There was a chill riding the wind, an unusual feeling that pricked at Scout's skin, creating gooseflesh on her arms. Something about this day was off. Maybe it was because they had woken up late that Scout felt this urge tugging at her stomach for them to hurry. They were nearing the next camp and the wolf was ready for another cup of cocoa and a shower. Who knew that these things would have made a lasting impression in her mind?
There was another reason that Scout was rushing, aside from the tempting luxuries normally only afforded to humans. It was the weariness that made her eyes bleary and shoulders ache. The fatigue of not having slept for another night, which made her sway slightly on her bike. Scout bit down on her lip, hard enough to wake her up, but not to draw blood. Her ears pulled forward, alert, but the only sound they could hear was the wind whipping sand against Ljilja's giant mechanics, making tiny pings! Eventually, they began to meander up a sandy hill, the height of it providing a bit of shade from the sun and protection from the sandstorm, a rare reprieve.
Ljilja's Longjacks scooped at the sand as they stepped; she was struggling a little to climb the dune, but it wasn't anything she hadn't encountered before. She adapted her pace, shuffling her way up while trying her best to keep sand out of her face.
Boqin rode to the top of the hill on his hoverbike, covering his eyes and scanning the horizon. He could see other competitors, other teams, but by this stage of the event, he supposed many of them were worn down, looking to rush to the finish rather than to pick fights.
Scout blinked slowly, clearing her eyes of the fog. She removed her visor to swipe at her face, spitting out sand, which was gritty between her teeth. Just a little farther, Scout thought to herself. They would hopefully reach the third camp soon, then she could pass out. Not until then, Scout told herself. Her tail perked upright, catching the scent of another team. It was easier to smell them, considering how many competitors were sweating from the sweltering heat.
Even with the wind, the heat was stifling. "Guys-" Scout's stopped, her stomach dropped, picking up a particularly unpleasant scent.
Boqin turned to Scout, trusting her senses more than his own, even in her state of exhaustion.
Ljilja, for her part, had only just made it up the hill. She looked around, bright-eyed and curious. "What is it?"
Scout's tail swished from side to side slowly, as if contemplating on telling them. "We should hurry," she said, instead. Hoping that if they moved fast enough, they could avoid an encounter with those three. The memory of the shark-woman bearing down on another competitor was not one Scout would soon forget. She had heard of cabalistic mutants, but had been lucky enough to never encounter one herself, until now.
Ljilja shrugged and proceeded down the hill, sliding down its slope, finding that the safest way to quickly get down. Boqin lingered for a moment, meeting eyes with her. His culture was ordinarily terse; they knew how to speak with their eyes and deeds. Had he caught on?
Scout nodded subtly, confirming Boqin's thoughts. She had smelled something dangerous, something that posed a real threat. Her grip on the handlebars of her bike became a bit stronger and Scout looked forward, pressing on, taking the lead. She felt a bit more awake, now that her senses had caught on to a predator.He glanced opposite the direction of the wind, then his eyes caught it - the sight of three riders ignoring the forward path towards camp and barreling straight for them at full speed. Grimacing, he turned on his bike and joined her without further delay.
Scout's knuckles were white. It was rare that she was nervous facing off against an opponent. Scout had allowed Boqin to beat the daylights out of her as a challenge. There was something very important that Mercy had taught her, however, something she saw in that shark. Not to touch crazy. That it was unpredictable and almost impossible to win against. They just had to lose them, or beat them to the third camp.
Unfortunately for them, Ljilja's greatest strength was also their worst handicap. If they were all on bikes, they would be able to outpace their pursuers, but Ljilja would be left behind to fend for herself, for she could not travel as quickly on Longjacks. With each passing moment they traveled as a group, Scout could sense the Cortège gaining on them.
"Ljilja!" Scout suddenly snapped, riding alongside her. "Can those things go any faster?" She could sense them gaining on their team. Ljilja would probably be safe against them, sure, in her giant metal armor, but Boqin and Scout only had swords to defend themselves against... whatever weapon the other team was using.
Ljilja's bounding strides seemed to hasten, but it resulted in very little increase in speed. She was abnormally agile with them, but they were never designed to outrun hoverbikes. "I can only go this fast!" she answered, frowning earnestly.
Scout grit her jaw, she couldn't criticize the fish, she was doing her best, Scout could see. The wolf glanced back at Boqin, making sure she was keeping pace. In that moment, her eyes connected with the rider at the back of the group that was tailing them. The mutant gave Scout a slick smile, waving with glee, as though she enjoyed this.
Should they take a turn? Veer off course?
"We will not make it to camp first," Boqin finally voiced aloud, confirming Scout's suspicions.
"First?" Ljilja asked, looking between the two. She glanced back and gasped on seeing the others following them. "Who are they?!"
"Just keep going, don't waste time looking back!" Scout urged.
"We might not, but we can d@mn well try." Scout wasn't going to get caught up in a confrontation, not with these three. Her heart picked up speed in her chest, her tail wagging anxiously.
Ljilja squeaked with concern, her pace quickening, but she too could sense the figurative dogs snapping at their heels. They were gaining, and fast. The camp was still too far away; their foes would be upon them far sooner.
Thwack! An arrow whizzed past her shoulder, grazing her face. However, Scout barely registered the pain. She was much too busy focusing on staying awake. "Sh!t," Scout grit her teeth. Her vision was turning dark at the edges, narrowing, and closing in. Her eyes were blurry and her grip on her motorbike was loosening. "Ljilja," Scout slurred, her bike coming to a stop, but her body no longer on it. She had fallen to the side, rolling several feet down the hill before stopping, her swords tangling with her hair.
Ljilja froze up, her eyes widening with alarm. Boqin turned his bike to stop, and the pursuers began to slow their approach, growing a little more cautious. "Wha...what happened?" Ljilja asked, bounding up to Scout's unconscious body. "Down for the count, just like before," Boqin said. "Get her out of here." The hum of hoverbikes grew louder and another arrow soared towards Scout, but was warded off by Ljilja's metal arms. Now they were mere yards away. Ljilja scooped Scout up into one of the arms of her Longjacks as before, looking to Boqin and tearing up. "I cannot outrun them," she realized. "No need. I will fight. Go," he answered her. "But you will be alone!" she cried.
"Go!" he demanded, yelling at the top of his lungs, causing him to double over in pain from his injuries. Ljilja grit her teeth, then began barreling off toward the next camp as quick as she could, cradling Scout with one of her metal arms. She could not bring herself to look back.
There was something plush beneath her, a sensation that Scout was not used to. Someone had covered her body. Am I dead? Scout wondered, her limbs feeling heavy.
I thought I had more time? strangely, Scout was not panicked by this thought. Was it the arrow that had killed her? The ori? At least it was painless, she mused, until sensation began to creep back into her limbs and Scout realized (with mild disappointment) that she was still alive. Slowly, her eyes opened, the room dark. Her head throbbed at the temples, her cheek burning. Someone had wrapped the arrow wound a bit clumsily.
"Hello?" Scout croaked, her throat as dry as the Wastes. How long had she been out? Where were the others?
Scout could hear Ljilja sniffling and start to see the inside of a dark room as her eyes adjusted to her surroundings. Suddenly, Scout felt a tight hug as Ljilja leapt upon her and squeezed her close. "I must...go get Jax...to say you are awake...he will know what to do..."
Scout nodded slowly, feeling the death-grip hug of what could only be Ljilja. "You don't have to do that," Scout's voice was hoarse. Had Ljilja been crying? "Where's Boqin?" Scout looked around as her eyes adjusted, realizing that he was missing.
"He...is coming," Ljilja answered unsurely. "Just...um...one moment..." she said to excuse herself. It took a few more moments for her to be able to bring herself to release the hug, though. Scout could hear her hasty padding footsteps as she called out, "Jax, Jax, she is awake!" while running towards his room.
Jax's room wasn't far from where Ljilja had left Scout. Their accommodations in the third camp, were akin to a hotel. With indoor, air conditioned rooms, real beds, in-suite showers, and room service. It was hard to imagine it getting more luxurious than this. Jax and Ten were sharing a cheese plate, when Ljilja’s frantic knocking sound from outside.
Ten rose, she had been wary to leave Jax's side, ever since she had found out who his latest patient was. "I'm coming," Jax nodded at Ten, indicating she should stay. Reluctantly, Ten sat back down. Jax grabbed his backpack, his makeshift medical kit, and opened the door to see the little fish standing there.
"Let's go," he said, gesturing for Ljilja to lead.
Ljilja skittered her way back to the room, using her wristband to unlock the door. The building had plenty of rooms for competitors, but distressingly many lay vacant.
The door chirped and Ljilja pushed it open, granting Jax access. "Thank you, thank you," she murmured in repetition quietly to Jax before scurrying to Scout's bedside.
Jax opened one of the curtains, allowing light to flood into the room. Scout winced, wondering what had warranted that. "Oh, it's you.” She grumbled, looking up at the mutant that had stitched Boqin up.
"You've got quite the friend," he said in reply, making his way over to the bed. Scout had not yet attempted to sit up. "Ljilja asked me to help you." He didn't have to, he could've turned his nose at her request, but Jax wasn't here to win the Games, he didn't mind helping his fellow players.
"She even bandaged your cheek for you." Scout attempted to sit up, but Jax pushed down on her shoulder, getting her to lay back down. "How long have you known you've had Ori?"
"Since before the Games," Scout spoke quietly. "S'why I joined them. I'm gonna die anyhow, may as well go out with a bang." Jax was quiet as he examined her. He had watched his teacher die of ori and many others after that. Mutants could not afford the cure.
"What's the diagnosis?" Scout drawled, her eyes darting to look at Ljilja, then back up at the snow leopard. He had gotten the message, loud and clear. For whatever reason, the wolf was protecting the fish, even from hearing something potentially upsetting. "Exhaustion and dehydration, you passed out from a combination of the two," he said at last. "My recommendation is to stay in bed for as long as possible and to drink plenty of water." Jax sniffed and wrinkled his nose. "And maybe hit the shower, once you're up for it." He turned to Ljilja and patted her shoulder.
"Your angry friend is gonna be just fine," he assured her. "You did the right thing, coming to me. Even if it wasn't serious, it's always better to be safe, than sorry."
Ljilja nodded softly to Jax, sniffling again. She didn't know what to say, so she simply repeated, "Thank you." She gave Jax a small hug before urgently grabbing her canister of water and offering it to Scout to try and help her follow Jax's direction.
Scout sat up slowly, taking the offered water from Ljilja. "Thanks," her voice was soft. "If you need anything else, you know where to find me." Jax said to her, before taking his leave. Scout watched him go, then, uncapped the water and chugged it. Would Boqin really meet them here? Scout thought back to the three attempting to confront him, her stomach twisting in knots. She looked at the ribbon, tied artfully around her wrist. It was a bit dirty, but still there.
"How long was I out for?"
"...a few hours. Maybe eight or nine," she answered before hanging her head in shame.
Scout nearly choked on her water. "Eight or nine!" She yelled, wrestling with the blanket momentarily. "Why did you let me sleep that long!" Of course, it wasn't Ljilja's fault, Scout had been out like a light.
"I tried to wake you, but you wouldn't get up..." Ljilja replied, sniffling again.
The moment she stood, Scout's head began to spin. She stumbled, falling to her knees. "We have to find him," she spoke quietly, but in this state, Scout would not be able to get far.
Ljilja slowly helped lift Scout back onto the bed, sighing with relief that she did not fight her. "I can get you food, then we can wash you," she answered. It was short-sighted thinking, but Ljilja didn't seem to be in the mood to consider anything much further than right in front of her. It was probably impressive that she managed to make it to camp, let alone with an unconscious Scout in tow.
Scout recognized that she could not be of much use, right now. She had become a burden to her teammate, something she never wanted to be. Scout leaned on Ljilja, hobbling slowly back to the bed, her tail hanging shamefully between her legs. She lay back down, her head spinning. "... That sounds good."
"What would you like? They have a full buffet," Ljilja suggested. She even mustered a little excitement to her voice to add, "All free, too..."
"Hot cocoa," was the first thing that came to mind. "And pancakes?" To her, those two foods were heavenly. Most of her life, Scout had subsisted off of those packets you put under a rocket. It was only after meeting Ljilja that she learned you were supposed to cook them, first.
Ljilja nodded and turned to the wall, tapping her selections into a screen and adding her own requests before pressing a button to submit it. Then, she crawled up into bed with Scout, not seeming to mind the smell. She herself was a pleasant lavender, having likely taken a long shower some time after Scout had been stabilized.
Scout took another tentative sip of water. Was rest really all she needed? Scout was uncertain. She touched her cheek, where Ljilja had wrapped up her cut. "Thanks..." Scout muttered, never having been good at showing gratitude. "For uh... this."
Ljilja hugged Scout tight, burying her face into her. "I just want you to be okay," she said, her voice muffled.
"You heard what the Doc said, s'gonna be fine." Scout recounted, hoping her words would offer some reassurance.
Ljilja whined in a way that seemed like a precursor to crying, but she had probably been doing plenty of that in Scout's absence. She just sniffled again, rubbing her head against Scout.
Scout awkwardly reached out, patting Ljilja's head. "S'okay," she reiterated, perhaps saying it a second time for her own sake.
Ljilja grumbled this time, unconvinced. Luckily, though, Scout was saved by the bell—a chime at the door signaled the arrival of their food. Ljilja slowly peeled herself off of Scout and rolled onto her feet, walking over to the door to let the food in. In short order the room was filled with the scent of hot chocolate, pancakes, waffles, butter, bacon, and...fried octopus. Ljilja ushered the automated cart in and to Scout's bedside.
"Lot of food," Scout wasn't saying that like it was a bad thing, though. At the smell of bacon, her stomach growled loudly. The perpetually hungry wolf was, surprise, hungry. "You're gonna have to feed me," Scout said jokingly, playing into her current sickness.
Ljilja, still tense from all the stress, took her words for face value. She grabbed one of the many slices of bacon and held it near Scout's mouth, not hesitating in the slightest.
Scout's face turned bright pink, "I was kidding," she managed to sputter, a bit embarrassed. Still, Scout opened her mouth, taking the bacon gratefully.
Ljilja muttered a soft "Oh," in reply. She let Scout finish the piece, then pulled up a chair to sit across from her and begin eating as well.
There was another reason that Scout was rushing, aside from the tempting luxuries normally only afforded to humans. It was the weariness that made her eyes bleary and shoulders ache. The fatigue of not having slept for another night, which made her sway slightly on her bike. Scout bit down on her lip, hard enough to wake her up, but not to draw blood. Her ears pulled forward, alert, but the only sound they could hear was the wind whipping sand against Ljilja's giant mechanics, making tiny pings! Eventually, they began to meander up a sandy hill, the height of it providing a bit of shade from the sun and protection from the sandstorm, a rare reprieve.
Ljilja's Longjacks scooped at the sand as they stepped; she was struggling a little to climb the dune, but it wasn't anything she hadn't encountered before. She adapted her pace, shuffling her way up while trying her best to keep sand out of her face.
Boqin rode to the top of the hill on his hoverbike, covering his eyes and scanning the horizon. He could see other competitors, other teams, but by this stage of the event, he supposed many of them were worn down, looking to rush to the finish rather than to pick fights.
Scout blinked slowly, clearing her eyes of the fog. She removed her visor to swipe at her face, spitting out sand, which was gritty between her teeth. Just a little farther, Scout thought to herself. They would hopefully reach the third camp soon, then she could pass out. Not until then, Scout told herself. Her tail perked upright, catching the scent of another team. It was easier to smell them, considering how many competitors were sweating from the sweltering heat.
Even with the wind, the heat was stifling. "Guys-" Scout's stopped, her stomach dropped, picking up a particularly unpleasant scent.
Boqin turned to Scout, trusting her senses more than his own, even in her state of exhaustion.
Ljilja, for her part, had only just made it up the hill. She looked around, bright-eyed and curious. "What is it?"
Scout's tail swished from side to side slowly, as if contemplating on telling them. "We should hurry," she said, instead. Hoping that if they moved fast enough, they could avoid an encounter with those three. The memory of the shark-woman bearing down on another competitor was not one Scout would soon forget. She had heard of cabalistic mutants, but had been lucky enough to never encounter one herself, until now.
Ljilja shrugged and proceeded down the hill, sliding down its slope, finding that the safest way to quickly get down. Boqin lingered for a moment, meeting eyes with her. His culture was ordinarily terse; they knew how to speak with their eyes and deeds. Had he caught on?
Scout nodded subtly, confirming Boqin's thoughts. She had smelled something dangerous, something that posed a real threat. Her grip on the handlebars of her bike became a bit stronger and Scout looked forward, pressing on, taking the lead. She felt a bit more awake, now that her senses had caught on to a predator.He glanced opposite the direction of the wind, then his eyes caught it - the sight of three riders ignoring the forward path towards camp and barreling straight for them at full speed. Grimacing, he turned on his bike and joined her without further delay.
Scout's knuckles were white. It was rare that she was nervous facing off against an opponent. Scout had allowed Boqin to beat the daylights out of her as a challenge. There was something very important that Mercy had taught her, however, something she saw in that shark. Not to touch crazy. That it was unpredictable and almost impossible to win against. They just had to lose them, or beat them to the third camp.
Unfortunately for them, Ljilja's greatest strength was also their worst handicap. If they were all on bikes, they would be able to outpace their pursuers, but Ljilja would be left behind to fend for herself, for she could not travel as quickly on Longjacks. With each passing moment they traveled as a group, Scout could sense the Cortège gaining on them.
"Ljilja!" Scout suddenly snapped, riding alongside her. "Can those things go any faster?" She could sense them gaining on their team. Ljilja would probably be safe against them, sure, in her giant metal armor, but Boqin and Scout only had swords to defend themselves against... whatever weapon the other team was using.
Ljilja's bounding strides seemed to hasten, but it resulted in very little increase in speed. She was abnormally agile with them, but they were never designed to outrun hoverbikes. "I can only go this fast!" she answered, frowning earnestly.
Scout grit her jaw, she couldn't criticize the fish, she was doing her best, Scout could see. The wolf glanced back at Boqin, making sure she was keeping pace. In that moment, her eyes connected with the rider at the back of the group that was tailing them. The mutant gave Scout a slick smile, waving with glee, as though she enjoyed this.
Should they take a turn? Veer off course?
"We will not make it to camp first," Boqin finally voiced aloud, confirming Scout's suspicions.
"First?" Ljilja asked, looking between the two. She glanced back and gasped on seeing the others following them. "Who are they?!"
"Just keep going, don't waste time looking back!" Scout urged.
"We might not, but we can d@mn well try." Scout wasn't going to get caught up in a confrontation, not with these three. Her heart picked up speed in her chest, her tail wagging anxiously.
Ljilja squeaked with concern, her pace quickening, but she too could sense the figurative dogs snapping at their heels. They were gaining, and fast. The camp was still too far away; their foes would be upon them far sooner.
Thwack! An arrow whizzed past her shoulder, grazing her face. However, Scout barely registered the pain. She was much too busy focusing on staying awake. "Sh!t," Scout grit her teeth. Her vision was turning dark at the edges, narrowing, and closing in. Her eyes were blurry and her grip on her motorbike was loosening. "Ljilja," Scout slurred, her bike coming to a stop, but her body no longer on it. She had fallen to the side, rolling several feet down the hill before stopping, her swords tangling with her hair.
Ljilja froze up, her eyes widening with alarm. Boqin turned his bike to stop, and the pursuers began to slow their approach, growing a little more cautious. "Wha...what happened?" Ljilja asked, bounding up to Scout's unconscious body. "Down for the count, just like before," Boqin said. "Get her out of here." The hum of hoverbikes grew louder and another arrow soared towards Scout, but was warded off by Ljilja's metal arms. Now they were mere yards away. Ljilja scooped Scout up into one of the arms of her Longjacks as before, looking to Boqin and tearing up. "I cannot outrun them," she realized. "No need. I will fight. Go," he answered her. "But you will be alone!" she cried.
"Go!" he demanded, yelling at the top of his lungs, causing him to double over in pain from his injuries. Ljilja grit her teeth, then began barreling off toward the next camp as quick as she could, cradling Scout with one of her metal arms. She could not bring herself to look back.
There was something plush beneath her, a sensation that Scout was not used to. Someone had covered her body. Am I dead? Scout wondered, her limbs feeling heavy.
I thought I had more time? strangely, Scout was not panicked by this thought. Was it the arrow that had killed her? The ori? At least it was painless, she mused, until sensation began to creep back into her limbs and Scout realized (with mild disappointment) that she was still alive. Slowly, her eyes opened, the room dark. Her head throbbed at the temples, her cheek burning. Someone had wrapped the arrow wound a bit clumsily.
"Hello?" Scout croaked, her throat as dry as the Wastes. How long had she been out? Where were the others?
Scout could hear Ljilja sniffling and start to see the inside of a dark room as her eyes adjusted to her surroundings. Suddenly, Scout felt a tight hug as Ljilja leapt upon her and squeezed her close. "I must...go get Jax...to say you are awake...he will know what to do..."
Scout nodded slowly, feeling the death-grip hug of what could only be Ljilja. "You don't have to do that," Scout's voice was hoarse. Had Ljilja been crying? "Where's Boqin?" Scout looked around as her eyes adjusted, realizing that he was missing.
"He...is coming," Ljilja answered unsurely. "Just...um...one moment..." she said to excuse herself. It took a few more moments for her to be able to bring herself to release the hug, though. Scout could hear her hasty padding footsteps as she called out, "Jax, Jax, she is awake!" while running towards his room.
Jax's room wasn't far from where Ljilja had left Scout. Their accommodations in the third camp, were akin to a hotel. With indoor, air conditioned rooms, real beds, in-suite showers, and room service. It was hard to imagine it getting more luxurious than this. Jax and Ten were sharing a cheese plate, when Ljilja’s frantic knocking sound from outside.
Ten rose, she had been wary to leave Jax's side, ever since she had found out who his latest patient was. "I'm coming," Jax nodded at Ten, indicating she should stay. Reluctantly, Ten sat back down. Jax grabbed his backpack, his makeshift medical kit, and opened the door to see the little fish standing there.
"Let's go," he said, gesturing for Ljilja to lead.
Ljilja skittered her way back to the room, using her wristband to unlock the door. The building had plenty of rooms for competitors, but distressingly many lay vacant.
The door chirped and Ljilja pushed it open, granting Jax access. "Thank you, thank you," she murmured in repetition quietly to Jax before scurrying to Scout's bedside.
Jax opened one of the curtains, allowing light to flood into the room. Scout winced, wondering what had warranted that. "Oh, it's you.” She grumbled, looking up at the mutant that had stitched Boqin up.
"You've got quite the friend," he said in reply, making his way over to the bed. Scout had not yet attempted to sit up. "Ljilja asked me to help you." He didn't have to, he could've turned his nose at her request, but Jax wasn't here to win the Games, he didn't mind helping his fellow players.
"She even bandaged your cheek for you." Scout attempted to sit up, but Jax pushed down on her shoulder, getting her to lay back down. "How long have you known you've had Ori?"
"Since before the Games," Scout spoke quietly. "S'why I joined them. I'm gonna die anyhow, may as well go out with a bang." Jax was quiet as he examined her. He had watched his teacher die of ori and many others after that. Mutants could not afford the cure.
"What's the diagnosis?" Scout drawled, her eyes darting to look at Ljilja, then back up at the snow leopard. He had gotten the message, loud and clear. For whatever reason, the wolf was protecting the fish, even from hearing something potentially upsetting. "Exhaustion and dehydration, you passed out from a combination of the two," he said at last. "My recommendation is to stay in bed for as long as possible and to drink plenty of water." Jax sniffed and wrinkled his nose. "And maybe hit the shower, once you're up for it." He turned to Ljilja and patted her shoulder.
"Your angry friend is gonna be just fine," he assured her. "You did the right thing, coming to me. Even if it wasn't serious, it's always better to be safe, than sorry."
Ljilja nodded softly to Jax, sniffling again. She didn't know what to say, so she simply repeated, "Thank you." She gave Jax a small hug before urgently grabbing her canister of water and offering it to Scout to try and help her follow Jax's direction.
Scout sat up slowly, taking the offered water from Ljilja. "Thanks," her voice was soft. "If you need anything else, you know where to find me." Jax said to her, before taking his leave. Scout watched him go, then, uncapped the water and chugged it. Would Boqin really meet them here? Scout thought back to the three attempting to confront him, her stomach twisting in knots. She looked at the ribbon, tied artfully around her wrist. It was a bit dirty, but still there.
"How long was I out for?"
"...a few hours. Maybe eight or nine," she answered before hanging her head in shame.
Scout nearly choked on her water. "Eight or nine!" She yelled, wrestling with the blanket momentarily. "Why did you let me sleep that long!" Of course, it wasn't Ljilja's fault, Scout had been out like a light.
"I tried to wake you, but you wouldn't get up..." Ljilja replied, sniffling again.
The moment she stood, Scout's head began to spin. She stumbled, falling to her knees. "We have to find him," she spoke quietly, but in this state, Scout would not be able to get far.
Ljilja slowly helped lift Scout back onto the bed, sighing with relief that she did not fight her. "I can get you food, then we can wash you," she answered. It was short-sighted thinking, but Ljilja didn't seem to be in the mood to consider anything much further than right in front of her. It was probably impressive that she managed to make it to camp, let alone with an unconscious Scout in tow.
Scout recognized that she could not be of much use, right now. She had become a burden to her teammate, something she never wanted to be. Scout leaned on Ljilja, hobbling slowly back to the bed, her tail hanging shamefully between her legs. She lay back down, her head spinning. "... That sounds good."
"What would you like? They have a full buffet," Ljilja suggested. She even mustered a little excitement to her voice to add, "All free, too..."
"Hot cocoa," was the first thing that came to mind. "And pancakes?" To her, those two foods were heavenly. Most of her life, Scout had subsisted off of those packets you put under a rocket. It was only after meeting Ljilja that she learned you were supposed to cook them, first.
Ljilja nodded and turned to the wall, tapping her selections into a screen and adding her own requests before pressing a button to submit it. Then, she crawled up into bed with Scout, not seeming to mind the smell. She herself was a pleasant lavender, having likely taken a long shower some time after Scout had been stabilized.
Scout took another tentative sip of water. Was rest really all she needed? Scout was uncertain. She touched her cheek, where Ljilja had wrapped up her cut. "Thanks..." Scout muttered, never having been good at showing gratitude. "For uh... this."
Ljilja hugged Scout tight, burying her face into her. "I just want you to be okay," she said, her voice muffled.
"You heard what the Doc said, s'gonna be fine." Scout recounted, hoping her words would offer some reassurance.
Ljilja whined in a way that seemed like a precursor to crying, but she had probably been doing plenty of that in Scout's absence. She just sniffled again, rubbing her head against Scout.
Scout awkwardly reached out, patting Ljilja's head. "S'okay," she reiterated, perhaps saying it a second time for her own sake.
Ljilja grumbled this time, unconvinced. Luckily, though, Scout was saved by the bell—a chime at the door signaled the arrival of their food. Ljilja slowly peeled herself off of Scout and rolled onto her feet, walking over to the door to let the food in. In short order the room was filled with the scent of hot chocolate, pancakes, waffles, butter, bacon, and...fried octopus. Ljilja ushered the automated cart in and to Scout's bedside.
"Lot of food," Scout wasn't saying that like it was a bad thing, though. At the smell of bacon, her stomach growled loudly. The perpetually hungry wolf was, surprise, hungry. "You're gonna have to feed me," Scout said jokingly, playing into her current sickness.
Ljilja, still tense from all the stress, took her words for face value. She grabbed one of the many slices of bacon and held it near Scout's mouth, not hesitating in the slightest.
Scout's face turned bright pink, "I was kidding," she managed to sputter, a bit embarrassed. Still, Scout opened her mouth, taking the bacon gratefully.
Ljilja muttered a soft "Oh," in reply. She let Scout finish the piece, then pulled up a chair to sit across from her and begin eating as well.