A/N: Written for the Whump Advent Calendar on tumblr written by whump-advent-calendar. Prompt: Hypothermia, locked outside overnight
The angels had left Jack outside. He didn't know why. They'd captured him, and had chained him up, like they thought he was some sort of dg they could abuse. He wasn't surprised by their way of thinking. The angels had never been kind to him. And now, without his Grace, he was vulnerable. They'd taken advantage of that.
The night was so bitingly cold that in a matter of seconds Jack's fingernails were turning blue. A deep shiver ran through him, right along his spine. He pulled at the icy chains, crying out as the manacles dug into his wrists. Jack pulled, and pulled, and pulled.
Frustrated tears filled his eyes as nothing worked, and he realized he was helpless.
The angels had taken up temporary residence in a cabin in the woods, and they'd hammered the pole deep into the ground themselves, wanting there to be a place to keep Jack. The chain was attached to the pole through a metal hook, and it was up out of Jack's reach. Still, he jumped, trying to reach for it. He grabbed on, but it was jagged, and it cut his right hand.
He fell onto his butt on the cold dirt, and now, shivering, that was where he stayed, hand bleeding till the cold stilled his blood.
The sun dipped below the trees, below the horizon. Night blanketed the area in thick, smothering darkness.
The temperatures dropped.
Jack tried crying out for help, desperate and panicked. But he knew it was useless. No one was around to hear him.
He was too cold for the sounds of the night, of animals moving around, to frighten him. He didn't know if he would even care if they came near.
His shivering stopped, his hands like ice. His ears, and nose had been stinging fiercely, but now he couldn't feel them, his face wholly numb.
Maybe I should just go to sleep, Jack thought. The angels will warm me up in the morning.
Maybe they would. Maybe they wouldn't. All Jack knew was that he was tired, and it was desperately hard to move.
The night wore on, Jack sleeping with his head resting against the pole, till he slipped, and was lying in the frosted dirt.
He woke when the angels came, a warm glow coming from their hands.
With their reluctant healing, Jack could feel his body again, and the sun had risen. Now, he had to face the day. And maybe they'd leave him out in the cold once more.