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It's sheer willpower keeping him on his feet. Willpower and crew.
Besides, if that twig Trafalgar is upright, there is no way in the Four Blues Kidd won't also be on his feet. Even if his vision is so grayed out at the moment he's not even sure where they are, and the world spins so much at the edges he doesn't know if they are even still walking or have stopped for a breather.
Trafalgar's crew are an irritating, noisy, buzzing bunch- and he realizes they are trying to get him to sit down.
Fat chance of that. Where's Killer?
Actually... where is his partner? Kidd just killed an Emperor- he'd gotten the Rail Gun to work!- something the two of them had only been theorizing up until now. He needed to tell Killer about it. Killer would want to know!
He swatted the little Heart fly away, looking past the combined crews. "Where's Killer?"
"Eustass-ya, sit down and - "
"No. fuck you. You're not my boss." But Kidd's retort lacked bite as he started pushing his own crew out of his way.
"There was a bunch of flooding- after the fire-" Kidd looked at Boogie in confusion. What did he care about a flood. What fire?
"Where's Killer?"
"Boss Killer probably got evacuated to one of the other camps. we'll send someone to get him, You-"
"No," He was trying very hard not to let the panic encroach in his voice. Not to let it show in his face, "No, I need to see Killer."
He should of hung back. Hawkins had fucked them over once- what if he pulled some shit again? Killer was strong. Kidd had no worries he wouldn't mop the floor with Hawkins. But what ifs filled his head anyway. What ifs was Killer's job to think around. Not his. Blues. Where was Killer?!
"Damnit- someone help him find Killer-ya already. He's as single minded and stubborn as an ox." Trafalgar sounded annoyed. But it was a soft thing. Almost fond.
Towards the main entrance, several tents to treat the wounded had been put up; small ones as impromptu surgeries- larger ones for those left to heal.
At first, all Kidd saw were locals. Then a few Hearts at work. The StrawHat's tiny doctor popped out, nose working in overdrive like he could smell incoming wounded. Maybe he could.
Him and a few of the minks tried to usher Kidd in and he was growing very tired of repeating himself.
"Càite. a Bheil. Killer?" He expected a fight based on the little reindeer's face, but then the tiny doctor shook his head.
"Your crew have their own tent. You have ten minutes and then I will come find you. And you will not like it if I have to drag you back here, but believe me when I say I can. And I will."
UK was bouncer at the tent Tony Tony had directed him too- his crewmate bursting into tears and hugging him as soon as they saw him. "You're okay! You're okay!" he kept chanting.
Kidd allowed it, embracing the man back. "We kicked ass. I'm so proud of everyone." Then he paused, "Where is Killer?"
"Boss is resting right now." UK said, but ushered them inside all the same. Small cots layed out with his family sleeping on them, swatted in bandages, personal effects folded under the bedding, and bodies draped with nondescript linen.
A few hands lifted as he walked by- a fist bump as he passed- a warm, if not restrained, smile on his face for each one of his nakama.
Wire was towards the back of the space- his frame its own wall to keep away lookie-loos. He was talking with Bubblegum, who was sitting up on his cot- ankle wrapped in front of him. The man didn't remember hurting it but it sounded like a bad strain and just needed the swelling to go down before he was allowed to walk on it again. Wire nodded when he saw Kidd staggering over, a placating hand up to indicate their Captain to hold his questions. "Boss Killer will be fine, but he is also asleep and doc's are adamant to let him rest."
"Rest? How bad was he?"
Kidd saw him then; as still as a wake, just missing the candles and the keening. For a heartbeat he was a world away looking down on the still face of the hoyden he'd loved and childishly snubbed. The girl he'd never make amends with. She was gone from one inhale to exhale, her broken visage lost under wrappings once again encompassing Killer's face. His eyes were closed, unadorned lashes stark against the dark marks stained into his skin over the last weeks. His lips chapped, paint washed away when they'd cleaned the blood from his face. Clean bandages, but otherwise bare faced, new permanent Smile soft on display- the closest to 'relaxed' he could get these days.
"Where is his mask?!"
Bubblegum actually shushed him, Wire wincing. Killer slept on.
"Docs say he has a skull fracture and nearly lost an eye." Wire's voice was low. Not a whisper, but close. "No mask until the swelling is down and they are sure he wont need another surgery."
"Another...." Kidd could see the mask sitting under the cot on a pile of neatly folded, blood stained, once blue cloths. His boots and punishers tucked next to them. The front of the mask was intact this time- Kaido had easily smashed Killer's best one, but it looked like at his worst, even Hawkins couldn't break his backup mask. But he had certainly tried- the right side cracked like a spider's web splinted it out from one of the holes near Killer's eye.
"They had to pick straw out of his eye socket."
Kidd forced his feet to move, to take him to Killer's bedside. To stand over him and look down and Kidd thought he was going to be sick. Killer should never be laid out like this, bared to the world to see and unable to cover himself.
Kidd sank down to side at Killer's side. His partner's hair had been braided to the side, away from the wrappings and gauze over his eye. It wasn't just the creeping dark of too many sleepless nights, but dark bruising from repeated blows to his face. The mask had deflected most of it, but couldn't do much once Hawkins had targets the small view holes. Killer's face always had a bit of a natural tan Kidd was envious of; tonight it looked washed out and lifeless. More black bruising snuck out of the wrapping around his shoulders and chest, hidden away by blankets. Kidd shrugged off his coat and laid it over the lifeless white linen and already Killer looked better.
"Head injury," Kidd prompted, "What else?"
Hawkins had stabbed him in the back-literally this time.
"Other than being stabbed, he was doing okay." Bubblegum offend, "But after the fight, he was having a hard time walking, much less running, Chop-Doc says his spine was nicked. It's swollen real bad and that's why Boss Killer couldn't feel his legs at the end. Him and the other Mink-Doc had to work on him for a while- and Boss Killer's not allowed to sit up unless one of the Doc's are here for a couple days to make sure it stays healing right."
Kidd drew Killer's right hand out from under the blanket and held it in his own, studying the fingers. Killer's had been scrubbed clean, a sharp contrast to his own busted hand and clipped nails.
Tony Tony gave him half an hour in the end, letting him sit and drift at Killer's side, surrounded by family. When he did approach, the doctor stood there quietly as Kidd mentally gathered himself.
Finally, Kidd agreed, and kissed the knuckles of the man's hand that he'd been holding to tether himself for the last thirty minutes. He tucked his coat higher; should Killer awake before he returned, he'd know Kidd had been here. Kidd let go. Stood up.
And made it three steps before the last of his reserves burnt out and he collapsed into the waiting arms of a suddenly massive doctor who'd seen it coming and was ready for the catch.
Killer slept on.
Later, when Eustass Captain Kidd was return to the tent by the doctors, his crew had a cot right next to Massacre Soldier Killer's. And if the two turned to seek solace in each ofters arms even unconscious?
Well, that was hardly any of their business now was it.
