Author's Notes: Yeah, it's been forever and there was supposed to be a Dawn-and-Zoey story next, but it's the last day of Crack and Fanon Week and I want to write some Jock. Sorry.

Current Interaction: Jo and Brick

A tree root. Out of all the mutants, booby traps and idiotic contestants on the island, Jo wound up getting hurt by a tree root.

"Agh! Lousy—"

She fell to the ground, grabbing her leg as a jolt of pain shot through her. Surprised by its intensity, she waited about thirty seconds before trying to climb to her feet. She fell again almost instantly and grit her teeth, barely holding in a string of profanity.

She crawled over to the offending tree and used its trunk for support, forcing herself up again. She kept her injured foot raised; it was throbbing too hard for her to dare put her weight on it. "Damn," she muttered. "Now what am I going to do?" She could hardly hobble the whole way back to camp like this, and there was no way she was going to—

Her thoughts were interrupted when someone burst through the trees.

Worse, that someone was Brick.

He stopped running as soon as he saw her. "What's the problem, soldier?"

Jo grimaced. "Nothing!" she snapped. "I just tripped over a stupid tree root."

"You need any help?"

"No! I—agh!"

She had tired to step away from the tree, only to fall to her knees once again. Almost instantly Brick was beside her. "Whoa there! Here, let me help you..."

Reluctantly, Jo allowed Brick to guide her over to a nearby rock; she sat down, hissing in pain. Brick knelt down again, frowning pensively. "Alright, I'm gonna take a quick look at that leg—"

"Uh, no you're not," Jo said, gingerly moving it away from his outstretched hands.

"But it might be broken or something!"

"Well, great. I'll get a doctor to look at it, thank you!" A beat passed, and she remembered that the only medical authority on the island was Chef. "Wait...never mind, go ahead."

He grimaced and began to roll up Jo's pant leg. "Don't worry. I got the Field Medic Medal two years running in Cadets."

"Great. OW!"

"Did that hurt?"

"Um, yeah, Major Field Medic!"

"Hmm." Brick carefully felt Jo's ankle, wrinkling his nose. "Well, I can't be sure, but I think you sprained your ankle. We're gonna have to get you back to camp."

"Great. So I just have to hobble half a mile before—hey, what the hell?!"

Brick suddenly lifted Jo into his arms—she pushed against his chest, trying to get free. "Let me go!"

"Stand down, soldier! I'm not letting you walk with your leg in that condition!"

"I'm not a baby! Idiot—"

He reluctantly put her down, though she kept a hand on his shoulder so that she could lean on him for support. "Now come on!" she ordered, hoping to distract him from seeing how red she had turned from this whole situation.

"Uh...if you say so, sir. Ma'am."

They started walking. Jo winced with each step. Brick watched her, looking uneasy.

"...You sure you don't want me to—"

"Yes!"

He jumped and looked away, turning red himself now. They kept walking in silence.

After a minute Jo began grumbling under her breath. Brick could barely make out the words "Thanks, I guess" mix in with the grousing.

Brick blinked in confusion just as Jo stumbled and leaned a bit closer to him. He suddenly found himself smiling.

Next Interaction: Dawn and Zoey (for reals).