Jack was beginning to feel tired. Lightheaded really, and sleepy. The kids were too far away to even see his waving hand so Jack jumped from the back railing of the sleigh and into the cock pit. Expecting to catch himself, Jack landed carelessly, and was surprised when his legs wobbled out from under him, sending him flopping backwards into the wooden bleachers. His torso jolted with pain, causing him to wince instinctively.

Damn he was sore. And clumsy too.

It wasn't any help that Bunny not only noticed, but was giving him shit about it. "Say that to me again when you're not falling on your ass,"

Stupid Kangaroo.

Jack took the opportunity of Sandy's sleep and Tooth's chiding to shush Bunny immaturely. It wasn't much but it made him feel a little better about the rabbit's comment. It had made him feel weak, and Jack Frost was certainly anything but that. No sir-ee.

Fortunately, Bunny had taken to pouting, not harassing him further. With that the five guardians were silent. The sleigh ride continued, slowly and gently. There was no rush anymore, no impending doom.

Jack sat in the quiet, something he was quite used to, and therefore, rather comfortable with. He could feel the adrenaline rush of the past few days finally waning. Without that, Jack could start to realize just how beat he was. He couldn't remember ever feeling so listless, so tired and achey. He supposed it had something to do with the fact that he had had no sleep or food in three days accompanied by intermittent battles and emotional roller coasters.

He felt, simply put, drained. That was the best way to describe it. It was just the right word.

Jack closed his eyes in fatigue, letting himself lean heavily against the side wall of the sleigh. He could barely process all that had occurred. He sat there, literally not able to think it through, which was odd. His brain had become too fuzzy to think of anything at all.

Jack didn't mean to but suddenly he was completely asleep. His mind was even too tired to dream. It was just black that enveloped him, taking away space and time. He didn't mind it. He had no idea how long he was out but something pulled him back to a semi aware state. He was hearing things.

"Frost...at the pole...time to wake up"

He wanted to ignore the distant voice but it kept prodding his mind invasively. It was a toss up as to which words he could actually put together and comprehend.

"Got a problem...hurt...a lot of blood.."

Shit, that didn't sound good. Who was hurt? No one had been injured in the battle had they? Jack couldn't remember. He didn't like this dream, whatever it was. His mind kept going blank. He thought there were people around him, a hand on his shoulder possibly, but he couldn't quite tell. He was still asleep.

Again, everything fell blissfully black, but Jack felt something tugging.

Wake up, Jack!

-Not an outside voice, but his own subconscious. He was one to listen to his inner advice. His gut usually never led him astray. He would follow it, if only it wasn't so difficult.

Jack groaned. He cracked his eyes open next, and finally, very slowly, raised his head. He was met by the blurry sight of the guardians.

"Bunny, North, what's happening?" That didn't sound like his voice. It was too cracked, fragile. Bunny tried to explain but he zoned. Why couldn't he focus?

Jack became aware of a wetness leaking from the bottom of his sweatshirt. His investigation slow, Jack lifted his arm to see what could be the cause. The bottom of his sweat shirt, his pants too, were all red. He noted as an after thought, that his sleeve was stained as well.

Someone was hurt. There was a lot of blood. Blood was red. His sweat shirt was covered in red. Connect the dots.

"Oh," Jack said.

"We gotta get that patched up now," Bunny said. Just the movement of Jack's torso rising and falling with his breaths caused blood to bubble and seep from the open wound.

"You are right, Bunny," North poured the sterile saline into the cut which washed blood and a few black particles of sand away. "How are your sewing skills?"

"What!?" Bunny questioned, knowing exactly the task North was about to have him perform. "Look mate, just because I garden and mother eggs don't mean I'm a certified house wife. I don't sew," Despite his protests, the stitching wire was pushed into both of his paws forcibly.

"Quickly!" North said, urging him on.

"But, I..Sandy! What about Sandy?" Sandy shook his head. He was preoccupied. In Jack's fragile state, keeping him in the perfect limbo of sleep required a constant flow of modified amounts of sand. Just so much to eliminate pain but not enough to risk Jack never waking again. A critical balancing act.

"But, Tooth?"

"Bunny!" Tooth yelled exasperated, as she herself was still fumbling with the IV, making sure it would not drown Jack's blood, but give it enough volume to keep circulating at the same time.

At that moment the heart monitor faltered, or rather Jack's heart did. That was enough to convince Bunny.

"Christ mate, I'm doing it, I'm doing it," Bunny said, almost addressing Jack himself. He bent over the wound and began to delicately sew the skin together. North stood by, continually pouring the saline solution over the wound, keeping it free of blood.

It took 17 stitched to traverse the entire wound. The minute Bunny reached the other side he snipped the wire-like string with a scalpel and covered the patchwork with a square of gauze. The white pad did redden, but it was not soaked. The seemingly never ending stream of blood was finally stemmed.

Bunny let out a sigh. Not of relief- certainly not. They weren't out of the hole yet.

"Is there anyway we could get him a blood transfusion?" Bunny asked, looking at the papery pale skin of the winter spirit. It did not look healthy. If the heart monitor was not still beeping he would have thought Jack dead.

North shook his head. "There would be no matches. We must give him time to heal on his own,"

"Do you think he will?" Tooth asked. Her eyes were brimming with tears. Bunny wished she would stop that.

Sandy paused form his task of keeping the boy asleep to flash a few images above his head. Of course he will! the pictures said. Sandy had faith. He had seen the spark Jack held. There was no way he could be taken out that easy.

North was the next to snap out of the pessimism. "Sandy is right! Jack is guardian now! He is strong boy," Tooth blinked the tears out of her eyes and smiled, wiping at her nose.

"Hang on mates, what's this?" Bunny was looking at Jack's chest in concern. The skin was stretched so tightly over his thin frame that many ribs were easily defined. Therefore, it was obvious to see the abnormal lumps protruding from his side.

"His ribs are broken," Bunny said hovering his paw over the bones set askew. There was the beginnings of an angry black and blue blossoming over the area. To say the least, it looked like it hurt.

"How in the hell was this kid still walking," Bunny shook his head in disbelief. At least 4 ribs were completely fractured and who knows how many were cracked. It was lucky none of them had punctured a vital organ.

"Oh, Jack," Tooth said. Sandy was frowning as he looked over the boy. He had not been present for the entire battle, yet he had not expected this much damage. He gave Jack another stream of golden sand, pushing him further away from pain.

"How are we gonna fix this, North?" Bunny asked the large Russian, who was also frowning at the boy's condition.

North did not respond for a moment, thinking. He finally shook his head. "We must not do anything until Jack has time to recover from this wound," North gestured to the gauze pad on Jack's lower abdomen. "We can not risk damaging him further,"

Tooth folded her arms and looked forlornly over the critically injured winter spirit. She felt horrible. They had barely gained his companionship, let alone the right for him to risk his life for their sake. Of course there had been a chance to take when entering the battle against Pitch Black but none of them had thought it through.

They had bribed Jack with the promise of friends and believers, as long as he went to war with them. It seemed cruel to her when she thought back on it. Her eyes welled even more. He had been caught in the crossfire of a battle that was not really his.

"So you just want us ta do nothin?" Bunny asked, becoming agitated as he noticed more dings and bruises scattered across the boy's body. They all had bumps and scratches but it bothered Bunny more to see them on the winter spirit.

"Bunny, what else can we do for him?" Tooth suddenly yelled, finding herself on edge. The tears that had been forming in her eyes drying as anger replaced the sorrow. "If we hadn't interfered with his life to begin with none of this would have even happened. He would be fine. We asked too much of him,"

Bunny shrank under Tooth's outburst. It was becoming apparent that nerves were short. They all were exhausted and simply not prepared to handle something like this so soon after their success.

The guardians were silent for a moment, considering Tooth's comment. The boy in front of them so close to death, could have avoided this fate had he been left well alone. But that wasn't the point.

"Aye Tooth, but did you see his face when he was playing with the kids? When they believed? Naw mate, he found his center because of this. An' he has us now cause of it too," Bunny argued, finding the hope in the situation. Typical.

"But Bunny, why did he need to battle for that. Why didn't he have us before?" Tooth pointed out, becoming tearful once more. At that, Bunny's ears fell. That was a question he could not answer.

"That is enough," North said softly. "We are all tired and must find rest,"

Sandy, having been 'silent' for a while finally formed a few images above his head. Jack will heal, but I must stay with him-they said. He was solemn in his gestures. The sand he supplied to Jack should be under supervision. He would not rest until he knew Jack was alright.

"Sandy, are you sure my friend?" North asked, "You have just returned and are surly still weak," The golden man nodded. Stoney and determined.

"I ain't restin' till he's better either," Bunny said firmly.

"I don't think I could.." Tooth said quietly, her arms folded protectively around her once more.

"I know we all want Jack to recover, but depriving ourselves of sleep will not help him," North insisted. But then he softened at his friends expressions, "I will have yetis bring spare cots into medical for us to stay with Jack.

Bunny nodded curtly, while Tooth gave a weak smile of agreement.

So they would stay by Jack until he awoke. And when he did, they would be there. Like they always should have been.