Right, new chap! I want to say thank you a lot for all the support and reviews even though this fic's not as great as other fics, he he. Jack's thoughts. Sorry if there're any mistakes or confusion whatsoever, I wrote this in a rush.
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Twigs crashed under Jack's boots as he dashed through the forest. His chest burned without oxygen and his whole body almost shut down from the lack of air in his body. Jack took two steps faster than usual. He tried to ignore the pain in his legs, he tried to ignore flashing images of Ennis dying, he tried to ignore the heavy guilt in his heart, pounding as fast as his panicked heartbeat now and most of all he tried to ignore the word 'I killed him'…
The sight of their trucks just a few feet from Jack was like a light at the end of a tunnel. But it was a very long tunnel.
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It felt as if it was hours ago when he last saw Ennis' face in his hands. Silent yet still warm. His heart was broken to pieces at the sight but he couldn't help and feel that he was the cause for all this. All that Jack could do was cry, yelled his hearts out and shut his eyes to let the blackness wash away the true happening. But, Ennis' face was burned into his eyes and won't go away like a hot sun burning into his closed eyelids, the faded crimson among the dark blue when he does close his eyes from the sun.
And when he opened his eyes, he saw Grimm kneeling beside him and tried to take Ennis away from Jack. One of Ennis' shoulder was now slung across Grimm's own shoulders to be supported.
"Wha…Hey, What are yeh… Yer not taking him away!" Jack got up and tried to retrieve Ennis away from Grimm's grip. "Jack, stop that! We need to get him back to camp!"
"Camp? CAMP! We need to get him to a hospital, not the campsite, Grimm! Get… get yer hands off him!"
"Jack, if Ennis DIED in the hospital because of getting shot, the doctors will blame YOU for his death and you'll be guilty and…,"
"Then I won't care! I won't stay long if Ennis died before me, anyway! I still want him ter go to a hospital, 'sides, yer gonna take him away right now, aren't ya! That's why yer Grimm! That's what yeh do, don't ya!"
"Jack, oh goodness gracious! I won't take him away! He's not supposed to die TODAY! Jack, I don't want him to die as much as you do because my boss gonna kill me for letting someone die when they aren't supposed to! Literally!"
"How the hell are yeh ta die when yer already…!" Jack gestured his hands at Grimm's body, indicating I-don't-have-the-right-word-but-yeh-know-what-I-mean to Grimm
"Jack, I can save this man…"
Jack looked at Grimm. His too-good-to-be-true-words are worth to doubt at this moment, especially when Ennis' life is depending desperately on Jack's hasty decision.
"Jack, I promise you, I won't let Ennis die," Grimm tried to soothe Jack while his hands were still full trying to support Ennis. But at the back of Grimm's head was screaming 'Hurry up! Choose already! This man's dying!'
"What can yeh do that those doctors can't?" Jack said with forced calmness but his hands were shaking from fear, pressure and guilt. All those emotions built up in one body of a man, a man split in a conflict that was obvious to see the answer but logic blurs it all. And this man tried to stand still and held them all back with legs deeply rooted to the ground.
Grimm hesitated to answer but he said "I… had a bit magic left from teleportating from my present dimension to this dimension."
"So?" Jack gestured on for more elaboration. He watched as red drops dropped slowly from Ennis' wound, like a bloody clock ticking away Ennis' life.
"So, if…and I mean IF, one of Ennis' vital organs is damaged, I may put the magic to good use."
"Are yeh sayin' Ennis gotta die…!" Jack couldn't finish his sentence because Grimm cut him short as he feared that Jack may burst into uncontrollable emotional state "I said IF and I meant it. IF he does and the doctors know about it, they can't do anything because mortal human's abilities are quite limited but I can do something with my magic, now if you just run along, go to your truck and get me some gasoline,"
Jack thought Grimm was losing one of his screws or nuts in his brain. "What! Gasoline! What for!"
"We need to stop the bleeding so I need gasoline,"
"Yeh MAD! Gasoline… GASOLINE! Why can't ya use somethin' else! We got aid kit!"
"Jack, Ennis is bleeding like mad and some bandage won't stop that. If it does, it will only hold for a while but I need to close the wound for good,"
"Grimm, do ya have any idea going down there and back again ta the campsite takes 30 minutes? Can't ya poof me there or somethin'?"
Grimm, laden with Ennis, leaned closer to Jack's face. Jack could smell rotten death from the hooded man.
"Jack, Ennis is dying," Grimm whispered slowly as if he was in pain.
Jack knew the reality but 30 minutes seemed to be too long to save Ennis.
"I may not be an expert at medical stuff but I can help you. I can patch him up with my magic if he is greatly wounded but my magic is only enough for that. BUT I can still close the wound and stop excessive bleeding if you get the gasoline. Jack, I won't have any more magic to help Ennis if I have to poof you…"
"Why GASOLINE!" Jack ushered desperately.
"Boy, if you love this man beyond Sunday morning pies, you know you can run for it,"
"Why gasoline, Grimm…?" now Jack asked in a desperate sobbing tone. He was about to break down.
Drops of blood trickled more by the minutes and starting to stain Grimm's robes.
"I gotta do it by the book…"
A drop of tear fell from Jack's eyes and landed on the grassy growth of the Earth where it got mixed with Ennis' small pool of blood. He had no more time to lose…
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The conversation still hovered about Jack's head. How could some damn gasoline save a man's life! The small case containing the particular important liquid was now in Jack's tight grip
Jack was now sprinting back up the mountain. His chest burned badly. He blamed tobacco for that. The night was dark but the only thought on his mind now is Ennis. Still, Jack also questioned Grimm's authorities when Grimm was supposed to take away lives but what happening now was absolutely the opposite. Jack did not look at his watch but he wished that he was ahead of time. And what's this shit about 'do it by the book'! Whatthehell is he, some kinda professor!
Jack's long legs stampeded through the forest in full speed and Jack was not going to stop until he reached to Ennis' side.
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Ennis and Grimm were in the tent. Ennis' head was perfectly pillowed with some folded shirts and consciousness began to crawl on Ennis.
Grimm was busy trying to take Ennis' shirt off when Ennis woke in a total dazzled surprise at the sight. He intended to push Grimm away but his movement only resulted to a sudden stabbing pain that shot through Ennis' weak body.
"AH..shi…" he mumbled helplessly. Ennis flopped his head back on the only comfort provided which is the folded shirts and let the pain go away again. Sweats began to break away in trickles but Grimm wiped them. Then Grimm folded his long sleeves, exposing a bony arm. Ennis' breathes are coming in short gasps now.
"What…the…" Ennis' visions were blur from exhaustion and stray sweats. It stings to open his eyes but Grimm's odd actions just prevented Ennis from resting his head back down again. "What…hell.. doin…?" he just could not manage to say his sentence properly. Every breathes, every movement and every words uttered just caused him more pain. Oddly, he could not feel his stomach but just pain around it. When he looked at the source of pain, bitter truth fell on him like a boulder. He just got shot.
Ennis looked back at Grimm. He knew what Grimm was about to do.
"Hello, Ennis. I hope you don't mind. I'm gonna take the bullet out," Grimm said as he flexed his bony, disgusting looking fingers.
"Bullet…?" Ennis replied in disbelief.
"Yep, I'm gonna take it out the old-fashioned way. Do you want something to bite on just in case you screamed and swallow your tongue?"
"Hell… won't… scream…"
There were intense silent as Grimm gently lowered his hand to reach into the wound.
Ennis was not going to express how panicked he was at the idea of a Grimm's hand groping around in his stomach for a bullet but he let it out in a loud puff. The puff was supposed to be a sigh but Ennis did not dare to open his mouth so he clamped it shut and made the sigh sounded like a discontented puff. Grimm took this as fear. He's Death, of course he can sense fear, right?
"Don't worry; my touch is very gentle and loving. More gentle than a blunt knife,"
"If… do find sharp knife… I'm… gonna… stab it up yer a…
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Jack's body was crumbling under the pressure. The cold mountain air was not helping with his air supply and the darkness was having a conspiracy with his eyes. They just would not see clearly. Jack cursed his job for that.
Jack suddenly heard the familiar voice echoed throughout the forest in a horrible painful scream. It made a chill ran down Jack's neck and Jack panicked even more. Whatthehell is he doin' ta Ennis!
Jack caught one long breathe and started his pace again. His legs automatically ran towards the fading echo of the scream. His legs were screaming in anguish, his lungs were at the verge to burst and Jack could feel his brain slowly melting away with the cold wind.
And that was when it happened. For a second, Jack saw dark blankness then there were stars dancing in his eyes. It felt like as if a horse got him square on the head.
Oh, shit…
What's happenin'?
Jack fell into a heap on the ground. He needed to rest. His whole body had taken the brunt of extreme pressure that they blacked out for a second. Jack saw the trees around him spinning around, causing blurred images of green and black. He could feel something coming up from his stomach and trying to escape out of his mouth. Jack gagged at the effort of trying to hold back the vomit. His legs were shaken a little bit as Jack felt blood pumped to his head again, sufficient enough for his brain to keep working. All this happened so fast but Jack recovered.
In the confused matter, Jack felt the case slowly slipped away from his hand. Still confused, Jack grabbed for it, "Gotcha, ya lil' runt, OW!" he felt a painful throb on his head and Jack quickly tried to soothe it with his hand. The headache was like a hangover he always got when he woke up from a night full of heavy drinking.
"Gotta… get back ta En…"
Jack got up but his legs gave away under his weight, "Ain't no way…"
He got up again, with more force; He grabbed hold on to a tree. He leaned for a few seconds and continued his hasty pace once more.
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The bullet lay in a bloody mess on the tent's floor. Grimm did not stop to catch any breathe but quickly grabbed for the bandage and covered the wound. He tried to stop the wound from bleeding anymore and as he did, he looked at Ennis.
"You okay?"
Grimm watched as Ennis' chest went up and down, breathing rapidly. Ennis felt like as if someone just dragged his soul away but he managed to pull it back.
"Ennis, are you okay?" Grimm asked more insistently.
Ennis did not respond. He was trying to get accustomed to the slow relief washing all over his body without the bullet. Then, remembering the bullet, Ennis realized that someone had shot him in the forest. That guy…it was…
"Jack…" Ennis mumbled out of the corner of his mouth.
"Jack?"
"Jack… Where is he?"
"He'll be back…"
Ennis fell silent again. Grimm cleaned his wound and added some anesthetic from the aid kit. Ennis winced but he kept all the pain to himself and only produced silence. He let Grimm to his work even though he had not known the guy that much. Grimm was busy fussing over the wound when Ennis' thoughts flew to Jack. He swore … that face was the last he saw before he blacked out. And that unforgettable face was also the one who held and pushed the trigger before he felt the bullet landed in his body. Was it…? Did it…? Ennis could not get the thought away from his mind.
"Hey…"
"Yes?" Grimm shifted his attention towards Ennis.
Ennis did not say anything. He felt bad enough because of the wound; he doesn't need his mind telling him his true beloved lover shot him. Did he…really…? The thought troubled Ennis greatly and he glanced back at Grimm.
"Who the hell are yeh?"
"Wow,
you're rude to someone who just saved your life."
Ennis gave
cold looks at Grimm who flinched at the attention. He had never
really liked being stared at that much.
"I'm
Grimm Reaper…"
"Takin' me away?"
"No… why would I do that when I'm actually aiding you?"
Ennis flopped his head back again on the folded shirts.
"Good thing the bullet didn't hit anywhere that can cause fatal problems…" Grimm said to himself. Ennis did not really care what Grimm is saying, he is just too dizzy.
"I hope Jack gets back fast…" Grimm whispered just for the two of them. The night got colder and only the sounds of forest orchestrated them as if hoping that Jack gets back pronto.
The mention of Jack's name caught Ennis' ears "If he doesn't?" Ennis asked with his eyes closed. A drop of cold sweat ran across Ennis' skin.
Grimm only stared at the suffering cowboy. He had his muscled torso bared without shirt and as Grimm trailed his eyes further down, Grimm observed the mess at Ennis' wound. He did not dare to say anything so he just stared there. For Ennis, even under those overshadowed face because of the hood, he could sense Grimm getting all sad. The tent was dark except for the moonlight glow. Grimm seemed to be accustomed to the darkness that he could pluck out the bullet without problems.
Grimm was in motion again when the bandage used was getting fully soaked in blood.
Grimm threw away the blood-stained bandage and wrapped the wound in new clean ones.
"He won't…" Grimm ended the tight wrap with a tight knot. Ennis flinched slightly and fell silent again. He could feel the warm fabric of the bandage spread from the wound. But it was not warm enough like how Jack always made him feel. Plain honest warmth from a loving touch…
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Jack's boots kicked into familiar ground again. The tent is now right in front of him, and he knew the tunnel is almost at its end. Jack gripped hard on the case full of gasoline and walked fast to the tent.
-to be continued-
