ragged, white hot stakes of pain echoed through his body. His throat burned like a knife was repeatedly ripping into him.

A shaking hand ran through his hair, and he was vaguely aware of the arms curled around him. But he couldn't process any of that through the agony that consumed him.

Am I still dying? He wondered through the wooly-headedness of his pain. It felt like it. He wished he was. Anything to stop this torture.

Another hand touched his shoulder and he flinched.

"Shh," a soothing voice echoed in his mind. That hand in his hair tightened microscopically for a moment and lips brushed against his sweat-soaked forehead. "It's alright, Sunshine. You're okay now. Just breathe."

I can't! Carter wanted to scream, but the breath wouldn't come, his jaw refused to move so he could utter those words. He could only lay there in burning agony, a tremor running through his body.

Several moments passed before Douxie began to loosen the grip he had on him. Carter still couldn't open his eyes.

Then a cool hand gently pressed to his burning throat and he let out a shudder of relief. A thumb rubbed over his jaw, giving some relief to the ragged fire bristling under his skin.

***

"We need to get him back to the Nautilus." Jamie said.

"Great plan," Olivia said in a shaky voice, tempting to snark at him but not having the energy to commit. "Except the Nautilus isn't here, Jamie."

Jamie frowned at her, hand still hovering gently over Carter's neck, cool frost curling from his fingers. "At least I'm doing something."

Her expression twisted into seething rage and hatred in a moment. She shot to her feet. "Doing something!?" She shrieked. "I just healed the goddamn hole in his neck!"

"Hey," Claire grabbed her shoulder. "Olivia, it's okay—"

"Like hell it is!" Olivia screamed. "I just watched the man who saved me die, Claire! And he," she stuck a vicious finger in Jamie's face. "Has the audacity to tell me I'm doing nothing?"

"Nobody is saying that," Claire said calmly. "We're all just a little..."

"Tense?" Krel suggested.

"Yeah."

Olivia scowled, then turned and kicked the son of Skrael in the ankle and stomped off into the jungle.

"Ow!" Jamie complained.

"You deserved that," Claire told him sternly.

Jamie frowned, though it held some sort of strange hurt behind it. "Yeah, probably."

Beside him, Jim let out a shuddering breath and slowly got to his feet. "But you were right, we can't stay here. Let's go back to the beach and check on the others."

"Jim," Douxie said, voice rough and quiet. "I don't think we should move him yet."

Jim took in a deep breath, closing his eyes for a second. The lines of his face were heavy, and a dark shadow was cast over his features.

With a start, Claire realized just how badly shaken up he was.

Of course he is, she thought, heart heavy for him. His best friend just died in his arms.

"You all go," he said finally. "Douxie, Fenris, and I will stay with Carter here until the Nautilus is back."

Claire opened her mouth, wanting to argue, but the tired glance Jim gave her was all she needed. "Okay." She gently pulled him close, kissing his cheek. "If you need me, holler."