Escape

Chapter 15

"Let's get you to Switzerland..." Rufioh said quietly, holding Karkat tightly. A few more hours of walking and they ended up in Switzerland. "Here" Rufioh handed everyone a small piece of paper. "It says that the military allows you to stay in here."

Karkat didn't take his. He gave it back to Rufioh. "Karkat? What's wrong? You have to come with us now. We're going to see your mom and sisters!" Speaking in German Cronus said, trying to smile at him.

"...we didn't tell you..." Karkat started, looking over at Cronus. "The captors we're taken... Rosa and them were taken to another part. And...and right before we left to come to you we got a letter from mom...she was saying she had been found. She told us after my dad had been taken. She was found and taken...me and Kankri knew... We knew no one was waiting for us... We knew the whole time. We wanted something better, but we knew it wouldn't work..."

"Then why did we leave?! Did you think this would be better for you?! For Kankri?! He's dead!! Is that better?!" Cronus started yelling at Karkat, blaming him for everything.

"No! Look! I knew what was going on! So did Kankri! When we decided to leave we knew exactly what we were getting into! If we stayed we would've died and my dad would still be tortured! You would've had to fight and probably died! Eridan would've had to live with someone else! This was the only choice we had! Kankri knew, going into this, that all of it would end badly! He knew that it was a huge risk and we would probably die! The only reason he even dragged you into this was to save you! Don't you get it?? He heard your dad had died and he didn't want you to see anyone die or you get killed! He knew that Switzerland was safe for you! He knew you and Eridan could've made it there safely! He knew he didn't have a chance! He knew the whole time! The only one who was collateral damage was Rufioh! It was pure luck we ran into him before we got killed!" Karkat explained all of this, tears streaming down his cheek. "We knew! We tried to save you dumb ass!"

Cronus was taken back for a bit. "You could've lived...you lost a fucking eye! And watched both your dad and brother die! Just to save me? Why?!"

"Because kurloz is mute and everyone else is too young!" Karkat and Kankri had known who was going to be in the war. They knew that despite all of their efforts they would die or get injured. They wanted to at least save one of their friends. "Please..."

"Karkat...you're just a kid..." Cronus said quietly. "Don't act like you aren't...I know you just want to be a kid."

"Hold on." Rufioh stopped everyone. He had no idea what was going on. "What is happening?"

Cronus looked over at Karkat, who hugged onto Rufioh more. "Are you sure?" He asked in German.

"...I don't want you to get hurt..." Karkat said shyly.

"You're still a kid. You deserve to be a kid. Don't forget that." Cronus sighed, looking over at Rufioh and speaking on English. "No one made it to Switzerland. Karkat had known this. He does not have anyone waiting for him. He wants to stay with you."

Rufioh looked at Karkat, who was hugging him tightly. "Why can't he go with you? You've known him longer and he's probably safer with you! I'm in a war right now! This isn't a place for a kid!"

Cronus translated the last sentence, letting Karkat know what he wanted to get into.

"Ich weiß, aber ich habe schon Dinge, die Menschen in meinem Alter sollte niemals gesehen sehen (I know, but I have seen things people my age should never see)" was Karkat's response.

"He has already seen hell. He can handle it." Cronus translated, nodding at Rufioh. "He has lost everyone, I still have an aunt when this war ends. Eridan and I will be fine on our own. Please, do not let him get hurt..."

Rufioh nodded. "Promise. I'll make sure to get back to the camp safely. There's one close to here, go on. I'll take Karkat and keep him safe." He sighed, looking to the ground and then to Cronus. "I hope we meet again..."

Cronus half smiled. "Me too." He gave Karkat a last hug goodbye, before picking up Eridan and walking off to their new life.

Rufioh sighed. "There's a camp over that way, we walk there first, then take a train to the first camp." He knew Karkat didn't understand. "First things first, we need to teach you English."

The two of them walked until it was 5:30 in the morning, when they finally reached the American base camp. "Hey!!" Rufioh called out, waking up Karkat. "Hey!! We need help!" He started running to the base, meeting a few other soldiers half way.

"What's happened??" One of the soldiers asked, helping Rufioh. Another soldier took Karkat to let Rufioh rest, he was exhausted.

They all walked back to the base and quickly took Rufioh and Karkat to the medical tent. Both of them were being taken care of. Rufioh was explaining what happened to them. He didn't know what happened exactly to Karkat, but he took a guess. Rufioh had a few cracked ribs and large gashes, but other than missing a finger he was fine.

"What the hell happened to his eye?!" A doctor asked, taking off the eye patch. Rufioh came over, seeing if he was okay. He cringed at the sight of Karkat's bloody missing eye. "I think I should stitch it closed! It could easily hurt him more if it's open. It does need a patch though."

Karkat didn't have a reaction to anything, he couldn't understand anyone. Rufioh looked down at him. "I don't know... He doesn't speak English very well, so I can't ask him anything." He picked up the medical stitches. "Let me try something." He pointed to the stitched and then to his eye. "You eye needs to be sewn shut." He said as he showed Karkat.

Karkat understood, but he did not like this plan. "No!!" He curled up, hiding his face in his chest. "No!! No!! No!!"

"....this was a lot easier with Cronus..." Rufioh complained. "Karkat." He poked the child, who looked up. He showed Karkat his finger. "It needs to be like mine..."

Karkat reached out, gently touching Rufioh's missing finger. "Sewn?"

"Yes. Sewn." Rufioh nodded. "It's okay..."

"Okay...." Karkat nodded, sitting up again. "Oh..." He rolled up his sleeves and pulled his shirt up, which stuck to the blood on his chest.

"How old is he?" The doctor asked.

"Um...I haven't asked..." Rufioh pointed to Karkat and then held up eight fingers. "Are you eight?" He asked, guessing the age because that's how old his own brother was. Karkat nodded and held up eight fingers too.

"Try to keep him occupied while I work on him. I need to put a numbing around his eye and apply medication to his open wound. His eye won't be sewn for long. When you get back to your base, tell them what happened and they should remove the stitches within a month." The doctor explained, threading the needle.

"Okay, Karkat, let's teach you some numbers." Rufioh held up his fingers as he counted in English. Karkat was repeating it.

The doctor came close to Karkat with a type of gel. Karkat shoved the doctor away, screaming. He quickly hugged onto Rufioh, hiding.

"No, no, it's okay. It's safe..." Rufioh showed Karkat, by letting the doctor put the gel on him. "Safe."

"...safe..." Karkat repeated, looking back at the doctor. The doctor lifted Karkat's eye lid and put the gel all around his eye, Karkat squirmed and grabbed at the doctor. He rubbed something else onto Karkat's eye lid. Rufioh got Karkat's attention again, letting him try to count. Karkat didn't see the needle, nor did he feel it. It was loosely sewn and the doctor stepped away.

"All done!" The doctor said, smiling at Karkat.