(BL) Hunting The Field Guide-Chapter 420: A shaken Captain

"He’s going to be okay. He’s just pushed his body past its natural limits." The voice was soft, but sounded familiar. "He should be waking up any minute. Look, his eyes are twitching. He can probably hear us." Kellen felt his muscles twitch, his body coming to life with screaming clarity.

He wasn’t in the best shape, that he could tell.

He had a throbbing pain in the base of his neck, filtering through to the rest of his head like fingers sinking into mud. His muscles hurt, his body feeling like he’d given it a good workout and then hadn’t stretched properly after.

"Are you sure? It was so sudden. I’m sorry I called you back but I just-"

"It’s okay, Captain. Totally fine. We won’t know more details of what happened until Kellen wakes up." Kellen was able to piece together who was speaking. It was Taylor and Rhys. More sounds began to filter in and he could hear the soft hum of machines. He had to be in the Medical Bay, and a tinge of guilt filled him.

Taylor was supposed to be off, and yet here she was, taking care of him all because something weird happened. Damn it.

Kellen’s eyes twitched, and finally, he was able to open them. When he was able to see, he was greeted with a room he was getting familiar with. He was pretty sure this was the same room he had woken up in when he’d first ’arrived’ at the Guild, the second time when he’d been shot, and now a third time, when he had no idea what had happened.

Rhys looked ill, like the first time Kellen had seen him. He hadn’t realised it when he’d seen it the first time since he hadn’t known Rhys that well back then, but now he did. His face was a little bit pale, his eyes darting around, and he looked as if he was sweating.

He was tapping his foot, his arms crossed, and he was clearly jittery. Anxious.

Taylor looked better, but also exhausted. She wasn’t as nervous, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t shaken. The dark circles under her eyes were still there, looking even heavier compared to what Kellen could only assume was a few minutes, maybe half an hour.

Both of them jerked towards him, Rhys reaching for his hand, giving it an almost painful squeeze as Taylor’s eyes flared green and she began to scan him. She was frowning, her mouth speaking quickly as she examined him.

"Oh thank goodness you’re awake. How are you feeling? Do you know who I am? Where you are?" Taylor’s words washed over him and Kellen swallowed. He nodded.

"I’m okay. Had worse." Kellen croaked. "How much time has passed?" Kellen asked and Taylor and Rhys glanced at each other. Kellen felt his blood chill until Rhys spoke.

"Only about an hour. Just enough to have both of us panicking." Rhys told him and Kellen let out a relieved sigh. Thank goodness. An hour was a long time, but not terribly long. It was, as Rhys said, just enough to get both of them worked up.

Honestly, Kellen was sure any time he was unconscious was too much time for Rhys, especially after being in a lot of pain and demanding things from him.

Kellen tapped his throat with his free hand, the scratchiness not making him want to talk much and Rhys rushed away after letting go of his hand, getting him some water as Taylor raised her gaze to his throat.

It felt soothed as soon as Taylor’s gaze landed on it, but that didn’t mean he didn’t take the water offered to him. Rhys helped him raise his head up and take a few sips before he practically forced the other man to lie back down. Kellen wanted to sit up, but Rhys wouldn’t have it.

"Stay down for my peace of mind. Please." Rhys said, his jaw tight. Kellen stared at him as he placed the glass of water he’d grabbed him on the side table, Taylor having moved to the other side to give Rhys more space.

"I’m going to be okay. Just sore and tired." Kellen told him but Rhys didn’t look convinced. Taylor didn’t either, which only surprised him. "I am going to be fine, right?" He asked, turning towards his friend. Taylor’s eyes were still green, still scanning even as she looked over the machines, understanding things that Kellen didn’t.

"Well, physically it seems you’re fine. Captain Thatcher told me about what happened, but I don’t think that’s my area of expertise. In fact, the person who should know is Captain Thatcher." Everyone turned to look at him and Rhys just looked ill.

"I’ve never seen this before in my life." He whispered. He swallowed, his hand going for Kellen’s, holding onto it tightly. "Not once. Not ever. I never imagined that you would be able to see anything. How the hell would I ever think that? Or see that? Of course they would hide that from me. I would have never let you get near me if I knew that was a possibility." Kellen’s heart twisted.

"What?" Kellen asked, confused, hurt. Rhys’ eyes widened.

"No! Not like that! I just-" His gaze darted around and he looked really nervous. "I never...I don’t want others to see what I do. I can handle it, but I don’t want others to share the burden. I’m the only one who’s mostly sane, Kellen. You can’t reset yourself. Your body shut down seeing one future. To me, what you described, that’s the only thing it could be." Rhys licked his lips.

Kellen’s heart still hurt. Hurt because of what Rhys said, but Kellen was trying to think about this a little more logically. It was clear with anyone who had eyes that Rhys was shaken. He wasn’t himself. He wasn’t confident, wasn’t self-assured.

He was nervous. Shaking. Scared.

What he was scared of was Kellen seeing the future. Seeing what he did. Experiencing his life completely. Kellen tried not to take to heart what he had said. He didn’t say he didn’t love Kellen. He didn’t say he didn’t like him.

What he said basically translated to-I don’t want you to suffer like I do.

Kellen hated that sentiment, but he could work with it.

"Rhys, you do understand that it hurts me when you say it like that, right?" Kellen said carefully and Rhys let out a pained sound.

"I’m sorry. I don’t want to hurt you. Of course I love you. I don’t ever want to even consider parting, I just-I’m panicking. This has never happened before. I’ve never heard of another S Class sharing their powers with their Guide. You’d think that was something they would warn you about." Rhys let out a dry laugh but it fizzled out quickly. "I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just-" Kellen squeezed his hand, smiling at the older man.

"It’s okay. It hurt, but then I took a second to think about it more. You aren’t saying you don’t care about me, you just don’t want me to experience your powers." Rhys nodded at Kellen’s words. Rhys let out a relieved sigh.

"Thank you for understanding." Rhys murmured, raising their joined hands and kissing Kellen’s. "I couldn’t even imagine my life without you in it now. There’s no turning back. I just hate that you had to experience that." Rhys was shaking still and Kellen wasn’t sure what to do. He turned to Taylor.

"Did it cause me any physical damage?" He asked her and she shook her head.

"No. It doesn’t appear so. No swelling of the brain, nor bruises. Nothing. You appear fine on the outside, but once more, I’m not a therapist or anything like that. There could be different kinds of scars." She warned carefully, delicately. Kellen knew it was more for Rhys at this point then it was for Kellen.

Kellen could feel how Rhys winced at that gentle reminder.

"Okay." Rhys whispered and Kellen gave his hand a squeeze.

"Did you do as I asked?" Kellen turned to Rhys now and he nodded.

"Let Hill know immediately. Well, Sergei, but Hill through him. He’s going to let us know if anything comes of it. Everything else is on track as long as nothing catches fire before they leave. Then everything will be delayed by a lock down." Kellen was familiar with the procedure.

Anytime something strange happened, whether through human means or monster means, a lockdown was called and everyone had orders on where they were to gather depending on location.

"We’ll just have to hope that they get through the gates first." Kellen muttered. "But seriously, you’ve heard nothing about this?" Kellen asked and Rhys shook his head, his eyes yellow, bright, and a hollowness to them he hadn’t ever seen before.

"No. Nothing. I haven’t heard it for other Time Espers, or any other S Class Espers. I would have expected you to have more information on it since your parents are more connected." Kellen’s chest filled with guilt.

"Oh no. We’re going to have to call them, aren’t we?" Rhys nodded, looking even more ill.

"I’ve been dreading it." He admitted. "They’re going to blame me." He told Kellen with such a sense of assured destruction that Kellen could only assume that he’d seen it already. He gave Rhys’ hand a squeeze.

"I’ll explain. It’s okay. You didn’t do anything wrong here, Rhys." Rhys didn’t look like he agreed.

"If I had any other kind of power, I might be foolish enough to believe you, Kellen. But I know what kind of toll my powers have on people." Rhys whispered. Kellen glanced towards Taylor.

"Taylor, can I borrow your phone to call them?" Taylor nodded, her face looking a little grim.

"I’ll stay long enough to explain what’s going on, and then I’m going to my room in the tower and sleeping. I’m sorry. I wish I could stay longer, but I’m just-" Kellen reached out, grabbing her hand and halting the words flowing from her lips.

"It’s okay. Thank you for staying as long as you have." Kellen told her and Taylor gave him a smile as she handed over her phone.

"Stop that older brother bullshit and just call your parents." She told him warmly and Kellen smiled.