Throwing back his head with a swig of bottled water, Charlie swallowed the pain killers to help ease his torturous withdrawal symptoms.
"Thanks," he muttered, wiping his mouth on his sleeve and handing back the bottle of meds to the Doc.
"No problem, just report to me if your symptoms increase. I'll be here in the caves." Jack rose from his stone seat to leave and attend to other matters but a light tug on his shirt stopped him.
"Can't you stay? Please?" From beneath the dark hooded sweat shirt, Jack gazed at Charlie's washed out face. The skin under his eyes was an unnatural color, his cheeks and forehead were gleaming with sweat, and his blue irises contrasted unbecomingly with the red surrounding them. His shaky fingers fiddled anxiously with his heirloom ring.
Jack looked around, scratching the back of his head in thought. He saw no one else around so he figured— "Sure, why not." He resumed his post beside his patient.
"I feel heavy." Charlie lowered his head while squinting his eyes and rubbing them.
"Yeah, that's to be expected." Jack tried to make the conversation light, but he could tell Charlie wasn't humored and was too concentrated on his own suffering. "You know, a lot of the time most of the pain you're feeling is in your head, Charlie. You shouldn't think about it."
"I've nothing else to think about." Charlie paused, meeting Jack's gaze. "I feel like death."
Jack chuckled deep in this throat and put an arm around Charlie's waist, pulling him close as chills breezed Charlie's body. The rock star wrapped his arms tightly around his stomach for extra heat, and leaned against Jack's shoulder while yawning — another indication of withdrawal plus the work of the pills.
Jack rested his other hand atop Charlie's folded knee and rubbed circles on his arched back, soothingly. Charlie's breathing was rigid and strayed off beat every so often.
A few minutes of silence passed when Jack decided it was time to leave Charlie before someone snuck up on the two. Charlie was half in dream world and half in the real world when he heard rustling and felt his companion's body heat begin to leave his side. On instinct, he gripped Jack's shirt with one hand and made a small whimper of discomfort.
Jack had no choice but to stay. To hell with however sees us. Charlie needs me. I can fix him.
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