Gon flew awake, sitting up. At first, he was confused why ge even had woken up, and espicially so quickly. He didn't even feel tired.
He didn't remember any dreams or nightmares, or hearing anything odd. He mentally shruged. He didn't sense anything outside. He looked at Killua, sound alseep beside him, and Leorio on the other side. They didn't wake up, so it must be fine.
Then he realised something. Where was Kurapika? He examined the sleeping bag besides Leorio. His eyes weren't playing tricks on him. He was gone. He looked and saw the tent zipper door partly open. Odd.
He tried calming the rising anxiety down. Kurapika probably just went to the bathroom, and will be coming back any minute. But something inside him wouldn't let that slide. He stayed up, waiting, hearing dead silence outside. Almost a full 20 minutes. Nothing.
That was it. Gon quietly got up. Something wasn't right.
"Gon?" Killua looked over, seeing him leaving the tent.
Gon tried to hide the slight panick on his face. "Oh, .. Just gotta take a leak" He smiled and left, taking a flashlight.
He went off towards the woods, searching for any trace of Kurapika. He said his nane a few times, not wanting to wake the others. Eventually too much anxiety built he had to, taking off back to the tent. He opened the zipper door and there Killua was, wide awake, waiting for him.
"I could tell you were lying" He said, not mad but not happy, his hunch confirmed by the look on Gon's face. " What were you actually doing?"
"...Kurapika. He's gone" Gon said, nudging Leorio. "Hey, wake up"
"..eehhh... whyyy" Leorio sleepily pulled the covers up.
"Kurapika's not here"
"Eh? He's prob'ly just takin' a piss. Why'd you hafta wake me up for it?"
"He's been gone for alnost a half hour" Gon said a bit louder and more serious, snapping Leorio awake and a bit concerned.
They all grabbed flashlights and got out of the tent. The darkness seemed to swallow any light produced, as they walked in sickening silence.
"Kurapika?!" Gon called, as they neared the forest's edge. More and more anxiety and stress was building up in them. Kurapika was there the night before. Why would he just take off? There wasn't any signs of an attack. He'd just... left.
They shouted his name numoruus times, getting nothing in return.
They stayed in the same vacinity, but somewhat split up to search in the dark forest. They looked for what felt like hours.
Killua shined his flashlight up at a tall tree. His voice was dead serious and unemotionless. "Gon. Liorio."
The two came over, Leorio ticked off. "I told you its not Lio-"
The 3 stared up at the tree. Specifically, what was on it. No. It couldn't be.
Pinned in the cheast by what looked like a long, solid tree branch, was Kurapika, at least a few yards (or meters) off the ground. Blonde hair down and messy, covering his eyes, motioness and pale, dried blood trickiling out of his partily opened mouth. The branch used as a wooden spear pierced his body, too dark to see where exactly it hit.
Undoubtedly, and unmistakeable. Kurapika.
They stood frozen stating at the unbelivable sight, feeling paralyzed and almost nauseous. Killua, used to seeing this sort of thing, hopped up on a tree limb. "Shouldn't we check if he's alive?" Although the sight itself was somewhat normal; he was trained to see hortific scenes without any emotion, the fact that it was one he considered a friend left a pang of genuine worry in his heart.
Gon and Leorio seemed to come back to their senses a bit, not even considering he might be still alive.
Killua carefully pulled out the blood-stained branch spear, the tree limb he was on close enough to reach it, releasing the limp Kurapika down into Leorio and Gon's hands.
The same thought rushed to their minds. What now? They were in the middle of nowhere; any hospital would be hours away. Leorio was sonewhat a doctor, but would that be enough for an injury like that? Regardless, they all knew the first step.
Leorio and Gon slowly laid Kurapika down at the base of the blood-stained tree as Killua jumped down. Leorio hesitated to check for a heartbeat. What if... Kurapika was dead? He stared at his bloody and pale face. No. No. He can't be. Why was this even happening. Why can't this just be a dream.
"Well?" Killua stared at Leorio, waiting for him to do it as Gon seemed paralyzed, taking in the scene.
"...r-right" He put his ear to his bloody chest, desprately straining his ear to pick up any sound. Just as he felt his own heart sink, there it was. The faintest beat. Relif rushed to him just as fast as stress did. The little first aid kit they brought wasn't going to fix this. He put his hand next to his nose, feeling the weak sign of beathing. "He is alive.. just barely" He checked his pulse.
That seemed to snap Gon out of his thoughts. Alive. Kurapika's alive.
"We need to get him back to the tent" Leorio announced, carefully picking him up, desprately hoping that first aid kit would do anything.
