Whumptober+ Short Stories - Volume 2

Prompt 8 & 24 - Stab Wound/Secret Injury

"Any sign of him?"

Darcy shook his head slowly. "I'm sorry." Was his only reply. Fawn had already been trying not to cry; now it was all she could do to keep it together. "Where could he..."

"Be?" Came a familiar voice from somewhere nearby. Brother and sister both spun around at the same time, eyes searching their smoky surroundings for any sign of their friend. Sure enough, Atticus appeared a minute later out of the haze, walking toward them with his signature limp and a crooked smile on his face.

Fawn didn't wait for him to reach them; she was by his side in an instant, throwing her arms around his neck in a tearful embrace. As the young man gently returned the gesture, Darcy approached them with a relieved expression and a chuckle. "You. Had. Us. SO scared." He said. Atticus shrugged and gave a small smile. "Sorry. Kinda was trying to not give away my location to the enemy. Ya know. Safety and all that."

After a moment more, Fawn finally pulled back from the hug, looking up at her crush and wrinkling her nose. "You still smell like blood and gunpowder." She said with a laugh. "Kinda covers up your normal, manly smell."

"Hey, um... we still need to get out of here." Darcy reminded them. Fawn's face went a little more red and she nodded. "Sorry. Just... happy he's not dead." Atticus nodded. "Same." He said. Darcy grinned and gave him a playful shove. "You doofus."

Turning, the three of them began making their way across the smoke-covered field toward the patrol vehicle. They were about halfway there when Darcy turned to Atticus questioningly. "How'd you..." He began, then stopped when he saw the other man's face. Atticus was paler than a ghost and his breathing was going out of whack even as he looked at him.

"What the..." Darcy exclaimed. Fawn turned around at this and saw the look on her crush's face. "Atticus?" She asked, concern filling her voice once more. The young man shook his head. " 's nothing." He said. " 'm just..." He broke off with a cough and a slight cringe, although it was obviously suppressed. Darcy raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "What's wrong?" He asked, walking back over to his friend's side.

Fawn was about to ask the same thing when she saw the blood soaking through Atticus's jacket.