Chapter Text
Colter knew he was dead the minute his legs got swept into the icy river current. He knew he couldn’t pull himself out, and even if he did he’d die of hypothermia. He knew that.
So why the hell was he still alive?
He couldn’t tell where he was. Every little sensation felt clouded in an odd haze that told him, yeah, he’s down for the count for a while. He could hear a fire nearby, even if he couldn’t feel it much. His fingers were numb as well as his legs, but he could faintly feel his own crackly breathing as he lay… wherever he is. Somewhere soft. A bed maybe? Maybe the mystery mountain resident came to his rescue and he’s in a warm cabin somewhere. He could only hope.
All he knew was he was alive.
Why or how didn’t really matter at this point.
He lay there for what felt like hours, stuck in the weird limbo between stupor and awareness. Colter knew if he tried to speak, it would sound super pathetic—he could feel his sore throat now, and the way his chest crackled in protest when he inhaled—so he stayed quiet and focused on the feeling in his limbs instead.
He had just managed to lift his arm and rest it on his chest when he heard rustling. Adrenaline spiking, he moved his arm back as quickly as he could manage and prayed to whatever god out there that whoever brought him here didn’t notice that he moved. He heard the sound of something large being moved, then the familiar howl of the icy wind. Footsteps echoed—echoed? What kinda house echoes?—from where Colter assumed was the entrance before the large object was moved again and the wind stopped.
Maybe I’m not in a cabin, Colter realized. Because that most definitely was not a normal door.
The strange echo of footsteps travelled across the room. Whoever it was sounded rather large, plodding around the room in heavy boots. At least, Colter thought it was a room. He still hadn’t managed to see his surroundings clearly. The stranger slowly approached his weak, sickly frame, dropping a few things on the floor along the way.
Then, the lip of a bowl was forced between his lips and the most bitter liquid Colter had ever tasted flooded his mouth.
“Hck-“ Colter gasped, choking on the mystery fluid. His panic to breathe finally got his eyes to open, but it didn’t help much considering he could barely move his arms. “P-please-“ he managed to gargle out between gasps. The stranger ignored him and continued forcing the liquid into his mouth.
“Medicine. Drink,” they responded gruffly. Those two simple words seemed to stun Colter into clarity, at least long enough to regretfully swallow the “medicine.” His bleary vision didn’t let him see much of the stranger’s face, but he could just barely make out their blonde, braided hair.
“Who-“ Colter started, bursting into a fit of wet coughing before he could get out a full sentence. The stranger gently lifted his head and rested some kind of soft pillow under it.
“Shh. Breathe first. Questions later,” they murmured, voice a bit gentler. Their hands quickly fixed the soft blankets around him.
“N-no, I- I need to-“ Colter stammered, barely coherent.
“No. Rest. Or I hit you,” the stranger barked. Colter relented with a wheezy sigh, the tension in his muscles gone in seconds. He didn’t want to close his eyes; he knew he’d be out like a light in an instant. All his hazy brain could really understand was he still had a job to do, but… maybe it wasn’t worth getting decked in the teeth.
“Thank you,” Colter wheezed after a moment. He felt gentle fingers pulling the blanket further up his body.
“Rest.”
And rest, he did. When his eyes opened again, the fire was much louder and the stranger was sitting by it with a bowl full of… something. He couldn’t really see, but it smelled like heaven to his hunger-riddled brain.
“Mm,” Colter groaned. “That smells good…” His voice was still very hoarse and weak, but the stranger heard him thanks to the odd acoustics.
“Not for you yet,” they replied between bites.
“Why not?” Colter physically cringed at how whiny that sounded.
God, I’m sick out of my mind.
“Organs. You won’t like them,” the stranger muttered. Colter cringed.
“Oh,” he responded flatly. Probably not, but he’d eat it if he had to. A pot of some kind sat propped up over the fire, so there must be more meat cooking. A shiver ran up his body and suddenly Colter hated himself for wishing he could feel his limbs. His joints ached like he was eighty.
“Goddamn-“ he mumbled, stifling another wet cough. The stranger give Colter a sharp look.
“Quiet. Talking makes it worse,” they scolded lightly. Colter sighed, willing to admit they were right on this one. He glanced around, grateful that his eyes were working again, and worked on figuring out where he was.
From what he could make out, the walls were made of rock. Matter of fact, they weren’t really walls—there weren’t corners. There wasn’t really a ceiling either. Almost like it was carved into the mountain.
Wait.
Am I in a cave?!
Colter looked around in abject confusion. A cave. This person is out here living in a cave, hunting for food. Why? How long have they been out here? Who even is this person?
His eyes darted to the stranger sitting by the firepit. They looked to be quite large, with a broad frame and quite a bit of muscle. He could see their braids more clearly now, how they’ve matted over time into loc-like strands. Colter couldn’t really tell if they were a man or a woman, and he honestly didn’t care. They were strong, and they saved his life.
As he watched them, they took a slim stick and speared a few large pieces of meat from the pot. They generously filled up the bowl, gaze drifting to his tired body.
“Hungry, yes?” they asked as they tipped the pot to pour some of the juice in the bowl. Colter was practically drooling at the smell.
“God, yes…” he breathed, trying to sit up. The stranger approached with the bowl, setting it to the side to help him. Colter noticed the callouses that littered their palms and fingers. “How long have you been out here…?” he asked hoarsely. It felt like he was forcing each word through a meat grinder.
“Many years,” they muttered. Once they were certain Colter wouldn’t fall over, they brought the bowl of meat over.
“Can I ask why?” Colter tried. They let out a soft huff as they speared a piece of meat to give him.
“Freedom,” they answered simply, forcing a bite of meat into Colter’s mouth.
“Freedom?” he asked after he swallowed.
“Long story,” they muttered. Clearly a very painful one, too, judging by their expression. Colter decided to just shut up and eat. The fire crackled calmly beside them as the stranger fed him, letting him drink the warm broth to soothe his sick throat.
“Thank you,” he sighed. His body shivered a little at the warmth from the food. “You never told me your name, by the way.” The stranger was quiet for a while. Colter started to wonder if they even had a name.
“Perri,” they said softly.
“Colter,” he replied.
The next few days were rough. Over time, Colter was able to move around again, feed himself, even walk around the cave if he wanted to. But Perri wouldn’t let him leave for one important reason:
The fevers.
When the fevers hit, they hit fast and hard. Colter had never been sick like this before, so he had no idea how delirious he could manage to get. Perri handled it as they saw fit.
“Still gotta… kid t’find…” Colter slurred as he was shoved back into bed. It wasn’t much of a bed, really—more like a nest, a divot in the cave floor that Perri had filled with lots of furs so it was comfortable. Fortunately, that meant it was more difficult to get out of for sick-out-of-his-mind Colter, who kept trying to escape when Caleb crossed his mind.
“You will find him later,” Perri hissed in agitation. “Sleep.”
“Noooooo,” Colter whined, struggling against them. “’M fine...”
“You need more medicine.” That shocked Colter into a small sense of lucidity, in which he tried his damndest to roll over and go to sleep.
“No, no, I’m… sleeping…” he mumbled, pulling the fur blanket over him.
“Too late. Medicine,” Perri stated firmly.
“Mercy-“ Colter pleaded, interrupted by another fit of coughing. “Please…” Perri was swiftly at his side with the bowl.
“You need it,” they insisted.
“Rather you just let me die,” Colter whined. His hands came up to push the bowl away, but Perri persisted.
“Colter,” they said sharply. “I have food ready.” Now that caught his attention. “Drink the medicine, and you can have some.”
“Oh, come onnnnn,” Colter groaned. “I have to suffer to eat?”
“Drink the medicine. Now,” Perri growled, clearly annoyed with Colter’s whining. He sighed softly, his body shivering as he relented.
“Fine…” he mumbled, immediately feeling the lip of the bowl against his mouth. Eyes screwed shut in discomfort, he swallowed down the bitter liquid as best as he could.
“What is even in that stuff…?” he asked, wiping his mouth.
“Nutrients. Don’t worry about it,” Perri responded flatly as they went to wash out the bowl. “Now you may eat.” Colter visibly brightened when Perri brought him a bowl of cooked meat.
“Thank you,” he said, taking the bowl with greedy hands.
“You’re welcome,” they replied. Colter made a mental note of how much more articulate Perri had gotten since the first day. They had been out here alone for a long time, it made sense that they would have a limited vocabulary and stiff language; but the more they talked to Colter, the more smoothy they spoke. To him, it was a nice progression to witness.
About a week in, Colter was mostly well again. The fevers were fewer and farther between, and much less intense.
“I guess the medicine really does work,” Colter admitted as he idly stirred the pot of meat over the fire. Perri visibly brightened with pride.
“You don’t listen to me very well when you’re sick,” they pointed out.
“I don’t listen to anyone when I’m sick,” Colter corrected. “I really haven’t been that sick before, though. I probably acted like a big baby.”
“Pretty much, yeah.”
“You tell no one.”
“There isn’t anyone out here to tell.” Colter went quiet at that.
“…Perri?” he started, voice gentle. “Why do you stay out here alone? I know you said it’s a long story, but… I’d really like to know.” Now it was their turn to be quiet. Their gaze remained on the floor as they seemingly thought it out, finding the words.
“It’s… safe out here,” they answered, words soft. “The only things that can get me out here are animals, and they don’t capture their food. Animals are simple. They make sense.” The way they used the word “capture” made Colter’s skin crawl.
“You’re not safe around other people?” he asked. Perri shook their head.
“Animals kill people. People are… far more creative,” they mumbled.
“Perri… did someone hurt you?”
“…Everyone hurt me.” Colter felt himself shiver, half in dread and half in anger at whoever laid a finger on them.
“I’m sorry,” he breathed, trying to ignore the tension in his chest.
“Don’t be. I got out. I’m here,” they said simply. “I enjoy being alone… but I’ve also enjoyed you being here.”
“Even after me fighting you over the medicine?” Colter joked halfheartedly.
“Yes. It was… nice. To help. To know there’s at least one good person.”
“You think you’d ever… try to find a place in society again?”
“I wouldn’t get your hopes up.” Colter nodded softly.
“I understand. Y’ask me, society is overrated anyway.” Perri laughed softly at that. It was nice to see them smile for once.
“If I were to go back… I’d want to go back with you,” they said with a small sigh.
“I’d keep you safe,” Colter responded without a beat.
“I know.”
“So come with me. Please.” Perri sighed softly.
“I don’t think I can.”
“I won’t let anyone find you. I promise.”
“I’ve been promised things before.”
“Yeah, well this time its me. You saved my life, Perri. I want you to be safe.” They gave him a sidelong glance.
“Where would we go?” they asked skeptically.
“Anywhere,” Colter replied. “I live out of a trailer, so I hardly stay in one place for long.”
“You would take me with you?”
“Until you want me to stop. I can find you somewhere to live, bring you right back here, whatever you want. All I ask is that you give it a chance.” The cave was oddly quiet after that. Perri picked at their dirty, calloused nail beds as they thought. They weren’t all that different from Colter, really—same nervous habits, same affinity for the outdoors, same general distrust for humanity—even if it was for different reasons. Maybe that’s why they were considering leaving. They weren’t really sure. All they could be sure of was the honest gleam in Colter’s gaze.
“I’m not used to you being able to have a talk like this,” Perri admitted with a small laugh. Colter smiled a little. “I want to trust you. I want to believe I’m safe with you.”
“I know it’s hard.”
“It is. I wish it wasn’t.”
“You don’t have to come just because I asked.”
“I know, but… I want to.” Colter’s expression brightened.
“You’re sure?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m gonna give it a chance.”