I knew I shouldn't have done this alone. I should have been a good little ice guardian and stayed with the others, but I didn't. Now I'm lying in the snow, bleeding from several parts of my body, and seemingly paralyzed. At least the agony has finally faded to just pain, an oh look! Darkness is mixing in with my vision. Finally. I don't remember dying taking so long the first time, when I drowned. I wonder if this is it, if I'm finally going to pass on or…
What is that infernal beeping sound? I hate it, will someone please shut it off? It's driving me crazy.
Ouch, maybe trying to open my eyes isn't such a great idea. Now I remember, the woods, the ogre, falling, bleeding, and passing out. Damnit, I was sort of hoping to die, but it sounds like I'm in an infirmary of some sort. I'm guessing it's North's because I smell cookies and hear the elves bells.
"Jack? Jack are you feeling any better, mate?" I hear Bunnymund talking to me but it's like he's on one side of a tunnel and I'm on the other with cotton balls between us. Because the pain in my body is coming back, I can only make a noise in the back of my throat, and even that was painful.
"What were you thinking kid? Going out on your own, you should have stayed with the group! You had us all worried sick when we saw that you had pulled a disappearing act on us like some sort of magician. Oh god, and when we found you, covered in your own blood, lying there as still as death, Tooth actually got sick by a nearby tree! And Jamie! Did you even think of him while you were out on your own? How he would have taken your death? He would have been crushed! You know how much you mean to him, to all of us!" Bunny ranted, and would have continued to rant, had someone not clear their throat, interrupting him.
North. Oh man, I'm really gonna get it now. He gestured for Bunny to leave us, who did, but no before shooting me a look mixed with emotions I couldn't place before North shut the door.
Sitting down on the chair Bunny was just occupying, North looked at me and smiled sadly.
"I heard the talk Bunny just gave you, so I won't repeat it, but Jack I am going to ask you to do something for me. Please, don't do something like this again. We do care about you Jack, you're like a son to me now, and I would hate for anything to happen to you. The others feel the same way; we already talked while you were unconscious. Now I know I can't punish you or anything, I know that you would only fight me and it would just be a waste of time, but I am going to make you stay here at the pole until you are fully healed. I already told Jamie that you wouldn't be visiting for a while so you can't use him as an excuse." North said while keeping eye contact with me while he spoke. I couldn't help but feel a trickle of dread at the thought of not seeing Jamie for so long and apparently it showed on my face, for North cracked a smile.
"Don't look so down Jackie boy, I made arrangements for Jamie to visit you here at the North Pole for a while." North chuckled to himself. "Told his parents it was for a winter retreat and they believed me, I must be a better actor than I thought."
I smiled for the first time since I woke up, and then winced at pain in my face flared. I must have gotten hurt worse than I thought. I hope the Jamie won't kill me when he finds out how I got hurt.
It took exactly one week for me to heal completely. It probably would have taken longer had North not known that snow could heal any flesh wound I had.
The other Guardians visited throughout the week whenever they could find time in their bus schedule. Tooth mothered me half to death, Sandy entertained me with constant sand images, Bunny even showed up a few times to check up on me and bring Jamie and I some chocolate to munch on, and North found some old calligraphy items so I could teach Jamie how to write in proper cursive.
And Jamie, he kept me constant company through the entire week, only leaving my side when he absolutely had to. He had been incredibly angry at me for making such a stupid mistake, but after I had apologized (a few hundred times) he forgave me.
I'm so lucky to have a friend like him and family like the Guardians.