Raleigh nods, fine with trusting Chuck, and he pulls out his gun, flicking the safety off. He creeps behind the younger teen not close enough to get in his way, but still right there. He strains his eyes trying to see what's ahead.
Chuck can't fucking see anything -- it's driving him mad. He heard it, he
knew that he did - as much as he's been through, Chuck knows that he's not
fucking crazy. Not yet. He heard it, and it sounded familiar and--
There it was again and this time, he knows it. He hears his name, a plea
for help and it's fucking Herc, Christ they've got him in the arena
and Chuck bolts, tearing through the jungle and completely
abandoning Raleigh.
Raleigh recognizes the voice, just as Chuck seems to, and he follows Chuck into the jungle. His muscles are protesting, but saving Herc, keeping up with Chuck and making sure they aren't separating, that's all much more important. So he follows without a word fully expecting that they're going to go barreling into danger and have to think fast to get out of it, especially if Herc's there and in danger.
Chuck isn't bothering to be quiet. He hears Herc's voice all around,
screaming for him, crying out Chuck's long dead mothers name, shrieking in
pain and anguish and Chuck is fucking panicking, because he can't
find him.
Chuck screams and Raleigh looks all around them trying to be sure no one else has pinpointed them and is zeroing in. It's because of that he sees it-the jabberjay sitting on the tree branch ahead of him. He touches Chuck's shoulder lightly.
"It's not him, Chuck. It's the bird-the jabberjay. We can't do anything about it."
He shudders because it's just like Herc is there with them being tortured out of sight.
Chuck swats the hand away, whirling around to stare at Raleigh with wild eyes. He doesn't really hear him, not with the jabberjays shrieking like that. He clamps his hands over his ears, the only way that he can try to block it out, and screws his eyes shut.
Raleigh slips into the fortress of his mind, the place he hides when he doesn't want to feel what he's doing with body, so he doesn't hear the jabberjays, and he presses his hands on the outside of Chuck's to help muffle the noise. He guides Chuck gently into the hollow of some close growing trees so he can watch their front without worrying about their backs. He tucks Chuck into the space between him and the trees.
He wants to tell Chuck it will stop soon, but he knows he won't hear him, and he's not sure if it's the truth.
Chuck can't do anything but let Raleigh lead him and push him around. He
can't -- let go of his ears, he can't hear that. So he ends up
tucked up against Raleigh's chest, face buried in his shoulder and entire
frame trembling.
They disappear, but Chuck's hands don't fall away and he doesn't make any
move to get up or take a drink. Raleigh can nudge him all he wants, Chuck's
still kind of in shock and isn't really in any shape to talk.
Raleigh sees that Chuck's not moving, so he makes a bowl out of leaf and holds it under the spile filling it up with water and holding it out in front of Chuck. He doesn't shove it in his face, he just waits with it in Chuck's sight so that it'll be ready when Chuck is.
Raleigh waits and Chuck trembles, finally looking up at him, face a little blotchy and tear stained but he doesn't say a fucking word, just takes the offered leaf and sips slowly, drinking gratefully.
Raleigh fills the leaf up again for Chuck before cupping his hands under the flow of water and drinking some himself. He ducks his head under it, cooling off a bit, before stepping just outside the hollow, checking their surroundings and the sky.
"It's getting lighter." They'd need to start towards the beach soon if they could. He carefully doesn't mention anything about what happened to Chuck.
Raleigh took his hand back with a small sharp nod. He kept an eye on Chuck as he started making his way through the jungle. He didn't trust that Chuck was even half as steady as he was trying to play off.
Chuck...manages. As time progresses, he becomes steadier on his feet, but
he still looks haunted and a little gaunt, and isn't saying much of
anything as they make their way back to the beach.
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Chuck can't fucking see anything -- it's driving him mad. He heard it, he knew that he did - as much as he's been through, Chuck knows that he's not fucking crazy. Not yet. He heard it, and it sounded familiar and--
There it was again and this time, he knows it. He hears his name, a plea for help and it's fucking Herc, Christ they've got him in the arena and Chuck bolts, tearing through the jungle and completely abandoning Raleigh.
"I'm comin--hang on, old man!"
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Chuck isn't bothering to be quiet. He hears Herc's voice all around, screaming for him, crying out Chuck's long dead mothers name, shrieking in pain and anguish and Chuck is fucking panicking, because he can't find him.
"Where the hell is he!"
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"It's not him, Chuck. It's the bird-the jabberjay. We can't do anything about it."
He shudders because it's just like Herc is there with them being tortured out of sight.
"I'm sorry."
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"Fucking Christ!"
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He wants to tell Chuck it will stop soon, but he knows he won't hear him, and he's not sure if it's the truth.
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Chuck can't do anything but let Raleigh lead him and push him around. He can't -- let go of his ears, he can't hear that. So he ends up tucked up against Raleigh's chest, face buried in his shoulder and entire frame trembling.
It's gonna be a long hour.
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"They're gone. They just..flew away."
He turns, pulling the spile out of his pouch and sticking it into the tree.
"Here, we should drink something."
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They disappear, but Chuck's hands don't fall away and he doesn't make any move to get up or take a drink. Raleigh can nudge him all he wants, Chuck's still kind of in shock and isn't really in any shape to talk.
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Whatever, maybe Becket isn't so awful after all.
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"It's getting lighter." They'd need to start towards the beach soon if they could. He carefully doesn't mention anything about what happened to Chuck.
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"Yeah," he croaks, not looking at Raleigh as he shakingly makes his way to his feet, pushing himself up and holding onto the tree for support.
"Better get going."
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"If we leave this early we can take our time a bit."
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Raleigh's right, Chuck doesn't take it, but it's not snarled or glared at, at least.
He just shakes his head, and leans on the tree.
"Sounds good. Let's go."
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Chuck...manages. As time progresses, he becomes steadier on his feet, but he still looks haunted and a little gaunt, and isn't saying much of anything as they make their way back to the beach.
He's run out of words, it seems.