TF2: Scatterguns Crossed *DISCONTINUED*

(5) Trying and Failing

The next day or so was filled with nothing but a jabbing anxiety, exhaustion, and persisting paranoia. Physically, I was feeling much better. Mentally, I was dragging behind. I had been awake ever since I'd discovered the crash. I waited for the others to wake up in fear of being ambushed. It was a rather annoying anxiety to say the least, but it was a dreadful feeling that made my chest tense up and give me this awful sense of...cluelessness. I had to say it had been at least a day and a half, struggling through one sleepless night, and tending to the others that were just waking up. They were stiff, but okay. Medic was the fourth one to wake up after Scout, Spy, and Sniper. They all, at one point, complained of some kind of pain, and I gave them all a few pills to help. Except the Medic...he refused (kindly) everything that I'd offered. 

Spy hadn't been awake for more than fifteen minutes before he ventured off, saying he was going to try to find another way to the new base so we didn't have to walk as far. I knew that was a lie. Scout still had the transmitter to Ms. Pauling hooked onto his belt, and it was still working. The plan was that once most of us woke up we would call her and have her come and bring a vehicle with her. Spy knew this. So we shrugged it off and let him go. Everyone needed to go stretch their legs sometime. 

Medic started to retell what happened to everyone when Heavy woke up. He was thinking that since Heavy was driving that he could back him up on some things that happened, but we were surprised to figure out that Heavy had absolutely no memory about what happened. He just remembered me being sick, and then nothing. Medic didn't seem surprised, continuing to tell the story nonetheless. 

I had been sleeping against Spy's chest for about an hour or so before Medic had finally convinced Heavy that my condition was too bad to keep moving. They decided to pull over and stop, not really having a choice since..well...Heavy had Sasha, so they rested. The sun had just been setting and everyone had settled down to rest for the night. Medic volunteered to stay awake to protect the truck and keep watch on my condition. He said it must've been around two in the morning when my fever finally went down and my slumber was looking more like sleep and less like unconsciousness. He'd kept me in the truck beside soldier so I wasn't by myself. 

At this, my gaze dropped to the ground. It seemed only a few of the men around me truly knew why. 

"Oh, speakin' of Soldier..." Scout looked around, frowning once he noticed that the loud-mouthed fighter wasn't among us. "Where...is he, Newbie?"

I closed my eyes, the silence that only held itself for a few seconds seemed to drag out for minutes and minutes. 

"H-...He's gone, Scout." I said quietly, suddenly feeling an aching pressure on my back and running through my chest. Out of guilt, I had earlier moved the dead bodies a little farther away than the road. More across the road and a little ways into the woods before crossing the street again. I didn't think anybody else needed to see what I had seen. I wanted them to remember Soldier as they'd last seen him, beaming and thriving. Not a burnt, rotting, and stinking carcass of what was once human. 

"And Pyro?" Sniper asked, everyone looking at me as I gulped quietly. 

"I-I don't-"

"It vas heat stroke..." cood the Medic from beside me. His voice was soft as to both offer comfort to me and give everyone the news as lightly as possible. Everyone looked at him, including me. 

"H-How did you know that?" I asked. "I couldn't figure it out..."

"Zhat suit he has may be flame reziztant...but it still gets hot...and I saw that he vas trying to help Soldier get out of zhe truck. Zhe flames consumed zhem both..."

Everyone's gazes dropped. Everyone except Heavy, for he still didn't remember anything. I still felt terrible. I could've been awake and helping, and talking about how the men died wasn't making me feel better. Hell...Medic HAD mentioned that he'd been awake even with a deep slice in his neck and still managed to do his job. 

What was going to stop me..? The flu..? 

Slowly, I pushed myself to my feet, my eyelids heavy. Everyone looked at me, but I didn't take a second look at them before vanishing through the trees and...oh...right...we didn't have any sleeping bags anymore. I sighed in frustration and just plopped myself on the ground where I was, slipping off my coat and folding it up as best as I could. I then layed down on my side, using my coat and my arm as the best pillow I could get. It wasn't too comfortable on my neck, but there wasn't much I could do about it. 

A few guys tried to call my name, but I didn't answer them. I didn't know if they would understand what I was feeling at the moment, and I didn't feel like explaining everything. I was just tired. 

Then Scout actually came to me. I didn't know who it was until he sat in front of me, smiling. 

"Hey, Newbie." He whispered. I closed my eyes, sighing quietly. He thought for a second before trying again. "So...ya feelin' better?" He asked. I slowly nodded.

"Kinda." I replied quietly, not wanting to talk. His gaze seemed to roam around for a second, noticing my lack of attention and quickly falling quiet again. As I closed my eyes again, I felt a gentle hand rest on my shoulder. 

"You spent all your time watchin' over n' protectin' me...I'm thinkin' it's time that I pay you back." He whispered. 

"Don't worry about it..." I said softly. "That won't be the last time I do it." I heard a sound like a silent chuckle.

"Yeah...probably not."