Hullo everyone! Hope you like the next part to Infection!
Enjoy!
The spirit looked up and saw North holding him, his expression twisted in concern.
"Are you okay?" The older guardian asked gently.
His day literally couldn't get any worse.
—
Jack blinked up at the older guardian, weighing up his options.
On one hand, he really wanted to feel better again, or at least stop being in pain. As if a reminder, his side flared again, making him almost topple over.
On the other hand, he was talking to someone he only just met, and that was only because the world was in danger. Sure, North seemed like a nice guy – it would be much easier talking to him than Bunny – but the spirit didn't feel secure in asking for help. He had been just fine before he met the guardians, so why couldn't he sort himself out now?
"I'm good…just tripped." Jack replied, trying not to "trip" again. North seemed to accept the answer, and laughed lightheartedly. "Err…why are you here, anyway?"
"I give you message from me!" The Cossack replied joyfully, clapping his hands together. Jack raised his eyebrow a fraction.
"Okay…what is it?" He asked, leaning further on his staff. A headache was beginning to form at the back of his head.
"I have decided to do monthly meeting from now on. To stay in touch, and to discuss things!" North answered proudly. Jack slipped a little on his staff as his fogged mind progressed the answer.
"Err…meetings?" He looked up at North, who was now looking at him in concern.
"Are you sure you are fine?" The older guardian asked, eyeing the spirit in concern. Jack weakly waved a hand dismissively.
"Yeah yeah…just tired." He changed the subject. "Didn't you have meetings before?"
"No – we didn't even talk much! But I change that, no?" North pulled out something from his pocket and the spirit watched curiously. After a few more seconds of searching, North pulled out a small snow globe and handed it to Jack, who took it carefully.
"What's this for?" Jack asked, staring down at the ornament. North chuckled.
"Iz for you. I forgot to give it." North's hand dived into his pocket again and pulled out a larger snow globe. "All guardians get one. You just whisper the location, and smash it on ground – is handy, no?"
"Yeah…yeah…" Jack's eyelids felt heavily, and he clumsily tucked the ornament into his hoodie pocket. "Thanks." He added. North smiled.
"Iz nothing." North smashed his snow globe onto the ground, and a portal erupted in a flash of colour.
"Oh! One more thing!" North stopped in mid-step. "First meeting iz today, so look out for the lights!" And with that, the guardian jumped through the portal with surprising grace, leaving Jack alone at last.
"Today…" The spirit let his knees sink to the floor, fighting back the nausea which had now returned to his stomach. He tried to shift into a comfier position, but his side erupted with pain, causing him to scream and clutch it. The spirit fell into a lying position, shivering feverishly. His staff dropped with a dull clunk beside him. Moaning, Jack curled in on himself, closing his eyes.
"Today…" he repeated in a whisper, feeling the tug of sleep tempt him.
"Come on now, sleep sounds good, doesn't it?" The voice persuaded; Jack agreed wholeheartedly and let his mind rest. He thought he heard laughter surround him.
—
Bunny was angry. After a good hour Jack Frost hadn't shown up to the first guardian meeting, though North has said he had told the spirit.
"Could something be wrong?" Tooth asked for the tenth time, fluttering anxiously above her seat.
"Doubt it." Bunny answered, close to a snarl. "Everyone knows he's just a lazy, careless spirit."
"Bunny!"
"It's true!" Bunny defended. "We all thought tha' – I still think it – so why is everythin' so different now?"
"He iz guardian." North answered, rising from his chair. He said the next comment more to himself. "He did seem a little tired when I saw him."
"We need to check!" Tooth said slightly hysterically, "What if he's hurt?"
Sandy waved to try and get their attention, but no one saw him. After a period of silence, Bunny growled.
"I'm gonna drag his icy butt up here and then you'll see he's fine." He grumbled, dropping into one of his rabbit holes.
Bunny landed a few metres away from Burgess lake, covered in snow. In fact, the whole area seemed to be going through a mini snowstorm, much to the Pooka's dismay.
"Bloody cold!" He yelled, shivering. Cursing, he hopped through the ankle-deep snow towards the centre of the lake. He figured that it was the most likely location for the spirit, seeing as North said he found him there.
"I'm gonna kill 'im." Bunny sniffed the air carefully, finally finding Jack's scent. Shaking snow off his fur, he followed it. Through the haze of snowflakes, the Pooka could make out a familiar figure.
"Oi! Frosty!" He yelled, moving closer. Jack didn't respond to his jibe, and kept staring in the same direction. "Frostbite!" Bunny was now standing in front of the spirit but it seemed like he couldn't see him, or was aware of his presence.
"Jack!"
Suddenly, as if surfacing from deep water, Jack's body jolted and he stumbled backwards breathing heavily. Bunny watched as the spirit looked around, apparently confused.
"Were…why am I here?…" the murmur was almost inaudible.
"Could ya stop the snow?!" Bunny yelled. Jack turned to face him unsteadily, apparently just aware of his presence. However, that wasn't the reason why the Pooka felt a small piece of concern stir in his mind.
In short, Jack didn't look well at all: he had large bags under his eyes and a pink flush in his cheeks. His eyes were unfocused and his limbs were trembling, an indication that he had a fever of some sort. He also seemed to be doubled over slightly in pain, and Bunny no longer cared about the snow.
"Oh…err…sorry…" Jack replied, looking at his staff in confusion. Bunny sniffed the air again, surprised to find that another, more unpleasant scent was clinging to Jack's body. The smell was familiar to him, and an old memory stirred from his mind.
Jack suddenly swayed alarmingly, and the Pooka lunged forward, catching the spirit before he hit the ground. The younger guardian immediately curled in on himself, clutching his side whilst moaning softly.
"What's wrong?!" Bunny asked in a mild state of panic, unaware of the frost that had crept up his arms. Jack writhed in pain in his arms, panting.
"It hurts…please stop it…PLEASE!" Jack's last plea was a scream and he curled up smaller, radiating with heat.
"I'm gonna try, Frosty…hang on…" Bunny soothed, not experienced in this kind of situation. There was no way he was prepared for this to happen – he just wanted to get the meeting started, not kneel on the ground with a very sick Jack Frost.
Gently, Bunny began to roll up Jack's hoodie, removing the hand that was clutched there.
"Shit." The Pooka cursed, staring down at the wound. Black, spiderweb-like trails of black were spreading up the younger's body before his eyes, wrapping around his chest and neck. More memories flashed before Bunny's eyes as he stared at the injury. Memories of pain. War. The Dark Ages.
Jack's whimper brought him back to reality, and he held the suffering spirit closer to him.
"We're gonna get ya help, ya here me?" He reassured. Jack nodded weakly, swallowing thickly. "How are ya feelin' now?"
"Not…not that great…" Jack muttered. "Pretty hor –" he suddenly broke off and started reaching. Bunny quickly flipped the spirit over so he was on his knees and away from his lap. With a gag, Jack threw up, his body shivering violently. The Pooka's eyes widened as he saw the black tar substance come out of the spirit's mouth. The familiar, unpleasant hit him again, stronger this time.
Jack had finished vomiting, but was now leaning onto Bunny heavily, gasping for air. His whole body shook with tremors and was burning up. Without hesitation, Bunny let Jack fall back into his arms.
"Ya gonna be jus' fine, ya hear me?" Jack didn't answer, but Bunny saw his eyelids flicker shut.
"No!" Bunny's sharp shout made Jack jump, and open his eyes again. "Don't fall asleep yet, okay?"
Jack's clouded eyes met his own green, and the spirit nodded slightly.
"Good." Bunny stood up as carefully as he could, but Jack gave a hoarse scream before he could straighten fully. The spirit writhed in his arms, panting. With the action, something small rolled out of his hoodie pocket, landing silently at the Pooka's feet. Bunny kicked the snow-globe at a nearby tree and a portal formed out of the fragments.
"Ya gonna be okay, just ya wait an' see." Bunny muttered to the spirit in his arms, slowly stepping through the portal.