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Jaskier moves quickly but not quickly enough. His shriek rings out and Geralt has to remind himself that Jaskier isn't his only responsibility, but he's torn. Despite the aching in his chest, he makes a split-second decision. He goes for Ciri first, scooping her up just in time to get her out of the way as a tree comes down on their camp.
He should have known better, should have forced them to push through until they reached town. He should've- There's no point in thinking about what he should have done because he can't do anything about it now. Now, he has to search for somewhere safe for Ciri.
He finds a place not far from their doomed camp, a shelf of rock where she can hide away at the back and be safe. He tucks her away, ensuring she has enough blankets to keep warm and wraps his cloak around her to be certain. Then, once he's convinced Roach to step under the cover, he returns to their camp. Moving faster than he thought his legs could carry him, he returns to their camp.
His heart feels like it's about to beat out of his chest and he wonders if this is what humans feel like every time they're scared. He hates it, but he hates not knowing what he's returning to more.
He finds him, trapped beneath a branch and a tree trunk. He's sitting up but the position is awkward, the only reason he's still upright is because of the branch holding him there. Geralt's heart thuds and his blood rushes. He sees Jaskier's mouth moving but doesn't understand what he's saying if he's speaking aloud at all.
Geralt hauls the branch off of him, throwing it to one side without even realizing he's doing so. Jaskier splutters and takes a deep breath. Fuck. He was struggling to breathe. If Geralt had been any longer... He shakes his head. He doesn't want to think about it.
Jaskier looks at him pleadingly and lifts an arm but Geralt gently presses it back into place.
"Don't move," he growls and it comes out broken and shaky.
"Ciri-"
"She's fine. Don't move. Do you hurt?" Jaskier nods. "Still," Geralt reminds him. "Where?"
"Everywhere." His eyes shut and Geralt is struck with the need to ease the pained look on his face. He wants to wrap Jaskier in his arms and hold him, shield him from the storm, from the outside world. But he knows he can't. Can't hold him, can't even move him.
He's seen enough boys die because their spines were broken and they were moved incorrectly. He can't let that happen now. It was hard enough seeing it when he wasn't responsible, when the boys were still just nameless children. He saw himself in them, but this- Jaskier is so much more. If anything happened to him- If Geralt was to blame-
He'd never forgive himself.
"Your back-" he manages. Jaskier pushes himself up with a wince and Geralt reaches out in a panic. But Jaskier is... okay.
"A little stiff, but I'm in one piece," Jaskier forces a smile but Geralt can still smell the fear on him but he doesn't know how to help, he's frozen in place. Jaskier moves each of his limbs in turn and Geralt just watches, unable to do anything else. When Jaskier shouts, he spurs into motion, catching him as he drops forward.
"What is it?" Geralt asks, frantically pawing at Jaskier. Jaskier lifts the edge of his doublet, wincing again as he twists his body. Under the shining gold of the fabric, his shirt is stained red. Panic rises up in him again and Geralt spares a second's thought to his well-kept control, now gone in the face of Jaskier's suffering.
The shirt beneath is torn, the skin beneath damaged and Geralt inspects it carefully. It's not deep, but it will need treating and soon, lest it get infected. He's so lost in his thoughts, running through the exact process to take, how exactly to treat Jaskier's wounds, that he doesn't realize how close he is until Jaskier's head is on the back of his head.
"I'm fine, love," Jaskier whispers and Geralt shifts, pressing their foreheads together. He says nothing, but draws away, gently gathering Jaskier into his arms.
When he rises to his feet, Jaskier nuzzles in against him, whispering promises that he's fine, that Geralt could not have anticipated the storm. And as he makes his way back to the rock shelf and Ciri's hiding place, he makes a promise to himself. That never again, despite what nature may bring, will he put either of them in a situation like this again.