Where am I?

Jim tried to open his eyes, but his eyelids were so heavy. His whole body felt heavy, like it was trying to melt into the bed under him.

Wait…I'm on a bed…

That was not something Raith would do. No matter how badly either Jim or William were hurt, she'd let them rot on the floor or in a hole before giving either of them even the most threadbare blanket. Jim managed to gather the energy to lift his hand-

But something stopped him from bringing it to his face and he cracked an eye to look down at his shackled wrist.

Huh.

Now, what sort of trouble did whoever had him think a half-dead man could cause? Jim smiled despite his exhaustion. He could think of a few annoying things he could try to do. He doubted he'd be very successful in any of those endeavors though, considering how he couldn't even summon energy to turn his head.

At least nothing hurt.

Huh.

That was weird. He should have felt at least some pain. Not even where he'd been shot hurt.

Am I dead?

He snorted. That was a stupid question. Obviously he wasn't dead if he was shackled to a bed. It was more likely that he was on so much morphine or some other pain killer that he couldn't feel anything.

The door opened and Jim looked out of the corner of his eye at the figure coming through the doorway toward him.

"Holy shit…"


All Silver could do at first was gape at Jim for a few moments. He was awake, and somehow being awake and so out of it made him look even weaker than he had looked unconscious.

"Jimbo…" Silver wasn't able to get any other words out before pulling Jim into an embrace, trying to be as careful and gentle as possible.

He felt a hand tightening into a weak fist around a small section of his shirt and Jim's soft voice near his ear, "Silver? Is it really you?"

"Yeah, lad…I'm 'ere…an' I'm so sorry I weren' quicker so's I coulda stopped all t'e shit Raith did te ye…but tha' bitch'll pay, ye c'n lay te tha'!" Silver said earnestly as he tried to surreptitiously wipe a tear from his good eye.

"I will lay to that," Jim whispered with a soft chuckle as he tucked his head tighter against Silver's chest. His voice sounded a little stronger even as he leaned heavily into Silver's embrace, "I already started paying her back for her… kindness …hit her in the face with that fucking brand…"

That fucking brand.

"Wha'...wha' all did she do, eh? An' did she ge' anythin' outta ye?" Silver asked carefully.

"She got a healthy amount of sarcasm," Jim grinned. He seemed to be avoiding Silver's first question though, and he raised an eyebrow as he laid Jim back down on the bed. The human gazed at him for a moment, "Whipped my feet, knocked me around a bit…you know…the normal stuff. It wasn't as brutal as I'd been expecting…"

"Hmm…" Silver said with squinted eyes, "Anythin' else? Maybe on yer ches' o' somet'in' like tha'?"

Don't lie to me, boyo.

Jim looked exhausted and more than a little angry as the fingers of his free hand went to trace the mark on his chest. It was hidden under a clean shirt, but Silver knew what he was touching. Jim's eyes were distant when he whispered, "Oh… that …she might have said she owned me 'body and soul' and branded me…"

He already knew what she'd done, but his blood still boiled when he heard it said aloud.

"She don' own shit Jimbo, an' I'm sure a good artist c'n make a tattoo outta tha' t'ing or somet'in'..."

"So you saw it, huh?" Jim whispered. He closed his eyes and groaned softly, "The problem's getting to an artist-" a muted expression of realization went across his face and he looked as if he struggled to get his eyes back open "-what are you doing out here?"

Shit.

"Uh…well, I were jest checkin' on YE, Jimbo! Glad I did, too, 'cause look at t'e mess ye've gotten yerself inta…still can't pick yer fights, can ye?" Silver tried to sound stern and confident, but he inwardly flinched at the trace of nervousness in his voice.

One of Jim's eyebrows rose subtly and he hummed a soft 'm-hm'. He shifted as if he were going to sit up, but he gave up part way through and glared at the shackle on his right wrist before looking back at Silver, "Long way to go to check on me…how'd you find my ship, huh?"

Silver looked briefly at the floor, "I mean….not e'ery day ye come across a ship wit' a Morph flyin' out o' it…figured it musta been yers an' fer some unfathomable reason…ye lef' Morph in a burnin' ship…"

Nothing like guilt to distract the conversation from…well, guilt.

He was both relieved that the distraction worked and dismayed at the look of anguish that went across Jim's face. When Jim spoke again his voice was strained as if he were trying very hard not to cry, "Silver, I swear I…I didn't do it on purpose…I called him so many times…I would have stayed on that ship until I found him if Will hadn't held me back…does…does he hate me?"

Morph peeked out from Silver's pocket and chirped softly as he blinked sleepily. When the little blob saw Jim he instantly perked up and shot toward him to nuzzle his cheek.

"Don' look like it te me."

The door opened and Silver stiffened for an instant before turning to see who was coming in. No one should be coming in here; Demitria wasn't supposed to check on Jim for another hour or more, it was the only reason he'd come in there so he wouldn't have to make up any excuses. And the look of shock and recognition that flashed briefly over Jim's face-

Sidon stood frozen, wide-eyed and startled, in the doorway with a look on his face like he knew he'd been caught red-handed.

"I don' recall askin' fer ye, Sidon. I'll call fer ye if yer wanted, boyo," Silver said with a warning tone in his voice. Sidon had been acting strangely ever since he laid eyes on Jim, and Silver didn't like it.

"Erm…yes, of course, sir," The Zora still didn't move to leave and instead stared at Jim. Silver was very nearly ready to snap at him when Sidon jerked a little and looked at him, "Food…Demitria sent me…she said that the prisoners should…eat…sir…"

It was a horribly veiled lie. Jim shifted and Silver turned to meet his pleading gaze.

"Ye two know each ot'er?" he asked Jim and Sidon simultaneously.

Sidon looked again like he'd been caught, but Jim shrugged, "I mean, we've been acquainted. He with my knife-" he motioned to the pale scar across Sidon's chest "-and me with his teeth-" he tilted his head and tugged the collar of his shirt to the side to show off the clear bite scar on his left shoulder. Jim glanced back at Sidon, "Didn't know he was one of your men…so you sent him to grab me after I fell in that lake, huh?"

It took quite a lot of self control to not attack Sidon for putting a mark - a SCAR - on Jim. The Zora didn't know how important Jim was to him, no one other than Timetra had even the slightest idea. He took a measured breath through his nose, "I don' 'member makin' tha' order…"

The Zora looked like he wanted very much to disappear and he began creeping backward out of the door. Even as he attempted to make an escape, he lingered and gazed at Jim with an unreadable expression.

Silver was at his limit at what he could take of whatever it was Sidon had going on, "G't out. I'll call ye if I needs ye."

"Yes, sir," Sidon finally left the room and pulled the door shut and Silver instantly felt himself relaxing again.

"That food he suggested…" Jim whispered so softly it was barely audible. "I…don't suppose…I could…?"

He shifted his right arm and the shackle clinked. His eyes went to it again and realization dawned across his face, followed quickly by dismay, "Oh yeah…I'm your prisoner…never mind…"

"No, yer gettin' fed!" Silver responded quickly. Jim didn't honestly think he would starve him, did he?! Silver hated those chains being on Jim probably more than Jim hated it; he never wanted to make Jim feel like he was trapped or lesser than him or-

The relief that went across Jim's face only worked to make Silver feel worse. Jim had fully expected to be tortured here as well…

He reached out without thinking and very gently stroked Jim's cheek with his organic hand. The man looked startled for an instant before he leaned into the touch and his eyes fluttered shut. Silver studied his face and it only served to make his heart ache with sorrow for Jim's pain. The rage he held for Raith burned even hotter; while the cuts and wounds were healed Jim was still bruised from being 'knocked around', exhaustion lined under his eyes, and he was so very pale.

"I'll g't ye somethin' te eat, Jimbo," Silver murmured softly. He had nearly made it to the door when he heard Jim speaking again.

"Is Will ok?"

Those tired blue eyes were on him and Silver stared at him for a beat before he realized that it must be the other human he was talking about, "Oh, yer partner?"

"My…partner? What?"

"Ain't ye together? Though' I saw t'e two o' ye close te each other…like…well…like partners… "

Jim's face flushed the smallest amount and he looked horrified, "No! Fuck no! We're just friends- wait…what did you see?!" he looked even more mortified and didn't give Silver a chance to respond before he started again, "It's not what it looked like, I swear! I wouldn't…not with Will…"

What Silver had seen seemed harmless enough, flirtatious certainly, but nothing risque or overtly sexual…what was Jim so worried that he had seen?

The little human swallowed heavily, "So…is he ok?"

"Oh! Oh, yeah, he's a'right," Silver watched as Morph tucked himself in the crook of Jim's shoulder and neck. Jim looked like he might fall asleep in an instant just as the little shapeshifter had and Silver moved toward the door. "I'll g't ye food now, Jimbo. Ye jest rest."

It was a solemn and pensive walk to the galley, and Silver very nearly ran into Sidon and Demitria as they spoke quietly together. He stopped and regarded them both. Sidon looked like he was trying very hard to be casual, and Demitria looked as fed up with him as he was.

"The hell's gotten inte ye lately, Sidon? Ye haven't been actin' yerself in weeks," he finally went past them toward the stove. Sidon stumbled out an answer he didn't really bother to listen to as he debated what he should make for Jim. Something simple, don't want to upset his stomach...don't know how long he's gone without eating...That realization hurt. Jim had been so desperate for food, so he must have been starving before going through everything with Raith.

Soup was easy enough, and he set to making a simple broth.

"I saw he was awake," Sidon's voice was timid, which was comical coming from a man as imposing as he was. Silver smiled a little, but it dropped off his face when he heard Sidon speaking again, "Is Jim ok?"

"How'd ye know 'is name?"

He stared up at the Zora, made sure to lock his gaze with the man's, and waited for an answer. Sidon wasn't nearly as good an actor as Silver was, but he was good enough that it was hard to tell whether his confusion was genuine or not, "His companion was calling him 'Jim'...is that not his name?"

"Mm," Silver turned back to the stove and tapped his finger on the rim of the waiting bowl. "What'd'ye care tha' 'e's a'right or not?"

"Why are you putting so much effort into his recovery?" Sidon retorted softly.

Silver stiffened. He turned away from the stove again, moving measuredly, carefully, anger barely withheld from his voice, "Yer questionin' me now?"

The Zora looked down at him with an unreadable expression. He'd stood to his full height, something he almost couldn't do below deck, and his posture was more aggressive than before, which was far more fitting for his size than the timid shyness he'd been portraying recently.

"Were ye not listenin' when we first brought both them Navy boys te the ship? They owe me information. We're goin' after wha' the Navy sent 'em fer," Silver spoke low, bordering on threatening as he filled the bowl with broth. "Tha' good 'nough fer ye, yer majesty?"

Sidon flinched at the title and he deflated a little. It was a low blow for Silver to make, considering the Zora had been exiled from his home and stripped of his royal position due to a stupid rule that probably shouldn't have ever been put into law on Hyla, but he was frustrated at the sudden defiance and uncharacteristic behavior Sidon had been exhibiting on top of all the stress of trying to find Jim and then nursing the man back to health-

"Sorry, lad, I'm jest...runnin' on fumes."

The hard expression on Sidon's face softened a little and he sighed, "You're not the only one, sir. Just...if there's something important you need to tell us, just do it."

I could say the same to you. Silver raised an eyebrow at the other man. Sidon had been walking on a cloud recently, and then as soon as Jim was brought the ship Sidon's attitude instantly became...weird.

"A'right. 'Nough chit-chat. Ye've got a job te do."

He watched both Zora climb the stairs to the deck before he went back to Jim's room, careful when he opened the door. A gentle smile went over his face at the sight of Jim and Morph sleeping, and it near broke his heart to wake Jim to coax the broth down his throat. Almost as soon as the soup was gone, Jim was asleep again and Silver sat with him for a while longer in silence.

"Sorry I weren't there sooner, Jimbo...I won't let Raith hurt ye again. Ye've got me word."