𝑼𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍 𝑫𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝑫𝒐 𝑼𝒔 𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒕 | ✓

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ғɪᴠᴇ

Tobias forced himself to watch as Ralph positioned the hedge clippers over his toe. It was crazy what two years in this prison would do to you. At one time he wouldn't have even considered cutting off two of his toes, but now he'd do anything to get out of the hard labor of working in the fields. He felt the sharpness of the blade around his pinkie toe and that feeling along was enough to make him squirm.

"Aye, Matheson, you're gonna have to be still," Ralph advised and repositioned the clippers over Tobias's pinky toe. He held the dual handles with both hands and glanced at Tobias. "Are you ready?"

Tobias nodded and gripped the bench he sat on, bracing himself for the excruciating pain he knew would come. "Ready as I'll ever be."

Ralph nodded and kept a tight grip on the handles before pushing them together as quick as he could.

The pain that flooded Tobias's senses was the worst he had ever felt. He could feel crunch of the bone as the razor sharp blade of the clippers severed his pinky toe from his foot and he clenched his jaw to keep from crying out. His chest heaved and he grunted with pain. "Hurry R-Ralph, get the other o-one off now!"

Ralph quickly moved the clippers to the toe next to the bleeding stump of Tobias's former pinky toe. He pushed the blades over it and clipped it off with a sickening crunch of bone and flesh giving way. He bit his lip as he watched the bright crimson flow spill from Tobias's severed toes. "Good thing I brought a towel."

"Fuck. . . ." Tobias fought against the nauseous feeling that built in the pit of his feeling. The stubs of where his toes used to be throbbed with a God-awful pain and he groaned as Ralph began wrapping the raggedy towel around his foot. He watched as the blood creeped across the threadbare material and his vision framed with black.

Ralph used some rope he'd salvaged just for this occasion and tied the rag in place. He stood back up and shook Tobias's shoulder. "C'mon Matheson. We've gotta get you back inside."

"W-What are we gonna tell the guards?" Tobias asked as he struggled to keep consciousness. His pulse thumped in his ears and dizziness swept over him as Ralph pulled him to his feet.

"That you got injured while working the heavy machinery or something. I'll figure it out," Ralph assured, pulling Tobias's arm around his neck and beginning a steady walk forward. He tried not to go too fast, but he also knew time was of the essence. If they didn't reach the prison complex quick enough, Tobias could bleed out and he'd be damned if he let that happen. "Stay with me Matheson."

Tobias nodded as he limped heavily, leaning on Ralph as they made their way through the other prisoners working in the field and toward the complex itself.

A guard took his gaze off the prisoners he was watching and cursed under his breath as his eyes met the blood-soaked towel on Tobias's foot. "What the hell happened?"

Ralph kept moving forward, doing his best to keep Tobias going. He knew Tobias was losing consciousness and that was something he couldn't afford at the moment. "Sir he-"

"Never mind that, get that boy in there now," the officer ordered before sending two other prisoners to help Ralph carry Tobias inside the cold gray walls of the prison.

Tobias was aware of voices reaching the fog that his mind had become. He felt his body rest against something cold and the voices. . .those voices were driving him crazy and he wished they would just shut up and let him sleep. Maybe once he woke up things would be better, but he wouldn't know if they wouldn't let him find out.

"Matheson, listen to me," Ralph pleaded as he shook Tobias. His movements were rough and frantic but he didn't care. "You can't sleep, okay? If you sleep you die."