"I-I…ca-can't f-feel…my l-legs."

Peter reeled back in shock as Gamora let out a gasp, placing her hands over her mouth in horror. Peter stared at Rocket, feeling his heart shatter into little pieces.

It was so much worse than they first had thought.

Peter turned to look at Gamora, seeing tears slipping down the woman's cheeks. He knew his own were filled with tears as well, both of them knowing the desperation in their situation.

"We need to get him to Xandar." Peter let out a shaky breath. "We have to get him to a hospital now."

Gamora nodded and ran out of the room to see if there was anything she could do to get them to Xandar quicker. Peter turned back to Groot, seeing that Rocket had lost the battle to stay awake and fallen unconscious.

Groot cradled the raccoon close, letting out a few whimpering noises as Rocket showed no response to his touch or voice.

Peter felt sick as he watched blood drip to the floor, the only sound in the room being Rocket's weak breathing. The Terran felt a lone tear run down his cheek and his shoulders slumped in defeat, drawing an shaky breath as he prayed it wouldn't be too late.

"Hang in there, Rocket." Peter whispered. "Just…hang on."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Gamora cradled the cup close, her strong grip around the porcelain nearly breaking it. Her arms shook from lack of sleep and the coffee did little to help, but she couldn't find the will to even try to sleep.

Sighing, she looked around the small roomed they had stayed in for the last seven hours. Groot stood by the window as he had done for since they had arrived, gazing outside but his eyes seeing nothing.

Drax was slumped in the couch as the Destroyer's body had finally given up the fight to stay awake. His head was thrown back as he snored loudly, his left leg twitching now and then which made Gamora smile weakly.

Her smile slipped from her expression as she noticed that Peter had yet to return, the Terran having left the room over two hours ago. She knew why he had left, Peter had needed time alone. But she feared what would happen if he was left alone for any longer.

Placing the cup down on the table, she quietly left the room. Walking down the corridor, she walked towards the entrance, aware that she was most likely to find Peter outside.

Coming to stand on the top of the stairs, she looked around. It wasn't long before she found him, her eyes saddening as soon as she saw him.

Peter was sitting on a bench in the small park beside the rather large building. His head hung in defeat and his shoulders were slumped with exhaustion, his hands holding his Walkman tightly. The world around him went ignored, his eyes only seeing the small device in his grip.

Gamora smiled sadly and walked up to the bench, placing a hand on Peter's shoulder. The Terran jumped slightly, as he was suddenly awoken from a deep sleep, and spun around. He relaxed when he saw that it was Gamora and turned back to staring at his Walkman.

"Any news?"

Gamora shook her head and sat down beside the man.

"No, not yet." Her voice was soft. "I came to see how you were doing. You have been out here a long time."

Peter nodded his head but said nothing for a few moments. He then sighed heavily, closing his eyes to fight back the tears.

"I'm not the one you should be worried about." He placed a hand over his still closed eyes. "This is all my fault."

Gamora placed her hand back on Peter's shoulder.

"No, Peter. It's not your fault, you shouldn't blame yourself."

Peter wrenched his shoulder free and stood up from the bench, turning to glare at the woman with anger that Gamora knew wasn't directed at her.

"Yes, it is! If it hadn't been for me, Rocket wouldn't been in there! If it wasn't for me, he wouldn't be dying!"

Peter looked down at the Walkman still in his hand, growling.

"All because this stupid thing!"

He threw the Walkman at the ground, but Gamora quickly reached out and caught it before it could shatter against the ground. She held it closed and looked at Peter with frightened eyes, never having seen the Terran so angry before.

The small device was Peter's most prized possession. To see the man so set on destroying it, scared her.

She stood up from her seat and swallowed thickly, still holding the Walkman close in fear that Peter would lash out for it in anger. If he did, she didn't believe she would be able to save it a second time.

"Peter, please. Listen to me."

Peter shook his head and turned away, placing his hand back over his eyes. His shoulders trembled with what Gamora could only suspect was grief, the man before her fighting the tears he so desperately needed to cry.

Gamora hesitated for a moment, but then gathered her courage and stepped forward. She placed her hand on Peter's arm and forced the man around so he was facing her. She then placed her free hand on his back and held him close, holding the Walkman between them.

Peter refused for a few moments, but Gamora soon found arms holding her close. Peter's head fell to her shoulder and it wasn't long before she felt her shoulder grow damp. Peter's shoulders shook as he finally let himself cry and Gamora tightened his hold of him, holding him close.

"H-He's dy-dying, Ga-Gamora."

Her grip around the Terran tightened and she as well pressed her head against his shoulder, letting her own tears fall.

They had hoped that they had reached Xandar in time, but just before they had reached the hospital, Rocket had stopped breathing. He had lost too much blood and his body had shut down because of it, leaving the raccoon's lungs unable to work.

I had scared all of them, seeing Rocket fall completely still as his breathing stopped. It broke them, seeing the medical team take their smallest member away and knowing there was nothing either of them could do.

"I know, Peter. I know." She whispered and swallowed heavily. "But we can't give up, there's still a chance."

But Peter had little hope.

"But you heard the doctors." Peter's voice was weak. "Even if he survives the operation, there's a chance he-he…"

The man's line of words broken off by a sob, his hands digging into the fabric of Gamora's shirt.

"Because of me," Peter gasped out. "…he may never walk again."

Gamora held in a sob of her own as her mind drifted back to what the doctors had told them so many hours ago.

They had all suspected that the damaged done to Rocket's body had been grave, but to have it confirmed had still been a hard blow to all of them. The bullet had severed the connection between Rocket's cybernetics and his spinal cord, making the raccoon unable to feel his body from the hips down.

And the doctors didn't know if they could repair the damage.

Due to the fact that they knew nothing about Rocket's cybernetics or how his body was built, they had little to none idea how to operate or even how Rocket would react to the operation. They would know nothing until it was over and he woke up to tell them.

And it was the waiting and the not knowing, that tore them apart.

Gamora knew Peter blamed himself. Had Rocket not gone after the Walkman, he would never been hurt. But at the same time, Gamora knew Rocket wouldn't want Peter to do that to himself.

It had been Rocket choice to go after the Walkman, and Gamora suspected he would do it again. Rocket cared for all of them, even if he difficulties showing it. But he cared and he had showed that he was willing to sacrifice himself for them.

"Peter…" Gamora whispered. "I know you are blaming yourself, but…but Rocket wouldn't want that."

They pulled apart and Gamora held the Walkman out for Peter to take, placing a gentle hand on the man's arm.

"Rocket sacrificed himself for this, for you." She smiled softly. "I don't think he would be happy to find that you had thrown it into the ground."

Peter let out a broken laugh and dried his tears, taking the Walkman and held it close to his chest. he gave the woman a broken smile and Gamora was quick to return it with her own. She took his hand and started to lead him back to the hospital, giving him comforting smile.

"Come. I'm sure it won't be long now until we get some news."

Peter hesitated, but took a deep breath and nodded. He tightened his hold of Gamora's hand and let himself be led back into the building, his other hand clutching his Walkman tightly.

They walked inside and were about to return to the room the hospital had allowed them to stay in, when a loud alarm sounded. They two of them quickly placed their hands over their ears in a try to block out the sudden noise.

Peter looked around in alarm and his eyes widened as he saw the door to one of the operating rooms being thrown open. A doctor, who's clothes was blood soaked, shouted towards the nurse-station for help, his voice filled with distress.

"We need help in here! We're losing him!"

Peter glanced towards the numbers over the room and he felt his heart shatter.

It was Rocket's room.