Part 11:

After dropping Harrison off safely and handing him off to Gwen to calm him down, Jackson went back to his tent to grab his clothes. He still needed his morning shower and definitely needed to clean his wounds. He stopped at the bathroom to grab his first aid things he needed before walking into the showers and taking off his clothes. He slipped on his swim trunks as usual and walked over to the shower. He gulped as he turned on the water to a chilly setting and let it rain over his torn up arm from using the trees to keep him out of harm. A loud cry escaped his throat before he crumbled to the floor, sniffling and held his arm close to his body.

Water rained down Jackson's back as his shoulders began to move up and down. His nose and eyes were red, his tears falling down and mixing with the shower, leading them all to the same drain in the middle of the room. Every cut and scrape the water touched stung and burned. He felt like he was on fire, blood making its way down his body and turning the drain water to orange and then red.

"Jack-...son...?" Campbell froze at the door when entering the shower room. He scanned the sight before him with wide eyes before rushing over and lifting the younger man into his arms, uncaring that he was getting blood on himself, "Here... let's get you cleaned and patched up." He spoke softly, taking him away from the water, "Your wounds are too fresh for a shower. You'll bleed out." He said, drying him off a little at a time so as not to irritate any wounds and once dry, he grabbed a few cotton swabs, soaking them in alcohol, and began dabbing his arm with them. Each touch with the swabs made the young man flinch, tears still rolling down his face, "Pretty crafty... out running the bear by using your smaller stature... reckless, but crafty." He said as he began softly wrapping his arm with gauze. The bleeding was slow enough that gauze would be enough to end it.

It was silent for a moment before Jackson spoke, voice cracking and shaking, "C-Couldn't h-have said that earlier?" He asked, trying to keep in his anger. The man was taking care of his wounds, after all.

"I'm a piece of shit, Jaxxy... I know you, by now. You'd do anything for these kids... I was just..." Campbell gulped, not really used to caring for a person this way, "I'm terrified. You're the best fucking thing that's ever crossed my miserable existence." He admitted, tightening the gauze and securing it with a pin. Campbell then went to Jackson's back which was still bleeding pretty heavily from the claw marks. He grabbed the towel and put pressure on all three scratches since they were close together. Jax hissed, "And... I should be... apologizing for..." Campbell sighed again, "...talking to you that way. What I should've said was... w-was... please don't do anything reckless like that again if you... have the option. I would've preferred you have grabbed me or even that Sherry girl... She's pretty smart."

"Shilo?"

"Yeah. That's what I said."

Jackson chuckled a little before the man started cleaning the back wounds. He gripped the bench and tried his best to stay still while the man finished cleaning and dressing him, "How's your head?" Campbell asked, "I saw you land."

"Hurts." Jackson admitted before Campbell returned to his front and put a finger in the younger man's face. Jackson followed it from side to side, up and down. He knew a vision test when he saw one, "Am I gonna live, Doc?" He joked lightly.

"Yeah, kid. You'll be fine. You don't seem to have a concussion and none of your wounds will even need stitches. There was just a lot of them." The older man put a hand on Jackson's cheek, "I'm sorry..." he repeated and Jackson noticed his eyes becoming just a little more shiny at the bottom, even beginning to redden before the man sniffed and pulled him in for a hug. Jackson returned it, placing his head on the man's shoulder.

"I guess I forgive you." He teased, "As long as you make me a big bowl of Mac and cheese tonight for dinner."

Campbell chuckled huskily, "Awful bold of you to ask a Campbell man to cook, but I suppose a little box macaroni and cheese is an easy enough task to get us back to normal again."

The older man helped Jackson change into some clean clothes before they walked out to find Harrison waiting for them. The look on the boy's face absolutely broke Jackson's heart as he bent down next to him, "Is... everything okay? Are you hurt."

The boy didn't answer, at first. Choosing to wrap his skinny arms around Jackson's neck and hug him, "I'm sorry... I'm really sorry! You got so hurt because of me." Jackson held him close as the boy poured out the way he felt, "It's all my fault."

"No-no... Harrison. It's okay! I'm okay. Everything is okay." He rubbed the boy's back, "Mr. Campbell fixed me all up."

"But I heard you scream..."

Harrison protested. Jackson sighed, pulling the boy out of the hug, "Yes. It hurts. Wounds hurt. But you wanna know what? Wounds heal. And when they do, you become stronger. You learn from your mistakes. This works for all of the wounds." He pokes a finger to Harrison's chest and smiled, "Even in your heart. Everything is gonna be okay, buddy. I promise." Jackson ruffled the boy's hair, picking him up and standing, despite the muscles and wounds that were screaming for him not to. He ignored them, "Now, come on. You're gonna miss lunch time." Jackson said, looking back at Campbell and timing his head, wanting him to follow.

Campbell smiled thoughtfully at Jax before following close behind. Maybe these kids weren't so bad, after all.