FicWad

The story was also published on my deviantART account (same title, same nickname).

“Do you think he… he will be all right?” Kobra’s voice was full of anxiety as he asked his elder friend, Jet, who was cleaning their leader and Kid’s brother’s wounds right then. Party was still unconscious, he hadn’t waken since they found him. Of course not counting one little while, when he just opened his eyes for three or four seconds, immediately then closing them again.
“Well…” Star hesitated, but decided to say his thoughts loudly “I don’t want to lie to you… I don’t know. It’s only up to him right now. I’ve done everything I could. His life depends on his strengths now… if he still has some. Sorry, Kobra.”
Kid tried to regain his composure. He seemed to be calm, as calm as ever, but inside he was panicking beyond saying. Suddenly, he felt the arms holding him in a tight embrace. He looked at Fun, to whom the arms belonged to, meeting his eyes. None of them said anything, they just tried to find some comfort in each other’s arms. Jet seemed to be the most sedate of all of them. It was him who ordered them all the time Party was missing and now let them rest, staying by the Redhead, being then followed by Kobra and Ghoul. It was then when Poison woke up and spoke coherently for the first time since they found him. Before that moment he was just murmuring and moaning quietly in his delirious state. But before he woke, Fun had much time to think, to revive the situation they had found themselves in.

The three of them were sitting in their hideout, enjoying the free afternoon. It was really hot outside, inside as well, but at least the sun was not scorching their skin there. Party decided to go to the town on his own, to check if he could get something, because they were running out of their supplies. He took his motorbike and just went away, not wanting anyone to go with him. So Kobra, Jet and Fun spent their time off alone in the old diner. It was nearly the sunset, when they began to get nervous. Poison was still out in the desert and it didn’t seem he would return quickly. They decided to get some sleep and if their friend hadn’t returned by morning, they would have looked for him.
He wasn’t there when they woke up. They were all panicking a bit, mostly Fun – he was the one most sensitive and open in the group. They ate something quickly (well, no surprise it was the BL/ind dog food again) and got to their Trans-Am. They headed in the direction of Battery City. After quite a long drive the city began to rise before them. Suddenly they saw something nearby. A motorbike… Party’s one. Jet, who was the driver, and Kobra, sitting next to him, exchanged anxious glances. When Jet brought the car to a halt, all of the Killjoys hopped outside.
“Shit!” was the only thing Star could exclaim, when he saw a figure in the dust. He moved to it, saw his friend and just gasped when he regain his silhouette. He was half naked, his shirt torn off of his body. His wrists were behind his back, bound to each other with the duct tape as well as his ankles. The duct tape was also on his head, as a gag on his mouth and as a blindfold on his eyes – and from them went also to his hair. Party’s body was covered in bruises and cuts, he had also some sunburns on his skin. Jet fell to his knees beside his friend and yelled at the others:
“Fun! Go to the car and bring me some water and some pieces of cloth, Kobra, take your jacket off and try to make as much shadow as you can, especially over his head.”
Both did as they were told to. Then Star took his pocket knife and began to remove the tape from the Redhead’s body as gently as he could. It revealed his parched lips – the leader was terribly dehydrated from lying in the desert for… long… very long time. The burns on his skin only confirmed that. He was lucky to be still alive, Jet thought. But maybe it would be easier for him to die than suffer so much… He could be conscious as well while being left there. For how long? How long before the sweet, oblivious darkness overwhelmed him, giving him rest from the pain and heat at last?
Jet recovered from his thoughts and raised Party’s head onto his lap. Seconds later Ghoul came and handed him a bottle of water and two small towels. He looked at his friends with stunned expression on his face, then moved his gaze to Kobra, who stood beside them holding his jacket over his brother. He appeared to be as calm as usual, but in his eyes there were fear and rage clearly visible for Fun. He looked back to Jet, who was drenching the cloths in the water, then placing one of them on Poison’s forehead and bringing the second one over his lips.
“Shouldn’t we take him home as quickly as it’s possible?” Ghoul asked with concern.
“Just a moment, Fun. I’ll try make him drink at least a bit” at the same time Jet began to squeeze the cloth so that small portions of water were constantly dripping into the Redhead’s mouth. He was swallowing them reflexively, so that the dehydration of his body would not raise even more. – We’ll tend to his wound later, in the diner… He shouldn’t be in this heat any longer than it’s necessary – with those words Star took Party into his arms and went to the car. – Fun, will you drive? I’ll try to force some more water into him while we go home.
Ghoul nodded and hopped inside their Trans-Am. Kobra seated himself beside him, right after helping Jet to get into the car with Party, laying the Redhead on the back-seat half-leant on Star, who wrapped his arms around the eldest Killjoy and cradled his abused form.
They had a couple of hours of driving to the diner and could only pray Poison would make that. Fun was doing his best to drive as fast as their Trans-Am only could. Jet was forcing small amounts of water into the unconscious Redhead all the time. Only once Party’s eyelids fluttered delicately and opened into the narrow slits. He looked at Jet, his face contorted with pain. He moaned quietly, a single tear ran down his cheek. Star hugged him tighter, trying to ease him a bit, while whispering softly:
“Hush… hush, Pois… It’ll be all right now. Just rest… Shhhh…”
Fortunately for him, Party lost his consciousness again right after a couple of seconds and he did not regain his senses until they were at the diner and Fun took a watch by him.

Ghoul’s attention was caught by little whimpering and moans from Party. He leant closer to his friend and whispered to him softly:
“Party… Party, wake up… come on, look at me… Oh, that’s good” he smiled, when Poison’s eyelids fluttered and his eyes opened into narrow slits.
“Fun…” the Redhead’s voice was hoarse and raspy, his breathing laborious. “Water, please…”
Ghoul quickly took a glass of water and held it to his friend’s parched lips, noticing his body was tensed and he was using all his strengths not to cry out in pain. Poison of his side felt like being on fire. The burns and cuts caused him unbearable pain, but the thirst was even worse. The water felt wonderful in his shrivelled throat, he just wanted to savour the feeling, the while to last forever. Fun was propping his head up to help him with drinking, he was just too weak to move. When he finished, he laid motionlessly on the pillow, trying to ignore the pain consuming his body.
“Fun?” he whispered softly after a moment of silence.
“Yeah?”
“Can you hug me?”
Ghoul looked at his friend with surprise, but neared him and wrapped his arms around him as delicately as he could not to hurt him. Party distinctly relaxed in Fun’s embrace.
“I was afraid you would never find me…”
“Hush, Pois, we did it.”
“I thought I would die there…”
Sudden thought came to Ghoul’s head.
“You were still conscious when they left you there, weren’t you?”
He just felt a hesitated nod from the Redhead.
“I was just so close… But their bullet hit me in the leg… I collapsed and they were quicker, they got me before I could stand up. My gun fell out of my hand and was too far away from me to reach it, even before they kick it away to make me defenceless. They were too many, Fun. I tried, really, I tried to get away from them, but it was impossible…”
“I know, Pois, I know” Ghoul cradled Party in his hands, trying to ease him a bit. “I saw what they have done to you… we all saw… I couldn’t believe my eyes… I couldn’t believe something like that was possible. I know they are perverse monsters, but to do something like that to anybody…”
“As you see, they are able to do it” Party concluded and tried to move, but immediately collapsed onto the bed, crying out in pain.
“What hurts you, Pois?” Fun was visibly terrified.
“My back… and… well, everything…”
“You had a burn and a large cut on your back. Jet stitched it, but it still needs some time to heal…”
“Do you have any painkillers? I know I am weak, but I just can’t stand it…” Party moaned quietly through his clenched teeth.
“You are not weak, Poison. You endured it all. Come on, take this” Fun handed the Redhead a small blue pill. He took it and wash it down with water with Ghoul’s help.
“Try to get some sleep now. Your body needs the strengths to heal properly” the brunette stroke his friends hair, gently brushing it aside of his face.
“Will you stay with me?” Party caught Fun’s hand and look at him with fear in his eyes.
“Of course I will, dearie” Ghoul leant to kiss the Redhead’s forehead, feeling his body finally relax, being overwhelmed by welcomed sleep.