A/N: Thanks, as always, for the awesome reviews! I uber appreciate it. Also, this is totally turning into a 'let's bash Jensen' story. Not sure if that's a bad thing or not…

Jensen wasn't talking anymore. Every once in a while he would grunt in response to something Pooch was saying, and sometimes he even managed one word answers, but he wasn't talking. He was barely walking now too, his feet dragging more and more, though he was gamely trying to hold up his own weight.

Cougar was growing concerned.

Pooch, for his part, was telling Jensen about the first time he saw Jolene, sniffling as he recounted how beautiful she looked. Jensen huffed out a breathy laugh.

"Coug?" Jensen gasped. Cougar could feel him trembling.

"Is something wrong?" Cougar asked. Jensen swallowed thickly.

"Can we-stop?" He asked breathlessly. "Just for-a minute?"

"Of course," Cougar said, stopping his forward momentum. Pooch finally seemed to realize they were slowing and stopped talking.

"Coug?" He asked.

"Jensen needs a break," Cougar answered, already feeling Jensen sag between them. Pooch helped him maneuver the tracker toward the ground, gently easing him down.

"Thanks," Jensen gasped, wincing in pain. He was still trembling, wiping a shaking hand across his forehead. Cougar wordlessly handed him a canteen, which Jensen gulped gratefully from.

Cougar knelt down and inspected Jensen's wound; blood was already soaking through the makeshift bandage Cougar had fashioned from his shirt, and Cougar bit his lip in concern. Jensen groaned slightly as Cougar inspected the wound, shifting in discomfort and gritting his teeth. Pooch let a hand rest on

"I am sorry," Cougar said as he tried to tighten the bandage around his friend's leg. Jensen didn't answer. "Jensen?"

"Stuff's spinnin'," Jensen said, his words slurring. Cougar looked up in concern as Jensen's face paled and his eyes rolled back in his head.

"Pooch," Cougar said as he moved to catch the limp form. Pooch quickly helped Cougar lay Jensen down, catching Cougar's gaze and returning it with a worried look of his own.

"What are we going to do?" Pooch whispered, bottom lip trembling threateningly.

"We will get him back to Clay," Cougar answered. "We are not too far now."

"I'll carry him," Pooch said, nodding and standing up.

"No," Cougar said. "I will."

"Look, I may be concussed and crying, but I'm not stupid. J is taller than you and he weighs more, Cougar."

"I will carry him."

Pooch sighed. "Fine, but I see you getting tired and I am going to make you let me help,

Cougar nodded once, then knelt down next to Jensen. He gently took off Jensen's glasses and tucked them into a pocket, then swung the hacker's limp arms over his shoulder and hefted his weight up, staggering briefly. Damn, he kept forgetting how bulky Jensen was.

"You good?" Pooch asked.

"Yes."

They stumbled forward together, Pooch with Cougar's gun and canteen slung over his shoulders, Cougar with Jensen slung over his.

Cougar pressed on determinedly, gritting his teeth as he felt the sweat trickling down his forehead and neck and shoulders. It was hotter than hell in the jungle, and the humidity was high. And Jensen wasn't a lightweight.

Jensen groaned suddenly and shifted slightly, so Cougar stopped and helped ease him off of his shoulder.

"Jensen?"

"Cougar?" Jensen was squinting up at him, clearly confused and in pain, and now blinded as well.

"Si," Cougar answered, slipping Jensen's glasses onto his face. Jensen blinked a few times and smiled wanly.

"How far away are we?"

"Not far. You passed out, and Coug's been carrying you," Pooch said, and Jensen immediately turned to glare at the sniper. Cougar was clearly tired, sweat trickling down form under his hat, his torso shiny with perspiration.

"You shouldn't- shouldn't do that," Jensen grunted, screwing up his eyes in pain. "Not in this heat."

"I am fine, Jensen," Cougar answered firmly, but Jensen shook his head.

"No. From now on, I walk or you two c-carry me together. Damn it!" He yelped, moving to grip his leg. Cougar stopped him.

"Your bone is broken and it is an open wound. You should not touch it."

"Damn it," Jensen repeated, breathing heavily.

"Do you think that you can walk?" Pooch asked, his voice heavy and thick.

Jensen nodded.

"Okay." Pooch and Cougar once again pulled Jensen's arms over their shoulders and leveraged him to his feet, neither of them saying anything when Jensen yelped in pain. Cougar could see Pooch blinking back tears. Apparently, Jensen did too.

"'M okay, Pooch. Don't worry 'bout me."

"Okay, J. Just hang tight." Jensen nodded wearily in response, grinning lopsidedly at Pooch.

Twenty minutes later, they were nearly out of the jungle and back to where they were supposed to meet up with Clay and Roque. It was painfully clear that Jensen had paid dearly for walking those twenty minutes. He was pasty white, his face screwed up in pain. There were beads of sweat on his upper lip and forehead, and blood trickling down his chin from where he'd been biting his lip. His breathing was coming in measured gasps, and it was clear that it was taking most of his concentration just to keep that under control. His head drooped forward, his chin nearly brushing his chest.

"Almost there," Cougar whispered. Jensen nodded almost imperceptibly, a tiny movement that spoke volumes as to how weak he was. The bandage around his leg was almost entirely red. Cougar wasn't sure how much longer the hacker would be able to continue.

"Cougar!" The shout was sudden, and Cougar looked up in relief at the sound of Clay's voice.

"Here," he yelled back, a shudder of relief coursing through his body. Pooch whooped, and even Jensen seemed a bit rejuvenated, bringing his head up to look in the direction of Clay's shout.

"What the hell happened to you guys?" Roque demanded, bursting out of the undergrowth with Clay right behind him.

"Wade," Cougar answered, spitting the name and adding a few choice expletives under his breath.

"He knocked me out," Pooch said, rubbing a hand over his head. "Left J here to die after he got caught in a hunting trap."

"Yeah," Jensen echoed weakly, unable to add anymore to the conversation. He looked at Clay with wide eyes. "Sorry."

"Don't be," he said gruffly, kneeling to look at his wound. "Your leg's messed up to hell."

"Yeah," Jensen huffed through clamped teeth, "I figured."

"Okay, Wade took off with our transport, so the plan right now is to try to steal one from inside the camp."

"The camp where you just took out the leader," Pooch said.

"Yes."

"The camp where everyone is going to be out for blood."

There was a pause.

"Yes."

"Don't be such a pansy ass," Roque grumbled even as Pooch shook his head nervously. "We've been through worse."

"Yeah, but Jensen's hurt and I'm out of it and Cougar pretty much gave himself heat exhaustion!

"We have no other options here, Pooch," Clay said patiently. "Roque and I will handle carrying Jensen until we get closer-"

"Jensen doesn't need to be carried," Jensen interrupted, clearly offended despite his obvious weakness.

"Hell yes Jensen needs to be carried," Roque fired back, glaring at the hacker. Jensen glared back, though his look lacked the ferocity that Roque's held. He grumbled something under his breath and Roque flipped him off in return.

"As I was saying," Clay said, clearing his throat. "You and Cougar can handle carrying supplies. Once we get there, we'll formulate a more specific plan but for now, Cougar will provide us with cover while Roque and I take care of anyone close enough to the vehicle to give us trouble."

"Me and Jensen?" Pooch asked.

"You'll be with Cougar. Now let's get out of here."

"One thing," Cougar said suddenly. Clay paused. "Wade is mine."

"Damn it," Roque muttered. "I wanted him." They all knew, though, that once Cougar had staked a claim, no one else was getting in on it. Ever.

xxxx

The walking went faster this time, but it was still painfully long, and Jensen had long since passed out when they got to the edge of the camp. Clay lowered him to the ground behind a well-placed knoll that would allow Cougar to cover his teammates while keeping Jensen and Pooch out of the line of fire.

"He don't look too good," Roque said, glancing at Jensen's pale form.

"He'll be fine. We just need to get out of here," Clay answered.

"Wish we had the van," Roque said. "Has the damn first-aid kit in it."

"Yeah, that would be nice," Clay said. "But we don't, so it's that much more imperative that we get Jensen out of here."

Roque crawled to the crest of the hill, looking at the personnel truck they had chosen to take, one with a canvas roof and sides over the back.

"Doesn't look too bad. I figure we take 'em by surprise, should be quick and easy. Course, that's assuming we don't announce our presence." He pulled a knife out of his waistband and grinned, raising his eyebrows at Clay. Clay rolled his eyes as Cougar screwed a silencer onto his rifle. Clay crouched down next to Pooch.

"Pooch, we have to keep this quiet. If Jensen wakes up and he's confused, he might make some noise. That happens, you have to shut him up, okay? Whatever it takes." Pooch nodded seriously.

"I got it."

"And you can't be crying."

"I won't."

"Good. Roque," Clay said. They crept over the top of the hill and out of sight as Cougar set his rifle up. Pooch settled down by Jensen, sitting close.

"Okay kid, just sleep. Just stay asleep."

xxxx

Pooch walked as Cougar's rifle recoiled again and another bullet casing slipped out and onto the ground. So far he hadn't heard anything, could picture Clay with his silenced assault rifle and Roque slipping up behind someone and cutting his throat.

Jensen's breathing was getting worse. He was panting quickly and shallowly, and his skin had started to take on a hint of blue. And while it was a good thing tactically that Jensen was unconscious, Pooch was concerned that he hadn't woken up yet.

"Just hang in there," he whispered. Jensen, predictably, didn't answer.

"Pooch," Cougar whispered suddenly. "Help me with Jensen. Now."

Pooch nodded, helping Cougar pull the hacker up the hill, trying not to jostle the leg but failing miserably. Jensen's eyes flew open just as Cougar clamped a hand over his mouth, and the muffled scream made the hairs on Pooch's arms stand up.

"You are okay," Cougar whispered as they boosted him to his feet and started down the hill. "You are okay, Jensen. Breathe." Jensen's breathing slowed slightly, though his eyes were wide and his whole body was trembling.

Roque stood in the back of the truck, arms outstretched to help Jensen into the truck.

"This is going to hurt," Cougar whispered. "But you cannot yell, you cannot scream. Do you understand?"

Jensen managed a weak nod, his head drooping forward. Cougar gripped his shoulder, then climbed into the back of the truck. He and Roque each grabbed one of Jensen's arms and pulled him up, Pooch helping from below. Jensen was shaking with the effort of keeping quiet, so badly that it almost looked like he was having a seizure.

"Good job," Cougar said as Pooch climbed in, and Jensen let out a pained groan in response, one that seemed to Pooch to be the sound of pure agony.

Roque hit the floor of the truck twice, and Clay gunned the engine. They sped out of the camp, Jensen gasping and losing a shade of color every time the truck hit a bump. Pooch found himself praying for a smooth road as much as he hoped that no one noticed they were leaving.

"We're almost clear, guys," Roque said, casting a worried glance at Jensen. The hacker's hands were scrabbling at the bottom of the truck as he writhed in pain until Cougar wrapped his hand around one of Jensen's cold ones.

"Calmate," he whispered, running a thumb in circles over Jensen's sweaty forehead. "You are okay."

Jensen swallowed harshly, gasping for air with rolling eyes. Pooch found himself praying for Jensen to just pass out already, but the tech geek was grasping tenaciously to consciousness.

Suddenly, bullets pierced the canvas protecting the side of the truck. Cougar threw himself over Jensen as Pooch and Roque moved automatically to the back of the truck, opening fire on their assailants.

"Damn it!" Roque yelled as another truck came into view.

"Take care of 'em, Roque!" Clay yelled. Roque continued firing on the enemy truck as Cougar joined him in the back.

"Keep it steady!" Cougar yelled to Clay, then took careful aim, hitting the front left tire of the truck.

"Woo!" Roque yelled. "We're home free, Clay!"

"Good shooting, boys!" Clay called back.

"Clay," Cougar said, his tone instantly changing the mood in the truck. "We have to hurry."

"What is it?" Pooch asked, worry coloring his voice. Jensen was now asleep; he didn't move as Cougar peeled the edge of the bandage back, revealing a bloody mess of a wound.

"We already knew that," Roque said quietly.

"Yes," said Cougar, "but it feels warm. He feels warm."

"Shit," Roque said. "Infection?"

Cougar nodded in response, and as Pooch looked at the still hacker, he could see the bits of color creeping into his cheeks.

"Clay?" Roque said. "Step on it."

xxxx

"Man. I am so thirsty," Jensen said loudly, his casted leg upraised on a pillow and his laptop settled firmly on his lap. "Roque, do you think you could hand me that chocolate milk?"

"Shut up," Roque growled. Jensen looked offended.

"I'm injured, Roque. I had to have surgery on this leg. I'm high on painkillers. I have to be off my feet for weeks. And you can't get me chocolate milk?"

"You think you can guilt-trip me, Jensen?"

Jensen nodded. "Yeah. Cause I'm right. And cause I'm just gonna get more and more annoying the longer you ignore me."

Roque glared at him for a minute before grumblingly climbing to his feet and pulling a chocolate milk from the fridge as the rest of the unit watched in amusement.

"You watch your back," Roque grumbled, pointing the drink at him accusingly.

"Oh, I will," Jensen said, grinning as he opened the milk. He raised it in a toast to Roque before taking a long swig. "I will."