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Zedaph thought that Ex was coming for a friendly visit, so needless to say he was not expecting Ex to go for him.
Fist pounding against Zedaph’s face, Ex kept beating him with all the emotion of someone who was currently doing a test for a class way below their needed level. Ex didn’t even care. Staring at him in horror, Zedaph opened his mouth. Iron-edged knuckles slammed into his mouth. The metallic, horribly familiar taste of blood filled his throat. Weakly, he pawed at Ex’s arms. His eyes were welling up with tears. He could barely even see.
“Ex—please—“ He choked out. A hand locked around his throat, squeezed tightly as Ex kept punching him. “ Please— “
All of a sudden, he was ripped up from the ground. Then, he was thrown to the side. His knee cracked against the dirt, his ankle twisted. Crying out, Zedaph threw out one hand. His other hand landed on his throat. Clawed at his skin, felt blood on his face from where Ex had been beating him.
Scrambling back, Zedaph pushed himself up. Stumbled back. Held up his hands and shook his head violently. Felt his eyes welling up with tears even more. Please. Please don’t. No, please. He kept stumbling over his own words and trying to force out more pleas for Ex to leave him alone. Ex kept walking towards him, fury on his face. Please stop. Please. Please.
Ex swung for him. Yelling, Zedaph ducked to the side. Hurriedly, he started to limp away. Cupped his hands around his mouth. “Someone help! Please! Help!”
Ex kicked him in the back of his good knee. Going down, Zedaph turned. Stared up at Ex with wide eyes. Ex had his hand out, clawed gloves shining in the sunlight. Zedaph stared at that. Looking at him, Ex tipped his head to the side. Ex’s helmet visor dropped down. Left Zedaph staring up only at his own reflection. Terror painted his face. Reaching up, Zedaph pushed at Ex’s wrist, choked out another plea as Ex’s hand went to his hair and gripped the blond curls.
Ex slashed down.
Heat and pain immediately flooded through Zedaph’s nerves, starting at his neck. With a gargling, bubbling yell, Zedaph slammed his knee into Ex’s back and twisted to throw the man off. Hand going to his throat, he stumbled away. Dropped to the ground like a wounded prey animal. Gripping at his own hand, feeling blood flood his mouth and palm, Zedaph glanced back. Stumbled and slipped. His chin slammed into the ground. Looking back, he stared at Ex.
Please. Please, please. Just stay away. Ex pushed himself up. Growled lowly and turned to look at Zedaph. Shaking, Zedaph pushed himself away. Trembled a little bit more. His heart was pounding in his ears. Shaking his head, Zedaph held onto his throat still. Dropping down, he pulled himself a little further away. Shook his head again. Grabbing at his communicator, Zedaph crawled away a little further. Got it into dictation mode.
“H-he-“ He coughed weakly and wetly. Felt something bubbling up in his mouth and hacked it out. Red spattered his wrist. Dropping his head forwards, he closed his eyes. Tried to pull himself a little more forwards.
“Zedaph!” There was a crash of lightning. White flashed behind Zedaph’s eyelids. Resting his head on the dirt, Zedaph sucked in a sharp inhale. Hands lifted him, found his hair and shoulders. “Oh End, what did he do to you?” Tango asked, while Impulse pulled Zedaph into his arms. He was rolled over. Quickly, hands pressed to his neck, he could hear Tango and Impulse telling one another to find some potions. “Zed, Zed, open your eyes. Please.”
“Zed, you with us, buddy?” Impulse asked, the pitch to his voice betraying how terrified he actually was. Swallowing as best as he could, Zedaph opened his eyes. Just a bit.
Jerking, he sucked in a breath. Felt his arms jerk, too. Tried to move. Stared up at Impulse and Tango. Sucked in another pained breath. His arm jerked when he tried to reach up. Tango grabbed his hand.
“Hey. You’ll be alright. You’ll be fine. We’ve got you.” There was fighting somewhere behind them. With a stupid amount of effort, Zedaph raised his head. Tipped it to the side and gasped. His chest hurt, his throat hurt. He couldn’t breathe.
There was a flash of False, Ren, and Grian. They were tearing into Ex. Someone had opened up a Nether portal.
Wheezing, Zedaph dropped his head back. Held tighter to Tango’s hand. Impulse was still cradling him gently. Quickly, Tango turned, started looking through the bags. Zedaph sucked in another breath, tried to move. His ankle was burning. A raspy noise left him, and he curled into Impulse. “Ssh, ssh, save your strength. Tango, how we doing on that potion?” Impulse broke his gaze from Zedaph’s, looked to Tango.
“I don’t—I’m trying, I’m trying I swear I’m so sorry, Zed. Stupid unorganized—stuff.”
Wheezing, Zedaph jerked again. He could feel heat welling up where Impulse’s hand was pressed to his neck. Vision blurring from tears and pain, Zedaph met Impulse’s gaze. Wheezed again. His face must have been a mess. He could feel blood on his face from where Ex had been punching him. His ribs felt either bruised or cracked. Everything hurt. So much hurt. His throat, his chest, his ankle.
Leaning down, Impulse rested his cheek on Zedaph’s forehead. “You’re going to be fine, Zed. You’ll be okay. We’re going to get you home, you’re going to be just fine. We’ll sit with you and make sure everything’s alright. Get you some potions and some blankets. That sound nice?” Zedaph coughed weakly, shaking. “Tango, Tango. Just stop, there’s no point. We’ll pick you up at respawn, Zed, alright?” Zedaph sucked in a breath. Nodded weakly. “Okay, okay. Ssh, ssh, you’re alright. We’ll keep you safe.”
“Yeah, yeah. Show up in that crazy awesome lab of yours. That sound nice?” Tango asked, laughing in the way he did when he cried. Lurching, Zedaph grabbed onto his hand tighter. Waited until he was looking at him. Red eyes held purplish-blue. Sucking in a breath, shaking and trembling, Zedaph swallowed forcefully. Opened his mouth.
“N-not—your—“ His throat burned. He could barely force anything out. “F-f—“ Closing his eyes, he wheezed again. Coughed and felt heat running down his face. Blood. He was coughing up blood. Blinking, he looked back to the others. “Ho-ome.”
“Yeah, yeah. We’ll see you at home.” Impulse said. Gritting his teeth, Zedaph squeezed Tango’s hand a little harder. Buried his face in the side of Impulse’s chest, forced his eyes shut. He wasn’t dying like that, wasn’t making them close his eyes for him. Wasn’t going to put them through that.
“Tay. P-please…” Everything faded out. He could barely feel anything. Fuzziness spread from his feet to his hips and then up to his throat.
“Yeah, yeah. We’ll stay.” Tango whispered. “We’ll stay.”
Everything dropped out.
+++
Zedaph woke up to a Hermit pile, and he wasn’t even surprised.
Well, actually, he woke up a little bit earlier. Heard Joe and Cleo reassuring him as they carefully changed him from his bloodied, shredded clothes, got him cleaned up. They just were like that. Cared for everyone. Lovely people, they were, really. Gentle hands had braided his hair, he knew it had to be Stress. Then, he was being gently coaxed to drink some strength and regen potions and bits of a golden apple. Someone strong—he thought Keralis at first, then smelled the familiar old leather and woodsmoke and barbeque and knew that it had to be Beef—scooped him up.
Cracking his eyes open, he smiled weakly up at Beef. “Hey.” Beef said, hefting him closer. Leaning down, he gently kissed Zedaph’s forehead. Then, he gently shifted his grip on Zedaph, one arm bracing his shoulders and the other hefted under his knees. “We’re just going to bring you to the others. Feel free to sleep if you need to.”
Nodding, Zedaph dropped his head into the crook of Beef’s elbow and closed his eyes. Let himself pass out. Then, when he woke up, he was wrapped in warmth. A lot of warmth, actually. Someone’s head was burrowed into his chest, their arms around his waist. When he looked down, it was Tango. The missus and I are going to have a chat about this so she knows next time he’s sick and visiting. He mused, brushing a hand along his friend’s hair. There were other arms around his back, too. He could hear Bdubs’ snoring. Grian’s sleeptalking and Pearl’s responses back. Keralis was, as per usual, singing Swedish in his sleep. So was Iskall. Etho and Side Kit were curled up on the edges of the pile with Beef holding him, as per usual. xB was settling down. Cleo and Joe were keeping watch, Joe with Stress’ head in his lap and a book on her head and Cleo leaning into him and tracing words into his forearm. The other Hermits were just…everywhere around him.
Impulse was right behind him. Mrs Imp is going to love this. Skizz, too. Laughing, Zedaph hummed softly. Felt Impulse nudge into him. “Impulse.” Zedaph whispered, winced when he heard how hoarse his voice was. Slowly, he pushed himself up. Immediately, Joe and Cleo spotted him. Smiled. Zedaph returned it. Started poking Impulse and Tango. Eventually, both of them stirred. And Zed only had one thing.
“Hot chocolate?”