AN: Another ficlet for my 100 followers fic request event on Tumblr. The event is ongoing, and will be for a little while more, so if you have a basic prompt that you would like me to write, go over to my Tumblr account ( rosiehunterwolf) and submit an ask!
This one was submitted by the wonderful redefine-your-identity, who requested "Cole injury"
Cole staggered to a halt, groaning as he slumped against the rock. Pain shot through his shoulder as it bumped against the jagged surface. He scooped up a handful of snow and pressed it against his shoulder as a temporary icepack, the red of his blood quickly bleeding through it. Pushing it aside slightly, he glanced down at the wound- it was ugly, gaping, raw- with fresh blood welling all along it and dripping down his arm.
Dammit. He had endured far worse before, but this was bleeding a lot. He hoped he didn't lose too much blood. The higher elevations of the mountain were already making him lightheaded. He didn't need blood loss to worsen that. He was really praying now that this supposed Krag monster didn't exist- he was in no shape to fight it if it did.
Ugh, he had been too careless. After those fishermen had told Cole of the danger of Krag, the supposed beast who was guarding the Traveler's Tree he was after, he had been watching for signs of the monster so intently that he had missed the tingling in his veins that signaled a disturbance in the earth. He had been lucky to escape that rockslide with nothing more that a small gash.
Fumbling through his bag, he found a roll of gauze, thanking everything that he had at least been smart enough to pack some basic first aid supplies. Still, he didn't have everything he needed. This was going to be messy. He only hoped it would suffice until he got back to the village.
Wrapping his shoulder up was more difficult than he had anticipated. As he struggled to one-handedly wrap the gauze, Cole realized he had never wrapped his own wounds without the others there before.
This was for the best, though. He needed to do this alone- to prove he could atone for his mistakes. Losing the Traveler's Tea had been all his fault, and he needed to make sure the others would forgive him-
They would, Cole insisted. It was only a dream. In real life, they'd never treat me like that. I'm doing this because it needs to be done, not to gain their approval.
If that's true… then where are they now?
Cole tried to shake the thought from his head. That wasn't fair. He had run off without telling them. How were they expected to know where he had gone?
... Still, it had been quite a long time. Nearly a full day by this point. Hadn't they noticed his absence? Why wouldn't they come to search for him?
Cole swallowed, although there was still a lump in his throat. He knew he was being ridiculous. He knew the team cared about him, and would never leave him here, alone and injured, on purpose.
But the feeling of being forgotten wasn't one that faded easily.
It stung far worse than his wound.