iyazakbarâ:
á”ᎌá”â«âââ«á”ᎌá”â«âââ«á”ᎌá”â«â«Â·ââââ
âRight. Youâre right, mate. I love it, stitching, mending, poking, prodding. You wonât be rid of me in your business. Not now.â The way he says it back, sans the sadism, itâs all true. He likes this part where Lukeâs not asking to be abandoned; when Iyazâs burning hands can leave someone better off for once. âChrist. Luke. One more burger joke like that and Iâm turning completely vegetarian.â Â
 Iyaz doesnât laugh. He just exhales, but it feels like a pressure relief valve; something in him only just saved from exploding.Â
âWise man Luke, I wouldnât have even thought of that.â He takes it as a good sign that Lukeâs become active in his own survival. Still, the manâs in obvious pain; each movement an obvious strain. âJust- Donât push yourself, yeah?â Iyaz wants to wipe the sweat off Lukeâs brow, mop it up with comforting gentle noises before placing his hand lightly over the one tugging at his sleeve. Things that would be comforting to him, but this is Luke. So heâs left shaking his head.
âDonât you worry. Ought to know by now itâs impossible to get rid of me. Yeah? You just point me to what direction you hear anything⊠â He tried not to shift or move too much, worried some sound of his might make it harder for Luke to listen to their surroundings.Â
---
Luke just gives a weak chuckle, or more like a cough. Most of his energy is spent on fighting his own body to stay awake. Unless he cracks these stupid silly jokes and focuses on the here and now, he would slip into the sweet oblivion. Not after the doctor kept him alive. Not until he knows for sure that Iyaz is out of the woods. âYeah, you sick fuck,â he sighs, almost fondly. He rests his head against the tree, staring blankly at Iyaz before deadpanning, â...youâre not allowed to throw up on me, man.âÂ
He swallows dryly, and channels all of his senses to hearing. Over his own shaky breath and Iyazâs heart beating faster than usual, the rainforest twists and turns. Shuddering. Slithering. Seething. Cutting through the ambient noises of the hungry Jungle, however, is an eerie silence. In that vacuum is the sound of a stream. âWeird...â He murmurs. âI hear a stream nearby but itâs... too silent.âÂ
Luke moves his head weakly toward the general direction of the stream he heard. âYeah, I knew that from the start. Youâre one stubborn son of a gun... Canât really win with you.â He then reaches up with one arm, groaning. âCâmon, help me up. Canât send you there on your own.â Something is not right, the pocket of silence in the middle of the Jungle, but they both need the water. And he is not about to send Iyaz alone-- what if he gets lost on the way there or back, or worse, what if the sound of the stream is a trap? Of course, he wouldnât be much of a help if they run into any danger. Itâs more likely that he would drag Iyaz down with him... Maybe Iyaz should have thought about that before not keeping him alive. âJust... lend me your shoulder. Iâll try... not to fall down.â He grumbles, somewhat embarrassed that he has to ask for help like that. Now he understands why Iyaz protested when he carried the doctor out of the water.Â












