A Broken Crew

Chapter 23

Dakota tried again, pushing against the dumpster with all his effort. It did nothing but earn him more pain. He fell back down again, crying out softly in frustration and pain. He could feel harsh pointy spikes of metal poking into his back, and his ankle was crushed. It was broken yet, but if he kept pulling it would be. He lay his head on the dirty ground, exhausted from his effort. He was already fairly badly injured, and had spent the entire night trapped underneath this dumpster, where his father had dumped his unconscious body. He assumed his father had has his suspicions about him staying with August, and wondered if this had anything to do with it. He lifted his head again and tried another pull, but it hurt too much and he was too tired. He won't come back for a long time, if he ever bother's to, Dakota thought And there's no way any of them would know where and how to look for me. He laid his head down. My wounds are going to get infected, if they aren't already. He felt weak. There's nothing I can do. he thought. I'll just have to hope that someone will find me. He fell back asleep again.

Gentle hands lift the dumpster off of Dakota and pull him carefully from the rubble. A cool cloth is used to clean him up a bit. His limp body is passed carefully to waiting strong arms. Two different voices speak- one soft and feminine, the other low and masculine. Dakota is laid in the back of a car, on the lap of someone. Zion looks down at Dakota, clearly remembering him. "Zi." He looks up at his twin. "Yeah?" "How is he?" Zion looks back down."I don't know." The twins had been sent out to investigate after someone called the first aid group they worked with saying they thought they saw someone under a dumpster. By the spirits, I hope he's alright.. Zion watches Dakota carefully, waiting for him to wake up as Zara drove.

When Dakota woke up again, he left his eyes closed. He could tell he was no longer trapped under the dumpster. He tried to understand his surroundings and realized he was in a car. His head was on someone's lap. He tried to picture the doors around him, praying he could fight his captors long enough to throw himself out of the car. His back was in agony, as well as his legs, but he couldn't just let them take him. He counted in his head, before lurching up and clawing at whoever's face was there, reaching out for the door handle, ignoring the agony of his body for the sake of safety. He yanked on the door handle.

"Dakota wait!! It's me, Zion! " Strong arms latch around Dakota's waist. "It's OK, you're OK." The car pulls over and Zara parks, turning around. Zion holds onto Dakota as Zara pries his fingers off the door handle. "Kota, it's OK. We're heading to August's house. You don't have to fight." Zara pipes in,"Dakota, you are going to hurt yourself more. Please, just relax."

Dakota watched her with suspicion. You didn't trust anybody in the ghetto you didn't know better than you're own brother or better. "Let go of me." he snapped. "I don't know who you are, and I don't trust you." The unfamiliarity in his eyes was obvious. In his pain filled and hazy state he didn't recognize Zion, who he had only seen once.

"Fine." Zion lets go. "We'll tell August and Roman we found you." He says shortly.

Dakota yanked on the door handle again, but collapsed in weakness. "My back..." he whispered. He closed his eyes and clenched his fists in pain. "And my legs..." I'll never be able to make it to August. he thought in frustration. He looked at Zion again. "Let me call August." he said. "And don't go anywhere until I've called him."

Zion nods. "Alright. We're not going anywhere."

Dakota grabs the phone and dials the house number rather than August's, so he'll be more likely to answer. He waits for a call.

Roman hears the phone and goes to get it. "Hello?" He answers, not recognizing the number

"August... August are you there..." Dakota calls. "August..."

"Dakota? He's not home. He's... " Roman sighs."He's in the hospital with anthrax."

Dakota felt a horror dawn on him. Anthrax? His mind could only recall the last time. "He's dying..." he cried. "August! August! Don't die!" He gave a cry full of anguish and sorrow. "August!"

"Dakota! Dakota, he's not dying. Calm down!" Roman's last remark is almost stern. "He's going to be okay, alright? The worst is over. "

Dakota tried to take a deep breath. It hurt. "Does he have his phone?" he asked. "Do you know a Zion, and can I trust him?"

"Yes he has his phone, but he just went to sleep, and yes, Zion is one of my best friends. You can trust him. " Roman pauses."Wait, where are you?"

"I... I'm in a car somewhere in the ghetto... I don't really know... I just need help..." Dakota let the tiredness and the pain come into his voice. "I have tetanus. My jaw is locking up and it hurts. I just want to go home." Dakota wasn't talking about his house where his father lived. He was talking about his home. With August.

Roman nods, thinking. "Alright. From your question, and Zion's location on my tracker, it seems you actually are within a couple mile from the house. Zion will bring you here, and we'll see what we can do about any wounds you have. You're safe now, Dakota." He adds the last part softly.

"Okay... okay." Dakota's head dropped, he really was exhausted more than anything else. "Okay." Dakota couldn't think of much to say, so he kept repeating himself. "Okay. Goodbye." He hung up. "Take me... home. Please."

Zion nods and carefully lifts Dakota and brings him back into the car, buckling him in. "August's house, Zara." Zara nods and starts the car again, driving carefully so Dakota won't get shaken around in the back. After a few minutes, they get to August's house, and Zion gets out then gets Dakota out and carries him to the door, where Roman is waiting for him. A brief look of shock crosses Roman's face, mixed with concern. "Take him to the bathroom- it'll be easier to clean up there."

Dakota hates this feeling- the feeling of being vulnerable, weak, but there's nothing he can do about it. "I damaged my back in some way." he said. "And my legs are mess up as well. The cuts I have are infected and there's a lot of them. I also probably broke a bone in my tail."

Roman looks at him and there is no pity whatsoever in his gaze, simply a desire to help. "Alright. I'll see what I can do." He leads the way to the bathroom, and has Zion carefully lay Dakota in the bathtub, then Zion leaves, replaced by Mikko. "I hope you don't mind getting wet." Roman remarks as he waves at the faucet and it turns on, water beginning to fill the tub. Roman stops it once there's enough to cover Dakota's legs up to his waist as he's in a somewhat sitting position. "Promise not to freak out?"

"Nothing freaks me out." Dakota said bluntly. "I've seen too much for that. Go ahead with whatever you plan on doing, so I can call August."

Roman raises an eyebrow, remembering their earlier conversation, but doesn't argue. He holds his hands just above the water a simply relaxes. Power flows through him to water, and it begins to glow along with his hands. The glow is brighter than it was the last time. Roman can see every one of Dakota's injuries. He pours the healing coolness into the wounds, giving each one attention, watching as each one heals completely.

"Color me impressed." Dakota says. "You don't do a bad job, for being a rookie still." He leaned back. "You know how many times I wish I'd been able to go a healer over the years? They're way to expensive, plus I'm sure at least one of them would have suspected something was up, with all these injuries." He sighed contently. "If I had money, I would go regularly. They could heal the scars and chronic pain from all these injuries and stress."

Roman smiles slightly. "Not all healers work for money. " He allows the water to drain away. "Mi abuela doesn't, and I doubt I will. But yeah," He laughs."I'm a rookie. At least I'm not a complete rookie this time."

Dakota sighed again. "That felt so good." he said. "It's been a long time since I've been completely, 100% without pain. Thanks. I'll heal much faster now. I'm going to call August."

Roman nods. "If ever you want or need another session, just let me know." He hands Dakota his phone, then stands and steps out to let Dakota call August.