#the original verison i wrote in my head last night was far better than this but whatever

[companionwolf]

Awakening

Summary: After escaping Emmett's apartment and the cops, Jacob finally wakes up. Happens sometime during the night/early hours.

CW/TWs: None

Jacob comes to consciousness slowly.

Initially, there's just the pain - it's all over his body, down to his bones. His head throbs intensely, and he's not even opened his eyes yet.

Jacob sinks back down to a semi-awake state, the world going fuzzy further as his brain decides he's not there and because of that, there is no pain.

He drifts for a while in that place, vaguely aware of the sounds of someone moving around the room. Is he at a hospital? That'd make sense.

When Jacob rises again to full consciousness, the pain is there still, but he grits his teeth and forces himself to stay present, fingers gripping the sheets of the bed so tight his knuckles go white--

Wait, he's in a bed?

It doesn't feel like a hospital bed. There's too many pillows, for one thing. He tries to move and instantly regrets it; it sends fire across his self, his right leg and left arm and chest burning particularly bright. Fuck, ow.

Jacob opens his eyes.

The lights are off save the one over the sinks in the bathroom area to the far left end of the motel room. This isn't his room; his is...nicer. He glances around; Jean is sleeping in a chair near the door. The woman from the apartment is in the other bed, still out. Joy is asleep on the floor.

And Jay? Where is Jay?

The sound of running water -- Jacob looks toward it. Jay's by the sink, filling a flimsy paper cup and pouring out some kind of medication from a bottle onto the counter. They leave the light on as they come over to sit on the end of Jacob's bed, carrying the water and 2 pills.

"You're up," they say quietly, glancing Jacob up and down. "Was getting worried you might not."

"I think I got hit by a truck," Jacob says.

"From what we can put together, you did something equivalent," the other agent says.

And Jacob remembers. At least a little.

The cops downstairs, him trying to follow the others but tripping over a floorboard. Deciding that the window was the best action, charging right through it -- he remembers glass breaking. Then things get fuzzy. Sensation of falling? Then nothing.

Wait, there's something else, he remembers. Yellow mucus? Yellow something. Something in the tank moving. The sense of vindication.

"You got lucky," Jay goes on. "You could have died, you realize that?"

"There was a fish tank," Jacob says.

Jay frowns. "What?"

"Upstairs, in that room with the photos," he says. "We didn't see it before in the dark but when I fell, I did, because of my flashlight."

Jay doesn't say anything for a minute.

Then: "Sure." They don't sound convinced. Jacob pouts at them.

"I'm being serious!" he says.

Jay hands him the water and pills.

"This is all we've got," they say. "Take it. Might help."

He struggles with the water, so much he nearly drops it. Jay takes it back as he puts the pills in his mouth. Then, the other agent holds the water to his lips, helping him drink. He shudders at the bitter aftertaste as the pills go down.

"How do you feel?" asks Jay, pulling away from him when they're sure the pills are swallowed.

"Take a wild fucking guess," Jacob answers.

Jay snorts. "Yeah, stupid question," they say. They stretch, arms above their head, and then stop, wincing hard, a hand going to press against their back.

Jacob frowns at them. "You okay?"

"After your stunt we pulled one of our own," Jay explains. "Took out the two cops in the place. One of them shot me. It's fine-- Jean fixed it."

A pause.

"I'm glad you missed it," they add on. "I don't think you'd, uh, have handled it very well."

"What do you mean?"

"You're not as quite ... ready for that kinda thing," Jay says. "Killing people, I mean. We did that. Well, Jean and Joy did. I tried my best, didn't get very far."

Jacob is quiet.

Then: "You know you coulda just left." The words ache more than he does. Someone in him wails. But it's true. Maybe it'd even been better. Why did they stay? They could have left. He'd have been okay. Somehow.

The other agent stares at him. "Jacob," they say slowly, "you and I both know that would have been a worse idea."

"But you guys got hurt," he says.

Jay shrugs. "It's part of the job," they say. "You should try to reconcile with that sooner rather than later. That and the murder aspect of this."

"...Right," Jacob says. His voice is pained.

Jay sighs at him. There's that weird look on their face again. Jacob can't understand it -- there's annoyance, but it isn't mean. More than that, there's... he doesn't know what it is, but it's almost soft.

"Go back to sleep," they say. "I'm on watch."

"Are we in danger?"

Jay hesitates just a bit too long before answering, "No. We're safe here."

Jacob doesn't really trust that, with the way the other paused. He glances down at his own aching form. "Shit, that hurts."

"You broke a couple things," Jay says.

"Jean set them?"

Jay nods.

"Damn," says Jacob. "I'll make sure to thank them. Beats having a giant hospital bill."

Jay shakes their head. "Couldn't have gone there even if we wanted," they say, and then stop.

Jacob frowns at them. "I mean, I think I get why," he says, "but Jay, is something else wrong?"

"No, it's fine," Jay says. They don't look at him.

Jacob wants to argue, to press, but he hurts.

He lets himself sink further into the bed. "Did we ever figure out the thud?" he asks after a minute.

Jay shakes their head again. "Didn't find Sunday's thing either," they say, sounding frustrated. "Too busy dealing with the cops."

"All we got are those photos, then."

"Yeah," Jay says. "And I guess your claim there's a fish tank in there, but I'm not sure that's real."

Jacob wants to cross his arms, can't. "I did see it!" It's almost a whine. "It had yellow stuff in it."

The other agent raises a eyebrow.

"Yellow stuff," they repeat. "Interesting." They're still unconvinced, and it's obvious by their voice.

Jacob's too tired and in too much to fight them on this one. "Are you sure you're okay to do this by yourself? Keeping watch?" he asks instead.

"I appreciate the concern, but it's not an issue," Jay says. "It'd do you better to get some more rest."

Jacob shuts his eyes, instinctively peels a little away from his body into his head; the pain dulls. That's a lot better.

"Goodnight," he mumbles. "Wake me up if something happens. I'll try to help."

"Of course," Jay says, sounding amused. "I will."

It's been a long day, Jacob thinks wearily. But they're all here and alive. That's something, right? That they got the photos and the woman out alive and none of the agents died there.

It has to be enough.