applesaucedream | [closed] When all turns out to be unjust, then I'll turn back and help you out

Seth is currently running on nothing but adrenaline and desperation to get out, he has no time to not feel fine nor terrible, no time to examine how he feels at all, he just needs to make sure they both get out.

They're quicker now, despite Daniel's injury, and Seth keeps his eyes and ears open, keeping the gun ready, following Daniel's directions, opening doors for them so Daniel can focus on keep his wound as closed as possible.

At last they reach the subway tracks, coming out a door in the near darkness, and Seth makes sure they keep to the wall, so they won't by hit by any trains or accidentally get electrocuted on the third rail.

"Where are we going?" he asks urgently, making sure Daniel is alright, and he puts away the gun for now.

He didn't see any cameras after a certain point, and there were probably several exits they could've headed for that the rebels will need to check. This buys them a little time, but only a little. They need to put some good distance between themselves and a base, and they need to see to Daniel's shoulder. Not a hospital, that's too risky once the rebels realise one of them has been injured. The rifties clinic? Still too risky, but maybe Seth can get one of the doctors to come to them. It's that or figure out how to perform surgery, and he doesn't think that's a great idea.

Yep, things are starting to get a bit on the fuzzy side by the time they get to the subway tracks, but Daniel's more concerned for Seth at the moment - he's been in rough condition for a lot longer than Daniel has. Daniel's been shot before. He'll live. And if not, it's not like that'll be much of a deviation from the pattern.

The air here already feels better, probably a psychosomatic reaction, but it just feels good to breathe someplace that isn't in captivity, even if sucking in a deep lungful of non-base air makes Daniel feel a tad dizzy.

"Don't know," he answers, the words a little more slurred than usual but the consonants still clear. Then Daniel chuckles, vaguely, morbidly amused. "Didn't think that far ahead."

The pain in his shoulder hasn't gotten better but it hasn't gotten worse either, so Daniel's just assuming the bullet didn't hit anything important. Not a safe assumption by any means, but they have a priority. The plan is still to get Seth to safety, first and foremost.

"We get to someplace safe," he mutters, frowning ferociously. "Somewhere we can stay. We can deal with this," he indicates his shoulder with a tip of his head, "later, after we find one. Maybe a hotel. We lie low."

Seth nods a little frantically, and it hasn't actually hit him yet that he's outside, he's out of the base. After so long, he finds it impossible to wrap his head around, especially when he's so focused on Daniel and getting them both to safety.

Seth wants to take his hoodie off to wrap it around Daniel's wound, but it's already cold and neither of them are really dressed for... What is it, March? Not quite snow weather, probably, but still definitely cold.

"We.. We can take the train up north, find something there. Um. Do you have money?" he asks, trying to think. He's spent so much time thinking of what he would need if he escaped, but it's hard to conjure up all the thoughts and go through it rationally.

"Yup." Wince. Daniel grimaces at his shoulder and eases off the pressure a little to check the blood flow. It's less than it was before, but between the state of his jacket and the hand that might as well be gloved in crimson, he doesn't think he could pass as your everyday passenger. "Not sure how we're gonna sneak this past, though."

But he does have money, thankfully. Hopefully enough hard cash to get them elsewhere.

"Right pocket," he says, nodding at it, and looks back up at Seth with an apologetic partial smile. "Could you? Don't, ah, don't really have hands at the moment."

"You'd be surprised how few shits the average New Yorkian gives," Seth answers in reply to Daniel's bloodied shoulder.

He nods and reaches into Daniel's pocket, realising his hands are trembling a little. He checks the wallet, and yeah, there should be enough for at least one night's hotel, but Seth is definitely going to withdraw much more as soon as he can. Just in case the rebels are capable of blocking Daniel's cards.

"Alright," he answers, pocketing the wallet, nodding nervously. He takes off his hoodie after all, draping it over Daniel's shoulder, hiding the worst of it. "If anyone asks, um, I'll just say you've cut yourself and we're heading to the hospital, and that it's not as bad as it looks. Just keep it covered. Ready to keep going?"

Daniel nods again and lets Seth take the lead with this one, as navigating out of the rebel base used up all of his directional abilities at the moment.

"You gonna be all right?" he murmurs. "Not exactly room temperature out here. And you were in there, um," his shoulders jerk a little, and he stares at the ground a little too intently, "a long time."

"Yeah," he answers, leading the way towards the station. "It'll be better near the station, and the subway cars are heated..." He won't deny that it's uncomfortably cold, but it's not like he'll have time to freeze to death or get frostbite or something.

It does get better near the station, all the people in there warming it up decently enough. Still cold, but not freezing. He helps Daniel up the steps, but he doesn't head out onto the platform, keeping out of sight, in the dark until a train comes. It makes him nervous to have to wait, but at least he can check on Daniel.

"How's your shoulder? Do you know how bad it is?" he asks quietly, resisting the urge to push back the hoodie to check on him. Not like he can actually see anything.

"Didn't go all the way through," Daniel assures him, voice equally low. "The joint isn't damaged and the bleeding's slowing down already." He exhales a little. He's been - for once - really, exceptionally lucky. He's been shot at enough to know that a bullet in the shoulder has the potential to be fatal if it smashes the ball-and-socket joint or any of the major blood vessels. But if this were the case, he'd be aware of it by now.

"What about you?" he asks again, fresh concern leaking into the words despite himself. "I don't know everything they did...in there and that power, whatever it was, it -"

Daniel breaks himself off. The moment he'd first seen Seth is replaying itself in his head, over and over, and out here it's at least dark enough that his rough treatment isn't starkly visible like it was under the glare of a fluorescent bulb. He just needs reassurance that they made it, miraculously, and that they'll be fine. Which they will.

Seth is finally out of that place, and that's the most important thing right now.

Seth smiles weakly, starts to reach out, hesitates for a moment, then gives Daniel's undamaged shoulder a reassuring squeeze. It feels good to be able to touch him. To touch anyone.

He ducks his head when Daniel asks the same of him, even if they can't properly see each other well.

"It was pretty horrible, yeah..." he admits, even more quiet. "But it didn't actually hurt me. I'll be fine," he reassures. He desperately doesn't want to focus on any of that right now. The worst of what's happened to him is in his head, and he doesn't want to dig through that. And exhaustion is starting to creep through him, far too easily, but then he's vaguely aware in not in great physical condition. But he just needs to stave it off long enough to get somewhere safe.

Then he hears the train coming, and he puts his hand on Daniel's back, leading them onto the platform before the driver can see them standing there. One person sees them coming out from there, but doesn't seem to care.

Daniel offers a small, pained smile in return but the approaching train distracts them both from any more questions. He unconsciously increases the pressure on the wound, trying not to think about inevitable nerve damage he'll have to live with. Miraculous as it is that he's not currently emptying the contents of his subclavian artery all over the ground, there's a very good chance he won't ever recover full use of the arm.

Then Seth guides him gently to the platform, and Daniel decides he doesn't care if there's nerve damage, because after all this, Seth still got out. And that's very easily worth a dozen bullet holes, more even.

In the meantime, he tries to shrink down and be unassuming while they board, which is a difficult feat for a six foot man who's still in an uncomfortably high amount of pain. Out of the two of them, Daniel's currently the more likely to draw unwanted attention, haggard and exhausted as they both are.

Edited 2014-10-21 08:01 (UTC)

The platform and the train are thankfully both pretty scarce in passengers, it not being rush hour, so they don't have to bump shoulders with anyone, and no one bothers them. It's pretty amazing just how secluded most people are on the subway, how good everyone is at ignoring everyone else.

Still, Seth is so completely unused to being around people, it's impossible to properly tamp down on the anxiety, especially while they're just sitting here. He fidgets nervously the entire time, the screeching noises of the train uncomfortably piercing, the jerking and shaking of the car doing nothing to calm him, the flashing lights in the darkness outside weirdly unsettling.

And all he can think about is all the things that could go wrong, paranoid that something's going to happen. Rebels will come find them while they're on the train with nowhere to escape to. Or the train will stop somewhere, fault on the line, or an accident up ahead, and they will be stuck here for an hour and Daniel will bleed out or something.

He jumps a little as the voice on the PA system says something he can't make out, and everything right now, after being mostly stuck in a single dingy room for however long, it's all giving him sensory overload, and he feels cold and clammy, his chest constricted, his shoulders tense, and he's so tired.

Edited 2014-10-21 09:13 (UTC)

Seth is weirdly jumpy the whole time, though Daniel reminds himself that it's not such strange behavior when one considers where he's spent the past few months of his life, and finds he can't really blame him. He wishes he could say something comforting and profound - that's his way, isn't it? - but the jostling of the train sends little spikes of pain shooting from the epicenter in his shoulder, just in case he forgot it was there, and it's making it very difficult to concentrate on any one thing.

Gradually a mix of the pain and the first real respite he's had since he went charging into the interrogation room start to wear down the edges of his own restlessness, picked up from the anxiety sparking thickly off Seth like a coat of armor. Daniel's eyes drop to half-mast as he becomes increasingly drowsy. At some point Daniel's neck loses its will and integrity in holding his head up, which slips sideways to thump onto Seth's shoulder. He immediately tries to apologize but now that the adrenaline has faded completely from his system he's devoted all of his remaining energy to holding down his wound and has trouble locating words. As it is, he can only shift his head an inch as he mumbles something indistinct and totally incomprehensible in sloppy recompense.

Thankfully, when the train jolts to their stop it jars him back into reasonable wakefulness. Daniel gives himself a little steadying shake and glances over at Seth apologetically. He can up without too much effort, at least, and start making his way out.

Seth's taken aback by Daniel's head suddenly dropping onto his shoulder, but he manages not to jump at that. And in any other situation, it would be ~~adorable~~ charming, but Seth can't help but worry it's the blood loss taking its toll, and he bites his lip nervously.

Daniel is out of it enough that he hardly seems to notice Seth carefully shifting, putting his arm around Daniel's back underneath the hoodie, so he can hold onto his hand, make sure it doesn't drop, and keep pressure on the wound.

Doing this is weirdly calming too, giving him something to focus on, even if that focus mostly involves worrying, and also helps Seth warm up a little. There are heaters in here, but it's not nearly warm enough to be comfortable when you're as lightly dressed as he is.

He smiles a little when Daniel looks at him again, mostly out of relief at him waking up again and that it mostly seems to be exhaustion. He keeps his hand on Daniel's back, making sure he's steady, in case he needs support. Not that Seth is in much of a state to give a whole lot of support. They manage to make it out, Seth looking over his shoulder probably a lot more than is warranted. The stairs are a challenge, but one that they manage to overcome.

It's freezing outside. And big, and loud, and bright, and full of people and cars. Seth shivers, looking around, trying to get his bearings. They seem to have come out right outside a Chase, good, they'll have ATMs, so he makes that his first priority. And there's a bus stop right there, with a bench that no one's sitting on, thank fucking god for small blessings. They need as many as they can get at the moment.

"Alright... You wait here, I'll go get money, ask someone if they know of any hotels nearby," he says, his voice shaking a little, as he's still shivering a bit.

Daniel has a scary moment where he becomes too concerned about the inherent functional flaw in stairs (mentally cursing the initial designer, whomever they might have been, for not considering in the grand scheme of things what might occur should one have to use the stairs while having sustained a gunshot injury to the shoulder, because that really demonstrated a shameful lack of foresight on the design's part), but he gets through it all right with Seth's help. He notes somewhat hazily that Seth is shivering. He'd offer him his hoodie back but by now it's looking pretty gross and probably wouldn't do much in terms of shielding against the cold anyhow.

Seth mentions money and hotels and asking for directions and that jars Daniel back into the present. Mostly.

"Hey," he mutters, trying to project as much calm as he can - difficult, considering how he's less actually "calm" than just "tired and in pain" but at least he can still form recognizable words. "We're gonna be okay. It's okay."

He doesn't remember if that was intended to be reassurance or a reminder that they're just out of there, but either way it has similar meaning. Which is good, because Daniel's entirely forgotten which he meant to communicate. Perhaps both.

Seth smiles in return, but it's hardly without worry. Daniel is getting worse, and Seth has no idea how bad it is, and walking around isn't doing him any favours. But the best thing Seth can do for him is simply to hurry. He doesn't want to leave him on his own, but he kinda of has to.

"Um..." he adds, pulling out the wallet and picking out a card. "What's the pin number? And.. do you have a phone?" God, so many things that need doing, and so very urgently. Seth's head is reeling from all the input and thoughts and stress after being shielded from everything for so long.

Daniel relays the pin automatically but has to think for a minute before he can appropriately recall where his phone is.

"Jacket pocket," he remembers finally, relieved he's still got enough cognitive processing to still be semi-useful even without the use of his hands. "Just - here."

He really, really wishes he didn't have to make Seth do all this for them both because, honestly, his goal was to get Seth out and now that they've done that he should be taking care of Seth and not the other way around. The least Daniel can do is offer what he has on him, phone and money and whatever else, in hopes that it can get them somewhere safe. Even if he can't actively hand Seth the phone so much as just nod at the pocket it's in.

Seth repeats the pin himself a few times to make sure he remembers, as he doesn't overly trust his brain at the moment. Then he carefully reaches around Daniel's arm to get into the jacket pocket and pull out the phone. He should probably be glad it was in the right one, otherwise it probably would've blood-stained by now too.

"Okay... I'll be right back, alright?" he says, making sure Daniel is okay. Then he practically runs into the bank, withdrawing as much money as it will let him, before he goes and asks for directions. Blissfully there's apparently several hotels within a couple blocks radius, and Seth notes down the names of all of them, and also asks for directions to a pharmacy.

As he heads back outside, he's already calling information and getting the number for the rifties clinic, and calling them as he gets back to bench where Daniel's sitting. "There's a hotel just nearby, it's not far. Are you still okay to walk?" he asks while the phone at the other end rings, putting his hand on Daniel's back, ready to help him up.

Seth isn't gone for long but almost immediately after he leaves Daniel worries they might have been surreptitiously pursued. The longer he considers the idea the more likely it sounds. He glances back around his shoulder, scans the area a few times, but the lingering paranoia persists. His relief upon Seth's return is palpable.

"I'll be better once we get there," he replies, getting back to his feet with more effort than he'd like. "But yeah. I'll be fine."

"Fine" is relative. In this case, it means "able to walk a few a blocks without passing out, hopefully". Which Daniel is pretty sure he can manage. Mostly sure. Well, they're about to find out in any case.

"Who're you calling?" he asks once they're moving again. "Hotel?"

"Clinic. Want to get someone up here as soon as p-- Yes, hello?" he answers, interrupted by someone picking up. He quickly explains the situation (well, part of the situation - not who did the shooting and why), and whereabouts they are. He breathes a sigh of relief as he hangs up.

"They're sending someone right away," he tells Daniel, before calling information again and getting the number for the closest hotel, then calling them and checking for availability. Thankfully the very first one he calls has a room for two, and Seth doesn't care about anything beyond that at the moment. He lets them know he'll be there shortly, gets reminded of where they're located, and then finally hangs up, pocketing the phone.

They've gotten closer while he's been doing that, and Daniel has yet to collapse. Seth is freezing and he's exhausted and nervous and worried, but it's slowly becoming more and more likely that they'll actually make it.

He follows Seth's lead, still moving reasonably well on his own, if a little more drawn into himself. His good shoulder is hunched up, almost protectively, and he's relieved for the relative stability Seth's presence grants him. Physical and mental.

"They, uh, won't be able to find us?" Daniel asks, chewing on his lip nervously. "Not 'they' the clinic, 'they' the - yeah."

It's absurd being afraid of saying too much aloud, but the reality of what they've just left behind still feels a little too real. Daniel needs that linguistic distance right now.

"Unless things have seriously changed while I've been inside, they clinic's independent. The factions have their own doctors, after all. Clinic makes a point of never revealing any information to either faction, and it seems to be one of those.. sacred trust kind of things, where the factions don't ask," he explains, focusing entirely on giving Daniel support now.

Whether the rebels can find them through other means, well, that remains to be seen. It'll probably be a good idea to switch hotels tomorrow, and probably get a burner phone, in case they can track the credit card or the phone or something and decide to check out nearby hotels. Seth makes a note to remove the battery of the phone after the doctor gets to them.

Daniel just nods warily, trusting Seth's word on that. He can see the hotel coming up ahead. Thank god. He's just about reached his limit in terms of all the running and tackling and shooting and walking and getting shot at he's accomplished today. Rest will be good for both of them. God knows they both need it.

"Should I wait outside?" he mumbles as they reach the exterior of the place. "Might be um, might draw less attention that way." In case anyone should come asking.

"Probably best," Seth agrees, even though they'll both worry endlessly every time they have to leave each other. "I'll pay for the room, then I'll come fetch you, yeah?"

Seth wipes his hands a little on the hoodie, making sure his hands aren't bloodied. It's a pretty small hotel, more of a hostel, probably, not much to look at from the outside beyond a sign. But that means they're less likely to bump into anyone, which is a very good thing.

He makes sure Daniel is alright, then hurries inside, and he's very relieved when he realises that despite the relatively small size of the hotel, there is actually an elevator. Good. He gets a room for them, gives a fake name for it, pays, gets the key, and then heads back outside to fetch Daniel.

Seth is in and out again in mercifully quick time, and it's not long before Daniel is silently praising the very concept of elevators. Despite working on a military base that had been full of them, he doesn't think he's ever expressed proper appreciation for elevators until this moment.

And also chairs.

Daniel has a great deal of situational fondness for whoever came up with those, he decides as they enter the (albeit cramped) room. He sinks into the first chair he can find and leans back, breathing out the ache and trying not to think about how it feels like his palm is welded to his shoulder. Because, ow.

Hissing a little between his teeth, he removes Seth's hoodie and deposits it on the bed with a mumble of apology, then slowly peels off his jacket and shrugs it off with his good shoulder. The shirt's going to be more of a problem but Daniel knows well enough what he's supposed to do next, what he ideally should have done immediately after getting shot, which is check for any other external wounds, entry or exit points he might have missed.

This'll be fun.

Seth makes sure Daniel is nicely seated before he lets himself focus on other things. He immediately goes into the bathroom and washes his hands in warm water, heating them up again after all that walking outside. He still feels chilled, but he'll warm up eventually. He's still shaking a little, but he doesn't know how related that actually is to the cold.

He splashes some water in his face as well too, which feels kind of lovely, and then just stands there for a moment, taking several deep breaths. It still hasn't really hit him that he's out. It probably won't for a while.

When he comes back out, Daniel has taken his jacket is about to start on the shirt. "Here, let me.." he says quietly, trying not to wince at how much blood there is, kneeling next to Daniel's chair, picking open the buttons with trembling fingers, helping get it off him.

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