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Stan felt calm. For the first time in forever the world around him felt peaceful and accepting of him.
And that was bad.
Stan gritted his teeth and shook his head, chasing the false calmness away. Next, he checked the bandage on his stomach and was alarmed by the results: despite tightening it to the best of their abilities, it was now crimson red and weeping wet. The worst combo in their situation.
“Come on, rest over, we have to move”, he nudged his partner with an elbow and was even more alarmed when instead of giving any confirmation, Jimmy rolled his head to Stan's shoulder.
Stan's alarm immediately grew. He reached to check Jimmy's own bandage, right over the shoulder blade and loudly cursed when his palm went away even more bloody.
“Jimmy! Wake up!” He shook his partner in desperation, by his shoulders, and when it didn't give any results - especially of the other coming awake - Stanley slapped his cheeks as hard as he could. “Come on, man, please”, he didn't care if he sounded desperate or begging, because the only thing he cared about was to make Jimmy confirm he wasn't too close to that final realm yet. More slaps, sounding so mocking in the bright sunny day, in all the vibrant greens around them. The little passers-by Stan had managed to witness had scrambled away at the first glance of them, and Stan had never managed to call for help. No, there was nobody else they could count on, besides themselves. “Please, Jimmy, don't you dare to leave me, not you too”.
Stan lost the count, but what felt like a thousandth slap finally gave him his wish - Jimmy moaned and slowly started to blink.
“Leave me alone”, he groaned.
It was the most beautiful sound Stan ever heard. And he would so love to kiss the man stupid from relief, but it was no time or place - they had to move, to seek some help, or to find something better to patch themselves up to the best of their abilities.
“We have to move”, Stan nudged Jimmy and felt his heart breaking over the look full of misery.
“Do we have to?”
“Yes”. Because Stan refused to bleed out there, in broad daylight in the park. Not even with Jimmy on his side, especially not with Jimmy. There were so many plans, so many possibilities still uncharted, and if they just could get away, to live through - then Stan would never take the other guy, that kept following him, for granted.
“Jimmy, please, we have to get up”, he begged the other, because while he wished to be strong enough to get both of them to safety, Stan too lost so much blood that he felt too lightheaded. He needed Jimmy to cooperate with him…
“Sure, Sugar,” the other whispered and tried to stand. It wasn't successful, it wouldn't be successful, as the guy immediately started to sag back - but not on Stan's watch, as he also stood up and held Jimmy upwards. The latter whimpered in pain, as the movement was rapid and not at all gentle. “Sugar, maybe you should go by yourse-”
“Never”, Stan pulled the almost limp body closer despite the pain it brought to his own side. “We can pull through, but only together, you get me? We will be alright”, he pleaded, he begged with his voice for Jimmy to believe in that.
And Jimmy probably realised it.
“Of course”, he whispered and tried to wobble forward. “Lead the way, Sugar”.