Seeing Through the Trauma

Just as Painful Revisited (6)

Falling through the darkness of a shadow portal was something MK was familiar with, and listening as he and his friends tumbled out of one of them, landing in grass and rolling to a stop, was something that should have been fun. 

Only it wasn't. Not this time. This time everyone was hurt and Nezha's small pained noise at being dropped through a portal like that, jostling his wound, only made the sick feeling in MK's stomach grow tighter, making him wish he wasn't still in ropes just so that he could curl up into a ball and block out the world. 

"Oh, that looks... really bad, yeesh. Should I pull it out?" He heard Mei ask with an uncomfortable tone and Nezha shook his head, a hand still on his shoulder and the weapon stuck in it.

"No need, I can do it myself. Just... give me a minute." He sounded a little out of breath and MK's ears flattened against his head, his eyes still squeezed shut tightly while his head continued pounding. 

"Let's get you out of those ropes." MK heard Red mutter to him, kneeling by his side and MK opened his eyes to look as Red Son carefully untied him, throwing the golden rope off to the side once he was done before finally looking at MK's face. 

Obviously whatever he saw was bad because he flinched, frown growing deeper for a second and MK averted his eyes shamefully, blinking away at white spots that had appeared in them after opening his eyes.

He wasn't sure why everything ached so much and he winced as he moved his stiff body, gripping at his arms and feeling his tail curl around his leg shamefully as he pulled himself into a kneeling position and then leaned down, burying his face into his knees and squeezing his eyes shut again.

"MK?" Red sounded worried but MK didn't move even at his name, refusing to look up again.

 "So what now?" He heard Mei ask but MK didn't want to hear it, wishing his ears would stop working just this once. 

"We should go back, it's my job to protect the Emperor." Nezha quickly explained and Mei gasped. 

"Are you serious? You're injured! He was about to kill you! If MK hadn't-" She stopped suddenly, looking over at her best friend who was curled up into himself, trembling ever so slightly and blocking out the world. 

"I would be glad to die for my duties if that's what it takes," Nezha told her confidently and none of the rest of them could comprehend his logic. 

"Well, you're no good to anyone dead. So let's think of an actual plan. You need medical help and we need to find a way to free Mister Macaque and...  and Monkey King." She trailed off again and MK could feel her and everyone else's pitying gazes on him, hating the feeling and hating how cold he felt. At least his limbs still ached and burned, his eyes itchy in a way that distracted him a little from the metaphorical hole in his chest.  

He probably should worry about it, but honestly, it felt like he deserved it, even if hurt a lot. 

"My parents might be able to help us. At the very least we'd have somewhere to lay low and fix up your wound." Red Son suggested and Mei nodded, slinging an arm around his shoulder.

"That's a great idea, Red! Let's go." She cheered, holding onto his arm and the group looked over at MK, who didn't move or respond. 

"You coming, MK?" Mei asked eventually, her tone fragile like she thought he might break at anything less soft and maybe she was right. 

He didn't respond. 

He heard her sigh and imagined the hurt, upset look on her face and it only made him feel worse, eyes swelling up with tears again as muffled sobs finally spilled from his lips, the sound making everyone around him pale.