Alright, so first of all, I promise I tried my best to do proper research on the effects of wasp stings, but for once I didn't find much. _ All I could find was info on allergic reactions on stings on dog, neither of which helped much. Tried looking for multiple stings on one person, or the effects one would have on a small rodent, ad still nada. So, I just used what I knew about the results of stings and bites from other harmful insects, so I hope that's alright. OnO
Prompto leaned his head back against the head rest of the seat as he draped his arm over the open window, allowing the wind to blow through his fingers. He was trying to find a bit of solace in this dreadful ride, enjoying the moments while he could. Sighing deeply he peeked through his eyelids, gazing out the front windshield and groaned audibly and dramatically as he could see their destination in the distance. He cut his eyes over to Ignis, who had chosen to ignore the blond's complaints long ago. "Do we have to?" He practically whined, closing his eyes once more as he now leaned his whole body against the door, head lying halfway out the window.
Ignis flashed a look over, letting the question linger in the air for a moment before answering. Strange, he felt like he had answered this same question many times over by now in the last hour alone. With the tightening of his hands on the wheel, "Yes, we do indeed 'have to'." He answered shortly and quickly, not feeling like going into detail again. "And please sit properly before you fall out."
Prompto hesitantly complied, straightening himself back up and set his eyes back on the road in front of them as they quickly approached their stop, "Honestly, sounds better than this." He pursed his lips, still displeased with this objective.
"C'mon, you're not afraid of a few bugs are you?" Gladio teased from the backseat.
The blond turned in his seat, leaning over it to look Gladio in the face, "Bugs, no. Giant monstrosities that resemble bugs, yes, very much so." He visibly shuddered just thinking about what they were about to face. "Would really rather fight anything else."
"Prompto." Ignis' demanding tone pulled his attention over, and without a word he looked to Prompto, then to the seat, silently telling him to turn back around. "Keep this up and you'll be dead before we get there." He added in irritation, using one hand to push his glasses up.
"Alright alright, I gotcha." He waved a dismissive hand, then crossed his arms as he leaned back once again. "So, how many of these things we gotta take care of?" He asked, taking this a bit more seriously now that they were almost there.
Ignis hummed in thought. "The poster wasn't specific, but it's enough to cause a ruckus. So, take that as you will." He could see the other nod out of the corner of his eye.
"So, then at least five of them." Noctis answered from the back, finally deciding to jump into the conversation. "So hey, at least we all get our own." He pitched in his own joke at the blond's expense.
He let our another exasperated groan, "Ugh, not helping!" He pushed himself further into the seat as he felt the car slow down and Ignis carefully pulled over.
"This is as far as I'm taking the Regalia." He stated, already opening the door. "Don't want to risk damages over this rocky terrain. We can't exactly afford said damages currently." He heard the sounds of three other doors closing, followed by a few moans brought on by much needed stretching. He gazed around, seeing no immediate threat, but making certain to keep his guard up. There were quite a few rocks and boulders, provide lots of coverage for any lingering predators.
Ignis looked in Prompto's direction at the sound of a 'snap.' Seeing his attention on him, the blond quickly defended. "In case I die, ya know." He shrugged. "This way they can have the most recent photo of the victim."
A harsh pat on his back nearly knocked him off his feet, and he had to take a couple steps to compensate for it, "Quit being a drama queen." Came Gladio's rough voice.
"I don't think I am."
Noctis walked by the two of them once he was done stretching all the kinks out of his back and neck, "Alright, let's just find these things and end them already."
"Shouldn't someone, maybe, stay back and keep an eye on the Regalia?" Prompto asked, suggestion heavily weighing on his words.
"No, you're coming with us." The prince decided.
"And we better go now, we have a bit of ground to cover. There's no telling where they may be residing." Ignis started forward, stopping a few years away to wait for the others to join him.
Gladio flashed Prompto a sideways grin, "Come on, the exercise will do those scrawny limbs of yours some good." He punched him in the upper arm to emphasis his point.
The other playfully rubbed the offended area. "Uhh, they aren't 'scrawny', they're just a bit undefined." He looked Gladio up and down as he spoke, wrapping his own arms around himself in a playfully offended manner. "At least I can wear shirts without having to worry about ripping them."
"I hope you realize that isn't exactly an insult." He flashed a quick smile as he trailed after Ignis, Noctis following close behind.
"Yeah, well, shut up." He gave up on coming up with a clever comeback on that one, and jogged to catch up, only having to do so for a few seconds before he was right back behind the others.
Ignis took up the front, "Keep your eyes peeled, these things can be rather aggressive, and you don't want to get caught unaware." He peaked around each and every boulder he passed by, going as far as to peer behind them occasionally as well. After a few minutes of walking, he came to a sudden halt, holding his arm out to keep the others from going forward, "Do you guys hear that?" He asked in a hushed tone, keeping his gaze forward. He crouched down, the rest following his example and doing the same.
"What is it?" Noctis asked, creeping his way to position himself next to the adviser. In response, Ignis lifted a finger to his lips and pointed up ahead. Noctis followed the gesture, squinting his eyes trying to see what it was the other was looking at. It took him a moment to make it out, but eventually it caught his eye. A few shapes floating around in the distance. They looked to be heading in their direction as they slowly appeared to grow in size.
"They don't look too bad, I guess." Prompto piped up, looking through the space between the others, "I mean, they're far away, but from here it seems alright." He knew they were still gigantic and deadly, but he was more so trying to convince himself than anything. The others must have realized this, as no one corrected him on that.
Gladio eased his way up as well, "So, how do you want to go about this?" He asked, keeping his eyes on the upcoming insects.
"I don't believe their is a 'correct' way to go about this." Ignis admitted. "Usually I would suggest going for the stealth approach, but with enemies such as these, I'm afraid that's not a reliable option."
"So, we're going straight to offensive?" Noctis asked, the pleasure clear in his voice. "Yeah, I think I can get behind this." He went to stand up, but Ignis swiftly stopped him and roughly pulled him back down, "Wha-?" Noctis asked, a little shocked by the man's unexpected harshness.
"That doesn't mean to be so brash." He practically spat out. "Like I said, these things are no joke, they are highly venomous, so please, do not take this lightly." He held eye contact, making sure the other understood the severity of his words, and once satisfied, he released his hold, giving a quick apology for his manners. Noctis only shook his head, letting the other know it was alright.
"Ok, fine, I get it. Offensive, but not rash." Noctis summed up, settling back down.
This time, it was Ignis who began moving first, but he kept himself low. "We'll get as close as we can without being noticed. That's when we attack first, before they have the chance to pick up our scent." The others nodded in understanding and followed his lead, each trailing after the other as the moved from boulder to boulder. Staying behind each one for a few moments before moving on until the were close enough to clearly make out their black and yellow pattern which decorated their backs.
By now they all had their weapons summoned and held tightly in their grasps as the peered around their current shelter, gazing out at their six targets which were still gradually coming closer. "Wait for it." Ignis warned, holding up a hand. As they eventually got within a suitable distance, he signaled for them to make their move as he was the first to leap out and swiftly busied himself with the first wasp that took up the front. Gladio readily took on the next, and so on with Noctis. Prompto, on the other hand, stayed back and fired from a distance.
Noctis swiftly rolled to the side when one from the back lunged its stinger towards him and only missed be a mere inch. He grit his teeth as one of the things legs brushed by his face and he instinctively slashed out at it, managing to cut the appendage off. This only knocked it off balance for a moment before he turned back towards him, getting ready to attack again. He prepared to block it this time, but the need was dissipated when a shot rang out and stuck the wasp in the wing, causing it to spiral before it inevitably had to land. "Thanks." He waved over to Prompto who still had his gun aimed in his direction. With this one currently crippled, Noctis finished it off with a couple more hacks.
"One down." He announced rather proudly if not out of relief. "Five to go."
"Make that four." Gladio announced as he ripped his greatsword out of the head of his one opponent. He glanced over to Ignis who was nearly finished finishing off his. That left three then. Turning back towards the fray, he was a little confused to only see two others. Thinking he only missed one of the others killing one, he took on one of the two, and like Prompto had, aimed for its wings.
The gunslinger took a couple steps back as the battle casually drifted towards him. He fired two more shots at the wasp Gladio was currently taking on, only taking them once he had a one-hundred percent clear shot ad no one was at risk of friendly fire. With another step back he was aware of a slight buzzing sound. Initially he figured it to be him picking up on the ones the others were fighting, but he quickly tossed that assumption away as it became more intense and became about the only thing he could hear. Realization struck and he spun on his heel.
The only thing that came out of his mouth was a pained gasp, hotness erupted through him almost instantly, being prominent in his left should as it radiated from that spot. The only other thing he felt was shock. It didn't take much longer for his fight instincts to kick in, and in one fluid movement he lifted his gun and fired it off directly in the wasps head. Without thinking, he tried to push it away from him, hearing a distinct snapping sound as it fell the side, now unmoving.
Everything hurt, everything felt as though it were on fire, almost as though he were burning from the inside out. He tried to lift a hand to the wound, to at least assess the damages, but found it to not cooperating with his will. Trying once more, he was rewarded with the sound of his gun clattering to the ground when his hand lost the grip on it, but that was quickly forgotten as panic was quickly overtaking him now. Something was wrong.
"Noct." He voice barely came out a strained whisper, and he knew there was not a chance that anyone heard him. He turned his head to face the others, or he tried to at the very least, but nothing seemed to want to move from where they were. Calling out again, the only thing that came out this time was slight exhale of breath. 'No.' He thought to himself, 'Please, no.'
"Prompto, a little help over here!" Noctis called out as he narrowly dodged another stinger. Ignis was too preoccupied helping Gladio with his to be of any assistance to the prince at the moment. "Prom!" He yelled again, desperately trying to gather the other's attention. He risked a glance over, catching site of the blond's back, "Hey, can you hea-" He stopped mid sentence as his eyes followed the gun that fell to the ground. Looking around a little more he found the dead wasp lying not far from his friend. Before he could say anything else, he could only watch as Prompto fell to his knees and proceeded to fall over to his side where he lied relatively still.
"One left." He vaguely heard Gladio announce, but he paid the other no heed, and with a strong shove, he pushed his wasp aside, leaving it for the other two to handle. "Noct, what are you do-" Just like the prince had, he froze up as his eyes looked ahead to where the other was running off to. "Iggy, go with Noctis, I can take care of this one."
Ignis took a moment to locate where exactly Noctis was, but his gaze soon landed on his fleeting back. Then he found the blond and he felt his heart sink a little and he uncharacteristically swore under his breath as fear began to grip at his chest. He threw one last look over to Gladio to make sure he had things under control, and satisfied, he quickly began working his way over to the blond.
Noctis fell to his knees the moment he reached him, hands hovering uncertainly over his back as he hesitated touching him. He could make out subtle tremors running through him, as well as slight twitches in his hands and fingers. "Prom?" He asked timidly, finally placing a hand on his shoulder and shaking lightly. He felt a small stab of pain when he noticed the small pool of crimson that slowly flowed from under him. "Hey?" He tried again, louder, trying his best to keep the shaking out of his voice. When he got no response again, he took a deep breath and turned Prompto over, almost jumping back at finding his eyes wide open.
"Hey, can you hear me?" His words came out rushed and higher than he intended them to. He didn't get a real reply, but he did seem to make eye contact. Noctis saw nothing but terror and agony within them. "Prom, talk to me." He tried again, desperate to hear the other's voice.
Never breaking the contact, the blond tried to speak, but nothing came out except for a pained and almost inaudible croak. His lack of ability to communicate only worked to fuel his panic and he was quickly losing control of his breathing. Noctis turned his head to call out to Ignis, knowing he was probably the only one that knew what to do. He opened his mouth to call, but closed it right back when the other was practically already on top of him.
Bringing his attention back down to the blond, he just became aware of where exactly the blood was coming from. "What?" He whispered, hand fingers ghosting over the puncture wound on his shoulder. Upon touching it, Prompto's body tensed up and a small gasp sounded out.
"I'll take it from here." Ignis crouched down next to them, basically taking the blond away from the other as he immediately started to look him over. Going back to the shoulder, he was a lot less gentle than the prince had been. He started by removing his vest to get a better look at what he was dealing with. He carefully, yet firmly felt around the would with a couple fingers, freezing when it was obvious that something wasn't right, eliciting more groans and gasps from the younger. There was something blocking him from assessing the damage of the puncture wound. Slowly, he looked towards the wasp that was about a foot away.
He didn't think anything of it at first, but after a moment of gazing at it, there was one thing that stuck out to him. The stinger was broken off. "Dammit." He quickly swore once more. "Noct, I need you to go get some antidotes."
"How many?" He was already getting to his feet, hearing the near hysteria hidden in the other's words.
"I don't care!" Ignis snapped, "Just grab some." He turned back to Prompto has he listened to Noctis' footfalls gradually fading away. He placed two fingers against his neck, not at all liking how fast and erratic the pulse was. Not to mention he was on the verge of hyperventilating now. "Prompto." He kept his voice steady and even, "I know you must be terrified right now, but you need to calm down." He met frantic eyes that darted around, never landing on anything for long. His body tensed up again, and it didn't take long for Ignis to realize he was still trying to move. "I'm sorry, but their venom has some paralyzing effects, so you may not be able to move around very much. It's important that you try to relax."
Prompto tried to nod, but failed miserably. Hot agony was still washing through him in waves and there was nothing he could do to alleviate that pain. The worst part was, he couldn't get any part of his body to work with him, but he could still feel every touch and sense everything. He tried to follow Ignis' instructions though, and attempted to slow his breathing, but was finding it way more difficult than he should have. Each breath felt as though it wasn't enough.
"Prompto." Ignis pulled his attention once more, "Please, try to breath slower." He held the blond's head between his hands, holding it in place to keep it from lolling back to the side. "You aren't going to like this, but we need to remove this stinger, it can't stay where it is." He may not have been able to speak, but the change in the dilation of his pupils was enough to tell Ignis how displeased he was with this news.
"What the hell happened?" Came Gladio's gruff voice as he came into Prompto's line of sight.
Ignis took a deep breath and pointed to the broken stinger of the dead wasp, "He's been stung." He answered flatly. "The stinger is still in his shoulder, and it's pretty deep." Gladio only nodded, unsure of what he should say in this sort of situation. Gazing down, he could see the same torment that Ignis saw.
"Is uh, is he conscious?" He softly asked. Sure his eyes were open, but he seemed to be staring at nothing.
Ignis' mouth formed a hard line, "I'm afraid so." It wasn't really a bad thing that he was, it meant he was mostly alright for the time being, but being awake during this wasn't exactly the best thing to go through either. "Anyway, first thing's first, we need to get this out of him." Even Gladio cringed at the thought of that. Ignis felt the wound once me, trying to get a feel of just how deep it was. After a moment, he lifted Prompto enough to take a look at the back, slightly relieved that it didn't go all the way through. But, that relief was swiftly replaced by dread. "Do you see Noct yet?"
Gladio took a quick look around, catching a small and incoming dot in the distance, "I think so." He answered, bringing his attention back to the blond. "How bad is it?" He crouched down himself now, taking in the damages for the first time.
"I can't say for certain." Ignis responded, voice void of most emotion, "Unless he's able to tell me how he feels, then it's hard to tell." There was a small and weak croak, "But I take it that it's not ideal." He took a deep breath, "This isn't going to be easy, for either of us." He told Prompto, "Like I said earlier, just try your best to relax. Tensing up will only make it worse." The blond's eyes softened a small amount, so Ignis took it has him understanding.
Ignis nodded himself, taking a moment to himself before he got started on the task at hand. "Gladio, I'm not worried about him fighting back, but I'm still going to need you to help out with this."
"What do you need me to do?" He asked, ready to assist any way he could.
"Try to keep him calm and awake if you are able." Gladio nodded and moved himself behind the blond, lifting his head and placing it in his lap. "We need him awake to make sure it doesn't get too much worse." He turned his head when he heard Noctis finally return, three vials in hand.
"This is all we had." He informed as he placed them on the ground.
"Noctis, open one of them." He waited until he followed that instruction before continuing. "Alright, as I do this, I want you to pour small amounts in the would. Do not pour all at once. As I do this, some more venom will release from the movements, so it needs to stay under control." He looked back to Prompto's face now, which now had a thin sheen of sweat coating it. "I won't lie, this isn't going to be pleasant." The blond's eyes closed half way in his attempt to tell the other it already was dis-pleasurable.
With a nod to Noctis, the prince went ahead and poured a very small amount of antidote into the wound, making Prompto gasp out from the sting it left in its wake. Immediately afterwards, Ignis dug three fingers in, tossing all gentleness out the door as he tried to work quickly. They heard a small whimper come form the small man. Noctis kept his gaze glued to his face, and he didn't think it was possible, but his eyes were even wider now and there was a bit of wetness to them, and within a few seconds a couple pain filled tears finally spilled over. "Noct." Ignis single word command broke him out of his trance.
"Right." Noctis swiftly remembered his job and poured a little more of the antidote into the would, wincing as it washed some of the blood out as well. He let out another gasp as that combined with Ignis finally getting a grip on the now slick stinger.
Gladio patted his cheek a few times when he saw his eyes gloss over slightly, "Hey, stay with us." He spoke loud enough for the other to hear, knowing he was probably having a hard time focusing on anything other than the pain. His breath hitched once, then instantly started to come out in quick pants again. He tried focusing on Gladio, anything to distract him, but every pull and movement Ignis made caused new found agony to ripple through him.
"Come on." Ignis said out of frustration when his fingers slipped off for the third time. Each time he could see Prompto's eyes flicker and hear his breath skip. "Just bear with it." He tried to sound reassuring, but it came out more on the flustered side of tones. Obviously he got no response, but he could feel the blond's muscles twitching and tightening up as he tried his best to pull away. He dug in a little deeper, hoping to be able to get a better hold. Giving a second to himself to make sure he wouldn't lose it again, he held on tightly, and give it another strong tug. With that one, Prompto's body slightly spasmed involuntarily.
Without being told this time, Noctis poured the rest of the vial. It flowed over the sides of the wound, mixing with crimson as it ran down. "Are you almost done." He asked before he could stop himself when his friend whimpered again, that being the only sound he was able to make.
"It's getting there." Ignis almost snapped out of irritation. "I've got it about half way now, it should be a bit easier from here on out." It was supposed to be somewhat good news, but it didn't sound like it to Noctis. Never taking his eyes of the wound, Ignis slid his fingers further down, re-adjusting his grip once more. With a deep breath, he pulled one last time, ignoring the way Prompto's body jerked and shuddered with the contraction of his muscles. There was a small noise that followed, and he assumed it was an attempt to cry out. "There." Ignis declared, dropping the blood covered stinger to the ground. "It's done." He turned his attention to Noctis, "Open another antidote. I'm not sure how effective it will be, but I'm hoping it will help at least a small degree."
"Right." He picked up the second vial, and this time struggled to get the cap off with his shaking hands.
"Give me that." Gladio snatched it from him, opening it with ease and swiftly handed it back. "You still in there?" He asked, directing himself to the blond now. He looked up at the larger man with pain and exhaustion in his eyes, not even trying to control his breathing anymore as he took quick and shallow breaths. "Everything will be fine now. The worst of it is over."
Prompto merely blinked sluggishly in response and tried to take a single deep breath, but it caught in his throat and he ended up nearly choking on it. "Easy." Ignis tried to soothe. "Noctis, the antidote."
Gripping the vial in his hand, he carefully began to pour the liquid in, taking it slowly. The only reacting he had now was the slight change of his breathing. "How long until he can move?" He asked, after seeing the slight twitching as Prompto tried desperately to lift his hand.
"We'll just have to wait." Ignis replied, wiping the blood off his hand and onto his pants. "And I'm sorry to ask, but I need you to get retrieve the first aid kit, I need to stop the bleeding now." Noctis didn't complain, and complied without a word, getting back up immediately. "Ok, Prompto, I need to know how much pain you're in. Seeing as you can't really speak at the moment, I need you to blink once for mild, and twice for severe." Without hesitation, he began blinking in quick succession. "That bad huh? I figured it would be."
Ignis hummed in sympathy and gently pulled the neck of the blond's tank top to get a look at the area around the would for the first time. He couldn't help but clench his jaw while taking the sight in, just by looking at it he could tell how swollen it was. It looked red and irritated, not to mention the darkened veins that branched out, spreading a few inches from the source. He sighed sadly, and covered it back up, waiting until Noctis got back.
Gladio kept his eyes locked on Prompto's face the whole time, but he did catch a glimpse of his shoulder and he felt a tinge of pity stab him through his heart. "Shit." It came out before he could stop himself. He brought his attention back to the blond's face, seeing that his eyes were starting to close again. "Hey, stop that." He spoke loudly, tapping his face and cupping it, forcing the younger to look at him. He could feel the dampness from the sweat now and the slight warmth that was coming off his skin. "Iggy?" He asked softly, "Is this normal?"
"Hmm?" He asked, noticing the other was looking down at the Prompto, and he could easily make out the red tint against pale skin, "Don't concern yourself over that. Fever is fairly common as the body fights off any alien inhabitants." He placed a the back of his hand to his forehead, "It's not too bad for the moment."
"Got it." Came Noctis' voice as he jogged up behind Ignis, slightly out of breath. Crouching, he handed the white box over, a despairing coolness washing over him as he caught sight of Prompto's face. He appeared almost sickly.
Ignis caught the look on his face, "It's not as bad as it looks." He said far too quickly as took the kit in his hands and pried it open. The first thing he grabbed was the antiseptic and without warning, poured a healthy amount over the wound. Prompto grit his teeth against it and closed his eyes, trying to ride through it. Ignis replaced the bottle and reached for gauze now, cutting off a decent amount and folding it up into a patch. Placing it over the puncture, he taped it down. Once that was done, he tore off another length of bandages and tied it around his neck before placing his arm through it as a makeshift sling. "It's better if that arm doesn't move around too much." He told the others.
Letting out his first relaxed breath since all this started, he sat back.
The only sound that could be heard was Prompto's distressed breathing and the occasional whimper than managed to leak out. "So what, we just wait now?" Gladio asked, his displeasure crystal clear.
"That's all we can do for the time being." Ignis reluctantly answered. "We should probably get out of here though, on the off chance that there happens to be more." Clearing his throat, he pushed himself up to his feet, "We should find a haven soon, we won't be able to make it back to a town before nightfall."
"Yeah." Gladio agreed, easing Prompto's head off him so he could get up himself. "Blink if you're ready." The blond did as asked, and as gently as he could the larger of the two carefully lifted him up. Though, it was still enough to bring on fresh swells of pain. His eyes now wide open again, he fought against the need cry out, not that he was able to anyway. "Sorry." Gladio quickly apologized.
Noctis scooped up the supplies into his arms and went to follow the others, but nearly fell when he stepped on something. Throwing a quick glance down, his eyes scanned over the blood-drenched stinger. He bit his lip and forced himself to look away, and went on.
As they walked, Gladio kept Prompto's head propped up on his shoulder, trying to make him comfortable at the very least. He seemed to appreciate it, even though he wasn't able to vocalize it. His eyes still darted around, but at least his breathing had finally slowed down a bit.
After a while they reached the Regalia. He carefully placed Prompto down in the back seat as Noctis dropped his baggage back in the trunk. "There should be a haven not too far from here. Or, I'm fairly certain we passed one on the way up here."
"As long as you're sure about that." Noctis asked, closing the trunk and hopping into the front seat. He took a glance back at the blond, eyes still open as they settled onto him. "How ya holdin' up back there?" He asked, not expecting an answer. He did however do what he could to roll his eyes, but quickly squeezed them shut as more heat raged through him. "Just...take it easy." He awkwardly added, turning back in his seat as he heard the backdoor open.
The shield climbed in, gently scooting in next to the blond's head, raising it easily as he placed it back in his lap. He counted himself lucky that he couldn't protest against it. "Man, we should paralyze you more often, makes things easier and quieter." He joked, the humor dry as it rolled off his tongue. Prompto flicked his eyes open and only stared up at him, lacking any sort of amusement. In his peripherals he made out a small movement and his gaze was drawn in to Prompto's right hand. The fingers only curled a small amount but he could tell he was trying to flip him off. "Bad taste, I get it."
He felt another shudder run through him as everything tensed up again. "Hey Iggy, don't we at least have something we can give him for the pain?"
The other thought about it for a moment. "We do have some mild pain killers, but those will have to wait until he's able to swallow properly." He turned the key in the ignition and the car roared to life, the familiar sound pulling some leisure over the group for the time being.
After only a few minutes of being on the road, he was already feeling sleep tugging at him as he struggled to keep his eyes open now. Gladio was now a blurred mess of colors compared to what he used to be, and the radio's sounds were becoming nothing but jumbled noise. He wasn't sure if he was allowed to sleep yet or not. He wasn't supposed to earlier, but that was neither here nor there. But what he did know was that the burning sensation that tore him from the inside was still present and it wasn't letting up any.
Feeling his eyes sliding shut, he forced them back open and tried taking a deep breath, only for it to hitch again. And he wasn't sure if it was him or not, but breathing seemed to take a lot more effort.
Gladio heard the slight hiccup and brought his focus back down. He noticed the slight haze coating Prompto's eyes now. Out of habit, he felt his face again, and it was noticeably warmer now. "You still with us?" Unfocused eyes met his, or tried to anyway. "Alright, just making sure." He still wasn't satisfied though. "Ignis, I think the fever is worse." He nearly jumped when the blond suddenly jerked and wheezed out another sound of distress.
"How's his pulse?" Ignis asked, disregarding everything else.
He placed a couple of fingers against his neck, feeling the flutter of his heart for a few seconds. "Uh, it's fast, and I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure it's not supposed to be that fast." He looked down and patted his face again when he appeared to be dozing off again. "You can sleep soon enough, just wait a bit more, alright?" Prompto blinked a few times to clear his vision and tried to nod, only getting his head to move about an inch.
"Not too much longer and we'll be able to help him a bit more, just keep an eye on him and let me know if anything else changes." It was subtle, but the other two definitely felt the slight increase in speed.
"Just hang on." Gladio breathed out, keeping one hand resting on the side of Prompto's neck. He felt the other swallow harshly as another spasm passed over him. He became vaguely conscious of his labored breaths and how each one sounded forced. There was a small cough as the intakes were irritating his already dry throat. Another small wheeze barely came out once the coughs subsided. He looked away when he noticed the moisture return to his eyes, and he couldn't tell if it was due to pain, the frustration, or the fear. "I know." Gladio said quietly.
"H'rts.." Gladio wasn't sure if he heard right, but it sounded like Prompto actually spoke. The other had his eyes wide open again, "b'rns" It was barely a whisper, but he heard it.
"It burns?" He asked, "Is that what you're trying to say?" He's eyes were practically pleading for something to make it stop as his breaths became hollow and rapid again. He let out a troubled hum until the wave passed. Relaxing the best he could, he gazed up at the larger man, doing what he could to nod. "You'll get something to help with that soon enough." Prompto closed his eyes again, willingly this time, and tried to bury his face, but didn't get very far with that.
"Aha, there it is." Ignis' sure and boisterous voice took the others by surprise, even Prompto jumped as much as he was able at the sound of it. Gladio looked out the window for the first time, just now realizing how dark the sky was getting, and just up ahead he could make out the familiar blue markings as the glowed against the darkened surroundings.
The moment he pulled to a stop, Ignis took Gladio's spot while him and Noctis began setting things up. The adviser checked his pulse and temperature again, not looking pleased about it, but he didn't seem overly concerned either. Things were either looking alright for the most part, or he was just really talented at hiding his worries. Prompto coughed again, the harshness of it feeling as though it were ripping at him from the inside. "Do you think you can drink some water without choking on it?" Ignis asked after some time. The blond gave a weak nod, unsure if it was enough movement to even count as a nod, but the message was received nonetheless.
With a quick call, Noctis handed over one of the bottles. He gave his thanks and helped the other to prop up, careful not to jolt him too much. Unscrewing the cap he held it up to his lips, tilting it ever so slightly so only a few drops came out. Those went down easily enough, so he let him have a little bit more, repeating the process until a clear amount had been consumed. "Later I can give you something for the pain, but I still have concerns about you ability to get anything solid down."
"K." He croaked out, voice sounding small and stiff. Ignis screwed the cap back on and sat it on the car seat. Glancing over at the campsite he could see that they were almost done setting up.
"Alright." He side, lying the other back down as he got out, "Just...wait here one moment." He suggested unnecessarily. He gave another fleeting look back as he joined the others, "Everything good to go?" He asked upon reaching them.
"I think so." Noctis looked behind him where Gladio was still working on the fire, sparks flying as he struck the flint. "As soon as he's done I think it's all ready to go." His eyes drifted back over to the Regalia and Ignis already knew what was about to be asked before he even opened his mouth, "How is he." He kept his voice low.
There was a slow exhale before he answered that, "Well, he's still quite incapacitated, and he seems to be having a hard time drawing breath, but I'm positive he'll come out of this relatively fine." He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, "He's lucky, not much further and it could have hit his heart."
The realization of what that would have meant weighed heavily on the two of them. This really could have been far worse than it was, which was still pretty dire, but not as much as it had the potential to be. "So he's alright then?" Noctis questioned once more, needing the validation.
"I believe so." He replied calmly. "He'll need time to get complete control over his body back, and the venom is dreadfully painful, but it's nothing he can't handle." He looked back over where Prompto was, "If it wasn't for the paralytic effects, I can tell you he wouldn't have been as still and quiet this entire time." Not something they wanted to hear, but it did shed some light on the situation. "Well, Gladio, as soon as everything is ready, bring Prompto over so I can check his injury."
He gave a thumbs up before striking the flint one final time as flames finally erupted and lit up the area in an orange hue. Quickly striding over, he slipped his arms under the blond, giving him a word of warning as he lifted him up, this time receiving a more audible groan. "Ok, let's get you fixed up now." Hauling him over, he placed him down on a sheet that Noctis draped out near the fire.
Ignis was next to him in an instant, already peeling the tank top away and lifting up the gauze. It was definitely much more swollen now, but that was to be expected. Using the last antidote, he used that and the antiseptic to clean the wound, even using some clean gauze to clean up the excess from the inside. An agony filled gasp sounded out, followed by groans, each breath coming out accompanied by one. There was no stopping the hot tears the streamed out this time and he now managed to turn slightly away. "I apologize, but it has to be done."
Prompto gave a pitiful nod in understanding, every muscle aching as spasms coursed through them. "I-I know." He had his head pressed against the sheet and his hands tried determinedly to grasp at it.
"I'm almost done." Ignis promised, and true to his word, the extra pain eventually went away with his touch. But, it quickly made a comeback when he started patching it back up, taping another wad a gauze in place. "And that does it, I'm done tormenting you for now." He clapped his hands together after wiping the blood of them once more, "Let us know if you need anything, understand?" Prompto only cut his eyes over at him spitefully, but didn't reply; he honestly felt too drained to bother. "Try to get some sleep."
Ignis didn't need to tell him that, he was already drifting off by the time the man stood up. He finally let his eyes drift shut, no longer feeling the need to fight it and relieved he was allowed to finally give in to it. He listened to the others converse in the background, and the familiar sounds helped him to relax enough to fall asleep, despite the burning the lingered within.
Prompto awoke to pulsating flames erupting from his shoulder, and it didn't take him long to remember why that was. 'Wasp, right.' He thought to himself, lifting his hand to the wound, finding it heavy and lead-like, but he was able to move it. It was a slow process, but eventually he had his hand resting over the large knot that was his shoulder now. Even his own touch brought on new pain that called from him to cry out against it. He wanted nothing more than to curl up on his side, but the rest of his body was still far too lethargic to do anything.
"You sure slept a long time." He cracked open one eye and was now aware of Gladio sitting a few feet away. "You slept for nearly twelve hours ya know." He offered the younger a small smile, "So, looks like you can finally move a bit, guess the stuff is finally wearing off."
Prompto only groaned in agitation, closing his eye back and tried to will himself back to sleep, but the throbbing pain all throughout his body wasn't granting him that luxury. "Stop." He ground out, turning his head to the side.
"Alright, fine, I'll be quiet." Gladio replied, leaning back slightly.
"Not 'ou." The blond slurred out, taking a deep breath before clearing his throat. It was then he noticed how incredibly thirsty his was. "Wa'er" The one word was enough for Gladio to understand what he was asking for. Getting up from his spot, he trudged over to grab the water bottle Ignis had left nearby for this very reason.
"Iggy said only small sips, so please try not to drown yourself if you can help it." He said that, but he was still doing most of the work when it came to him actually drinking. This time he was able to drink a lot more than the previous night. "Had enough?" He asked when the other turned his head away. "You know, he also said I could give you a couple pain killers when you woke up if you'd like." There was no hesitation as he nodded.
It took him a few moments to locate the small packets in the aid kit, and a moment longer to read things just to make sure he had the right thing, he popped a few into his hand and knelt next to Prompto. "Alright, you won't like this, but.." He took the two tablets and broke them both in half, taking the precaution just to make sure he didn't choke on them. "Seeing as you can barely lift a hand, I'm going to have to, well you know."
The blond set a very displeased look at the other, but opened his mouth anyway and let Gladio drop them in. Taking a sip of water as the plastic opening was pressed against his lips. He nodded his thanks when it was pulled away.
"No problem. Need anything else?" He asked, getting a slight shake of the head in response. "Alright, feel free to let me know if you do."
Prompto turned his head and looked around until he found the tent, easily spotting the others as the slept inside. "Time?" He croaked out, wincing at the sound.
Taking a quick look at his phone, Gladio read out the numbers, "Seven forty-two." He followed the other's gaze, "They should be awake shortly." He let out a sigh as silence fell over them once more. Frequently he would glance over to the blond, every time he would still be staring up at the sky as it slowly grew brighter.
Eventually the medicine kicked in, it wasn't enough to make him comfortable, but it did help to take the edge off of things and he was able to relax a small amount, but every muscle still throbbed with every beat of his heart. "How long?" He asked, but he already knew that wasn't enough for Gladio to work with. "Effects." He added, trying to nod down at his own body.
He was able to put two and two together, "How long is this going to last?" He asked, trying to be certain he was answering correctly. Prompto nodded and Gladio honestly didn't know how to reply. "Uh, well you see. We don't actually know. Could be a couple days, or a week for it to wear off completely." The other's expression dropped with that, "But, I mean, we didn't think you would be able to move by now, so that's good, right?"
He shrugged with his good shoulder. "Uh'guess." Though, he still seemed to be disheartened by that news.
"Think about it this way, no insect exterminating for a while." He tried his best to lighten the mood a bit, but there was no reaction to his attempt. With a heavy sigh he added, "It sucks, I know, but it'll pass. It's not permanent, so there's that." He glanced at Prompto's face which took on an uneasy look. "What's wrong?"
He hesitated, feeling embarrassed about it already. His hand twitched with his need to move it, "Mmmm." He started, really not wanting to say. "Itch." He finally answered.
There was an awkward silence, "Want me to get it for you?" Gladio finally said out of amusement. Prompto quickly shook his head at the notion, "Are you sure? Looks pretty annoying to me." He teased as the blond's hand twitched now.
"M'sure." He stared up for a moment, trying to will the sensation out of existence. "Fine, j'st 'urry."
Gladio strode over, a satisfied smirk on his face, "Well, I'm not a mind reader, you have to tell me where."
Prompto took a quick a deep breath, huffing it out harshly. "Back." He finally answered, eyes flickering between Gladio and the sky. Dreading this as he knew what it entailed, and just really hoped the others didn't wake up and see this.
"Alright, here we go." Gladio said, helping Prompto to roll over onto his right side. "Left, right, middle? Work with me here, you have to be more specific."
Another deep breath later, "Middle." Gladio only hummed as he scratched over the shirt, making this as less awkward as he could for the other's sake. After he finally hit it, Prompto let him know to stop. "K." He said, ready to be placed back down and ready for Gladio to go back to where he was and pretend it never happened.
"You know, you don't have to be ashamed about it. You can't move for crying out loud, we aren't expecting you to do anything yourself for a while." He paused for a moment as he realized what that meant. "And yes, that includes using the bathroom." He tried to hold in his laughter at the red hue his face acquired with that comment. "I mean, we could always ask Cindy to help if that makes it better."
Prompto groaned, but this time it was out of sheer mortification. He wished now more than ever that he could move just so that he could hide somewhere, but alas, he was stuck here.
"Don't worry, I'm sure she wouldn't mind." He continued his barrage of cruel teasing. Seeing the other practically caving in on himself, he ceased his savage harassment, "Ok ok, I'm done." Prompto cut his eyes over, staring daggers straight through the man. "Seriously though, stop being so ashamed about all this, no one is judging you."
Prompto let that sink in. He knew it was true, but that didn't do much to tone down his racing mind about how much of a burden he thought it to be. Obviously they weren't bothered by the slight inconvenience, yet he couldn't tell himself it was anything but. "Yeah." He gave his one word agreement. He was right after all, not like he had a choice but to accept the help. "Thanks."
"Anytime." Gladio genuinely offered, "Just don't hesitate to ask for it."
And next story will be another long one focusing on psychological and emotional torment. C: Hoping it will be my darkest one.