Random meeting and blood~Nick~

[Jack Lexington]

I don't quite understand her concern with the light or fire in my place so I ask. "What do you mean? Everybody has fires going at this time of the year. That won't give away where we are unless somebody, who knows me points them our way.Yeah , my place is about 15 minutes walk north of this beach."

Suddenly a thought crosses my mind. "Did you tell them my name? i mean do they know my last name? It'll be much easier to find me that way." Come to think about it I think I never told her my last name.
"It's not my birth name but the one I used since I ran away. It's Travis. I guess you deserve to know my real name. I haven't told anyone so please keep it to yourself. My real name is Calhoun."
Wow, now it's out there in the open. I've kept my real identity a secret for so long that I could barely remember it. With my name I can easily be tracked down to where I really belong. I trust Nitya more than anybody before.

My thoughts are soon distracted by her touching my face, my hair and her soft lips on mine. I can taste her just like two nights ago on the boat. What a feeling. Just like then it makes me giddy and gives me a fluttering feeling in my stomach, that I cherish. I think I'm falling in love and there's not a damn thing I can or want to do about it. Closing my eyes I lean in for a longer more passionate kiss. My lips suck softly on hers and my tongue touches hers, circles around it and then trails along her lower lip.

When we part I open my eyes and smile at her without a word.
Finally I tear my gaze away from her gorgeous face and ask. "What more do you want to do for me?"

We lay together for a while and listen to each other breath, I practically spoon her to get more warmth, have a nibble of the bread she brought and I ask. "Does it bother you that I'm not from here?"

I shift a little to get a better look at her face and almost cry out in pain. For a moment I had forgotten about the cut and shifted a bit too quickly. Instantly the pain flares up as intense at it was before, onky that now I'm not under the influence of some sort of strong anaesthetic anymore. Wincing and grimacing I curl into a ball before I remember to hide it a little better so Nitya doesn't worry so much.
"Oh shit. Almost forgot." I sigh.

[Nitya Demont]

"That's true. I was just worried that they might be suspicious. Yes, nobody knows you live there, but that means they won't think a light is supposed to be there. Still, it is hard to keep track of people this time of year. Sorry, you're right. It should be fine. I just worry a lot." It's true. I can't help but worry. Of course, in this situation, I feel it is actually called for. "Alright. That puts us in close distance to supplies if we need them."

He asks if I told them a name. "No, I didn't." I'm about to say that I don't even know his last name, but he seems to have realized this. He shares with me both his real name and the one he is currently using. Both seem to fit him, but in different ways. I don't say that out loud of course, but I do acknowledge the fact he's asked me to keep it to myself. "Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me," I say. Since he's shared his last name, I decide to tell him mine as well. Of course, he doesn't need to worry about being hush hush about mind. "By the way, my full name is Nitya Min Demont."

The moment he starts to kiss me, I can feel myself falling. It's an amazing feeling, and I don't want it to end. My body reacts to his without me thinking about what I'm doing. It knows what it wants to do, and it follows him. His tongue touches mine, and I feel a jolt run through me. I respond back with kisses, and my tongue slowly snakes around his and then lets go. I feel as though electricity is coursing through us, and it's something that is so incredibly powerful.

"I'd like to keep you safe," I answer. "Actually, I'd like to go back in time and save you from being hurt. However, right now I'd just like to be able to make you heal faster, to watch over you, and to make you happy." Words tumble out of my mouth. I'm not really thinking about them as they come. It's me being honest. What I don't say is that I think I'm falling in love with him. That would probably be a bit too much.

His question catches me a little by surprise. It wasn't something I thought would come up. "No, it doesn't bother me. I'm more curious than anything. I mean, you've been able to see more than most of us ever will unless we're chosen for the games." I pause for a moment to readjust slightly on the floor of the cave. "But no it doesn't. Everybody has a different story here. Yours just doesn't start here like most people's."

I see the pain in his face when he moves. Immediately, I turn to take a look at him. His face evens out a little, so my fears calm slightly. "Maybe we should take a look at you," I say. "Besides, I'm sure your bandages could use the change." While I change the bandage, I'm also planning on looking for signs of infection. "If you'd like, you can ask me some questions while I do this." I want to try and take his mind off what I'm doing, at least in part. I don't want this to hurt more than it has to.

[Jack Lexington]

It's sad that our beautiful moment ends so abrupt but I plan to continue it soon. The last thing I want is her to touch my wound. It hurts and will certainly not get better from touching it. So I shake my head and move away from her touch. "No, they don't need to be changed." I assure her. For all I know they're probably stuck to the wound and she'll need to rip them off if she wants to change them so I really don't think it would be a good idea.

"Call me a coward but I'd like to ask you to just leave it the way it is." I lay back down and relax a little but take her hand in mine. "Let's just sleep a little while the fire is still going and tomorrow everything will look a bit better."

My hand caresses her arm and then her shoulder lightly squeezing and rubbing so Nitya will relax alittle, too. She seems on edge, a little over protective, almost like a mother, whho is worried about her child when I'm just a stranger.

Laying back down with and snuggling under the blanket near the fire, that keeps our front warm while the cold is chilling our backs, well at least mine, I mutter. "I could get used to this...laying next to you."
Then I let my eyes drift close but before I go to sleep I ask her. "What if things were different?" But I don't continue my thought...what if we were just two people from district four, who weren't facing these extreme circumstances...would she care about me?

Being with her is a true help but I'm starting to get the feeling that something isn't right. Even when I lay still the throbbing doesn't stop but intensifies over the course of the next few hours, especially when I touch it, until I'm barely able to sleep any more. The fire has died down and left me cold and shivering and the bit of energy I had regained seems to have vanished with it.

By early morning I'm completely exhausted from the lack of sleep and fall into a restless stirring 'unconsciousness'. My dreams are vivid but anything but pleasant. Nitya's there, too, we're back on the boat and the shark is after her. I can see his huge sarp double row of teeth that dig right into her belly. I scream her name but can't save her.

Breathing hard I wake up but everything is still dark. It's actually already 8 am but the sun doesn't fall this far into the cave. irritated I try to see where I am and where Nitya is. Soon I can feel her next to me and breath a sigh of relieve. "Thank goodness, I dreamt the shark got you." I say even though I have no idea whether she's sleeping.

My hands feel around for the bag with the lighter but by now every move of my abdomen is excruciating so I give up and press out. "I need another one of those pills. Two."


OOC: O, more drama. They should make a cave baby, too LOL

[Nitya Demont]

I bite my lip for a moment when he moves away. It's not a personal thing I know, but I worry that I've offended somehow. However, I settle back down and drop my hands. "Alright then," I say simply. It's hard for me not to worry about it, but if that's what he really wants then I will leave it the way it is. He knows his body better than I do, and I'm not going to push him into doing something he doesn't want.

"I won't call you a coward for that," I say gently as he takes my hand. I nod at his words. There doesn't really seem to be a need to say anything. My muscles slowly lose their tenseness, and I'm relaxing against him again.

My mind is drifting off, and I can feel my lids getting heavy when he speaks. I don't say anything. Instead, I simply move my body a little closer to his. His next question throws me off a little. I'm not entirely sure what he means by it. "What do you mean?" I ask. If things were different, we wouldn't be in this cave, but other than that I'm not sure what to say because I'm not entirely sure what it is that he's asking me.

Though it takes me a while, I drift off to sleep. Sometimes I'm not sure if I'm dreaming or awake. I dream, but nothing is clear enough for me to remember. Some of it must be bad though since I wake up in a panicked sweat at one point. However, I soon drift back off again and don't wake up until I feel Nick awake next to me.

"Well, I'm right here," I say sleepily. I rub my eyes and look around. Everything is as we left it, and I hear no new sounds of any sort. It seems like we're still safe. I roll over and give him a soft hug and a gentle kiss. "I'm alright," I say reassuringly. Then, I slowly get myself up and go over to the food bag to pull out something to eat for breakfast.

As I do that, I hear Nick say something about needing pills. This is slightly worrying to me, but I keep it to myself. After all, he did say that he wanted to leave the bandage on. Still the word infection keeps playing across my mind. I don't say it, but I decide to watch him for a little. If things get worse, I'm going to have to head out again. "Alright," I say handing them over to him. "Pain that bad huh?" I ask. Honestly, I know the pain has to be bad, but I'm looking for an answer from him to try and decide what I need to do.

I start warming up some food and break off a hunk of bread and hand that over to Nick as well. I'm not feeling hungry yet, so I instead start packing up our things again in case we decide to move. I take a look at my arm after everything is packed. The marks definitely look like fingernails, but other than still seing the marks, it seems that things are better. It isn't bleeding anymore. After that, I take the bandage off my ankle and start testing it out a little. "Looks like you worked wonders on my ankle," I tell him.


OOC: That would be amusing.

[Jack Lexington]

I finally pull the lighter from her bag and light the candle because it's too dark in here to see anything but outlines. With my eyes on her back while she's rummaging around in the other canvas bag. "Pain that bad huh?" I hear her ask and nod but since she can't see me I lowly admit. "Yeah." Just to make reassure myself that everything is fine I add. "That's normal, right?"
She doesn't hand them to me but starts lighting a fire and warming up food so I reach for the bag with one hand and pull it closer. Inside I can feel the small bottle, which I take out, pop the top off and look inside. There are maybe a dozen small white pills in there. Doing a quick calculation I'm guessing I'll need them for another three days maybe three times a day. So i pull out one, swallow it and then another one. If we want to leave the cave today I'd better bulk up on them.

While the food gets warmed she inspects her own battle wounds and seems happy. "You heal fast, it's only been...three days." I can't see a whole lot in the light of the fire but it what i see is merely an outline of her cut. "That's good because you're the clumsiest girl I know." I tease her a little and hope she won't mind.

The food she hands me smells very good but I barely have energy to sit up and there's not way I can eat while I'm laying on my back so I try my best to sit up. I can't beleive how much the tiniest rubbing and movement hurts after almost two days. I can't hold back the small groan escaping my lips and pause my movement. "Shit." Maybe she was right.
"Sorry." I apologize for cursing again.
It takes a moment before I can reach for the food and actually eat some. It does fill my belly but my mind is somewhere else. What if there are complications? All our efforts will be in vain if I have to go to a hospital. I will be treated but then locked up and deported to district 6. Nitya will be out of my reach for good. This cannot happen.
Staring at my food I pick at it with a frown as if it tasted bad.

As soon as I'm done I let her know. "Let's get going before we catch a cold in here." As much as I want to move I don't know how without giving away my troubles and making her worry again.
"Give me hand?" I ask reaching out my hand but even with her help only make it half way to my feet before I have to give up due to pain. "Stop, wait, wait!" I exclaim as I fall back on my ass double over clutching my side.

OOC: Sorry...this almost made me laugh! It's so soap opera
I actually spent 3,5 hrs at a hospital today because of an old knee problem which reminded me how much I hate hospitals. It's so easy to write this stuff here but if it's you in rl it's a whole different ball game.

[Nitya Demont]

He says yeah, and I bite my lip a little again. Fortunately, Nick can't see me. When he asks if it's normal, I'm unsure exactly what to say. "Some pain is normal," I say honestly. I'm worried about how much he appears to be in, but I've never seen anybody who has gone through this operations before. There is nobody to compare this too, but the pain he's feeling kind of makes me think that something isn't right.

It is rather miraculous that I've managed to heal so quickly, but I suppose that's just good genes. I giggle at his comment about my clumsiness. "Only around you," I say with a smile. "Maybe you've just got the magic touch," I say. After all, they are the wounds that he's bandaged that are doing so well.

His groans make me even more worried. Something definitely isn't right with this. Again the word infection goes through my head. However, I keep my tone light; I don't want to worry him. He's got enough going on. "Please, I've heard worse. You don't need to apologize," I tell him.

I see his expression as he eats the food. "Sorry if it doesn't taste the greatest. Kind of hard to cook things properly." As he eats, I pull an apple out and start nibbling on it. I'm still not that hungry, so this is just about right for me. "If you don't like it, you don't have to eat it," I say.

I nod my head and gather up all of our things. Carefully, I try to assist him getting up, but we don't get far when he has me stop. This time, I let my worry out. "Nick!" I exclaim as I drop out things. I kneel next to him and gently take hold of his arm. "Nick, let me see it." We have to find out what's wrong. Pain is normal after an operation, but this isn't. There is something wrong, and we need to know now. .

OOC: Agreed. Hospitals are the worst. You doing ok now?

[Jack Lexington]

I can't even bare my own hand on my side so I drop it and try to hold in the groan I feel the need to let out in order to deal with this. Laying on the cold stones on my left side I let my forehead drop against the damp surface and just wait, wait, wait until the throbbing subsides enough for me to look at Nitya and nod. "Okay."

I can see her own face scrunched up as if she was feeling my pain. She's filled with compassion. She's incredible. I already adore her but right now I'm preoccupied.

When I'm ready I reach for the bottom of the grey sweater Nitya gave me and carefully lift it up to reveal the dirty bandage that's clinging to me like a second skin. Lifting my head I try to catch a glimpse and roll onto my back. It's big and soaked with some reddish goey crust. Truly disgusting. "Hope you have a strong stomach." I press out a joke.

When she kneels down I capture he hand for a moment. "Gentle, okay? Can you out some water on it first? It's stuck."
Nitya is about the only person I would allow to touch me right now. I trust her with my life. After all she's saved it.

OOC: The terrify me. I'm okay. I just ahve a cyst in my knee joint that shouldn't be there. But I'm too afraid to have it cut out....chickenshit.

[Nitya Demont]

Honestly, I'm quite relieved when he agrees to let me take a look at him. Of course, I'm still incredibly nervous about what I will find when I do take a look, but this is for his health. Luckily, it takes quite a bit to make me squeamish. "I'll be as gentle as possible," I assure him as my hands slowly move towards him.

My eyes follow the movement of his hands on his sweater, and then they drop to his bandage. It's dirty, and I know that isn't a good thing at all. It also looks as though it is sticking to him which means that even more care will have to be taken. From where I'm at, it looks rather nasty. This isn't good. "I do," I say chancing a smile at his little joke. It's better I do that then show how worried I am.

Quickly, I go to the bags and pull out a canteen that I filled before we moved last night. "Alright, here we go," I say calmly. Gently I start to put the water on and am able to pull the bandage away from the skin. If it doesn't come immediately, I stop and put more water. I don't want to cause Nick more pain. Finally, after a few minutes I'm able to get the bandage away from the wound. That's when my stomach sinks.

"Nick," I say trying to keep my face neutral and my voice calm. "It looks like you might have the beginning of an infection here." I lean in to get a better look. The area all around it is red, and it looks like other wounds I've seen with infection. Usually it isn't too big a deal, but since we are cut off, this could get very tricky. I know what I need to do.

"I need to go for the doctor and some medicine for you," I say. Going out for the doctor is going to be a lot more dangerous than just going to my house for some things. Finding the doctor will mean going back through a lot of coast guards, and I will need to avoid the pks. Still, I know it needs to be done. "The pain killers should keep you alright, but we also need to get you to a less damp part of the cave. Do you think you can make it? After that, I need to go after something to help you." My thoughts are all coming out at once, but I don't want to let too much time pass.

OOC: I'd be afraid to. It's alright. I'm glad you're feeling better.

[Jack Lexington]

Trying to get the bandage, that's stuck to my wound, off is truly testing my pain tolerance. Although I must admit it's mostly the anticipation of what might happen and a few hard tugs that take off some of the scab that screw with me. I manage to remain mostly silent and only try to catch a glimpse once because I tell myself I have to trust Nityas touch. Instead I focus on her face, study her expression and eyes.
I swear that by now I have memorized every inch of her face. I'd recognize her in a million people in a million years.

Once the white fabric is off she takes a close look and I can see her expression change ever so lightly. It's subtle but there.
Enough to make my lift my head to have a look myself. What I see is mindboggling for me. I expected a scar that might be a little more than what the spear left but instead I'm looking at a scar that runs all the way from my last rib on my back to my right hipbone on my front. This is the first time I actually get a good look at it and simply can't put my shock into words. The only words that make it out are. "Fuck, fuck! Holy shit, ohhh shit." It takes me a moment where I drop my head back onto the ground grimacing and then pick it back up to have another look. "What in Panem have they done to me?" My breathing has sped up and I can feel a stranger adrenalin rush shooting through me in an unpleasant way. It takes a lot to actually get a grip on my emotions.

Finally I can focus on the bad news she's giving me and notice the redness and the swelling. "I had my suspicions."
Of course Nitya is right. I need something to treat this if I don't want to bite the dust three days later. When it comes to my life I'm real chicken shit so I agree. "I could play cool but I'm not. This....scares me."

Nitya suggests to go to a drier part of the cave...as if there was such a thing. Every corner in here is damp and cold so I shake my head. "There's no such thing. We need to get out of here as soon as we can. I'm not keen on dying in a dark, wet cave."

Funny how last night it was still romantic and cosy and now turned into a life threatening location.
I take her hand for a moment and give her a nod. "With your help I'll make it to my place...tonight, when the sun has set."
Again I give her a nod when in reality I'm reassuring myself.
"Just don't get caught because I'm lost without you...I need you." Tugging on her hand I pull her close enough to lean my forehead against hers. "In more ways than you know."

[Nitya Demont]

Seeing and hearing him see his scar for the first time is not a fun experience. I remain silent as he curses and wish that he didn't have to see it this way since it looks a lot worse because of the infection. Of course, I'm not sure that my reaction would've been much different. It is a pretty big scar. "I'm sorry, Nick," I say gently. "They had a lot of work to do with the wound." I'm not sure that his question was actually one he wanted an answer to. Taking out a kidney is no small affair, but I'm sure that he knows that.

My fingers start fidgeting as I watch and wait for his emotions to die down. It doesn't take long, and he says that he had suspicions. We should've checked sooner, but at least now we know for sure. I'm sure we've caught it in time to do something, so as long as I can make it without getting caught, he should be fine. "It's going to be alright," I assure him. "You are going to be fine. We just have to get this taken care of." I know he's probably still going to be scared, but I truly believe he will make it through this. All I can do for now is to reassure him and get the medicine when it's time.

I know Nick is right, but I was nervous about trying to move him. It was better for him to decide what was best for him. "You're right," I say simply. Of course, I have no plan on him dying. He is correct though, the dampness of the cave could really settle into this wound which would be hazardous.

Things feel so serious now. Before, we could still talk and cuddle with one another, and the world wasn't as scary or worrisome. Now, he's got an infection, and everything is so incredibly real. I squeeze his hand gently. "That sounds like a plan." His next words make my cheeks flush. He pulls me in, and I can feel my heart speed up. "I'll make it back," I say. "And you take care of yourself while I'm gone. I need you, too."

While we wait for darkness, I make sure that I've packed things well and think of the best way to get out of here. Fortunately, the rock faces will give us plenty of cover. Since they haven't found us yet, I don't think they believe us to be anywhere in this area. I also try to keep Nick as comfortable as possible and even give him a few kisses as I prepare us. I hand him the bottle of pain killers. "You should probably take some," I say. It's getting close to time now. The sun is setting now.

[Jack Lexington]

With a plan in place I manage to focus on the rocky road ahead rather than the ugly scar that is now deforming my formerly nice body. I'm not overly worried about my appearance but I know that it always used to leave an impression on the girls I wanted to pick up when I used to take my shirt off. Now it will only scare them or raise unpleasant questions. Then again. Why do I worry about girls when I'm here with Nitya who is offering her own safety for a guy like me. Clearly she is not that superficial. Maybe I'll ask her her opinion later...if I survive and don't go to jail.

While we wait for darkness to fall she scrambles around the cave collecting her belongings. I didn't fail to notice the few times she said 'we' instead of I or you. So there is a 'we' for her. That thought keeps my occupied for a while.
Every now and then I have to shift positions and each time it seems to hurt a little more. So when she suggest that I take some painkillers I don't hesitate but swallow two at once. They don't help much but it's better than nothing.
In the light of the candle I watch her pack the last bite to eat after we had another nibble.
"You said 'we' before, Nitya. Is that how you think of us...as 'we'?" I ask into the silence of the cave. I could have just asked "Do you want to be my girlfriend?" but that simply doesn't suffice here.
I swallow hard worried that she might not really see a future for the two of us because being with a guy like me would be very difficult now that I have to hide.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked. Let's just get through this."
Behind her I can see the last bit of light that's falling into the cave entrance fade to black. So I nod at her. "Looks like it's time to go."
I reach out my hand so she can help me up while I push myself up with the other one. Getting up is always the worst, especially if you've been laying on a cold, wet surface for hours. All my bones are so stiff they almost creak. But at least I'm numb from the cold, which can have it's upsides.

Gritting my teeth I put one foot in front of the other after my vision, that had faded away for a moment, returns. With my arm around her small shoulders I make it to the entrance of the cave. From here we can look down at the waves curling onto the beach below us. The moon is only half visible behind the clouds but provides enough light for the descend.
The thought alone gives me weak knees and makes me want to turn around but we both know that this is the only option.
"You first." I ask her.
I sit down with my legs hanging over the edge and watch her move like a cat or a monkey in this case while I worry that I might not have the strength to hold my own weight and fall down. If I'm lucky I will only break a leg. The thought makes me shudder, yet I force myself to turn around and lower myself down until my feet find a hold. This single move is so painful that it almost brings tears to my eyes.
Biting my lip I hang onto to the rock for dear life because if I let go I will tear Nitya down with me.
Slowly, bit by bit, I descend with shaking, numb fingers and an abdomen that seems to be on fire. The only reason why I manage is my will to survive. I've come this far I'm not about to give up.
Although it's dark I don't slip or fall but when I reach the bottom I have to sit down and start whimpering. It takes me a few seconds to get a grip on myself and not make a complete fool out of me.
I always wanted to appear strong, smart and flawless. With Nitya I've been exposed as a criminal and she's seen me in the worst of situations, yet she seems to like me which is beyond my grasp. "I'm sorry." I apologize. "I swear I'm usually much braver." Yeah, that's exactly what any coward would say.

[Nitya Demont]

Honestly, I'm nervous about this. We won't be able to move fast, and if we are seen things could get a little hairy. However, I try to clear these thoughts from my mind. I'm going to remain positive for Nick's sake. It is imperative that we get him to a safer location, so that is exactly what we are going to do. It may take some time, but we will get there and then carry on from there.

I look down when he asks me his question. I feel like a school girl which irritates me slightly, but at the same time, I can't shy away from how I actually feel. "Yes," I tell him in a voice so soft that I'm sure he will barely be able to catch it. "I do think of us as 'we.'" I'm not sure what else to say. This isn't a position that I've been in except for one time before, but that was ages ago. Plus, I'd been way too young to understand any of it. Other than that, it was always something that was one sided one way or the other.

"No, it's fine," I say still looking at the ground. "You can ask what you'd like. I don't mind." My eyes look to the entrance, and then I help him up. I hold my breath a little because I'm not sure how it's going to go. However, he makes it to his feet with minimal problems. At least we seem to be doing alright so far. Now, we just have to make it to his place after climbing down the rock face.

Slowly we make our way to the entrance. I look down the beach both ways; there is no sign of any other people around which is good. The waves are coming in, so if we have to we can disguise our footprints in the water. Though it would be easier to see by, I'm rather glad of some cloud cover. We won't be as noticeable with only partial light. Of course, we've now reached the first obstacle.

I nod my head in answer and take a steadying breath. Carefully, I arrange our gear around myself. At first, I move a little unsteadily, but I soon get used to it and make my way down the face. Of course, my thoughts are mostly with Nick and how he will fare with this. We have stuff to break his fall if needed, but I believe that he will be able to do this.

My eyes stay glued to him as he makes his way down the wall. He seems to be doing quite well considering what he has to deal with. I know it must be excruciating for him. As he continues to descend, I let my eyes sweep over the beach both ways just to make sure we are alone, and it appears that we are. thank goodness for that.

Nick sits, and I immediately go to his side. He's making noises of pain, but I don't hold that against him at all. Instead, I lay a hand gently on his shoulder and start rubbing him just a little. "Don't apologize. I think you're doing quite well, and you've shown me already how brave you are." I mean that with my whole heart. Not many could do what he's been doing.

When he's able to move again, I help support him while adjusting the bags to a better position. Again, we slowly start to make our way. Once or twice, I catch the sight of a light, but it turns out to be boats on the water. None of them are concerned with us, so we continue on. I hope we get there soon.

[Jack Lexington]

While I sit there like a small lost sheep Nitya assures me that I'm doing well and rubs my shoulder. My shaky hand reaches up to touch hers while I take a moment to gather some strength. The beach remains empty except for the waves and us.

After a few minutes she helps me up and we slowly make our way along the beach. Never in my life have I walk slower and with less energy but we still make it to a group of trees that allows us to have a quick break. In the shelter of the trees I lean against the bark and grimace while I have a quick drink of water from a canteen. Then we keep heading away from the beach until the sound of the waves can no longer be heard.

We don't speak much and keep to the shadows of trees. Only once do we see somebody coming towards us on the small path and hide for a few minutes. Then we continue. I'm not quite sure how I manage to but the further we walk the heavier I lean on her small frame because I have nothing left. Every step becomes a huge effort and I practically have to push my legs forward to move at all. What usually takes me 15 minutes has become more than an hour when my the old, run down cabin, that I call my home finally comes into sight in the distance.

Slowly I lower myself onto a fallen tree and ask Nitya to go check whether the coast is clear. It takes her 10 minutes to go check and return but then we're good to go.

When we finally arrive at the cabin I collapse onto the old bed, which is definetly much more comfortable than the stone ground of the cave but right now I couldn't care less. I don't have the slightest bit of energy left in my, shivers are running down my back and I'm once again in a world of pain that makes me just want to pass out. If I could I'd ask her to punch me out so I don't have to deal with this any more. Even her presence and the hope she was giving me before no longer matter to me.

But before I allow myself to pass out I take Nityas hand and pull her close for one more kiss. No talk, just a beautiful kiss. "Go."

[Nitya Demont]

Once we reach his place, I feel a brief wave of relief. At least one part of this ordeal is over. We've made it to a safer place for him, so at least we don't have to worry about the cold or dampness getting to him. The way here was hard, but we managed it without being seen by anybody which is another miracle. He collapses on a bed, and I set down our stuff and take a quick look around.

It's not a huge place, but that doesn't matter. It seems cozy and is perfect for living in while we're on the run. Knowing I have to move quickly, I set up some of our things as close as I can. He is shivering, and I quickly pull out the blankets that I brought from my home. The ones we found in the cave I left there since they were a little damp anyways. Gently I place them on his body to try and add some heat. Then, I start up a small fire for warmth. Next to him I place the pain killers, some food and the flashlight. Everything else is on the floor within easy reach. Hopefully he has everything he will need while I'm off.

When he kisses me, again I feel like electricity is going through my entire body. I don't speak any words; instead I simply squeeze his hand and take off into the night with a small bag and some clothes to change into just in case I'm spotted or something like that.

It's still a little dark when I start my journey. It's kind of scary knowing that I have to go through pk and coast guard territory to reach the doctor. Still, Nick is counting on me, and come what may I will get some help from the doctor and get back to him. The first part is easy with all the rock faces to hide behind, but there are a couple of places that are wide open.

The first open space comes, and as I'm making my way across the expanse, I see lights bobbing into view from behind a small hill. However, they apparently do not notice me or they do not care, so I continue on though my heart is beating a little faster. I'm worried about running into people. The pks and coast guard I obviously want to avoid, but I'm also worried about running into any of my family and into that one guy from the coast guard. He scares me, and my family I know would give some problems. However, I know I can't concentrate on that.

The light is slowly coming into the sky, and I know that now is when the real test is going to start since I've run out of rock faces to hide behind and still be able to make progress. It's going to be a lot of open space and a lot more risk. I'm doing this for the best cause I know though, and my thoughts drift back to Nick. I hope he is doing alright.

[Jack Lexington]

For a while I drift off to sleep to regain some energy and maybe sleep off the worst. It’s a restless, uneasy sleep though because shivers are shaking me and keep waking me up even though there is still a fire in the fire place.
I cannot think back to any time in my life when I|ve felt this low, exhausted, broken. Yet there is this small ray of hope that keeps me going –Nitya. I’ve never felt like this about any other person in my life , let alone a girl I just met a few days ago. She’s so devoted, full of energy and love. That is girl is beautiful inside out, much different than me. If I think about it I really don’t deserve her in any way. But her presence makes me want to better myself. Right now I have a lot of time to think because I can’t do anything else because I’m flat on my back the whole time she’s away except for once where I use the bedroom and once where I put another log on the fire.
A little bit of food and some water help me get through the night but I wish nothing more than for her to return soon. The worst thing that could happen is not her returning empty handed but getting caught. I don’t want her to get into trouble because of her generous heart.

Half way across town the doctor was sound asleep next to his wife Carla. The events of the past night had him up late because he worried what might have become of the the young man and woman he had helped to escape. Nobody had any suspicions against him as everybody was blaming the peace keeper on watch.

A sound at the door woke him up and had him listening for a moment before he took a woolen jacket to wrap around himself and go downstairs to have a look out the small glass panel in the door. At first he couldn’t see anything but then he spotted her. That same girl from last night. He should have knows she would come back to his doorstep for help.
Quickly he opened the door and looked to the left and right to see whether the guy was there as well or any peace keepers. “Come on in.”
He quickly pulled her inside and adjusted the glasses on top of his nose.
“Nobody should see you here. They’re looking for you. Both of you.”
Silently he wondered whether the young man was even still alive. “Is your friend ‘alright?” He asked with true compassion.