Wow, guys! 113 views already, and it's only the eighth chapter. Your views are really making my dream come true. Now, I was just getting ready for bed, seeing as how it is exactly 1: 28 a.m., but I saw the latest comment and had to update.

Shoutout to Geckojazz, whoose comments have fueled this chapter!

Also, if anyone has any questions feel free to ask, and I will answer them with a shoutout in the next chap.

Luvies!

***

Consciousness was terrible.

Everything hurt. 

Jack's whole body seemed to ache with a terrible throb, especially his head and arm. His cuts stung, and his burns hurt in the way that only burns can, stinging with such ferocity that he wanted to die. 

But he couldn't die. Not on Jay-

Jay!

Where the hell was Jay?

Jack sat straight up, then gasped in pain, falling back down on the pillows. Wait a minute...

Pillows? Since when did Pitch give them pillows? And since when did the lair have so much light?

Then it all came rushing back.

The Guardians came to the lair. After hitting his head and blacking out, the Guardians must have taken him somewhere else.

But where was that?

And, more importantly, did they take Jay, too?

Have to find Jay, gotta find Jay... Jack tried to sit up again, but his head pounded and his excruciating pain laced up his arm. He grimaced, whimpering.

"Shhh," Someone said, laying a cool hand on his forehead. "It's alright. You're in the infirmary at the North Pole."

Jack flinched at the touch, starting to tremble. Tooth pulled away instantly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Relax, okay? We're going to fix you up real soon."

"J-Jay?" He whispered.

"Jay?" Tooth looked confused, but then her eyes lit up with realization. "Oh, is that your brothers' name? He's right over there in that bed, see? He's still sleeping."

Thank God. Jay was alright.

"North, Bunny, and Sandman are going to get here in a minute. They're just bringing in some bandages for me to use, and Bunny's looking for extra pain meds."

Pain meds? There was going to be pain?

Jack shuddered, shutting his eyes tightly. Tooth promised back at the lair that he would never hurt again. Jack was right in not believing her. Believing in people only led to broken promises.

So, they were going to hurt him, then. And Jay, too.

The sounds of a door opening. Quiet voices. Cloth rubbing together. The smell of peroxide.

"I need you to take off your hoodie for me, okay?" Tooth said, "I need to clean your cuts, but I can't do anything with it on."

Jack wrapped his arms tightly around himself, shaking his head, shivering. No way. The only times he had ever removed his hoodie was when Pitch wanted to hurt him again.

"I'm not going to hurt you." Tooth promised. Jack opened his eyes and saw that the Sandman was giving him a reassuring smile. "Besides, don't you want this to be over quickly?"

"Do what I say, and this will be over quickly." Pitch snapped. "Take off your hoodie, now."

Jack inched away, pressing his back against the wall. "P-please, I-I didn't mean t-to-"

"Take. Off. Your. Hoodie."

Jack whimpered, pulling his hoodie over his head, shaking violently as Pitch gave him a sadistic grin.

"Good boy, Jack. Now the fun can begin."

Just ask quickly as it had started, the flashback ended. Jack found himself gripping the edge of the bed he was laying on so tightly that his knuckles turned white. 

Jack was trembling so hard that it hurt where he was wounded, even the smallest of bruises throbbing. His throat and chest felt tight with fear.

Tooth reached for his face, gently skimming his cheek with her soft fingertips.

"Pl-please don't h-hurt me," Jack whispered, pleading.

"Crikey," Bunny muttered.

"Shh, shh, it's okay. Just take off your hoodie. Everything is going to be fine, alright? I promise." Tooth gently brushed his bangs out out his eyes.

Jack flinched again, recoiling. This time, however reluctantly, he took off his hoodie. North and Sandman exchanged a look.

"Good," Tooth said gently, smiling.

She dampened a rag with peroxide, then pressed the cloth against one of the cuts on his arm. It stung like fire. Jack squeezed his eyes shut, breathing heavily.

After that, Tooth moved on to one on his wrist, and then one next to that. Each cut burned like the iron. A few timed he screamed out loud, unable to stand the pain.

Slowly, slowly, she worked her way up his arm, stopping at a very deep gash cut into his shoulder.

"You're doing great so far. We're almost done with this part."

Please, let it be done now.

The peroxide soaked rag touched the gash on his shoulder. This one hurt so much more then the other ones. Though he tried to hold it in, Jack screamed through clenched teeth.

"Tooth," said Bunny, "maybe-"

"There's nothing else to do, Bunny. I have to clean them before they get infected, and this is the only way." Tooth said.

It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts-

"Okay, almost done... Just a few more seconds... There. Time for your other arm." Tooth murmured.

Jack wanted to curl up and sleep. That was all. Was it really too much to ask?

A whine escaped his lips.

"'I know, I know, it's awful. You want to sleep. I know it sucks, but you can go to sleep right after I'm done, okay? I just can't leave you like this." Tooth said quietly. "Just try to relax."

His other arm was tucked tightly against his body. If Tooth saw it, there was no way he was going to sleep any time soon. Not after what Pitch had done with the knife.

"Let me see," Tooth soothed, "It's nearly over."

"Please, d-d-don't." Jack begged. Tooth gently took hold of his hand, pulling it away from his body. Jack tried to fight her, but he was too weak to do anything.

No.

Tooth looked horrified. So did North, Bunny, and Sandman. Well, who wouldn't?

Jack's entire forearm was shredded, the bone showing through easily, dried and fresh blood everywhere. The angry red flesh was tinged purple, even a little black at the edges. It was almost as if someone had tried to scoop out the flesh of his arm.

Sandman swallowed.

"I'll be fast. Like a band-aid." Tooth said, but it sounded like she was saying it mostly to herself. "North, do you have those bandages?"

"Yes."

"Good. We're going to need them soon." She said grimly, then turned to Jack again. "Now, I want you to count to three in your head, okay? Starting now."

Jack obeyed. One... Two... Three...

Instead of using the cloth, Tooth poured peroxide over the wound. 

Jacks' eyes flew open. He tried to yank his arm away, crying out as excruciating pain shot over his arm, but Bunny was there in an instant. He held the Winter Spirits' arm in place gently but firmly.

"St-stop!" Jack pleaded, "You have to stop, please-" He cut off as another scream ripped through the air.

Why does it have to hurt so much?

"Almost done, almost done... There." Tooth said after what seemed like forever. "Hand me those bandages, North."

While Tooth wrapped up his arms, Jack tried to ignore pain that couldn't be ignored. His breathing came in gasps that hurt his chest, and he clenched his fists in the sheets, whimpering, tensed up the whole time.

"Relax, mate," said Bunny. "The more you tense, the more it'll hurt."

"Drink this, okay?" Tooth held a small paper cup in her hand. It was filled with an orange liquid.

Jack turned his head away. These people just expected him to drink whatever it was that they were offering him? No, Pitch did that often enough.

"It's pain killer," North said.

"This will make it easier for you to sleep, alright?" Tooth told him, and Sandman nodded.

Jack merely shook his head, fear nearly making him black out. They would punish him for refusing, now.

"Come on, this will help." Tooth said. When Jack didn't reply, she murmured, "I really didn't want to do this."

Jack prepared himself for the worst.

She reached over and pinched his nose shut. Jack held his breath for as long as he could, but eventually he was forced to open his mouth to breathe.

Tooth poured the liquid into his mouth, and then covered it with her hand, forcing him to swallow, not spit.

The stuff left a sickly sweet taste in Jacks' mouth and tingled in his throat, making him cough and splutter. 

"There, see? Only medicine." Tooth smiled.

She was right. After a minute, Jack felt the pain in his head and arms start to reside. He couldn't believe she had told the truth.

Someone stirred weakly on the other side of the room, and then coughed, whimpering slightly.

Jay was waking up.