Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting and istoleyourcheesecake

Patient info from: Bagpipes5k2

Yeah, never had much hospital experience, from either side, so I need all the help I can get on this one.

So, this chapter is a bit of the calm before the storm, shit is about to hit the fan though after this. ;D


MysteriousBean: Thank you. This is gonna be the hardest one I've done so far, so I'm really hoping it's enjoyed. XD

Jesswinch: Thank you~ Glad you liked it. ^-^ (It's been so long since I've taken Spanish, so I won't even attempt to reply in it. lol)

twaxer: LOL I had tooooo, it hurt, but I thought it was a nice touch. XD Ohhhhhh, you have no idea. This is the story I have done the most research for. The actual shark attack and short hospital stay was probably less the 5% of research done. This is gonna be a bit bumpy. lol

Bagpipes5K2: Thank you as always. ^-^ Always far too kind. ;w; And it will be kinda like that, maybe a bit more rough around the edges, but hoping it will be a tad more painful.


He couldn't breathe; everything was weighing him down and despite his desperate struggles, he just couldn't reach the surface. But, the worst of it was his leg; and, without taking a single glance downward, Prompto could feel the immense hold something had on it as it continued to drag him farther down. It was the pain, though, that was so overwhelming, and he was positive his limb was being ripped from his body. The urge to scream from the agony tempted him, but he fought against it, knowing that the moment he opened his mouth, it was all over.

His free foot kicked out, and more than once he felt it connect solidly with his captor. Unfortunately, it did little to alleviate its grasp. Instead, it was quite the opposite as razors dug in deeper, deeper than he thought was possible. It was too much, his will wasn't fortified enough to prevent the silent scream. Just as water rushed in, quickly filling his lungs, he felt a strong tug from below as his vision was veiled in crimson clouds.

'Help!' he wanted to call out, but he couldn't find his voice.

His eyes darted around, only to be obscured by puffs of red and endless blue in all directions.

'Someone... please...' he begged internally, knowing there was no help to be had. His heart thrummed, racing in his chest and the red thickened around him with each beat. In the back of his head, he could hear a faint beeping, increasing in volume with each passing second until it sounded as though it were right next to him.

"–ompto." It sounded so muffled, distorted by the endless ocean engulfing him. A few more words were spoken, but they were incoherent and fading in and out of recognition. He knew it was his name that was flowing through the currents to him though, that was the only thing that was clear to him. "Prompto!" That was the one that did it, the one that pulled him back to his senses. It was clear and damn near panicked.

His eyes snapped open, but... he never remembered closing them; the scene was completely different from that submerged hell as well. Not that he was complaining about the switch. Pulse still racing, he glanced around, not recalling this place in the slightest. Prompto's breath hitched as that dull pain returned, though luckily not as bad as previously. "Prom," he darted his less than eager vision over.

"Noct..." he croaked, the single word cracking from lack of use. The shortened name was followed directly by a groan as his heart rate settled and his body caught up with him. "Why does..." he took a deep breath to combat his swimming head, "Why does everythin' feel 'eavy?" He tried to raise an arm, but he could barely lift it a few inches before it fell back against the bed.

The raven sighed, his gaze looking a tad apologetic; luckily, the look was lost to the blond, his own attention unable to focus long enough to make things out. "They have you on some pretty strong stuff, Prom."

The gunner's eyes narrowed in question, "What kinda stuff? Why?" He scanned over his body, his eyes landing on his leg which looked so out of place. "It'still there..." he slurred, coming off as surprised. Noctis watched as his left hand tried to reach down to feel it, only to give up within a few seconds.

"Yeah," the prince replied, "Yeah, it's still there." He inhaled deeply once more and glanced down to take a look for himself. He's been here for nearly twelve hours as it were, but he still couldn't bear to look at the limb for more than a second at a time. The other two had long since left, renting a hotel nearby after they were ushered away by staff. And, it took a bit of convincing, but given Prompto's earlier outburst upon waking, they all agreed it was in his best interest if at least one of them were to stay by him to prevent him from freaking out again.

Prompto cleared his throat, wincing with the dryness in it. "Thirsty," he whined out, closing his eyes as he attempted to shift around a bit. Even considering that traumatizing nightmare and going through what he did, there was no persuading himself that he didn't need water. He smacked his lips and licked at them fruitlessly.

"I'll go see if I can get you something for that," Noctis offered, giving the other a kind smile and a small pat on the arm. "I'll be right back," he promised, keeping an eye on the blond all the way until he rounded the corner, making sure he didn't make any moves to try and follow.

Left to himself, Prompto took another look around the room, but with his eyes taking their time adjusting, it did nothing but throw him off and give him a light headache. Shutting it all away, he relaxed his head against the pillows. The dull throbs radiating from his leg slowly pushed their way to the front of his mind. They weren't particularly painful, thanks to the drugs, but they were quite irritating. The need to move it or something, anything really, was gnawing away at him; but, with the overbearing weakness he felt all throughout him, he knew that was something that wouldn't be done anytime soon.

Footsteps slowly approached back, and stopped right next to him as the presence sat back down. Cracking an eye open, the blond cut his gaze over to Noctis who had a cup in hand. "Not exactly water," he shrugged in sympathy, "Since they said that's not the best idea just yet. But, they did say you could have ice chips. So, that's better than nothing, right?"

"Guess," he really didn't care too much what it was, as long as it relieved his dry mouth, then it was good enough. His hand twitched before it cooperated enough to reach for the cup.

"You sure you got it?" Noctis asked, hesitating in handing it over.

Prompto merely huffed out in frustration and just shook his hand in a silent and offended way of asking for the cup. Nodding in understanding, the raven handed it over, letting his hand hover close by should the other's grasp slip. He groggily peered over the rim of the styrofoam, blinking a few times to see it more clearly. Yeah, it was ice alright. "Could jus' let it melt," he shrugged, "Then just drink the water."

"Orrrrrr, you could eat the chips like you're supposed to," Noctis suggested, making it clear Prompto wasn't going to have his way in this. The other looked as though he wanted to argue, but in the end, decided he couldn't be bothered and used his other hand to take a few of the ice chunks out before tossing them in his mouth. "And just let them melt in your mouth," Noctis instructed, knowing the next thing he'd do is just chew them up.

He cut his eyes back over, "I know 'ow to eat ice."

Noctis only rolled his eyes as he watched one of the chips drop from his mouth as he spoke. "Of course, you do."

Once the first few dissolved into a moistened bliss, the blond looked to the other again, this time with a more serious expression on his face. "Noct?" he asked for his attention, "What exactly happened? Why am I 'ere?" There was an inkling of fear and bewilderment in his dulled-out gaze.

The raven knew he'd have to explain again sooner or later, he just assumed it wouldn't be this soon. He was hoping for at least a day or so. "What do you remember?" he asked, really not wanting to explain the whole thing. The image of it hadn't set well with him quite yet.

Prompto chewed on his bottom lip, mulling it over, but the only thing he could remember was, "I was in the water..." He took a deep breath, "And something... something grabbed me. I think." It was a blur, and the pain was rather fresh.

"Yeah," the prince dropped his eyes down to look at the bed instead, "You were, well, you were bit. And, it was pretty bad." He glanced at his leg again, the thick wrapping on it weighing heavily in the pit of his stomach. Noctis prayed to whatever astrals were listening that he'd retain the information this time around; he didn't know how many times he could handle repeating it.

The blond's lips tightened into a straight line and his cup of ice was lowered to his side, his other hand dropping to rest on his chest. "But, I'll be able to use it again?" he questioned, concern heavy in his voice; and, for the first time since it happened, he sounded one hundred percent lucid. He was staring across blankly at his limb, honestly afraid of the reply he'd get. What if Noctis told him it was hopeless? It was still there though, they wouldn't leave a useless limb attached, would they?

"Don't worry," Noctis spoke softly, "It'll be fine, they told us that given you follow instructions, you should get most of the use back to it."

"'Should'... 'most'?" Prompto repeated, his voice tight and slightly shaky. "W-what does that mean? They aren't sure? Is there just a small chance, or what? How is it not a 'will' and just a 'shou-'"

"Prom," the raven interrupted, "Calm down. As long as you do as they say, it's guaranteed." He stared at the side of his face until he finally turned to return the gaze. "Alright?"

He still looked apprehensive about the whole thing, still not satisfied with that answer. "But, how long is that going to take?" he questioned, and for this, Noctis didn't have a reply. "I imagine it's not something to just get over over night; and... you guys have to get on with your lives, don't you?" Another pang shot through the raven at the next part, "Kinda rendered useless for a while, huh?"


Tense hands curled tighter around the heat-radiating mug, a stressed sigh sounding out almost in unison with it. Ignis allowed his eyes to slide shut in an attempt to block out the pounds in the back of his head he felt creeping up on him. It was an annoying pain that had begun some hours ago, but it wasn't until now that it really started to get a spunk to it. Carefully, he peeled his emeralds back open and scanned them up to see Gladio in much the same state as himself. Elbow on the table, the shield had his forehead propped against it while his thumb ran circles over his temple.

Eventually, one of them would have to speak, and for once it was the larger man that picked up that responsibility. "So, how short are we on the expenses?" The adviser said nothing, but instead just shook his head and lifted his cup of coffee to take another generous sip. "That bad, huh?"

"Let's just say, we'll have to take on quite a few hunts for this one," he exhaled heavily. "But, what concerns me more than money is what are we going to do with him? You know as well as I do that he's not fit to come along with us, not until he heals anyway."

The mood deteriorated even further as that was brought to light. Of course, they were all painfully aware of that, but no one wanted to be the one to actually voice it aloud. "Are you gonna be the one to tell 'em?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "He's not going to take that well."

"Perhaps not, but what other options are there? Recovery could take quite some time, and as much as we may not agree with it, we simply cannot wait around until he's ready," Ignis' words sunk and clung to both of their hearts. "Wish it were possible, but it's not."

The brute nodded along, his hands going to rest on the table where they intertwined. "You know he can't go home either, though," he reminded. "I'm sure I don't need to clarify. But, even if he were able to, if something were to happen while left alone..." he fell quiet for a moment, again thinking of a way that they could all settle on. Then it hit him, "I have a feeling that he still won't be happy about it, but Iris is staying in Lestallum. And, well, I figure it'd be better for him to stay there than to be home alone most of the time," he leaned back and folded his arms across his chest. "Plus, they have a decent hospital there, so he can get the check-ups or whatever it is they're gonna tell him he needs to carry out."

The brunet breathed out heavily through his nose, his eyes dropping down to stare into the rapidly depleting contents of his cup; dammit, he had just filled it up. "You're right, he won't be too thrilled about that." It had nothing to do with the shield's younger sister, nor the location, but the fact that they felt the need to leave him in the company of someone is what was not going to sit well with the blond.

"So what?" The dark-haired man asked, "We just break it to him tomorrow? Or not tell him a thing and just drop him off when he's discharged?" The second part was more of a joke, but it honestly felt like the easier path to take when it came to the news.

Ignis only gave him a pointed look at that suggestion.

"Calm down, I was only kidding," he waved a hand, and grunted as he pushed himself to his feet. He grabbed his phone off the table to check the time and yawned as he scanned the blaring 'two forty-three' on the front screen. "I don't suppose sleep is an option for tonight," he muttered when the brunet headed back towards the coffee pot, now empty cup in hand. "With the way you're downing that stuff, you'll be awake for the next week."

Ignis ignored him while he poured. "There's enough for another cup, if you wish," he raised his eyebrows as he took a sip of the black beverage. They had planned on heading back to the hospital at nine, which was the moment they started allowing visitors. "They should permit him to leave later tomorrow, should he not show any negative signs," he sighed, but for some reason didn't sound too thrilled about it.

"That's good though, isn't it?" the shield followed suit in refilling his cup. "The sooner he's out, the sooner we can move on."

"The sooner we can move on without him," the adviser corrected, solemnly sitting back in his seat. Shaking his head, he finished off his thoughts. "You know, the bite is the easiest part in all this. As ridiculous as it sounds, the weeks after are the ones that are truly problematic."

The knowledge that the doctor had relayed to them about the blond most likely not getting full use back due to the extent of the damage still lingered in the brute's mind. With that thought dangling in front of him, it wasn't difficult to see what Ignis was getting at. "I know," Gladio nodded curtly. The two of them fell into a tense silence after that, neither wanting to discuss the issue further, but both being aware that it'd have to be brought back up sooner or later. But, it was clear it'd be best to save the details for when all were present.


Noctis leaned back in his chair, gaze staring blankly out the window as he blinked heavily to fight his body's pleas for more sleep. The sounds of Prompto's steady breaths were the only things he really heard as he waited for that moment they'd pick up again and he'd have to shake him awake from whatever hell he was living through again. The nurses had already been in once to check on the wound, cleaning it and changing the bandages; both of which the raven had to look away from.

The entire time, the blond had stayed silent, but there were those undeniable facial twitches that gave way to his discomfort with the whole thing. But, at least now he had fresh wrappings and was able to fall back asleep in a moment's notice.

The prince jumped at the abrupt opening of the door, and he instantly was shrouded with pent up annoyance. "How many times to you people plan on bargin–" he cut himself off and coughed sheepishly in his embarrassment when it wasn't more staff like he had expected. "Could have told me you guys were coming," he muttered, turning back to look out the window.

"We did," Gladio replied, glancing around to find his phone on the other side of the room, the light blinking to signal the new message. "Has he been out this whole time?" he nodded his head towards Prompto, who didn't even budge upon their arrival.

"Nah," Noctis turned back to face them, "He woke up around one this morning or so, stayed up for a few hours." He cut his eyes over, "But, they gave him a bit more pain killers after they cleaned him up, so that kinda knocked him back out." He stifled a shudder at the memory of his muffled whines every time they touched it. "That was around seven."

"Any other news about his condition?" Ignis cut right to the chase.

The prince did narrow his eyes marginally at the frankness. "There's no sign of an infection, so he should be fine to leave tonight. But, he still will need to get check-ups on it... and go to physical therapy in a couple weeks, depending on his progress," he felt like he was reading off a piece of paper, it just didn't feel right.

Gladio flicked his attention from Prompto and back to Noctis, and the look in that amber stare caused the latter to shift uncomfortably in his seat. Carefully, the shield took the chair next to him and crossed his legs. "Noct, you know he's gonna have to stay somewhere, right?"

"You really think I haven't already thought about that?" he bit more harshly than he intended.

He ignored the terse tone and continued, "Iggy and I were talking about that, and we both think it's best that he stays with Iris for a bit... in Lestallum." He dropped his gaze, waiting for the outburst that never came.

"Alright," he said flatly, almost absent of real emotion.

"So, you're alright with that?" he questioned skeptically; he seemed to be taking this conclusion pretty damn well.

Noctis shrugged and glanced towards the blond, "Well, it's not really up to me, is it?" Gladio followed the gaze to meet another set of less than fully awake blues staring back.

The blond hummed a greeting and gave a half-assed wave, "When did you guys get here?" His voice was still a tad rough, but definitely not as bad as the day before. He cleared his throat and pulled himself to sit up a bit higher to get a better look at them. And, to his relief, he could make them all out fairly well.

"We only just arrived," Ignis answered in the shield's place, deciding it was probably best if he were to do the talking and took the seat next to the bed. "Gladio and I were discussing the near future, and well, I think we've come up with a system that will be best for all of us." He tried to keep his tone as positive as he were able. "Our current funds don't quite cover the costs," he kept all blame from the statement, "Which means we'll have to take on some hunts to acquire the gil to finish paying off the bills." He took a deep breath to get to the worst part, but Prompto beat him to it.

"So, I can't come along. I already figured that part," he chuckled bitterly. "I-I understand though, I'd only get in the way after all." His hands tightened around the sheets, a light sting radiating from the right as he did so. Glancing down, he realized for the first time the white bandage wrapped around that as well.

Ignis' mouth formed a firm line, and that was all the confirmation the gunner needed; so, he really was rendered useless for a bit. "What do you say to staying in Lestallum for a little while?" he asked in hopes to lift his spirits at least a little. After all, it was no secret that the guy thrived in cities. "It will just be until you're back on your feet," he assured. "Once you're back up, there shouldn't be any issues with you coming along with us again."

"Yeah, I get it," Prompto brushed off. "It's no big deal, really." Ignis could tell he was trying to toss the conversation aside, and he could honestly say he didn't blame him for avoiding it.

But, there was still more to it. "We're going to be taking on hunts in that area, so we will still be staying there often," and that sparked a smidgen of a twitch in Prompto's expression. "That sound better?"

The younger nodded, though it didn't matter what any of them said, it didn't change the fact that he had to mostly sit around for weeks, maybe months. "Yeah, I think I'll be fine with that," he replied, putting on a forced smile for their sake. Luckily, for all of them, one more person entered the room, this one being an older nurse with a more than kind expression.

"Good morning, Mister Argentum," she glanced down at the chart in her hand. "Are you feeling up to eating anything?" she asked, cutting her eyes upward.

Slowly, the blond shook his head, "Nah, I'm not really hungry."

The woman clicked her tongue in disapproval. "I'm sure that's most likely due to the medication. Are you sure? You'll feel better if you have something." He was set with a look that didn't leave him much room for arguing, so he finally gave in and agreed to have a little something. "Alrighty then, I'll be back shortly," she gave a small wave before dipping back out.

Prompto took a deep breath and leaned back with a slight wince. "I'm just ready to get out of here," he whispered, mostly to himself. "I hate this place, I hate the medication, and I hate this bed."

"It's only been a day," Gladio reminded, eyebrow raised in question.

"One day too long." And, just like that, he was sulking, in that mood that was near impossible to work with. "When do I start physical therapy?" he asked out of the blue, looking right back to Ignis expectantly.

The inquiry caught the man off guard and he was taken aback by the bluntness of it. "That's not for us to say," he answered plainly. "That all depends on when you heal enough and when you feel you're ready for it as well as when your doctor approves for you to start." There was an edge of seriousness to his tone, almost like a silent warning not to rush this. "But, it will be at least a few days, I'm sure. Those stitches are still fresh."

Prompto didn't reply to the adviser, but he did acknowledge his words and even gave him a mouthed 'ok'.

At that time, his nurse returned with tray in hand, nothing more than a bowl of soup and some crackers, something relatively simple. "Here we are, sweetie," she chirped, pulling the table over for him and placing the meal on top. "Also, in an hour or so, we need to get you fitted for crutches," she gave a sympathetic look as she spoke. And again, Prompto just nodded along with what she was saying, but didn't seem to really be paying much attention.

He thanked her on the way out and picked up the spoon next to the bowl just to stir the contents around for about a minute. "I'm pretty sure it's mixed well enough," Gladio commented when he saw no signs of him ceasing the action. "Might wanna eat it before it gets cold."

"I will," he shrugged, finally taking a bite of it. Taking his time actually swallowing it, he glanced back and forth between the two of them, noticing for the first time the darkness under both pairs of eyes. "Did you two sleep at all?" he changed the subject.

Gladio snorted at that, "If you count closing my eyes for about ten minutes, then yeah, we did." He stretched his arms back with a yawn, "A nap is sounding pretty damn tempting right about now."

"So, take one," Noctis piped up, "We got time." In other words, he intended on doing the same himself.

"Yeah, you may as well," Prompto agreed. "Not like I'm goin' anywhere." He took another bite, doing so more out of habit, his appetite not really catching on quite yet. Glancing down, he went back to swirling the stuff around. "Kinda bland," he mumbled. "Can't quite compete with your cooking," he looked to Ignis.

The adviser returned the smile as he folded his hands in his lap. The two of them made small talk while he ate at a snail's pace; the other two had drifted off long ago, leaving the other two to their own accord. There were a few genuine laughs here and there and an inkling of normalcy sprinkled throughout their conversation. Prompto lowered the spoon into the now empty bowl while Ignis helped with sliding the table out of the way.

It wasn't long after that that the nurse returned in order to take the tray back with her as well as quickly go over the plan for that day before he'd be allowed to leave. "So, your doctor should be here soon enough to get your fitting taken care of; he'll teach you how to use them and go over the basics," she explained clearly, giving them the chance to answer any questions if they had them. "After that, we'll go over how to properly care for the wound, and once all that is taken care of, you'll be free to get signed out." She clapped her hands together as she finished, a pleased look about her.

By the time said doctor arrived, Prompto was a ball of nerves, and the very thought of finally trying to stand, even with assistance, kind of terrified him. Luckily, adjusting the crutches didn't take nearly as long as he expected, nor did getting himself to sit on the edge of the bed. But, that was primarily due to two others helping him, much to his chagrin.

"Take your time, and do so slowly," the man instructed, standing close by should his patient stumble. Prompto let out a small groan as he pulled himself up, and he instantly felt out of his element. "There you go, now take a moment to get used to standing."

Noctis watched on from his seat, his chest clenching throughout the entire procedure. There was no way around it, he'd have to get used to this as well.

After standing for a couple minutes, the blond took his first step and almost lost his balance. But, there his doctor was, quick to place a supportive hand on his upper arm to prevent him from toppling over. "That's alright, just give it another go; it will take some time to grow accustomed to."

"Right," the blond took a deep breath and tried again, this time going much more smoothly. Then he took another and then a third until he finally fell into the rhythm of it. It didn't take long before the few yards he traveled up and down the hall left him slightly out of breath and he had to return to his room where he dropped himself back on the edge of the bed.

Now was the fun part... learning how to clean and re-wrap the leg. Which wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the fact that they had to watch it be done. He showed the proper way to wash it without disturbing the stitches; the gunner winced and hissed a few times. Other than that, he held it together rather well. Then was the wrapping; not too tight and not too loose. "And, that's it," he finished up, asking if they had any questions or if Prompto had anyone that could help him at home if the need arose.

Prompto swiftly shook his head, "I think I'm good, we have all that covered."

"Alright, I'll just go get your forms for you to fill out, then you're free to go when you're ready." He gave him a smile and a nod as he turned his back to them.

"Well, I bet you're glad to get out of here," Noctis tried to break the mood with a bit of light-heartedness. "Getting to leave sooner than expected at least."

The other unconsciously grabbed and massaged his leg just above the bandages. "Oh yeah, you have no idea," he mumbled, trying to rub the aches out.

"Does it hurt?" he sounded concerned.

"No, no, it's fine," Prompto replied too quickly. "It itches more than anything." He tried to pry a couple fingers underneath the white edge, but Ignis was swift to swat the hand away. "Hey!" he cried out in startlement.

A light knock and the doctor was back in, papers in one hand and a pen in the other. "Fill this out, and I'll get a prescription for the pain medication written up for you. It will be waiting at the front desk for you when you're finished with that." He gingerly handed them both over, the blond gently taking the pen in his wrapped hand.

For a moment, he only looked at it, unsure how to grip it when Ignis took both from him. "Wh-what are you doing?" he sounded offended by the sudden confiscation of the forms and pen. "I can fill out a few papers."

"I know, but this is just easier," he shrugged, already filling in the generic stuff, leaving the names blank for him to do that himself. "With your dominant hand like that, I imagine this wouldn't be comfortable." Prompto only exhaled heavily, his thumbs twiddling idly in his lap as he waited for the stuff to be handed back.


With the paperwork sorted out, it was time for the moment they were all dreading, the gunner especially. And, no matter how much he was against it, nor how embarrassing it may have been. There was no denying that he wasn't quite capable of getting changed by himself... not just yet anyway. This task was left to the prince, he was about the only one he was willing to help. But, even that was pushing the boundaries a degree too far. Neither of them commented on it, neither of them wanted to think on it any longer than they had to.

"Shall we?" Ignis gestured to the door as the two of them stepped out of the bathroom, both an impressive shade of pink, and it was hard to tell if it was from the humiliation or the exertion. Perhaps it was a mix of both.

The trip to the front desk wasn't that far, but for someone who literally just learned the art of using crutches, it was quite the arduous journey. Ignis made the exchange and did all the signing for Prompto, who was still getting used to his new sense of movement; didn't want to risk him falling just yet. "You three can go ahead back to the Regalia," Ignis suggested, "I need to have a word with the doctor about setting up arrangements in Lestallum."

The others nodded in agreement, Gladio leading the way while Noctis took on the back, and the blond couldn't help but feel like a protected calf between the two of them. But, he remained silent on the subject, he knew they were only watching out for his well-being, as annoying as their way of doing so may have been.

As the stumps clanked against a different surface, the traction threw him off and he tripped forward with the lack of preparation. Almost out of instinct, the subtle gasp caught Gladio's attention in time for him to spin around and catch the faltering blond.

"You alright?" the shield asked, making sure the younger was steady again.

"I'm fine," he replied right away, snippy at that. He shook the heavy hand away and hobbled ahead of the others as if to prove a point.

Expression falling, the brute followed after him, Noctis close behind who shared the same pitied feelings. Albeit, he also had a heaping serving of guilt layered on top at the sight of his friend struggling thanks to him.

Fortunately for Prompto, the Regalia wasn't hard to pick out, despite not knowing where it was parked. He stood awkwardly next to it, waiting for Gladio to come over and unlock it, but the click sounded out before the others even reached him. Without waiting, he pulled the front door open, leaning unsteadily on one of his supports as he did so. For a moment, he stared at the passenger seat, unsure of how to go about this.

Noctis was the first to arrive, walking quickly and passing the other as he went. "Uh, you need some help?" he offered, genuinely trying to provide his aid.

"No, I got this," the other breathed out, determined to do things by himself. And, as ungraceful as it were, he managed to at least lower himself to sit, but there was still the task of actually getting his legs in. He looked completely at a loss, and ultimately accepted a little bit of help, much against his will.

"Thanks," he puffed out in annoyance and leaned his head back to close his eyes until the light throbs eased up. "I can't wait until this is over with."

He cracked an eye open when the sun was unexpectedly blocked from his side. There stood Gladio, hand outstretched, and it took him a moment to realize he was asking for the crutches. "Right," he handed them over so the man could put them in the back and out of the way.

"You all set?" the shield asked once all was said and done, and all that was left to do was to wait on the adviser to return. Prompto nodded quickly with a small hum. "Ok, if you say so." Everyone now in their designated spots, they awaited the brunet, who showed himself shortly after, new papers in hand.

"Here we are," he announced as he slid into the driver's seat and handed the stack over to Prompto. "Instructions on cleaning the wound, as well as the prescription and schedule dates and locations for your check-ups in Lestallum."

The blond took them in his left hand to flit through them. "Ohhh boy," he sarcastically breathed out, plopping the stack in his lap. He leaned his head against the window to gaze out as the hum of the engine vibrated through his skull. The sensation even traveled through his leg, which was uncomfortable to say the least. This was going to be a long ride, one he wasn't sure if he was ready for or not.