Chapter Text
"Nope. Keep those blue eyes open.”
Jason tapped on Clay’s cheek, being mindful of the swelling there as he tried to keep his rookie awake.
Clay moaned quietly, shifting his position on Jason’s lap where his team leader had been trying to keep him off the cold floor. But he didn’t wake up, wouldn’t open his eyes. Jason rubbed his sternum, pushing harder for him to wake up.
“Come on kid.”
Clay moaned again and squinted up, finally, pain written in every line of his face but eyes were blank, gaze fixed somewhere beyond the cell they were trapped in.
“I know it hurts.” God knew the kid had to be in agony. At the very least he had a broken wrist and a couple busted ribs. His face was swollen, two teeth ripped out just yesterday, and numerous cuts and bruises that added to the never ending rawness of a slowly failing body.
And that god damn gash in his thigh was infected, just like Jason knew would happen. Jason could smell it, the infection oozing, destroying the healthy tissue all around it. It had never been cleaned properly and even if it had, their filthy living conditions had all but guaranteed and infection sooner or later.
But Clay wasn’t screaming, wasn’t crying, wasn’t complaining. Instead he kept shifting further and further down into his own mind each time they took him away, each time they tortured him. And Jason was scared, no he was terrified, that Clay was going to drift away, slip away even as Jason held him.
He couldn’t let that happen.
“I know. But I need you here with me.” Jason held him tighter, his tone pleading. It took a long time, too long, but eventually Clay slowly blinked up at him, recognition in his blue eyes. He didn’t pull away, didn’t move from his spot on Jason’s lap but just stared, eyes fixed on Jason’s face like it was the only thing keeping him alive.
“I can’t do this alone.”