~ Andrew's breath caught painfully in his throat as Jaden swabbed up the blood oozing from the wound in his abdomen with clean gauze. Andrew opened his eyes and looked around.
"Where'd Takyle go?" he asked. Jaden glanced up from his work and looked down the hall. She was nowhere in sight.
"I don't know." He wasn't sure that he cared at this point. "Takyle! Get your ass back here!" he shouted over his shoulder. He pulled out a packet of antibacterial powder and sprinkled it over Andrew's wound, placing a thick gauze pad over that and bandaging it in place. A second later Takyle came running back into the hall from around a corner.
"Hey guys, I found another unlocked d-" She skidding to a stop several yards away when she processed what Jaden was doing. "What's happened to him?" she asked. She stepped over the other team's leader, who now lay tied on the floor, and approached slowly.
"What do you think happened to him? He got stabbed while he was fighting," Jaden answered, scathingly.
"You're bleeding too," Andrew murmured softly. Jaden remembered his arm.
"Oh it's nothing impressive. You know me, just another scar to show off with no good story for it. Not like what you got here. Now this'll make a great story for the ladies. Will you lay down and rest for a few minutes?"
"Sure. I love resting." Jaden rolled up Andrew's jacket and placed it under his head as a pillow. Andrew's mouth twitched and he opened one eye.
"Quit doting, Jaden, and go patch up your arm."
“Sure thing.” Jaden straightened up and turned to Takyle, drawing her away from Andrew. She was staring at him with a shocked and rather stupid look on her face.
“Is he going to be alright?” she asked. Jaden blinked at her.
“I don't know. He was bleeding pretty bad.” He looked her over coldly. “You were an idiot. Standing there arguing with him when he was seriously wounded. What the hell were you thinking?”
“I didn't realize he was hurt. I feel like an idiot.”
“And you look like one too,” Andrew sang from the floor. “Have you guys thought that maybe we should all stop fighting amongst ourselves and try to actually win this friggin' race?” Takyle walked back and knelt beside Andrew on the floor. She laid one hand on his shoulder gently.
"I'm so sorry, Andy. I didn't know...I didn't mean..." He raised a hand to lay on top of hers.
"It's ok, Takyle. I'm going to be fine." Takyle looked up at Jaden then back at Andrew.
"I don't know what came over me."
"Do you feel jumpy and moody?" asked Jaden.
"Yeah. Ever since we got in here," Takyle agreed. Andrew groaned quietly as he raised his head.
"So um, maybe we shouldn't be lounging around in here if it's messing with our heads, huh guys?"
"Yeah, but what about our archnemeses here?" Jaden threw a thumb in the direction of the silent Cal and Vin. Andrew rolled his eyes.
"Good question..."
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