Author's note: Lots of fluff in this one. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Chapter 4

James bounced his knee anxiously as he waited for Logan to come back. Worry threatened to overtake him and throw him into full blown panic. He didn't have a watch but he was sure that Logan was gone a long time. If it wasn't for Kendall sleeping soundly behind him, he would've been in that forest looking for Logan and Carlos long ago.

And if it wasn't for Kendall's near death experience, James would've woken Kendall long ago to help search for their friends. But Kendall needed rest, so James sat anxiously.

"James?" Kendall croaked sleepily as he sat up.

Well so much for that. James turned to Kendall. "What are you doing awake? You need rest."

"Where are Logan and Carlos?" Kendall asked as he observed their empty blankets. Then he looked to James worriedly. He knew there was something wrong. Waking up to an anxious James shaking with worry was a big tipper.

James sighed. "Logan woke up and Carlos was gone, so he went to look for him."

"By himself?" Kendall exclaimed.

"Like I said; You need your rest." James said. "I stayed here with you, and also in case Carlos came back. They've only been gone for at least twenty minutes. I'm sure they're fine."

Kendall sighed. "This sucks."

James chuckled bitterly. "Tell me about it." Then he fell solemn again.

"You okay?" Kendall asked as he scooted closer to James.

James looked up at him and offered a small smile. "I'm fine. You really should be resting Kendall."

"James." Kendall coaxed gently.

James sighed. "I was just. . .It was scary. . .Almost losing you like that."

Kendall sighed. "Sorry. I probably shouldn't have ran off the way I did. Especially since you were right. The pilots were dead when I got there. It was all for nothing."

"Yeah." James said softly. "But it wasn't your fault. You were just trying to help. Like you always do." He smiled lightly, but it barely reached his eyes before it faded. He sighed and dropped his gaze to the ground. "It was just scary. If I was too late. . ."

Kendall laid a hand on James' shoulder. "But you weren't. You saved my life James. Thanks for that." He smiled at him.

James finally smiled back with a nod. "You're welcome."

The moment was interrupted by the sounds of rustling trees and brushes. Kendall and James both shot their heads towards the forest.

"Logan! Carlos!" They both shouted as they got up and bolted towards the other two.

Logan and Carlos staggered forward. With Logan carrying Carlos around the shoulders, his staggers brought Carlos down as well. He tried to keep Carlos upright, but even with that little break, his strength was fading, the pain in his hands ever present, and ever vigilant. Logan could tell that Carlos was exhausted too.

The two staggered forward too far, but were thankfully caught in the awaiting arms of James and Kendall. James quickly hauled Logan's arm over his shoulders while Kendall did the same for Carlos.

"What happened to you guys?" Kendall asked worriedly as he and James led their tired friends back to their little camp.

"I got lost." Carlos breathed as Kendall gently lowered him to the ground, then sat beside him and allowed Carlos to lean against him. "Then I found a cave." Carlos continued. "And then I fell down it."

"I don't know how long he was unconscious." Logan breathed and James mimicked Kendall's actions with Logan. "He was already out when I found him." Logan continued, leaning heavily against James as he tried to steady his breathing. "He has a mild concussion, but it's not too serious. As long as he doesn't move his head too much."

Kendall immediately shifted his position to look Carlos over. He observed the bump on Carlos' head and sighed. Then Kendall lightly smack Carlos' chest. "What were you thinking going off on you own?" He scolded.

Carlos chuckled weakly. "You can save the lecture. I already got an earful from Logan."

"Well good for you." James scolded lightly. "You should know better." Despite his stern tone, James smiled lightly. "I'm glad you're both okay."

Kendall frowned. "Logan, your hands!" He exclaimed.

Logan's hands, firmly wrapped in white gauze, were caked in dirt, and blood. Some of the gauze was torn and hanging loosely.

"What'd you do?" James exclaimed as he quickly fumbled for the first aid kit behind him.

"The cave was steep." Logan said guiltily. "We had to climb out."

James grabbed the first aid kit and set it beside him, as Kendall positioned Carlos to lean against a log then moved in front of the other two.

"Here, let me see." Kendall said, holding his hand out.

Logan slowly and apprehensively offered his hands to Kendall.

Kendall gently took Logan's right wrist, just above the bandages, then carefully grabbed a loose bandage and started peeling it off.

Logan hissed and grunted in pain as the bandages stuck to his burned skin from the blood. He instinctively pulled his hands back and held them to his chest as he breathed hard through the pain.

"Sorry." Kendall muttered. "But we have to get those off and-"

"I know." Logan breathed. "They need to be cleaned." He shakily re-offered his hands to Kendall, then shot him a pleading look. "Just. . .Like a bandaid." He said shakily.

Kendall nodded with sympathy in his eyes. He carefully took Logan's wrist again, then looked back to him. "You ready?"

Logan nodded, then held his breath. He felt the grip James had around his shoulders tighten reassuringly.

Kendall started ripping the bandages off, ignoring Logan's hisses of pain and keeping a firm grip on his wrist as Logan's instincts told him to pull away again. Kendall unwrapped them as fast as he could, one hand, then the other. Finally he bunched the bandages up and discarded them into the fire pit, then turned around and rummaged through the bag.

Logan slumped against James and breathed heavily. James rubbed Logan's arms comfortingly and Logan smiled weakly at him, then shot a glance at Carlos behind Kendall. "How you doin'?" Logan asked.

"Better than you." Carlos answered bitterly as he leaned against the log and watched.

"Good." Logan retorted with a small smirk.

Kendall turned back to Logan with an uncapped water bottle in his hand and an apologetic look on his face.

It took all of Logan's will power to hold in the groan as he saw it. He sat up again, feeling James sit up with him and lean his chest against Logan's back for support and comfort. Logan took a deep breath, then nodded. "Okay." He said shakily.

James slowly moved his arms and took each of Logan's wrists, holding them out for Kendall. He could feel Logan trembling slightly against him. "It's okay." James said softly in sympathy. "It'll be over soon."

Logan nodded, fear still present in his eyes. Then he turned back to Kendall. "Do it." He said softly, then held his breath.

James held Logan's wrists firmly, and turned his palms up for Kendall.

Kendall hesitated, hovering the bottle over Logan's hands. Tears of sympathy sprung to his eyes as he saw Logan hold his breath and squeeze his eyes shut, but Kendall quickly blinked them away. "Okay." He breathed. "Here it comes." And with that, he slowly started pouring the water over Logan's hands.

The second the water made contact, Logan cried out and instinctively tried to pull his stinging and burning hands back, but James held them firmly in place. Logan tried suppressing his cries of pain, dialing them down to grunts through gritted teeth. He dropped his head as tears rose to his eyes.

Just seeing Logan in so much pain brought tears to Carlos' eyes. It was his fault Logan had to go through that. If Carlos hadn't have gone off and fallen down that cave, Logan wouldn't have had to climb out with him and tear up his bandages. He wouldn't have gotten them dirty, they wouldn't have needed cleaning.

Logan's grunts made Carlos' tears spill over and slide down his cheeks, and he finally turned his gaze the other way with a sniffle. He couldn't watch anymore.

"Almost there." Kendall said over Logan's cries. "Just a little more."

Finally the dirt was fully washed from Logan's hands and Kendall stopped the flow of water, re-capping the bottle and setting it aside.

Logan breathed hard as he slumped against James again, a small tear finally making its down his cheek.

James' grip on Logan's wrists loosened to a comforting level, as he lowered them so Logan could rest his arms. James rubbed Logan's arms with his thumbs soothingly as he watched him. "You okay?" He asked softly. Logan nodded weakly.

Kendall grabbed the gauze and wrapped Logan's hands back up, trying to ignore his hisses of pain. "There." Kendall breathed, then looked to Logan. "You good?"

Logan dropped his hands weakly into his lap, leaning against James even more from exhaustion. Logan slowly nodded. "Thanks." He breathed.

Kendall sighed. "I'm sorry." He said softly.

Logan shook his head. "Don't be silly. It needed to be done. It would've been a lot worse if you hadn't."

"I know." Kendall said softly. "But still."

"It's okay Kendall." Logan insisted. "You did the right thing." Finally Kendall smiled at him.

"It's my fault." Carlos piped up softly. The others turned to him. "I'm the one who went out and got lost." Carlos continued. "I'm the one who fell down that cave. I should be the hurt one."

"You did get hurt." Logan said bitterly. "You have a concussion, remember?" He said with a small smirk, then went serious again. "None of it was your fault, Carlos. You didn't plan to get lost. You didn't plan to fall down the cave. It all just happened. You had nothing to do with it."

"But I shouldn't have went out alone." Carlos said. "I shouldn't have been wandering around, without grabbing a flashlight." He looked up at Logan with tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry." Then he looked to Kendall and James. "I'm so, sorry."

"It's not your fault." Logan said. "I don't blame you Carlos."

Kendall scooted up beside Carlos and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him close. "None of us do."

Carlos leaned into Kendall's chest and cried softly. "I'm scared." He whispered. "I don't want to be here. I don't want us to be hurt and lost and stranded on this island with no way to call for help. I'm scared."

Kendall hugged Carlos tightly. "I know buddy. But at least we're together. That's more than we could ask for."

"We'll make it back." James said confidently. "You'll see. They'll have rescue workers looking for us. Search parties everywhere. They'll find us. Who knows? It may even be tomorrow."

Carlos sniffled, then finally nodded, accepting their words.

"It'll be okay Carlos." Logan said softly. "Just stick with us. We can protect each other, just like we always do."

The others nodded with smiles on their faces, and finally Carlos offered a small smile back. "Okay." Carlos whispered.

Kendall rubbed Carlos' shoulder comfortingly. "We should get some sleep." He said.

The others nodded and everyone settled down where they were; Carlos safely in Kendall's arms, and Logan safely in James'. Everyone was asleep in minutes.