At the camp (Anatra)

[Jack Lexington]

Matthew Dunham

The cool grass feels nice against my back while the sun is shining down in thin rays through the dense roof of leaves over head. I watch them dance in the breeze for a while, watch a bird of some sort fly and land on a twig. Through the leafs I can see the clouds travelling. It's very peaceful.

The wind carried the voices of the others over to me. It was a bit of a struggle to set up the old tent and the girls are still working on theirs so instead of being a gentleman I chose to lay down and chill for a bit. The others didn't object. I guess they blame my laziness of the fact that I still have to recuperate. Today I feel fine though. Much better than the days before.

I"m not sure why they wanted all guys to sleep in one and the girls in the other. I surely would like to hold Ky in my arms when we rest out here. We'll see.

The second tent over in the meadow is starting to look good as well. But it gets blown around by the relatively strong wind today. It's a sail effect but the others didn't want to set them up closer to the trees in case of falling branches.

Over the voices of the girls I can her the high and bright laughter of Vys sister. It's strange to have a kid here with us because I had drinking and chilling in mind when I signed up.

I pick some straw from the grass next to me and put it between my lips while I let my head, that's comfortably resting on my left arm, roll the side.
Max is walking over towards me. He probably wants me to help with something so I lift my head and call over. "Hey."

I still haven't thanked him but I'm waiting for a good moment, which surely will come up during this weekend.

[Anatra]

---

Max ORCA

---

As we arrived at the campsite that we had chosen, somewhere that didn't have the trials of treetops that could come tumbling down at any moment, given the chance to. It isn't as though they are frail, but it is more that they could fall. I'd rather pin our tents further into the ground to avoid wind, than waking in the night to a bruised face or worse. It was a smart observation to do so. The surroundings are everything we expected. Somewhere to unwind, loosen up and just overall relax ourselves to a point where problems weren't as big as they once were. The people I'm with... I feel as though there are bonds being made at every turn, but not only because we are decent people. It's because we've been through a lot already. Strong bonds that have happened over definitively negative events. Jins, for the most part. The rest of which is unfortunately my own doing, I feel. Looking back on it, I feel I may have misjudged those at the party. Kyanite and Matthew. A misjudgement that was honest, though. With the two of them here, things are bound to have a sourness to them. But I feel that the moment we break through that, we'll be able to connect just as well as Tyren would with them. I envy his ability to put up with the things that I see in Matthew. To me, he's arrogant... He's dangerous... He nearly killed Tyren. Who can forgive that? I can't, not truly. But perhaps I can try, even if it is just for these three days.

We've already put the tent up. Us being Matthew, Tyren and I. The three boys of the group. Tyren had the idea that perhaps it's best for us to split just as we are in order to keep it fair. I think he just wanted to be in good company. Whereas I, on the other hand, didn't want to have a twining baby at my bedside. I believe I can quote Tyren saying "We don't want any bumps in the night." Which definitely had me laughing, externally or otherwise. Tyren and I sit on a log near our tent, Matthew had went off to get some peace and quiet I think. That's what we're all here for, afterall. He has the watch that Kyanite gave him upon his wrist, and the bracelet that Matthew gave him in his hand, with his eyes pinned on it, studying it almost. "This was a genius idea, Max." He tells me. I give a faint smile, but I know my modesty likes to overtake my ability to accept a compliment about it. "Well, you put it in motion. It's all you." I tell him with a truth, because he did put it in motion. I'm grateful for at least that, if nothing else. "What do you think about that little girl?" I ask him, as though to ask what he thinks about her being here. It's fine by me, as long as Vy has her on some kind of daywatch all the time. I'm not being left in charge of her safety, not at all. I can't handle kids for the life of me. Only little Tyler, that's about it. "She's great." He smiles warmly, looking into the distance a little. "I can see Vy in her, definitely." He speaks, and I nod at him, acknowledging it and looking over as well. "That's true." I pause though, because the whole car trip here, stopping at all the houses, it's tiring work. For the bladder, anyway. "I'll be back in a sec." I tell him, and I assume he figures what I mean.

I stand myself up and the weight of what needs to be released is a little considerable. It's nothing outrageously drastic. I walk steadily in one direct, definitely the one that isn't towards the girl's tent. Through the bushes and trees I can't help but notice that the way through is quite easy. I thought these woods were untended and quite sporadic, but this looks a little disturbed to me. Then I see why. It's Matthew, lying down in the grass to my left. I go to my right instinctively, because I'm not going to let his presence stop the inevitable. "Hey." I hear from him. I wait a moment, facing away from him, because I'm unzipping my trousers and I let the sound of liquid on leaf start before I say anything back. Not out of spite. "Hey." I say a little casually. It is definitely a little bit awkward, but I have less inhibitions than most. "Long trip." I say, obviously still facing away from him. I finish up and make sure that everything is as it was before I turn back around and stand facing him. "You feeling alright?" I ask him out of a simple curiosity. He's not with the group, which is strange, and we all know what happened to him.

[Jack Lexington]

I figure Max knew where I was and came to get me to help him and Tyren but obviously he had no clue as he unzips his fly and takes a leak only meters away from me. At least he has the curtesy to turn his back on me.
I sit up in the grass and brush the dirt of my hands.

"Hey. Long trip." Isx his excuse for peeing as if he needed one.
"A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do." I accept it with a shrug because all of us need to do this and we're out in the middle of nowhere with no bathrooms around.

I look up at him mustering him in his nice clothes, that aren't necessarily suitable for a camping trip but make him look very handsome. Max surely looks after himself. He's not like me who will gladly go three days without shaving until the growth becomes too itchy. His face looks immaculate and pretty. No wonder Ky had a thing for him.

"You feeling alright?" I hear him enquire and wonder how genuine this question really is. I have to remind myself what he did for me. He came back into the danger zone, dragged me out of there, wrapped me up and made sure I'm not bleeding out. He might see it as his duty but he could have stayed with Ky in the first place.

I place my hand on my chest, which still doesn't work 100 percent. I get exhausted much faster than usual and there's the odd stinging sensation.
"Fine." I nod and stnd up from the spot I've pretty much flattened out.
This might be my chance to be alone with him and have a word before things get weird between us. So I add. "...thanks to you."

I watch his reaction before I clear my throat.
"I didn't thank you yet. I'm not taking it for granted that you came back inside and got me out, kept me alive, you know."
From one moment to the next this is getting much harder than I had planned because not only do I remember what he did for me but also how hopeless and in pain I felt. I thought I might not make it when one side of my lung collapsed. It didn't feel pretty but knowing that Max was a trained medic gave me that little bit of reassurance that kept me holding on.
"I might not be here if you hadn't reacted the way you did. I remember it all."
With that I look him in the eye and offer my hand. "Thank you."

[Anatra]

---

Max ORCA

---

"A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do." And with that, I at least nod at him. I can tell that this little meeting with him is a decent attempt at rethinking how we are with each other. I stand there, with my thin white vest on and my black jeans.
I ask him whether he is alright, and he speaks back at me. "Fine." Which at first I thought would have some kind of snarky response. Something snide, and probably about my sister. I've grown to assume things from this guy. He stands and I notice he must have been here a decent amount of time. He's managed to flatten the grass he was once laying on. "...thanks to you." He says. I narrow my eyes a little bit whilst my mind tracks through many thoughts. There's no doubt in my mind that he is serious about this. It's too genuine. I feel as though perhaps I've got it wrong, maybe he does have a good side. Maybe I just seen him on the wrong days, and him on mine. Or maybe, for the sake of Tyren and the others, we're being nice to each other out of necessity. I think the latter is the more obvious one. "I didn't thank you yet. I'm not taking it for granted that you came back inside and got me out, kept me alive, you know." With that, I'm definitely a little shocked. I don't let it show, though. There's no way I'd do that, even if it were somebody I knew particularly well. I don't take being shocked decently. I like to conceal, and feel it later. Think about things over time. That's why in the heat of the moment, I just switch off opinions and switch on my instincts. It's something I can't really help but do anymore. I'm too old to have anybody teach me otherwise.

I want to speak up, but I think he has more to say. "I might not be here if you hadn't reacted the way you did. I remember it all." I wish he didn't, actually. That's the worst part of being treated in a situation like that. There's no pain killer, but there's no pain barrier. It doesn't stop you from feeling the brute force of pain at its worst. I think... I feel pity for him. But that too, I wouldn't show. I wouldn't want to shame him. Is that right? Did I just defend him against my own thoughts? I'm sure that's the first sign of wanting to be friends with somebody. I didn't think I'd be able to do it. But in reality, nothing at all complicated surrounds this situation anymore. It's not like Kyanite is an option for me at all, and he knows that as well as I do I hope. That removes the problem. All there is now is to show him that I don't have the worst attitude known to man. And he's already shown me he isn't completely arrogant. He's actually thanking me.

"Thank you."

He holds out a hand.

To take it or not, is the real question. To me, it's an obvious yes. Do the courteous thing and just accept the thanks. There's a lot to consider, though. So much happened on that day, and I don't think he's thanking the right person here. Not truly. There's that kid who practically saved three lives. Gala - he dove in for her. Matt - he stopped him from falling. Kyanite - he ceased her breathlessness. To think that a few months ago, he was exactly the same and I was in his shoes. I did the saving. I don't think Tyren is able to fully handle what goes through your mind after that. It's almost as bad as having it happen to you, except you don't have the adrenaline that blocks your sanity. You feel completely in tune with what is going on. Of course, adrenaline is pumping, but it's too busy stopping your legs from tiring or your arms from crumbling to bother about the mind. You have to witness somebody you perhaps love, somebody you perhaps admire, effectively die. It'd be a quick death if you just let go. That's how I felt. Leave him to bleed. It would be a mercy. I thought that. That's why it is so horrible. But I ignored my thoughts and thankfully, like the person I am, I just let my instincts flare. And they saved him. It's the same with Matthew.

I take his hand. Only because I know he wouldn't have it any other way. "Tyren caught you first..." I say, as though it wasn't a big deal that I helped. It's because of my modesty. I don't think anybody can break it. "But... Any time." I pause. "I mean, you're welcome." I furrow my brows because nothing is sounding right. I let go of his hand and pocket my own. "Sorry. People rarely thank me." I tell him in honesty. That's when my curiosity sparks. I know that Tyren doesn't like not being thanked. I know this because he wouldn't stop thanking me when I helped him. That's just it though, him and Matthew are the only people out of all my patients to have ever thanked me. It's frustrating. But it also shows that perhaps they are among the few that care. I wonder if Matthew can care about how I feel? Or is he just doing this out of duty?

"Have you thanked Tyren?" I ask him.

[Jack Lexington]

One of the most awkward moments of mz life. I think that would describe this moment precisely.
Here we are: Two enemies, who have punched and insulted each other over a girl, who head butted, who despise each other and then this. We stand here in peace, out in the green, lush life of nature with the sun falling through the leaf top as if we were friends having a casual conversation.
But it's anything but casual. It's a talk about my life and how Max saved it. I'm more than just grateful because two weeks ago my life was hanging on a thread and he managed not to let it break. I love him for that, which I would never admit. If it was necessary right now I'd do the same for him, when before I would have hesitated.

The words I tell him almost choke me up. It's hard to come to a realization like this and even harder to tell an enemy how you feel. I'm not one to share my feelings anyway unless their hateful.

Then he lets me wait before he takes my hand but when he finally does it feels like we're smoking the peace pipe. Not a bad feeling actually. I blink at our connection.
"Tyren caught you first..." he explains.
"I know." I reply. At first my friend hasn't said a word about that. Nobody really did. I guess they all wanted to spare me when I actually want to know what happened.
But then I remember that somebody pulled me out. That's right it was Tyren, just like it was him giving breath to Ky and holding his hand out to pull me back up. Maybe I tried to blend the whole thing out myself.

Max sudeenly seems humble. "But... Any time."
"Nah...thanks I don't plan on doing something like that again."
Hopefully that's true. It will depend on whether I decide to continue with my pk training or not. Currently it's on hold.

"I mean, you're welcome. Sorry. People rarely thank me."
Wow, I can see a change in attitude here. It's plainly visible.
"Why not? I mean it's so important. It's the best thing you can do for someone."
Coming from me whose primary goal in life so far was to win and cause havoc, that sounds very strange.
I shake my head because I can't believe these people.
"Why ...I mean why do you do it? What drives you to be a professional medic then. I mean you see a lot of bad stuff happen. Not exactly a happy job."
I thought it would be the rewards and gratefulness, own satisfaction maybe.


OOC: My son saw your gif and asked "WHY Arsenal? Bayern is much cooler. (He's never seen an Arsenal game and doesn't have much of a clue LOL)