[PRP] Belly of the Beast

[TawnyAngel]

He did not want to talk about this stuff. He really, really did not. Looking pained Aulus quickly turned his gaze away from Shadow again. He wished he wasn't here with friends. Perhaps he would be even more afraid than he was now, but at least he wouldn't be causing them to suffer. When the kid moved in close to him he tensed slightly, feeling crowded and very concerned that Shadow would keep talking about feelings and stuff. He couldn't deal with it, if he started thinking about it he was just going to start crying again and right now he needed be here helping Jerome not curled up in a corner focused on hating himself.  

[Blood_Goddess]

"S'worth it." Jerome's voice muffled from the ground just before they helped him back up.
He was looking clammy and sick,
Shifting his arm to try and get back under his own power while the men helped support him up.

Inked eyes found Shawn and while his eyes were half lidded, he stared deeply at the kid, as if he was able to read the boys story by the lines on his face, the feel of his eyes.
Alone. No doubt.
"Life like that.. S'rough. 'Joined my gang at ten so I wouldn't be alone. A ********' gang."
He said vaguely.

He glanced over at Hayes, eying the blond man wrap his arm, feeling grateful to the man, that now his arm was at least not a deformed shape.

"S'worth it." he repeated. "N'matter what life shits at ya, y'don't face it alone, y'don't gatta. Nothin' replaces bein' able to laugh with yer bro's, be dumb shits, r' pull of some sweet stunts."
Jerome leaned his head back.
"People need that man. all a' us. Pain be ********, ya just gatta deal with it. An' its ganna happen."

He kept his head back for a second, not looking at any of them.
He seemed like he was in pain again, since his hand suddenly clenched around the back of Aulus' upper arm while the Agent held him up.
"N'when they die y'better ********' look em in the eye."
He said this with a more stern edge then he had since he was brought back.
"Y'don't leave yer bros... Bros don't leave you."  

[TawnyAngel]

Y'don't leave yer bros. Bros don't leave you.

Aulus squeezed Jerome's shoulder in response to the man's hand tensing on his arm. People sticking together no matter what.

N'when they die y'better ********' look em in the eye.

He didn't want to think about that, about people dying, but it was something that Jerome was just used to. He felt like an idiot from the suburbs compared to the grunt, in fact he was an idiot from the suburbs. Possessing a spiky shell and the ability to kick the crap out of people was no preparation for realities such as this.

He wasn't going to leave them though; even if he could get away he couldn't leave one of them behind... right? He wanted to be that good and noble but he wasn't sure that he was.

There can be an exchange. Information for you - and one other.

Aulus' eyes flickered over to Hayes and he heard him scream again, and saw those cold black eyes staring at him again. Information. Could he barter for more, for everyone here to be safe, and Claire too?... Not Lore, he probably couldn't save him but -

...Why was he even considering this? If Jerome could hear his thoughts, if any of them could they'd!... He didn't know but they wouldn't think well of him.  

[Gwennythe]

Nausea twinged inside.
Yes, it was necessary- Jerome needed his arm set but still Tambrey found it hard to hear.
Having to look was no problem- and she closed her eyes anyway- but hearing it... She hadn't intended to cover her ears and yet it happened as there was a crack and shouting.

One or two moments passed and she looked up, hands off of her ears.
Still stunned and ill from her own beating, she didn't think she could move from where she was, but she could listen to the conversation as she remained slumped there.

Shawn and Jerome talking held her attention- was something to focus on- while she looked at the floor.
Well... They weren't dead yet.  

[Tinnunculus]

Working with his head down and his dirty, blood-crusted bangs shadowing his face, Hayes showed no signs he was listening to Jerome's small, slightly delirious speech. However careful he was in wrapping Jerome's arm - immobilizing it with the cloth strips and never binding directly over the break - he operated in a detached way, as if his limbs were being operated from a remote control station.

Once it seemed secure to his satisfaction, he sat back. "Sorry I can't do more." It was sort of mumbled. "How's it feel?"  

[Shawn Darrow]

Aulus was avoiding his gaze again. Well, Shadow didn't know what the man had gone through. Best to leave him alone. Mentally he wondered if he should have said anything to the agent at all. At least talking was something of a distraction to them all for the time being, though.

Listening to Jerome as Hayes worked on the gangster's arm, the teen was determined to keep his gaze trained on the tattooed man's face and away from the injury. He nodded solemnly, taking in what was said, and smiling slightly at the mention of being 'dumb shits' and pulling off sweet stunts.

He tensed when the other grunt seemed to be in pain again, holding on to Aulus tight. From the tone and edge in Jerome's voice, he wondered what the guy had been through to make him say such a thing. No doubt he had witnessed and gone through some trying ordeals, possibly including the death of one or more of his 'bros'.

Aulus kept glancing at Hayes. What had happened to that pair? Shadow guessed that was something between those two and them alone. He wasn't likely to pry, especially at such a delicate time. It was hard being helpless, though. With a heavy sigh, he gradually left the three older male Rockets when Hayes was finished and went to join Tambrey.

"I'm...I'm really sorry. About what happened earlier," he told her quietly, staring at the ground. "I should have kept my big mouth shut. It's just that I have a hard time doing that when I'm afraid. That, and...I guess I'm not used to having to worry about other people getting hurt because of me." He rubbed his other arm anxiously.  

[Gwennythe]

She looked up, bleary eyed, when Shawn approached.
Aware, on some level, of how beaten up she must look, and still unable to move much at all from where Xander had placed her against the wall, she made an effort to produce some sort of smile anyway.
For Shawn and Xander, and anyone else who happened to be looking.
"... 's fine." It could have been a reply to either of them, likely was to both.
"... no one 't fault, no one t'know."
All she really wanted was for them all to be out.
Their own rooms, own beds... The base. Home.
Tambrey remained slumped there against the wall, but offered her arms; a gesture to invite a hug from the younger grunt in front of her.
".. 'm fine." Claimed the battered, somewhat burned woman.

She was glad for them being kept together; that helped her smile attempt.
As painful as it was for all of them, the treatment they received, at least by being kept together there had been this chance for Hayes to tend to Jerome's arm.
And having each other was keeping them mostly sane, as far as she could work out; they knew they had to look out for each other and that the others would look out for them.  

[Shawn Darrow]

Upon hearing Tambrey's feeble words and seeing her painful smile, Shawn felt his eyes brimming. Arceus, why now? There wasn't even anywhere to turn away to so he could hide his weakness. Overwhelmed, the teen suddenly felt a mere fourth of his age.

Though he knew she was badly injured, gingerly accepted Tambrey's open-armed invitation, the hot tears streaming down his cheeks. He tried not to hug her too tight, but it was all he could do not to bury his face in her shoulder and sob like a child in his mother's arms.