Frozen Chains

Chapter 9

There was an awful groaning noise. For a moment, Jay didn't realize that the sound was coming from him. 

There was something different. Even without opening his eyes, he knew where he was: With the Guardians. Jack was there, too, hopefully.

Now what?

The Guardians brought them here for a reason. Whatever that reason was, Jay was unsure of. He wasn't even positive that he wanted to know.

Jay opened his eyes a crack. Bright light nearly blinded him, making his head pound. Pain was everywhere. His whole body ached, and his leg... His leg hurt like hell. He could a feel it up to his knee, but after that, nothing.

Jay lifted up his hands so he could see them.

They were stained red. 

Red. Blood. Pain. Fear. 

All those words were linked by the simple color... Red.

Jay began to tremble. The blood on his hands brought back so many memories. 

No, He thought, Stop that. Thoughts like that will bring on another mental breakdown. 

He couldn't let that happen. Jay hadn't forgave himself after loosing it on Jack when the Guardians first came. 

Jack was always there. Jack was the one who threw away his dignity to beg Pitch not to hurt his brother. He was the one always willing to take the first hit. He was the one who always took the first step.

Jay tried. He really did. He had tried to pull Jack away from Toothiana when she first saw them. 

But all it took was one touch.

Her fingertips, soft and smooth, had barely grazed his cheek when his mind shut down. His limbs acted on their own, and he fell.

He left Jack to face them.

Jay let his hands fall back down on the blanket, gasping when the broken edges of the bone in his arm ground together painfully.

Hold on.

He was on a bed. With a blanket. And pillows. 

The windows were letting in light. Natural light, too, and lots of it.

And the Guardians were standing by his brother, looking at him.

Was that even his brother? It must be, but it didn't look like Jack.

The half of Jack's face was swollen and purple, blood-soaked bandages covered his arms and neck. He even had gauze on a cut above his eyebrow.

Jay had never realized it, but Jack was dreadfully thin. Even with the bandages on, you could see each bone in in his arms, probably his legs, too, but they were hidden beneath a blanket. His eyes were hollow with dark circles underneath, and his cheeks looked sunken...

Jay probably didn't look much different.

Jack made a sound of discomfort as Tooth handed a yeti his hoodie to be washed.

"You'll get it back, mate." Bunny promised.

"Until then," said Tooth carefully, "I need to set your arm."

Jay's mind whirled. To set and arm... That meant to fix it. He looked at his own arm. Would they do that to him, too?

He could see that Jack was afraid. Sense it, even. 

Jack gripped the edge of the mattress in his hands, shaking violently.

"Calm down," North said, "Tooth will be quick."