The march through the woods had been grueling to say the least, forcing Steve to take breaks every couple yards to prevent going down.
Carl had stayed quiet the entire time, offering an outstretched hand whenever he sensed assistance was required, but otherwise remaining in the position of silent observer.
They'd followed the trail of footprints that wove through the woods, backtracking a couple of times, even climbing past a small assortment of rocks, undoubtedly to confuse them or anybody trying to piece together what was happening.
Steve's heart ached at the thought of what might have happened to Mike now, and how the Lieutenant must be thinking he was dead.
One step at a time, he reminded himself, when fear and panic threatened to overtake his body, robbing it of the few precious energy resources he'd managed to hold onto.
With his heavy, wet clothes dragging him down and chilling his core, it didn't take long before Steve stopped to lean against a tree once again, closing his eyes temporarily, the wheezing in his lungs sounding deeper and angrier with every minute that passed.
Next to him, Carl came to a slow stop, reaching out a hand to help that the young Inspector politely declined.
"Break…?"
"One…minute…", Steve countered and rested his temple against the rough bark.
Unfortunately, his minute turned into almost five minutes before he gathered enough strength to keep going.
Running low on fuel, the only thing left to drive him was his partner's uncertain fate, hoping that despite his current state, he'd be able to reach the Lieutenant in time to save his life.
Running a hand through his damp, sandy hair and finding a dried strand of algae, Steve cleared his throat, feeling the tightness in his chest spread, knowing that he was only making matters worse with his trip through the woods.
But he had to find Mike.
Save Mike.
No matter the cost.
Waiting out the painful coughing spell that ensued, he pushed himself away from the trunk and continued on.