Summary:

Jack has broken inside, and Bunny is guilty. The guardians work to try and correct the damage as Jack slowly gets worse.

Bunny froze as Jack's eyes locked with his, blood spurting out of his parted lips as he let out a choked gurgle. He watched in horror as he collapsed to the ground, eyes wide and glassy.

"Jack!" North was the first to recover to the shock, dashing over to the spirit in the centre of the room. Bunny stared at the broken staff in his paw, flattening his ears.

"Jack! Can you hear me?" All the guardians had crowded around the fallen spirit, North crouched low next to his face. Bunny copied the action, insides churning with guilt.

Jack looked like death; his limbs trembled as he gasped, hands gripping his chest as if he was trying to split it open. Blood was running steadily from his nose and mouth, and his eyes were wide and unseeing. If it wasn't for the slight rise and fall of his chest, Bunny would've thought he was dead.

"Jack." Bunny watched as North tried to gain some kind of response from the spirit, blinking rapidly. Bunny dropped the remaining half of the staff in disgust, shaking his head.

"I didn't know…I didn't…" Bunny murmured as North continued calling Jack's name. Tooth was standing next to him, looking at the pieces of the staff in disbelief.

"It wasn't you…he was fine until –" she quickly scooped up the broken wood off the ground, stumbling as she dragged them over to Jack's trembling body.

"Jack, that's it, come on!" Finally, Jack was slowly giving a response to North's calls. His eyes slid onto focus, filled with raw pain that Bunny never thought he would have to see again.

Jack let out a small gurgle, spluttering scarlet over the floorboards. Sandy wiped some blood off his face gently.

"Jack. What is wrong?" North asked quietly. Bunny felt his heart drop as Jack tried to speak, but could only cough out more blood. The pooka jumped back as some droplets came close to him.

"B-broke…" Jack whispered, breath hitching. Only Bunny heard the small plea.

"Broke?" His mind raced. "Your staff. What do we do? Jack – stop!"

Jack had began to turn onto his side weakly, gasping. His fingers reached out for one half of the broken wood, stained with blood.

Tooth helped Jack grasp both parts, pushing them gently into his hands. The spirit, panting, unsteadily held both halves together; the guardians watched, North supporting him into a sitting position, as Jack furrowed his eyebrows in concentration.

A spark of blue emitted from the crack and Bunny's eyes widened. The light got brighter before flickering alarmingly. In panic, the Pooka looked over to the spirit just in time to see his eyes roll back and collapse in North's arms. The blue light flickered out like a dying flame.

"Jack!" Tooth yelled out as the two pieces of wood fell to the floor with a clatter. North paled, gently jostling the spirit to try and get him to respond. Bunny watched, numb.

"I…I did this…he…" he murmured. He stared at the spirit, guilt rising. Blood was dripping from his mouth and nose, sweat beading at his brow. He looked sick, and Jack Frost wasn't meant to be sick.

"We need to get him into the infirmary. Now." Bunny made his voice hard and emotionless, standing up. He looked away from the spirit, instead nodding in the direction of the small hospital room. "If he gonna get better, then that's the best place to start."

North nodded, carefully scooping Jack inti his arms. The Cossack held the spirit how a father would hold their son – close to his chest, arms wrapped around his torso in an act to protect him from death itself. Jack's head lolled, blood dripping down his neck. There was so much blood, how could so much blood – his staff only broke, how could –

"I'll get some towels." Tooth stopped Bunny's rambling thoughts, eyes studying the pooka. She sighed. "Look, this isn't your fault –"

"It is." Bunny cut in sharply. He didn't look at Tooth, instead watching as Sandy left the room behind North.

"Aster –"

"Look, I broke tha' staff." Bunny interrupted, sighing. He ran a wearied hand down his face. He brushed Tooth's hand away, moving towards the doorway. "And I'm never gonna forgive myself for tha'. But I'm not gonna stop until I fixed what I created." He picked up the broken pieces of wood, not looking back to see Tooth's expression of concern.

"Bunny –" whatever Tooth was going to say was cut off by a desperate yell.

"Bunny! Tooth!"

Bunny dashed down the halls, Tooth flying beside him, and skidded to a halt at the infirmary door in horror at the scene before him.

Jack was thrashing in his bed violently, eyes rolling into the back of his head. He was choking on his own blood, gagging as he convulsed. North was desperately cupping his hands around his head whilst Sandy was rummaging through a bag of medical equipment.

Tooth moved first as Bunny stepped back, clearing the area of any dangerous objects that the spirit's flailing limbs could hit.

"He just started having a seizure, I think it iz because of shock." North informed. Bunny moved forward, catching one of Jack's arms and pinning it down to the bed.

"How do we stop it?!" The pooka asked, staring as the spirit spluttered and gasped.

"Sandy iz trying to find something." North replied calmly, but Bunny could see the terror in his eyes as he watched Jack thrash; Bunny was sure he must look the same.

Jack suddenly let out a strangled cry, back arching. Bunny lunged forward and tried to hold him down, but Jack had fell limp, panting.

—

"Jack, open your eyes for me."

Jack felt as though someone had dipped him into fire – no, something hotter. His skin was boiling from the inside, down to his core, to his centre.

"Come on, Jack, that's it." Jack shook his head at the voice, wanting to sleep. He felt tired, and confused.

"I won't take no fir an answer, my boy."

With a small moan, Jack opened his eyes a crack, gasping as a harder pain flared in his body. He began to cough, feeling something spray out of his mouth. He felt like he was back in Antarctica, watching as Pitch held his broken staff in his hands.

The staff. The fight. Bunny.

His staff.

Jack didn't realise that someone was waving a hand in front of him, instead letting his eyes wander around the room, gazing over the bright walls and shining cabinets.

"Eyes on me, please Jack."

Jack looked up to North, blinking slowly. North gave a small smile.

"Good." The Cossack said softly, rubbing his cheek. Jack leaned into the touch, wincing as pain twisted in his chest.

"H-hurts." Jack murmured, feeling drowsy. He let his eyes close.

"Wait a minute Frosty." He heard Bunny's gruff voice warn him. Jack shook his head, nestling into North's arm.

"Do you remember what happened?" Tooth's gentle voice drifted over him. Jack hummed, coughing. He tasted something metallic in his mouth and he spat it out.

"My…staff…" his mind was growing foggy. His staff broke. But he could fix it, right? But didn't he try to…

His memories blurred as someone shouted something above him. He tried to reach for his staff again, wailing as pain pulsed through his body. The longer he left it, the longer –

Jack let out a low scream, curling in on himself. He couldn't remember it being like this when Pitch –

"I need to –" someone was holding him back but Jack tried to shrug them off.

"You must rest for now, Jack." North told him. Jack let himself relax, shivering against North.

"It's happened before, y'know." He slurred, closing his eyes. "It's fine, it's happened before…"

With a small sigh, Jack let himself sleep.

Sorry about the drop in quality with this chapter, I'm just super tired…

Thanks for reading!