The Weeks of Darkness and Recovery
The Signs that Yondu cares: Part 6
Yondu Udonta, moved quickly through the streets which caused everyone who didn't have sense to almost collide with the Centurian, Yondu never stopped, never slowed down or acknowledged the looks from the others, as he checked the locators giving off a signal in one of the back streets. Under his breath, he was cursing everything that was pissing him off at that moment, even though Kraglin noticed, but never said out loud he never mentioned the name of the teenager.
It had been so simple it was almost stupid; they were all in a bar on O'erlanii celebrating a very successful job. Having almost been caught, it was due to the actions of Peter Quill who was keeping lookout, and had seen the Corps approaching in the distance, having to maintain silence due to the level of security which registered anytime anything alien pinged on their planet, Peter had decided to leap between five meters between the six buildings that stood at fifteen stories and signal to the Ravagers through the glass to move.
They had escaped with minutes to spare, even though Yondu had admonished the teenager for being so reckless with his life, even if he was secretly proud of him for using his initiative. That night they had drunk like lords and celebrated as Yondu leaned back and studied the teenager since moments like this were rare and he was enjoying the attention.
Even at thirteen he still looked too young, something he knew was his fault…Even though no one, especially Peter said it out loud. After almost half his life on the Eclector, and denied fresh air and sunshine most of the time it was still a surprise to Yondu the moment he realized Peter had stopped growing at the age of ten, and the boy was such a wily little bastard Yondu hadn't noticed until last year.
In the end, Yondu had taken Peter off to a backstreet clinic who prescribed a course of injections each month to stimulate what his body was missing. Peter had immediately seized on the opportunity and had asked Yondu to take him to the beach to get him some fresh air and sunlight, something that Yondu couldn't see the point so still hadn't acknowledged his request, even if it was after a year of injections, which he bitched about each time, before asking about his dreamed of beach trip.
The only thing, that had been stimulated…Was Peter's hair. It was too long for a Ravager and too long for absolutely anyone, the golden hair falling down his shoulders since he refused to cut it and was normally tied back in a ponytail.
It had the effect of making him look younger than his thirteen years, and even though he was in a dive of scum and villainy, Yondu noticed the looks of disapproval from other patrons as the boy sipped his beer. Yondu had decided to desensitize his body to alcohol early since his species were so delicate, Peter wasn't allowed much, but half a pint was enough to get the ire of the non-Ravagers, since Peter stuck out like a virgin in a whorehouse!
After about an hour, Yondu took a deeper drink of his beer and looked at the boy who was currently chatting with Alezduran, deciding that he had had enough.
"Peter, you're making a move." Yondu declared as the teen took a few seconds to digest what he was saying. "Really, oh come on Yondu can't we stay longer?" Peter almost whined as the Captain shook his head. "We're staying longer…I want you to get the M-Ship fully prepped for when we get back".
Peter's eyes lit up, as Alezduran smirked. Everyone knew how desperate Peter was to learn to fly and even though he was an expert on maintenance Yondu was (at least to Peter) dragging his feet over teaching him. But getting it prepped was one way he could prove he was ready as the Peter raced out of the bar for the hour long prep he would take to go over everything until it was perfect. It was a ten minute walk to the M-Ship, and it was three hours until they decided to leave the bar, instead of Peter they found the ship locked and tracing the boy's steps eventually found a small pool of red Terran blood in an alley, with no sight of Peter.
That was three weeks ago
Once they realized that Peter had been taken, Yondu had grabbed almost no sleep, had contacted any associate of his in the chance Peter had been taken off world, and had refused to leave the planet as he played a cat and mouse game with the security forces, even though Alezduran had hacked into their computers to confirm that no one of Peter's description had been dumped somewhere.
After ten days, a few of the Ravager crew were trying to suggest that enough was enough, even though Yondu had the foresight, to send the rest for various jobs, admits the sector whilst he stayed behind. But even though they were a bunch of space bastards, even they were hesitant at the suggestion of leaving, from the look on Yondu' face which no one even Kraglin could decipher.
Yondu was prepared to wait one more week before declaring Peter dead, as he received as anonymous tip on his pad from a secure line that even Alezduran couldn't trace as he hurried off to an ally just half a mile from where they had found the blood. An area they had combed several times and found nothing, there was a possibility that it was Peter, alive or….
Yondu quickened his pace as he came to the mouth of the ally, knowing it could be a trap as he drew his blaster and motioned for the rest of the crew to do them same as they immediately flanked their Captain poised in all directions ready to shoot if necessary as they all stepped forward.
In the end, there caution was unnecessary as they all saw Peter at the same time, sprawled onto the ground caked in his own blood, his black t-shirt missing from his body and clad in only his trousers. Without being ordered, the rest of the Ravagers surrounded the boy, as Yondu knelt over the unconscious Terran, his body so drenched in his own red blood, his body was now black.
Yondu quickly checked for a pulse, a motion on his body that produced no reaction from Peter as Yondu noticed even though he was small, he now looked smaller, his blond hair glued to his head with his own blood.
There was a pulse, it wasn't fantastic but Peter was still holding on as he lifted his eyelids to see his pupils dilate. Good, there was still life left in him as he shrugged off his red coat and wrapped it around Peter an action that caused nothing from the teen.
Wherever he was, it defiantly wasn't here, as he carefully lifted his body noticing how light he was and how easy he was to lift as he looked around for evidence, for something to let them know who had done this to him. Instead, they were in a shitty area with nothing but the unconscious Terran, as Yondu motioned for the rest of the crew to follow him as he rushed back to his M-Ship.
Stepping back to his ship, he immediately patched a call to the Eclector to have the med bay prepped and on standby as he attempted to place Peter down, an action that produced a low moan from him, the only audible sound as in the end he sat down in his Captains chair and Peter seemed to settle into Yondu's chest.
Under the blood and grime, Yondu had no idea what had happened to the teen and look to filthy to ascertain his injuries as the M-Ship docked, and following the looks of the crews as Peter's recovery had been announced and everyone wanted to know what had happened. He had been on the ship long enough for the crew to see him as a nuisance, a little brother or occasionally a pet so all of them had been speculating what had happened and if he was still alive what state would he be in.
Yondu messaged ahead to the medics to have the bay ready, as the ship docked back in the hanger, and several of the crew gathered to see the bedraggled Terran in their Captains arms, but said nothing. Yondu's face was unreadable as the carried the boy to the med bay and laid him on a bed, as a large container of warm water had been was in the process of being prepared, whilst Kraglin and only Kraglin joined them
All this movement had still produced nothing from Peter to even reassure Yondu he was aware of his presence as he immediately begun to cut the remains of the boy's clothing off him. They had been on him for so long, they were stuck to his skin and had to be lifted off gently. One of the medics offered, but Yondu only shot him a look, as the remains of his trousers and boots were lifted clear. As soon as they saw it, they wished they hadn't, with the sight of the congealed blood that had gathered round the Peter backside…which could mean.
None of them wanted to think about that especially Yondu, as Kraglin noticed Peter's dagger, one of his most favorite possessions was in its sheath on his thigh, which Kraglin placed on a small table.
Peter was still unconscious, his mind elsewhere to be embarrassed at this treatment, as Yondu lifted the naked teenager clear of the bed and immersed him gently. Peter's flinched slightly as his body hit the water, and holding his head, and using a cloth Yondu cleaned his body slowly, taking special care where the blood seemed to be more congealed. Everyone noticed how small and thin Peter looked amidst the strong arms of the Captain, as the boys bruised and battered skin begun to reveal itself. The arms and legs had puncture wounds, as if something had been removed, as Yondu took extra care as he dipped the Peter's head back to try to clean his bloody scalp, it was successful as some his hair begun to fan out in the water which was now turning black from the grime.
Yondu dealt with the bottom part of his Peter quickly, but never ceased with this treatment of the boy, as everyone just stood around, not knowing what to say at this unexpected tenderness.
Lifting Peter clear of the water, it was only then that Yondu passed him to the waiting medics, who immediately begun drying the boy and begun to assess the damage that had been done to him.
Yondu watched as his bio signs were flashed up on the screens detailing at least some of what had happened to him. From what he knew of Terran's, Peter had been devoid of everything his body needed for a very long time, as with Kraglin's insistence, the pair left the medics to do their job, ordering them to contact him the moment Peter was stable.
With the kid now back and his crew roster now complete Yondu and Kraglin went back to the bridge, and immediately assumed their roles, neither of them speaking. The rest of the ship had heard of Peter's return but from the look on the Captains face knew not to ask him anything, and just did their jobs in almost silence, as the shift change came and went and new people were now on the bridge, and still no one mentioned the Terran.
A few hours later, Yondu got a discreet summons from the Medics and leaving the bridge to Kraglin headed down there almost colliding with Alezduran at the Med bay door. For a second, Yondu just glared at the Xandarian-Kree, who had the good grace to flush. "I just wanted to check on him." He said, almost nervously under the gaze of the Centurian. Who just grunted, but let the hybrid accompany him in the room, as he just took in at the sight of the unconscious Peter and exhaled an "Oh shit". As the medic standing at the foot of the bed begun to provide the pair with an explanation.
"The tubes are providing him nutrients and fluids. He was starved from no doubt the moment he was taken, so his organs were beginning to fail. The skull was fractured from blunt force trauma, but there is something else". The medic enhanced the screens, which caused Yondu's body to stiffen slightly, as without even turning to the crewman next to him, issued an order. "Alezduran, leave the room, get back to the bridge and tell Kraglin to get down here…and don't come in here until I tell you".
"But Yondu…" The hybrid protested.
"Now, that is an order." From the snap tone of Yondu's voice Alezduran swiftly left the room, and two minutes later Kraglin entered alone. Yondu didn't need to say anything as he just looked at the images as the medic seemed to pick up his cue and carried on as if there were no interruptions.
"Someone has taken samples of every part of his body, we're talking blood, bone, tissue...even brain". From the look of the puncture wounds over the body, it looks relentless and merciless and now they could both see the bruises on his wrists as they were tied down.
Peter's skin was still pale, but there was a hint of colour beginning to return as he breathed in line with the machines, as the medic explained. "He's not on total life support but he's getting some help".
Kraglin digested the information, and just looked at the teen as the medic carried on, as Yondu was pleased not for the first time that they had updated all the medical equipment when they raided that Xandarian ship, as an image of Peter's brain was brought up on the screen. "His brains however is the most problematic, he's been injected with both Thiopentone, a very powerful truth serum and the memory eraser Nepenthe…so for want of a better word, his brain is screwed".
"Shit". Kraglin breathed. "So whatever happened to him, he won't remember?" He asked the medic who could only shrug. "It's unlikely. However, the examination proved that he's been through hell, but there is no sign of any sexual trauma".
Even though neither of them showed it, they were both relieved by this information, Peter was too young to deal with that, and it was at least one thing that they didn't have to deal with. As the medics decide to leave for a while, and it was only three of them in the room, Peter was too deep in his slumber as the drugs worked their way out of his body to hear anything anyway and Kraglin was the first to talk.
"I have no idea who this could be". He confessed to Yondu, who could only nod.
"Almost no one knows who he is; we've made sure of that. We pass him off as a Xandarian for a reason" stated Yondu as Peter's body twitched slightly indicating he was returning. Neither of them said it but came to the exact conclusion.
To be continued
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