"Hey Jesse!" His mother ran up to him excitedly. "How was your first day at school?" She asked picking him up into her arms.
"Mom I'm six I can walk on my own." Jesse pouted.
"I know sweetie but I wont be able to pick you up when you're older so too bad." She reasoned tousling his hair.
"Hey kiddo how was school?" His dad walked in now a bright smile on his face.
"It was okay I guess." Jesse shrugged. "I don't have any friends though."
"It's only the first day sweetie don't worry you'll get time to know them." His mother comforted him by planting a kiss on his head and setting him back down.
"So Jesse, me and your father are going away tonight so Uncle Tony's gonna watch you alright?"
Jesse nodded uninterested. "Can I go play now?"
"Go ahead Jesse."
Next thing Jesse knew he was sitting in the hospital waiting room with his dad as they waited for news on his mom. She had been shot while she was out with his dad someone was aiming for his father but they missed. They might as well have killed him with what the events had done to him emotionally.
Jesse just wanted to see her face again. He missed her already. He wanted to hear her sweet voice coo to him or even yell at him he didn't care. The doctor walked out slowly. He held himself in a timid manner.
"I'm sorry, there was too much blood loss. Your wife has passed away." The Doctor delivered the heavy news so swiftly. To Jesse it felt as if his entire body had stopped. He couldn't breath. He wanted it to stop he wanted to wake up.
Instead he watch his dad crumple to the floor in a heavy heap.
He punched the floor in anger. "This is all my fault." He cried out. "It's all my fault." He repeated. Jesse joined his dad on the floor. His dad quickly scooped him up in his arms as they cried in each other's arms.
"Wakey wakey." Sombra sung as she prodded McCree with a finger nail. "I'm not supposed to let a concussed person sleep too long."
Jesse shot up.
"Woah woah easy I didn't mean to scare you." Sombra spoke softer now.
"Are you alright? You look really pale.." Jesse didn't reply, he was too busy trying to forget that night.
"I'll leave you then." Sombra excused herself.
"Wait." Jesse croaked. "How are you feeling?"
Sombra laughed. "I'm fine." She waved off as she exited the tent.
She didn't want to lie to Jesse but she didn't want to be dramatic either. She figured the pain would subside soon enough. Her shins felt raw, even with the bandages covering them the slightest bit of wind made Sombra wince.
Dark clouds covered the sky, the usual sound of birds was silence by the ominous storm approaching. Sombra began setting up a tarp, they weren't supposed to be back home until tomorrow. She feared coming back too early might look suspicious.
Jesse emerged from the tent just as Sombra finished tying the last end of the tarp.
Jesse examined her work and chuckled a bit.
"What?" She asked defensively a blush rushing into her cheeks.
"Nothin we'll fix it later. " He continued to laugh as he grabbed a seat by the fire pit.
Claire came running back from the lake and joined Sombra and Jesse.
The air was unusually tense and awkward. Claire sensed this. "Did you guys have a fight?" She blurted twiddling her fingers together anxiously.
"No! We just-" Jesse began before he trailed off looking to Sombra for help.
"We uh-"
"We don't know what to do today. Any ideas?" Sombra cut Jesse off.
Jesse mouthed a thank you to Sombra.
"I don't know.." she looked up to the sky. "It looks like it's gonna be cold today."
"Well lets go for a walk I wanna see more of this place anyway." Jesse stood up to stretch.
Sombra and Jesse walked side by side their strides matching up with one another. Claire walked in front examining everything.
"So..." Sombra began.
"So..." Jesse continued.
"I guess you don't need me around anymore hey?" Sombra admitted a sense of sadness washed over her face.
"Well, that's not completely true. But it's up to you if you wanna stay for a while you know for Claire..." he blushed scratching the back of his head. Suddenly Sombra's knees buckled as she fell against Jesses shoulder.
"Woah woah what's wrong?" He grabbed her shoulders to prop her back up. Her face looked sick, sweat glistened along her forehead. "Im fine." She mumbled. He placed the back of his hand against her face. "Shit Sombra you have a fever"
"Meh it's fiiiinnee." She slurred leaning onto Jesse more.
"Claire it's time to go back!" He called out. But she wasn't in front of him anymore. "Claire!"He shouted still holding up Sombra.
Jesse fixed Sombra onto his back before rushing down the trail hoping to see Claire nearby.
"Claire!" He called out again.
"Clauuire" Sombra called out in a dopey voice attempting to help out McCree.
Jesses head spun where was she? Where could she have gone? Is she hurt is she lost is she in danger?
Panicked filled Jesses heart, he was so concerned about Sombra he wasn't watching Claire. "No, no no I need to get Sombra help."
"Claire!" Jesse cried out more desperately this time. Was he going to have to leave Sombra for a bit so he could search properly? Or maybe she'd be back at camp.
"I'm here!" She called out beforing running up to him.
"Where were you?" Jesse said in half anger half worry.
"I was looking at the rocks.."she looked down at her feet.
"Don't do that again okay? Stay in my sights Ya gave me a heart attack."
Claire nodded. "What's wrong with her?" She asked pointing to Sombra.
"I don't know, that's why we have to go back." Sombra mumbled something in Spanish, despite not fully understanding Jesse doubted it was a coherent sentence anyway.
Jesse laid Sombra down in the tent on top of her sleeping bag. She was burning up bad. Rain began to hit the tent, the rhythmic drumming in sync with Jesses heart rate.
He looked down at her legs, a hint of purple tinged her skin at the top of the bandage.
"God damn it Sombra you said you felt fine."
Jesse shook his head. Quickly he took off the bandages to inspect her burns.
Jesse cringed at the sight of them. Her legs were swollen and angry.
Jesse reached for the first aid kit beside him and rummaged through it. Luckily he still had a bit of antiseptic left. He poured the liquid onto Sombra's leg slowly as if it might reduce the pain.
"Fuuuugggggghhhh" Sombra cried out in pain clenching her jaw tight.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Jesse apologized over and over each time, the sight of her in pain caused his heart to feel weak. "Here this might help." He said offering her Tylenol. Sombra reluctantly took it.
Jesse let her burns breathe for a bit, he laid beside her in the tent as she went in between consciousness. He had rung out a wet cloth and placed it on her forehead just as she had done for him before, but her fever was much worse than his had been.
He closes his eyes and listened to the rain drum on the tent. He took a deep breath enjoying the scent of the damp forest around him.
Sombra sat up abruptly getting Jesses attention. "You okay?"
Sombra clasped a hand over her mouth before bolting out of the tent. Jesse followed her to a near by tree where she had puked. Jesse rubbed her back.
"You okay?" He asked concern in his voice.
Sombra lifted her head to speak but instead began puking again.
"Shit..." Jesse ran his hand through his hair.
Jesse ran to the jeep fishing an old phone out from the glove compartment. His fingers trembled as he went through his contacts list. He put the phone up to his ear. Every ring made his heart sink deeper.
"Ana, leave a message." The recording played. It was weird to hear her voice again.
"Hey it's Jesse, what do I do if someone has a really bad infection and a fever and is throwing up everywhere I need help. Please I need help." He clicked end before searching for Angela.
Once again the rings brought him to voice mail. "It's Jesse... what do you do if someone has a really bad infection and is throwing up everywhere and can't exactly go to the hospital? Please call me back it's urgent."
Jesse put his phone in his back pocket before checking in on Sombra. She was now passed out against the tree her hair matted and dirty. He picked her up and buckled her up in the car. He turned around to see Claire watching him. "Hey Claire. We need to go home I need you to get in the car."
"What about all the camping stuff?"
"Not important right now, well come back for it."
Claire jumped in and buckled herself in.
Jesse drove fast through the monsoon if rain and wind. Fortunately there weren't many people driving due to the weather. "How you doing kiddo?"
"I'm okay, is Sombra gonna be okay?" She asked her voice sounding tight.
"Yeah of course she is! We just need to bring her somewhere more comfortable." Jesse explained.
Claire didn't reply.
"I know I'm worried about her too." He continued.
"Do you like her?" Claire tilted her head curiously.
Jesse blushed luckily Claire couldn't see.
"I just want her to be alright."
"You didn't answer my question." Claire argued not letting it drop.
"Of course I do Claire she wouldn't be hanging around if I didn't." He admitted.
The drive the rest of the way mostly in silence. Occasionally pulling over for Sombra to get sick and fall back asleep again. Claire could tell Jesse was stressed out but he did his best to keep Claire at ease.
When they arrived at the house there were already two cars in the drive way. Jesse parked on the curb. "Stay in here. Do not leave unless I come and get you." He instructed to Claire before bestowing his hat in her head.
Jesse jumped out of the Jeep and headed inside his house. The door was unlocked and the hall lights were on. "Hello?" He called out confused.
"Hello Jesse, we've been expecting you."