[Kalli]

A cave would do, especially when there was a storm coming, and his leg hurt too much to want to put weight on it. No painkillers, so he’d rough it like usual. Jet sank against the wall of the cave and let himself breathe for awhile, trying to think past the throbbing in his calf.

“Hey, Kal…” he said hoarsely after a moment, opening one eye to look at the creature’s back. “Thanks for coming to get me. You didn’t have to…but you did. I appreciate that.”

The bag strapped to his back was starting to dig into it, and the straps had rubbed his arms and shoulders raw, so he slid that off and rummaged through it. The air had already started to get very cold, and his ratty blanket was definitely needed. Jet wrapped that around himself, then held the bag against his chest for extra warmth.

“How’s your throat, Kal? Does it hurt? I mean…yeah, it would. You felt pain underground when that thing attacked you. How many days will it take to heal?” Jet felt like he was rambling, but he wanted Kal to know someone cared about what happened to him. Even if Jet couldn’t do anything to help that he knew of…

[Kalli]

(I seem to remember Kal making noises of pain when he fought with the blue thing, but I could be wrong. If so, pretend Jet never mentioned that.)

[Whatsyourface]

(Nuh uh. He didn’t. I looked back to make sure too.. ill just forget the statement of yeah it would)

Kal looked around in the forest. It was paranoid at the moment. Something could be following them. Waiting for them to be caught off guard. Jet asked questions. Kal assumed that Jet was asking if it felt pain in it’s throat and to that it shook it’s head. It didn’t answer it’s other question. Not much way to do so. It seemed rather intent on looking outside. It, actually able to view thing in thermal vision. Though this didn’t work well always. Kal mostly relied on it’s sound based abilities, but for now it would have to rely on a few of it’s other abilities.

[Kalli]

(LOL, that’s what I get for writing something so late at night. But yeah, Jet can still wonder if Kal feels pain.)

At least Kal wasn’t hurting- that was good. Jet lapsed into silence, watching the creature’s back for a long while, sometimes allowing his eyes to wander toward the dark woods outside the cave. Soon, everything was cast into deep shadow, with only the vague orange light from the overcast sky outside. The city skyline cut a black silhouette against the sky, fading to the darker shades of the trees that were closer to them. Not much could be seen, even in the faint spark of lightning far off. Only a few pairs of eyes that blinked in their direction, then vanished.

Drawing the blanket closer to himself, Jet lay down, shivering just a bit. He’d never had to spend the night in the woods before, as everyone avoided them. Apart from the growing patter of rain outside, it was a lot quieter than he was used to. The lack of ambient noise struck him as eerie, especially when soft noises of things shifting could be heard from down the hill. Once more, the boy looked at his friend, whose eyes were fixed intently outward. Kal didn’t seem afraid, which was hardly surprising, just watchful. Jet had the thought that Kal was being watchful for his sake, and couldn’t help feeling a little warmer for it.

The rain grew heavier, and anything that had been prowling around outside disappeared into holes or under rocks. Even the larger predators weren’t keen on hunting in a storm. Only those impervious to the weather would still be lurking out there, searching the woods.

(Do you want them to be attacked? Or have a peaceful night? I’m fine either way. I have a creature or two in mind that could attack them, but I’ll let you decide.)

[Whatsyourface]

(Surprise me. Flip a coin. Heads peace. Tails attack.)

Kal didn’t move while Jet slept. It was like a statue. Like a gargoyle, ever vigilant. It’s patience was unwavering and it’s focus did not falter. A drop of rain landed near Kal’s eye and it didn’t blink, as the drop streamed down it’s eyeball onto the armor of it’s face, and dripping from the cold ceramic of it’s chin.

[Kalli]

(Heads. That’s probably best. We’ll have the attack happen another night, I think. Poor Jet and Kal have been through enough for the moment. But they won’t escape trouble for long!)

Jet had fallen asleep without exactly meaning to, but his injury and the day’s trials had exhausted him. Even on the hard ground, being cold as he was, the boy had passed out cold almost the moment he was horizontal. But even in the depths of unconsciousness he didn’t sleep particularly well. The air was cold and damp, and his blanket and the cave itself offered little protection. It was certainly better than nothing, especially given the state of his apartment, but Jet spent the night shivering and mumbling in his sleep.

Uneasy as it was, Jet didn’t fully wake until early in the morning, as the sun broke through leftover clouds. Shivering and coughing just a bit, he sat up and pulled the blanket close, blinking like an owl. The cold, open air reminded him of nights he’d slept in the street. Those weren’t pleasant memories. This time, though, he wasn’t alone.

“Kal?” he ventured, surprised at how thin his voice sounded. “Hey….did you stay there all night?” Maybe he was thinking too ‘human’, and Kal had said he didn’t need sleep, but that thought bothered him anyway. His new friend had done so much for him, and so far Jet had been nothing but bad luck in return.

[Whatsyourface]

Kal hadn’t moved from that one spot, at all it seemed. It had only really averted it’s perpetual stare from Jet waking up. When Jet asks if it stayed there the entire night? Kal nodded. It actually shifted now to turn to him.

[Kalli]

Jet looked troubled at this, his mouth twisted in a frown. “Sorry you had to do that…. If there’s anything you need to do, go ahead. You shouldn’t have to watch me all the time.” Kal’s protectiveness still filled his chest with warmth, but Jet didn’t think it was fair to expect him to hang around.

“How’s your throat?” he asked, feeling like he wanted to check on it himself but not sure if he could stand. He’d have to, but that meant building up to it. Jet was not just going to sit around all day and make Kal do things for him.

[Whatsyourface]

Kal looked at Jet when he asked it that. Unable to give it an accurate assessment. And so it walked outside. Looking around while birds tweeted as the sun shined. It was cautious, but couldn’t help but wonder about peculiarity of the morning routines of these also winged things that lived in trees. It not really intent to pick up Jet yet as it is unsure of where to go. It is considering taking him to that very clinic the girl was. It makes it’s decision in a several millionths of a second as it returns to Jet.

It walks over to Jet to see his condition before it takes him back.

[Kalli]

As Kal made his way out into the sparkling sunlight, Jet decided he would attempt to get to his feet. He could already tell it wasn’t going to be easy; his leg, even without any weight on it, seemed shaky, and was very painful. But he couldn’t afford to be weak, not in this world, not even with Kal. Jet couldn’t bear to have his friend carry him around all the time.

With a few puffs of cold air, the boy stretched, then pressed his hands against the floor and forced himself to his feet. All at once, the world started to spin and pulse, and he felt like he’d throw up. Pain stabbed upward through his leg, into his hip and spine, making him grit his teeth lest he cry out. It took a moment for him to get a handle on the pain, and for the world around him to settle down. Once that happened, his jaw loosened a bit, and he opened his eyes again.

Jet had caught himself, trembling, against the wall of the cave, but wasn’t sure what would happen when he pushed off and tried to put his full weight on the leg. That wasn’t going to happen…. Not at the moment, anyway. The thought that he’d be immobilized made Jet panic, and he forced himself to push forward, almost falling forward into Kal. Only at the last minute did he grasp a part of the wall that jutted outward, holding himself up. Jet tried very much to seem like he wasn’t hurt that badly. He didn’t understand why a simple puncture wound should be so painful or keep him off his feet.

“So…the world looks a lot better after rain, doesn’t it?” he said, forcing himself to stand up straight. Jet had dealt with injuries before; he’d just have to get used to this one, too.

[Whatsyourface]

Kal’s tail went over to jet as it split into three digits and wrapped around him as it placed him on its back. Kal wrapped jet and itself together so as to secure him. And it started off back to the city. Taking large horizontal strides. Seeming to more hop then gallop or run actually. Aware and keeping jet clear of branches.

[Kalli]

Jet let out a surprised noise as he was lifted up, and clung to Kal’s back as the creature swept him away.

“Where are we going?” he asked, unnerved by this sudden movement. Looking back, he could see the cave, and his bag, disappearing from view very swiftly. “Hey….what’s going on? All my stuff is back there!”

Honestly, he didn’t think Kal was taking him to the clinic because he hadn’t thought of it himself. Jet avoided doctors and hospitals and such like the plague. Had he any idea where Kal was taking him, he would have begged not to go. Sure, they could take care of a 13 year old girl, but Jet had a not-unreasonable fear of the kinds of drugs they’d pump into him.

[Whatsyourface]

Kal did stop to go back for Jet’s things, breaking along the ground as it hopped back. It then sat arrived at the cave and picked up Jet’s things with it’s winged hands. It puts the bag around it’s neck then and then hops off to return to the city.

Kal makes it back in short time. Hopping the wall and going up it with each. Kal seemed to climb smooth surfaces with it’s hands very easily. It did not grip the wall with it’s claws, which were in fact open. It seemed it’s hands and feet could stick to them. As it peaked over the wall, to see if everything was clear, it leaped over to the wall towards a rooftop. The creature still rather agile even with Jet and things. Soon Kal landed in an empty alley across from the clinic and let Jet go, slowly . Unwrapping it’s tail from around him and taking his things from around his neck and laying them down. Soon it heard some random passerby walking by. Kal was gone then for now, jumping straight up into the air and disappearing from view as it enters a rooftop, actually expecting Jet to just walk to the clinic for treatment.

[Kalli]

Jet still didn’t know what to make of any of this, but apparently Kal had found better digs for them. That was fine by him. “Wherever you’re going, I just have to trust you.” he said. Honestly? It wasn’t hard to trust Kal. After all the times the creature had saved him…

Rather than ask questions Kal couldn’t answer, Jet watched him move, the way his body worked (as far as he could see, anyway), how fast he went. The boy couldn’t help being amazed at Kal, though that was pretty much a given. He was surprised to see how Kal’s hands seemed to stick to things.

“Maybe I should have named him Spider-man….or Peter Parker.” he thought, smiling to himself. That smile faded as he had to focus on keeping his position on Kal’s back. It was a bumpy ride, but honestly Jet preferred riding this way at the moment. Having something relatively solid underneath him was easier to handle.

The boy was paying so much attention to what Kal was doing that he forgot his pain for a little while. He didn’t even figure out where they were going until they got nearer to the clinic, and the creature landed in that blind alley. When Kal placed him on the ground, Jet had to lean against one wall. Even so, the thought of going to the clinic made his blood run cold, and sweat break out on his pale skin.

“Wait…I can’t…I can’t go in there!” he started to hiss, not wanting anyone to hear him, but Kal was gone so fast and so silently that Jet changed his mind and considered calling him ‘Batman’.

“Just like Bats to do that kind of shit.” he grumbled. Jet had read a lot of comic books when he was younger.

Rubbing his face almost violently, the boy decided he didn’t have much of a choice. Someone was bound to see him walking out of the alley and notice his blood-soaked pants. He couldn’t go the other way, nor was there a door or window he could climb into. Anyway, kal had taken all the trouble to bring him here, and jet felt guilty enough about bothering him. Did Kal feel enough human emotion to want Jet healed? or was it a bit of programming? Jet couldn’t always be sure, but that didn’t exactly matter. Kal might have been right in this. Maybe some painkillers wouldn’t hurt….and some extra gauze to wrap his leg. He didn’t need a doctor, though. No doctors, no nurses.

He gulped. Just the thought of them sent his heart racing. Even from here the smell of antiseptic and latex made him feel sick. He wasn’t going to show it, though. Nor would he let them see that he couldn’t walk straight, or that he was in pain. The boy pushed away from the wall, steadied himself, grabbed his bag and walked as straight as he could into the clinic. (He wasn’t going to leave his belongings in the alley for anyone to find.)

Inside the door was a waiting room that had seen better days, and a harassed-looking clerk. Jet was glad when she didn’t ask too many questions, and hoped she wouldn’t make a fuss over his bloody clothing. He had a lot on his other jacket, which was stuffed in the bag over his shoulders. Most of what was left stained his pants, but below the knee. At that point she couldn’t see it.

(Not sure if you want to play the doc or the nurse)

[Whatsyourface]

There is soon, a woman who walks to the room and sees Jet, it is the nurse herself. She is wearing a pretty standard nurse uniform, pants and the uniform top. It was a light grassy green color. She walked up to Jet and she spoke gently. “You have blood on you…” She looks rather concerned. “Can you walk? Come with me sir.” If Jet gets up, she’ll be able to easily tell he is wounded in his leg. Even if he tries to tough out the pain, her eyes are well trained.