Tempest Wind (Vash x F!Reader)

Calamity J

The night goes by slowly as you sit by Vash's bedside. Sometime during your watch, he started to develop a fever. As you have trouble feeling the temperature, you aren't quite sure when it began. But at some point, Vash's forehead was covered in tiny sweat beads. You check his wounds with a flashlight and see that, luckily, they haven't bled through any bandages. You tuck him in again and wipe the sweat from his brow. You gently lean your forehead against his, pleading quietly in your head for him to get better before kissing the spot and stroking his hair. You spend the night trying to comfort him, cradling his head, stroking his chest where he isn't injured, his hair, and his arms. You want him to know he isn't alone and that you're here with him.

You remember him telling you that the main reason he keeps his prosthetic on while he sleeps is to be ready as soon as he wakes up in case there is trouble. But as he is in no condition to put up a fight and you've taken over as bodyguard, you gently examine the arm and find that it can be disconnected easily from the cybernetic stump. You lay his arm on the table and make sure he is covered again. His skin still feels hot under your touch if you focus enough.

Dawn doesn't bring any good news either; Vash is still struggling with a fever, and as you peek under the bandages, you see that the wound has a sickly red hue. You know it's just the beginning; you have to get him antibiotics. With a heavy heart, you decide you have to move him and get to Calamity J. You give him more water, making sure to ration a bit so he can have some on the road.

After checking on his wounds again, you find him clean clothes, dress him in a turtleneck, and switch out the bloody pants too. You don't want to draw any unnecessary attention by carrying around a bloodied man. You see his body covered in scars and augmentations, from his neck down. His skin is coated in dried blood and sweat, and while you feel bad, you know you don't have time. You try to move quickly without doing him harm. You pull on his red coat and attach his arm before leaving him on the bed while you pack up everything else and saddle the toma. You find some rope that hasn't been completely eaten by the worms and leave it by the birds that you have tied to each other. You load all your stuff on one bird to lessen the load on the other as much as possible. Before getting Vash, you check yourself in the broken mirror, rubbing off as much of the dry blood from yourself as you can. You go to the bedroom and hoist Vash over your shoulder to the best of your ability, making sure his hips are resting on your shoulder and not his stomach. Luckily, your leg has completely healed since last night. You go to the first bird and sit Vash in the saddle before grabbing the rope and getting behind him. You use the cord to tie him to you, crossing it over his chest so he can't fold over or fall off the bird. You have some trouble reaching around him, but he is slumped down enough that you can see over his shoulder. You signal your tomas to get up and going, with the other one following behind. You push the pace, finding a quick one where Vash bounces the least.

You feel bad for the birds as you hurry over the dunes. You take as few breaks as possible, but still, they are unavoidable. The tomas carrying both you and Vash gets tired after a while at this speed, and you don't have much water to give either of them. Every time you stop, you check on Vash and his wounds. It seems like he is stable and not getting much worse. The wound in his stomach has started to bleed a bit again, but it doesn't concern you too much yet. You give him water and cradle his head on your lap. You wish he would open his eyes; you want to see the brilliant blue; you want to see his reassuring gaze.

"I'm going to get you to town, and a doctor will fix you. Just hold on. We're nearly there. Just keep breathing." You tell him as you stroke his hair and cheek, "Just hold on a bit longer. I'll take care of the rest; you just worry about staying with me."

Your heart is heavy as a boulder, and a scared voice in the back of your head whispers the worst-case scenarios. But you have to keep your chin up; you have to push forward, or all hope is gone. As soon as the toma seem ready to go again, you saddle up, switching the tomas who carried the luggage with the one that carried you. Hopefully, it will make the track even a little easier.