Although I do always try to make things at least somewhat realistic I'm by no means an expert on weapons or anything even remotely healthcare-adjacent, so please forgive me any inaccuracies in the name of artistic license. Thank you for all of the kind reviews so far! -abby

Magnum was limping badly, but still mostly able to move under his own power. They kept going until Katsumoto felt reasonably confident they weren't being followed, though he had no real way to be certain. Regardless, he knew they had to stop and so he hoped for the best as he gently eased Thomas to the ground. The private investigator hunched over his wounded leg, panting harshly.

"How are you doing? Let me take a look." Gordon crouched next to the other man, frowning at the amount of blood that already saturated Magnum's jeans. Idly hoping that they hadn't left a bloody trail marking their path through the forest, he gently tore away fabric so he could see the wound and couldn't help but cringe at the sight. The arrow had pierced the meat of Magnum's outer thigh, about four inches above his knee, and he knew it had to be excruciatingly painful.

"How…bad?" Thomas asked between pants.

"Bad enough. Normally I'd say we shouldn't try and remove it, but..." Gordon trailed off, well aware that the medical attention Thomas needed probably wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

"Pull it out," the injured man agreed, still breathing hard. The muscles of his upper thigh contracted painfully as they protested the foreign object, and he grimaced and tried to massage out the knot.

"I can't tell what kind of head is on this arrow," Gordon warned. "It may do a lot of damage."

"'M sure it's a broadhead," Thomas gasped on a ragged inhale, still digging his fingers into the cramping muscles of his leg. "Meant for…big game, right?"

"You could bleed out. And if you don't, it could cause permanent damage to the muscle."

"If it hit an artery…I'd be dead already. Those heads are designed to cause hemorrhaging." Thomas took a deep breath and winced. "Look, I can't keep running with two feet of arrow sticking out of my leg. It's already seizing up." He grunted as another spasm ripped through his thigh, and his voice was tight as he continued. "Permanent muscle damage is better than dead."

"I could try and break off the shaft so it isn't sticking out so far." Katsumoto frowned. He didn't like that idea either. Without a tool to cut through the rigid shaft it wouldn't be easy, and he could end up causing a lot of damage anyway. He looked at Magnum with concern. "I'm going to pull on it a little, see if maybe I can figure out what kind of head is on there. Maybe you got lucky and it'll just slip right out."

Magnum snorted skeptically. "Yeah. Just do what you need to do, man." He took a deep breath and braced himself as Gordon reached for the shaft. "Aghhhh," he groaned as Katsumoto tugged gently.

The detective's frown told him everything he needed to know. "I didn't get lucky," Thomas said softly. It wasn't a question.

Gordon shook his head with a sigh. "I still think we should leave it alone. And unfortunately I don't think I can break off the shaft without making things worse."

"It needs to come out. Just do it, man. I'll be okay."

"Magnum…"

"Just do it," Thomas said again. He sounded strained, and gasped again as the muscles of his injured leg continued to contract, sending excruciating cramps down to his toes. He gripped his thigh hard, trying to control the relentless spasms. "Please."

Katsumoto contemplated. There was no good option, and he knew it. With another sigh, he quickly stripped down to his undershirt and began tearing his button-down into long strips. He folded some of them into makeshift bandages to use and stop the bleeding. Magnum watched quietly as the detective worked, kneading the painful muscles of his thigh and trying to steel himself against the agony he knew was to come.

"Okay, you ready?" Gordon set the fabric aside, then pulled off his belt and folded it over once before offering it to Magnum. "Here."

Thomas nodded, putting the belt in his mouth and biting down. "Go," he said around his clenched teeth.

Katsumoto studied him, face somber. "On three," he said softly. "One, two…three." In one careful, swift movement he braced Thomas with one hand and pulled the arrow free with the other, wincing along with the private investigator as it tore through muscle and flesh. He tossed the projectile aside, noting absently that it was indeed a large broadhead arrow even as he tried not to look at the blood and gore that had once been part of Magnum's leg.

For his part, Thomas managed to tamp down on an agonized scream. He inhaled sharply as the arrow came out, biting down on the belt so hard that he felt his teeth pierce the leather. He breathed in shallow pants, letting a single quiet moan escape as Katsumoto pressed thick layers of fabric against the wound, then firmly tied it all down with one of the remaining strips of shirt.

Once finished, Katsumoto coaxed Magnum to unclench his jaw then gently pried the belt free. "Hey, look at me," he gripped the injured man's chin in his hand and forced eye contact. He studied the dark eyes intently, noting worriedly how glassy and unfocused they had become. Sweat beaded Magnum's hairline, despite his skin feeling cool to the touch. "Hey. Breathe. Breathe, Thomas. We need to go. Now." We've already been in one place for too long. "You with me?"

"Yeah," Magnum nodded as he took a deep breath, closing his eyes momentarily. Katsumoto watched with fascination as the other man's expression cleared and his eyes opened. They were again clear and alert, as if a switch had been flipped. "Yeah, I'm with you," Thomas said decisively. He held out a hand, wordlessly asking for a lift.

Katsumoto stood and helped the other man to his feet, wrapping a supportive arm around his waist. Thomas slung his right arm around Gordon's shoulders as he awkwardly hopped on his left foot, struggling to find his balance and adjust his weight to something his wounded leg could handle.

Once situated they began to slowly make their way through the rainforest, hoping they could locate civilization before the hunters found them again.

Or before Magnum bleeds to death, Katsumoto said to himself.