| [Oct. 22nd, 2017|09:26 pm] |
A deep, nasty growl rumbled in Kakashi's chest. "He's one of ours. We're going."
Kurenai said quietly, "All of us?" She was looking at Raidou, her brows pinched tight. "Even if cracked ribs are the worst of it, you'll have trouble walking. You won't be able to run."
Raidou wrapped an arm around his ribs, gritted his teeth, and pushed off from Ryouma's shoulder. He made it to his feet without wavering. His face was sheened in sweat, but his voice stayed steady. "If it's my fault, I need to go. They won't believe me if I'm not there. Tousaki can strap my ribs. I've run on worse."
Pakkun twisted around gently, looking skeptical. Kurenai looked much the same.
"If I can't keep up, I'll stop."
"Like you have ever stopped in your life," Kurenai muttered. But she picked up Raidou's armor, brushing the drying mud away. "The armor may help stabilize your ribs, at least."
At least one thing would be stable.
Kurenai retreated eventually, fording the river with Kakashi to pack up their camp. Ryouma dug athletic tape out of their supplies and carefully strapped Raidou's ribs, following Raidou's directions as much as his own recent lessons; apparently this wasn't the first time Raidou'd cracked a rib and not nearly the worst. His torso was beginning to purple alarmingly, but his chakra still coursed clean, and he reported only the expected soreness at Ryouma's careful palpation.
Kakashi and Kurenai came back, armed and armored, with their entire camp sealed into three dense scrolls and Ryouma's armor slung over Kakashi's shoulder. They helped squeeze Raidou back into his armor — with the buckles let out one notch — while Ryouma stripped and poured himself into his own.
And then they were done. The campsite was gone, the tiny fire buried, only a patch of broken mud left to mark the spot where Raidou had lain. Ryouma adjusted his ram-horned mask over his face. His vision narrowed, his too-fast breath curled back. He forced himself to slow.
Raidou injected one syrette of morphine into his own shoulder, clipped the cap to his dogtags, and tucked the chain back under his shirt. His face was masked again, unassailable.
Kakashi had two packs — his own, and Genma's. The wolf-dogs slunk in his shadow. Pakkun sighed and heaved himself up to his feet.
"Don't say I didn't warn you," he said grumpily. "Where's that scroll?" |
|