Bitter Secrets | Part 3 Panic
tf141 x jack russel shifter reader
Warnings: discrimination, violence, descriptions of illness and injuries, death and violence on the basis of descrimination
Summary: you never planned to reveal your identity to your team, however being trapped in a safe house with them for over a week may not allow you to keep your secrets hidden for much longer
A/N: god you'd think i have a thing for vomit with how much i've talked about it so far, i promise that is not the case. also i just relaised i put no tags on the last chapter whoops
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The feel of the cold metal in your palm does little to slow the speed of your heart, if anything it makes it worse. The voices around you become a faint buzz as your mind goes back to twenty two, back to that humvee, though this time you aren’t a bystander, you’re the one in the crowd. Vomit once again makes its way from your mouth, thick and sludgy, tainted almost black; a sight much like wet coffee grinds.
Very few times in your life have you cried, a number so small you could count it on one hand, but your body continues to betray you. Wetness pools in your vision quickly, lungs seizing with each breath, refusing to inflate with the air you desperately suck in through your nose. You can see the mangled pelt, every detail so clear, an image of what will become of you once your body finally wins out the battle and forces you into the form you resist.
There’s something cold and damp being run over your chin and neck, your body jolting instinctively at the sensation. You try to scramble away, but despite how loudly your brain screams at your limbs to move, nothing happens. The tremors that continue to run through your limbs, forcing you to move your hand away from the holster on your hip, planting itself back against the ground to keep you steady.
A firm palm presses against your shoulder blades, attempting to sway you into a seated position, you couldn’t resist if you wanted to. The movement makes the room spin, eyes falling close instinctively to ward off some of the vertigo, only cracking back open when you are once again still.
You find yourself face to face with the pinched expression of your captain, a wet cloth clutched in one hand that he uses to continue cleaning off the mess of liquid staining your lower face.
“It’s okay. You’re gonna be okay kid, just keep breathin’ for me,” his voice calm, an attempt at reassurance, but even despite his resolve you can see the small twitch in his brows as though he’s struggling to maintain his disposition. You suck in one slow breath through your nose, exhaling as controlled as possible in an attempt to get your lungs working correctly. Your chest still feels tight, but the spasming seems to reduce after a minute.
Price keeps his own breathing steady, a matching pattern you can follow. The now dirtied cloth is chucked aside as the man grabs another damp rag and drapes it over the back of your neck. Your eyes flick to the sight of movement behind him, Ghost and Soap working quickly to gear up with the best of the resources they have on hand. You manage to make a small noise of question, causing Price to glance over his shoulder briefly before turning back to meet your gaze.
“Ghost and Soap are gonna trek to the closest town for supplies and hopefully medical assistance. It’s only 5km off but in this weather….could take em’ a while,” he flicks his eyes away, lifting a hand to gesture Gaz over from where he was filling a flask with water.
The sergeant is quick to trot over, passing the flask into Price’s outstretched hand, his nose twitching in worry as he scans over your face.
“Need you to stay with me till they get back alright?” The captain says before lifting the water toward your lips, attempting to coax you to drink.
You shake your head, stumbling over the words in your throat as you shift away from the container, “no- no doctor. I’m- I don’t need it.”
Price tuts, fixing you with a sharp stare that kills any further protest almost instantly, “not up for debate sergeant.”
The flask is pressed against your lips, the captain’s free hand holding the side of your head securely as he tips a small amount of fluids into your mouth, pausing to allow you a moment to swallow before repeating the process again. There’s no denying the water is a small help, the cool sensation of it sliding down your throat reducing some of the pounding you feel in your temples.
You don’t see Ghost and Soap leave, but you hear the sound of the wooden door shut firmly behind them, the crunch of snow audible for the first few of their steps until they are swallowed into the strom. The thundering in your chest grows heavier, the little grasp you had on this situation slipping further and further from your grip by the second. Before you have so much as a second to process your increasing distress, the captain is hooking a firm arm under one of your shoulders.
“Let's get you into the shower, try and reduce the fever,” Price gestures toward Gaz again, “give me a hand getting them up.”
The movement as they pull you to your feet makes your stomach lurch, throat retching despite having nothing left to throw up. It’s a struggle to stay upright, almost certainly you would have collapsed without the steady hands of the men beside you. You want to protest, to pull from their grip and make a run for it but your body refuses to cooperate.
“Please-” you cut off as a heated wave runs over the skin of your face, spots exploding in your eyes as you begin to careen sideward. Both of them tighten their grip, pressing against your sides to sandwich you between them.
The trek to the bathroom seems like a marathon despite it only being a few meters away, your feet heavy as lead with each step. Gaz shoulders the door open, helping prop you against the counter before releasing his grip. Price shoulders most of your weight as Gaz turns on the rickety shower, water spluttering in protest as the old pipes groan. It takes a minute for a steady stream to finally establish itself, though every few moments it wavers as though it will drop out without notice. The men strip you from the sweat damp clothing, cold air hitting your skin in a sharp chill.
A weak groan falls from your lips, barely audible over the shower noises. Price clicks his tongue, shifting you toward the water, “not like we haven’t seen it all before, kid. When you’re back on your feet I’ll let you hose one of us down to get even alright.”
Price holds you steady beneath the lukewarm water while Gaz carefully lathers over your skin with soap, washing away the remnants of your stomach contents as well as the heavy layer of sweat that had begun to coat your skin. It does feel nice, soothing the itchy beneath your skin ever so slightly but not fully removing the thrum.
Just as you find yourself relaxing into it, the water is shut off, a towel is quickly run over your form before the cold air can sink its teeth back in. A jacket and pants are slipped on, they feel dry and warm which surprises you, but tilting your head down to look at them seems like an impossible task so you are unable to work out who they actually belong to.
Once the men have led you back to the main room, Gaz sets you down on the couch gently, pulling the threadbare blanket around your shoulders. He gently presses the back of his hand to your forehead, flicking a quick glance toward Price at how clammy your skin already feels, the fever still persisting.
The captain places a hand on your shoulder, trying to match your eyeline.
“If you have anything you’d like to admit now would be the time. Off food you ate, animal bites, been drinking from dirty water?” The words are intended as a slight jest, but they land far from softly. Instead of answering, you allow your eyes to fall shut, breathing slowly through your nose as your head rests back against the couch.
Price sighs, patting your shoulder once before stepping away to talk quietly with Gaz in the corner. You don’t bother listening, instead focusing on counting your inhales, forcing at least one part of your body to remain in your control. If you can get things under control for just a few moments, maybe you will have a clear enough head to figure out a plan. You just have to wait this out long enough to find a solution.
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