Author: Holy crap. Sorry about the lack of updates for this story. Been busy
with 4 Things Rocket Learned. Picks up right where Blood for Blood left off.
Maybe not for the weak of heart or stomach. I own nobody. Time for bed. R&R
Stuff going on in people's heads.
"Peter!? Why do you not have any sedatives?!" Gamora shouted.
"Sorry but I don't usually plan to use my table as place to perform surgery!" Peter shouted back.
He couldn't think, couldn't concentrate not when images of his mom laying in a hospital bed over twenty years ago and now Rocket sitting on his table with a slit throat and blaster wound right in the middle of his back threatened to over well him.
He had told Dey he'd look after his group of misfits and yet...
"Friends! Stop your bickering!" Drax snapped, stopping Gamora's ongoing rant (which he himself had stop listening to).
"No... no... sed... a... tive." Rocket choked out as he tugged at the front of his jumpsuit in distress.
"What?" Peter asked.
"He doe not approve of your talk of sedating him." Drax said.
"Unfortunately we don't have any sedatives to use." Gamora said, shooting a glare at Peter.
"I never needed them." Peter grumbled.
The adrenaline had worn off and while he was worried about Rocket, Gamora yelling at him had only managed to annoy him. So all he really wanted was to go listen to his Walkman until they go to Xandar... the rest of them be damned.
"But you won't do that because Rocket needs you right now. He'll never say it but he didn't put up a fight when you held him or carried him. And he'd got more fight than Drax." Peter thought.
"Let me see your throat Rocket and do not speak." Gamora said.
Rocket lifted his head slowly and leaned against Drax for support. The pain of his injuries and the blood loss had left him weak... and he hated it... he hated it even more than he hated the scientists who had created him.
Gamora parted the fur of Rocket's throat as gently as she could, cleaning away blood as she did. As bad as it looked, she was relieved when she saw that while long, the wound was not deep.
"It missed your major veins. I doubt it it deep enough to have damaged your vocal cords." she told him.
"You gonna stitch him up now?" Peter asked.
"Yes... then I will see what I can do for his back." Gamora sighed.
Peter had wiped Rocket's back down with a cold rag after they had gotten back to the Milano and covered the wound with gauze.
He hadn't done more than that because he hadn't had the heart to cause Rocket anymore pain.
That and he had a very limited knowledge of how to treat injuries.
Yondu, despite being the asshole he was, had taken care of him as a child if he was hurt or sick. He had been fifteen when Yondu and Kraglin had both starting teaching him how to treat his injuries or illnesses.
But he didn't get sick often and his injuries had always been slight, especially in comparison to Rocket's injuries.
Which was why Gamora taking care of him now.
"Rocket... I promise I will not make this hurt anymore than neccesary." the woman whispered, gently stroking his furry cheek.
Rocket glanced past her to Peter who nodded. This was Gamora... she wouldn't intentionally hurt him.
At Rocket's nod, Drax slid a massive arm around his tiny waist to hold him still while Gamora threads a needle. Rocket whined softly and squeezed his eyes shut in terror.
"It's alright. You are safe." Drax whispered, holding his head up with one hand to give Gamora a good view of the wound.
"Rocket."
The injuried Guardian's eyes snapped open and he looked past Gamora to Peter who met his gaze and held it. There was something in the half Terran's grey-green eyes that wouldn't let him look away.
"Stay still." Gamora whispered as Rocket felt the needle pierce his skin. The topical anesthetic she had applied was helping but it still hurt. He kept his jumpsuit between his paws, digging claws into the fabric when it hurt the worst because he doubted Gamora would appreciate him clawing up her arm. But his eyes never left Peter's... not even for a second.
"Do not remove this."
Rocket finally pulled his gaze from Peter's and touched the gauze wrapped around his neck to hold the bandage in place.
"You want me to start on his back?" Peter asked Gamora.
"That will be helpful yes." she said, going to wash her hands.
"Take it easy pal... we're partway done." Peter whispered, cutting away the top of Rocket's jumpsuit carefully.
Rocket grabbed Peter's hand in his paw and squeezed it tightly, thanking him in silence because he hurt too much to talk.
Peter squeezed Rocket's paw gently as he removed the gauze to reveal the wound. "Umm... Gamora." he called.
Drax glanced at the wound and grimaced, stroking Rocket's fur gently before assuring him: "You do not wish to see."
Gamora reappeared at Peter's side and they exchanged a long look.
The wound had not looked this bad when Peter had cleaned it earlier. It was an angry red and still bleeding.
If Gamora didn't know better (and she hoped she did) she would have thought the wound was already infected.
"Hurts..." Rocket sobbed.
"It's gonna hurt worse buddy. Gamora's gotta clean you up properly so it doesn't get infected by the time we get to Xandar." Peter told him.
"Rocket... lay down on your stomach please. Drax hold him down... gently." Gamora sighed as Peter moved from her side.
"Hey buddy. Look at me okay. Just like when she was taking care of your throat." Peter said, crouching down so that he and Rocket were eye to eye.
"Hurts." he whined as he laid down as Gamora had asked.
"I know." Peter whispered, rubbing his ears gently as he looked up at Gamora and Drax.
They had no idea how bad the muscle damage was.
But the implant on Rocket's right shoulder was completely destroyed as was the tiny one several inches below it. The main implant in the middle of his back was damaged as well.
"Groot." Rocket whimpered, glancing around the room.
"Let me go get him." Peter said.
Groot was easy to find, hanging out in the kitchen but looking as worried as the rest of them. He let out a little cry of fear when he saw Rocket laid out on the table.
Peter settled back down in front of Rocket and let Groot stroke Rocket's whiskers for a moment. "Peter." Gamora said.
"Okay pal... gotta set you down." Peter said, placing Groot on the floor and holding one of his gloves out to Rocket who sniffed it before sinking his teeth into it.
Drax rested one hand on Rocket's waist and gathered his back legs and tail in his other hand just in case the mammal thrashed.
Peter grabbed Rocket's front paws in one hand and gently grabbed the scruff of his neck with the other.
"I'm sorry." Gamora whispered, gently touching the rubbing alcohol soaked rag to Rocket's back.
The first scream made Groot wail in terror. Drax squeezed his eyes shut as Peter turned his head away as the smell of rubbing alcohol invaded his nose and threatened to drag memories that were best left buried to the surface.
Momma couldn't leave the hospital.
Cancer, Gramps called it.
It could be treated... but not in Momma.
So she had to stay in the hospital.
He didn't like the hospital... it smelled funny.
Smelled... too clean.
Cleaner than Gran and Gramps house at Christmas when the family would get together to visit.
Peter's eyes snapped open at the taste of salt and iron in his mouth... blood... his blood.
Rocket was still screaming as Gamora tended to his back.
In terror brought on by flashbacks?
In pain from his injury?
Peter was willing to bet both.
"Stay with us... me... I... We... can't lose you." he whispered, rubbing Rocket's ears with his free hand.
Pain! He's in pain again!
Why?!
Oh shit... Not again!
He screams as loud as his lungs will allow but it comes out muffled and hurts his throat.
They had gagged him... that's different.
And instead of straps... it's hands holding him down.
And there's a hand on his ears... petting him... the good kind of petting... the one that makes him feel warm and cared about.
He knows the hands petting him... Peter.
And the metal and sweat smell that was hiding under the smell of rubbing alcohol, gauze and bandages... Drax.
The smell of soil, flowers and ozone... Groot.
But where is Gamora... oh... she's working on his back.
Then Drax's hands disappear and so do Gamora's... only to be replaced with something soft and warm... a blanket.
But Peter's hands don't leave his ears and a second hand, very tiny and smelling like flowers, touches his whiskers.
Groot... Someone put Groot on the table to let him be near him.
He's so tired... maybe a nap won't hurt.
Peter watched as Rocket's nose twitched and he smiled in his sleep.
"Peter?" Drax asked.
"He's okay... I think he passed out from exhaustion and pain. But he seems... at peace." Peter whispered, still petting Rocket.
At peace... odd words to describe Rocket but right now... they fit him.
"The ship is on autopilot with a course set to Xandar." Drax said.
"Thanks. I'm gonna stay here... to keep an eye on Rocket. Gamora, if you wanna go use my shower to clean up, feel free." Peter told them.
"Do not forget to call Nova ahead of time to have a medical team waiting when we arrive." Gamora said, ruffling his hair gently as she passed him.
"I won't." Peter assured her.