As the sun began to set that evening, Jared was mixing together a couple of servings of a fruit salad, of sorts. As he prepared the meal, Lili sat leaning against the shack’s outer wall near the door, now wrapped in one of the skins from an animal which had been their meal sometime in the last few weeks.
“How much do you want?” he asked, his voice breaking a nearly tangible silence since their morning by the river.
“What?” she managed, obviously a million miles from the present as she had been all day, and nearly all week, at that.
“It’s fruit. I figured I’d wait on them before trying to make anything more substantial. Was just asking how much you wanted,” he added more quietly.
“Not really hungry,” she returned in the same breathy tone while still staring at the ground in front of her, rather than meeting his gaze.
“Lili,” he sighed slightly as he gathered both of the cartons from their pre-packaged meals, which had now been being used as bowls in recent months. He then moved back to take a seat near her. “You haven’t eaten much of anything today. Here,” he told her as he handed her one of the two helpings he had prepared.
“Starting the day puking your guts out really doesn’t help develop an appetite,” she scoffed sadly as she grudgingly took the food, but made no move to take a bite.
Jared sighed a bit before continuing. “Maybe not, but it does provide an even stronger argument as to why you really need to try and get something back into your system,” he informed her while trying to keep his worry from outweighing his gentleness right then.
“Is that my doctor or my lover talking?” she spoke in a near whisper, simply laying her head back against the wall and staring up at the sky as the first few stars became visible. “Or is it the possible father of my baby? Who am I talking to again, right now?”
Jared sighed more deeply. “All of the above,” he stated simply. “Now please try and eat.”
Lili just scoffed with an insincere smile. “Well tell option number three that there’s most likely no point.”
Jared’s expression immediately grew darker at the weight of her words. “How can you say there’s no point?” he asked, his worry at her words making his tone that much rougher.
“Why prolong or postpone the inevitable? The child has no chance. And I have very little chance of surviving even bringing it into a world that it most likely won’t even be able to survive anyway. Then again, you yourself may not even have to worry about being here to see either of those fates come to pass, right?” she sniffled again.
Forcing himself not to show any fear that her statements may actually be accurate, Jared took a deep breath before attempting to speak. “I’m not going to sit here and watch you just give up based on a game of ‘what if.’ I won’t allow you to. And I will do everything in my power, as your lover, your doctor, and even as the possible father of your child, to keep you from ever just giving in and making any of those fates as inevitable as you seem to think they are. Got it?” he added more firmly. “Now eat something already,” he finished with finality as he tried to force his attention back to his own meal.
Lili sniffled again as she looked up at the obvious hurt her words had caused in him, though he did not look back. Instead he attempted to keep his attention on his meal in order to hide that hurt from her. She swallowed a bit as she glanced down at her own food again. Finally giving into his plea, as well as her own previously denied hunger, she finally steeled herself to force down those first few tiny bites.
After several more silent moments of their meal, Jared finally dared to look back to see that she had managed to force down most of the serving of fruit. Though his relief at that fact was easily outweighed by her continued sullenness.
“They’ll probably be back soon,” he offered.
“Hopefully,” was her only response, mumbled though it was.
Sighing again at her continued depression, understandable though it was, he moved on. “So, when are we telling them? And which of us do you want to do it?” he added quietly.
“I barely even managed the words to tell you, let alone having to repeat it again.” she whispered, her head leaning sadly against the wall behind her once more.
“So, you want me to tell them then?” he restated her obvious answer. “When do you want me to?” he rephrased instead.
“You’re the psychic. You decide,” she added as she finally forced herself to stand again. Though Lili was just about to go through the door when their companions’ footsteps approached at last. Kyle was the first to emerge from the tree line, dragging a creature most similar to the wild boars of earth behind him.
“Doesn’t Ian usually, uh, haul them back?” Jared asked, standing to greet Kyle as he moved closer.
“I’m not an invalid, you know,” Kyle scoffed as he dropped the animal’s legs to the ground near the fire with a ragged breath. “I happen to be a very healthy seventeen year old boy, as a matter of fact,” he had to add. “Just ask Lil,” he smiled over at her, though her only reaction was a quick, sad look downward, which did manage to puzzle Kyle more than a bit.
“Where is Ian, anyway?” Jared asked worriedly as he looked off toward the tree line behind him.
“Yeah, um, about that…” Kyle began with a breath.
“What?” Jared asked, being quicker to jump to panic than he normally would be right then.
“There was uh, a bit of a…confrontation.” he decided on.
“What?” Jared repeated worriedly at the sound of that statement.
“No, it’s nothing serious, I don’t think,” Kyle added more quietly as he too looked back toward where Ian’s slow footsteps could still be heard approaching.
“What happened?” Lili finally spoke up as she stepped forward to get a better view of the darkened forest.
That was when Ian did finally appear also dragging another smaller pig-like creature, though limping as he did. “See, still in one piece, more or less,” he added with a slightly painful grumbling as he dropped the second animal near the larger one before immediately reaching down toward his seemingly injured upper left leg.
“What happened?” Lili asked more desperately as she and Jared both moved toward where he took a pained seat next to the fire.
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“I shot this one,” he gestured to the smaller of the two. “And I think her man,” he gestured to the one Kyle had dragged back, “he took it a little personally.”
“What?” Jared repeated as he moved to kneel next to Ian, pulling a lantern with him to get a better view than that which the fire light provided.
“The big one charged him,” Kyle offered. “Ian apparently has crossed species lines with his ability to piss others off.” Kyle added with an only slight smirk.
“He charged you?” Jared repeated worriedly.
Ian just scoffed, though painfully. “Hey, I still won, didn’t I?” he attempted a shrug, though there was a wince mixed in with it.
Jared just shook his head. “There’s a rip through both the jumpsuit and your jeans,” he pointed out as he gestured to the blood-soaked tear which was slightly above his left knee.
“Yeah, if you take a look, the little fucker has like tusk-like…things,” Ian pointed out with another attempted shrug toward the now dead beast, as Lili took a step closer, her own worry apparent on her face even in the modest light.
“You’re bleeding, Ian. A lot,” Jared told him firmly.
“Did I mention the tusks?” was Ian’s only response.
“Well I’m gonna have to look at it, see how bad it really is.”
“You trying to get me outta my clothes again, doc? Well, you are pretty easy on the eyes….” Ian teased with a slightly pained smirk, despite the obvious upset his injury seemed to produce, especially in Lili.
“Told you it wasn’t serious,” Kyle mumbled as he moved to make an attempt at beginning to prepare the female beast for their dinner.
“You just might be delirious, after all,” Jared returned sarcastically as he reached for the zipper of Ian’s jumpsuit. “You’re flirting with the wrong one,” he added.
“Hey, who said I was ever closed-minded? I already kissed you once.”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure he’ll screw anything he thinks is cute, regardless of gender. Least that’s what I used to hear,” Kyle returned smartly.
Jared just shook his head as he finished the unzipping. “Am I the only male here capable of one moment of seriousness?” he scoffed.
“You’re assuming he’s not serious?” Ian returned with a raised brow.
“Ok, new rule. When Jared is in doctor mode, the patients aren’t allowed to talk unless asked a direct question. Got it, everyone?” Jared added firmly.
“He’s so dominant,” Ian returned with overdramatic flamboyance before he glanced up at Lili. “No wonder he’s the first one who got you to give it up.”
Lili just sighed heavily. “Any chance you’ll have to knock him out to examine his leg? Please?” she added pointedly.
Though her words were an obvious product of annoyance, they still caused the slightest relief in Jared at any sign of her allowing a bit of her usual humor to peek through at all, especially in light of that entire day’s discoveries.
“I second that,” Kyle chuckled as he began cutting away at the animal’s thick hide.
Though it seemed the pain finally was making its way past Ian’s humor after his jumpsuit and jeans were finally removed, leaving him in the t-shirt and boxer-briefs and thankful for the heat from the blazing fire that they were gathered near on that reasonably cold night.
“The cut itself isn’t that deep, but the bruising of your muscle from the force of the charge: That’s gonna be hurting you for at least a few days,” he offered his preliminary diagnosis, considering the poor light he had to work with. “Can you bring the medical kit, Lili?” he asked over his shoulder, where she then took a deep breath and headed inside to retrieve it.
Ian allowed only a slight sigh before hiding his obvious pain behind that humor of his once more. “But the important question here is, will I still be able to have sex?”
Jared just gave the older man another look of disbelief before retaliating. “Remember what I said about not talking?”
“But I thought you were done examining me, hence sending nurse Lili off for bandages.”
“Do you ever stop?” Jared retorted impatiently.
“Well where would be the fun in that?” Ian smirked again. “Besides, there’s not fuck all else to do around here: It’s a valid question.”
Jared shook his head in further disbelief. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure your dick will still work. Though her being on top is definitely out of the question, unless you really like pain,” Jared had to add smartly.
“So is that a yes?” Ian had to ask, despite Kyle shaking his own head with a chuckle.
“It’s gonna hurt either way, Ian. It is your damn thigh muscle we’re talking about.”
“Can I get a second opinion? Oh, wait,” he added sarcastically.
Jared sighed once more before responding. “Isn’t it Lili who you should be asking about the prospects of you getting laid any time soon, anyway?” Jared couldn’t resist pointing out.
Though, Ian didn’t have time to make another smart retort as the subject of Jared’s last sentence returned again, moving to hand him the requested medical kit. Not waiting for thanks or any further requests, she shook her head down at Ian and his injury once more before heading sadly back inside again.
Ian then turned a skeptical look of his own back on Jared after seeing Lili’s obvious sadness. “Why is she always in a bad mood after being left alone with you?” he asked Jared with an only somewhat playful accusation.
“Maybe it’s just that when she’s in a bad mood, I’m the only one she wants to be around,” Jared muttered his answer as he began wrapping the wound.
“What’s that supposed to me--Ow, fuck!” he exclaimed in pain mid-sentence.
“Sorry, too tight?” Jared returned with a lack of sincerity, as Kyle just raised his brow as he glanced back toward them, but held his own tongue.
“So much for fucking professional detachment,” Ian grumbled, wincing slightly as Jared continued tending to the injury.
“Just be happy I didn’t decide to cut it off,” Jared retorted smugly.
“You mean my leg….right?” Ian asked with a slight stammer.
“Let’s hope that’s what I meant,” Jared taunted the older man as he finished the task and moved to close up the medical kit once again.
“Haven’t you grown a pair since we got here?” Ian returned with narrowed eyes.
“Times they change,” was Jared’s simple response as he moved away again, leaving Ian and Kyle both to ponder that statement as Jared followed Lili back inside.