A/N: I heard some people are interested in this story which is encouraging!
SakuraofDarknes, thank you for your review! I shall write more!
Title: Eco Rumble
Rating: M+
Chapter three: Torn and shattered
He had moved swiftly through the streets, the frail girl upon his shoulders. Daxter sprinted ahead, signaling to Jak in which directions to move. He just hoped he could get Faux back to the Naughty Ottsel in time. She was bleeding heavily from the gashes upon her body, as well as looked half starved and completely exhausted. Faux's mind traveled as Jak carried her. She noticed his grip on her, as if dropping her meant the end of the world. Blinking, she remembered what the small ottsel said to her.
"You, go home with Jak." It was the ottsel's words to her. Jak... JAK! She knew that name, but why? She knew she had something to do with it... everything was a blur the last three days... everything. Shutting her eyes, she tried to recall, but ended up in a sheer blank. The only thing she recalled was her terrible abuse... and the Precursors. The Precursors protected her, they saved her. But no one else knew that...
"Dax, how much do you know about treating wounds?" Jak looked over to his friend as they began to jog swiftly in the deserted alleyways.
"Err, not much Jak... last I checked, Tattoo Wonder knew a hell of a lot more than both of us and a monkey." The orange ottsel put his hands on his hips thinking. "Think he said something about grabbing a drink and heading back home?" Daxter never really got along with Torn, yet again, most everyone found him annoying except for Tess. He melted at the thought of her and Jak could tell Daxter was drifting off in a daydream again.
"Yeah... that helps us a lot..." He sighed, rounding a corner and pressing to a wall, cradling Faux in his arms and waiting until the guards slipped by them. For once Daxter was quiet as a mouse. Looking about, he found a rogue Zoomer. "Hey Dax..." The green-blonde elf smirked and notched his head towards the vehicle.
"What!" The orange fluff ball replied. "And just HOW in the hell are you going to drive and hold her at the same time?" Daxter tapped his foot, yet soon he found himself on the back of the Zoomer supporting Faux who had her arms wrapped ever so weakly around Jak's waist. Jak started slow, sneaking a few peeks back over his shoulder now and then to check the two behind him which seemed fine. Daxter was very quiet, but perhaps it was because of the fact he had his lean arms wrapped around Faux's fragile body trying to avoid most of her own blood.
The city was blank, dark and deserted at that time of the morning. It must have been about 4:30, yet Jak was unable to judge the stars due to the rain clouds that started to bring a cold drizzle down. Fall was a cold time to have a rain, especially with his 'passenger'. With tattered combat uniform, thin from starvation and bruised from abuse, he was going to be surprised if the girl did not get pneumonia, let alone live. He also hoped that Torn was awake, or at least in a decent mood. Bringing the injured to him to heal was not exactly appealing to Torn, even if it was his own, but with the girl not being one of his own would just make matters worse. At least Jak could talk to Torn about Ashelin...
The rain poured harder as they approached the apartment building on the Zoomer. Jak dismounted it and gingerly took the frail girl in his arms once more, heading to Torn's door. Daxter looked at Jak, who nodded giving Dax the signal to ring the bell. It took several minutes and Jak was beginning to wonder if Torn was actually home and not at the Naughty Ottsel still. Finally, as they were about to turn away the door opened.
"Jak?" The slightly raspy but authoritive voice questioned his presence.
"Torn! I... I need your help." He held out the bundle of torn and tattered clothing that was now soaked in blood that streamed and bled from the pouring chilled rain. He could see Torn slightly surprised as his eyes followed the female.
"What the hell is this... or WHO the hell is this? This isn't one of ours is it?" Torn's fingers traced a tattered edge of Faux's clothing and moved it from her face, as well as part of her long hair.
"No, I found her over in the west side. There were a few guards after her, a shoot-to-kill order was in place. This girl wouldn't hurt a fly though... at least she couldn't and can't in her state." The two looked down at an unconscious Faux.
"Do you know ANYTHING about her?" He reluctantly moved away from his door, motioning for the group to enter. "Put her here... by the Precursors Jak, how in the hell do you find shit like this?" Torn begins to look about the room, opening some drawers for bandages and other elementary doctoring tools.
"All I know is her name is Faux and she's in pretty bad shape..." Jak folded his slightly bloodstained arms.
"That's obvious..." Torn growled slightly, irritated from lack of sleep as he began to overlook the female. He ran a finger down her ear, swiping at the blood. It was slightly torn, something that would require stitches. Traveling farther, he discovered her other wounds, ones more serious and life threatening.
"She going to be okay?" Jak approached, but Torn signaled him to step back. Daxter perched himself on Jak's shoulder, trying to get a better view of the situation.
"Don't know Jak... I'm not used to people knocking on my door at 4 am with busted up women." He spat, but began to bring out his stitching tools as well as some Novocain. "Damnit... no antiseptic..." Torn snarled once more and Jak could feel the tension around the room. The older elf stood up and walked to another room, returning with a bottle of whiskey. "Better than nothing, yet it's also my better stuff." Torn shot a look at Jak, who nervously shrugged. "No promises Jak, I'll do my best but I'm not a doctor. I only know how to treat field wounds." Jak nodded, watching the older, tattooed elf go to work. They were silent for the next twenty minutes.
Jak sat watching Torn's work for the next hour. Daxter had decided upon raiding Torn's refrigerator, but backed from the idea not wanting to get beaten to a pulp.
"Um, you talk to Ashelin lately?" Jak was the first to break the silence as Torn started to bandage the girl, yet had to first start to cut the remainder of her tattered clothing. Both males became uneasy at the sight and talk of females and Torn especially, now cutting Faux's clothes off her body.
"Not particularly. She seems quite interested with you." The older elf never looked eye to eye with Jak the whole time, focusing on Faux. It had been a long while he had seen or talked to Ashelin other than business. Wars had separated them. Jak was a hero... but bandaging this girl was painful, wanting to take care of someone that was to his own.
"Oh..." It was Jak's only reply, seeing Torn's personality shift at the chatter of females. He, himself blushed a bit seeing the skin of Faux before him, Torn leaving her shirt intact but bandaging the rest of her.
"She's too unstable to move... where was she going to stay?" The elf questioned the green-blonde.
"I, err... never thought that far." Jak admitted. Torn sighed and rolled his eyes.
"Figures." He growled. Jak could sense he was overly tired. He would be too, drinking half the night then playing doctor until morning. It was still clashing thunder outside and Faux was still unconscious. "She's thin, probably hasn't eaten in a week or more. It might be days before she wakes up, she's had multiple injuries, a cracked rib and I repaired and stitched the gashes in her side. This is, IF she makes it." Torn finally locked eyes with Jak, Jak only nodded.
"So she will have to stay here?" He questioned and Torn sighed.
"Not that I PLANNED on housing someone, but yes. If you move her, it will increase her chances of dying." Jak nodded at this, looking towards Daxter who had finally fallen asleep in a corner. They had been through everything together.
"Maybe I can find out more about her in the morning... maybe with the help of-" Jak was cut short.
"Ashelin? Forget it Jak, Ashelin only worries about Ashelin and no one else. Come on, look how she treats Keira and how she always belittles Tess. You REALLY think she's going to take time out from her precious life to look into some rogue girl who is half dead whom YOU saved and brought to me to patch up? Get real..." Torn shook his head, wrapping the last of the bandage along Faux's frail leg. Quietly, he discretely noticed the scars that lined the girl. Most still healing and some permanent and deep. Even as cold as he was at times, he felt sympathy for her. Her face was intact, the small scar under her right eye was the only one that showed, but her long red/brunette hair was tangled and unkempt as it grew to her waist. Perhaps something Tess could help with. She just looked like she could appreciate a good meal and a rest... maybe even a shower.
Jak in the meantime had stood and stared from Torn's window. "I don't love her." He blurted, speaking of Ashelin. "She is so... I don't know, self centered? But at the same time I'm confused, my heart rips to Keira but she doesn't want me..."
Torn scoffed. "Go home, sleep. We all need it Jak. We'll see what mess this one has been into in the morning." He thumbed towards Faux, who was curled up peacefully on a large couch.
Jak smirked. "You're such a gentleman, giving her the bumpy couch." Torn gritted his teeth.
"I stitched her up, I'm saving her life and now I have to give her my bed?" He stated with agitation. Jak shrugged and picked Daxter up who was out like a light.
"Just stating the facts." He backed out of the door and gave a lazy salute, heading out into the cold storm and back onto the Zoomer. The Naughty Ottsel wasn't far, and he placed Daxter in front of him, the orange creature stirring slightly.
"Ohh, yeah Tess... daddy wants some sugah!" The ottsel pawed in the air, clearly dreaming in bliss. Jak made a sour face and started off, once again in deep thoughts. Torn watched from a window, then turned back towards Faux and bit his lip.
"Damn conscience..." He snarled, ever so gently picking the female up and carrying her to his bed. He let her down softly and covered her, notching how she still bled heavily through the bandages and shuttered at the thought of a corpse in his bed in the morning. "You better live..." He snapped as he padded back to the couch and curled in it. His apartment was spacious with large ceilings, too much for him in his opinion. It only made him felt lonelier. He despised Ashelin. It wasn't Jak's fault she left him, but it struck him like a hot iron.