"Yeah, it's hard. He's my older brother." He then glanced back up at Jt and nodded. "I appreciate it. I'll let you know."

The Auror thought about adding that he wasn’t just asking to be polite but that he really did mean it, but he had a few other things that consumed his attention like the Healer poking his smoking and mildly oozing wound. Jack didn’t really understand the bond between siblings since he didn’t have any but he understood the love one could feel for family since if anything like that had happened to his mother he would’ve turned over hell and earth to find her. But unlike Gabriel he had the resources to do that and he didn’t have to go through the bureaucracy and egos to get someone to find his loved one. There was very little Jack could say to make him feel better and he didn’t want to say too much since he was part of the law enforcement group that had stopped looking for his brother.

"Everything looks in order. Now all I have to do is close up the wound."

A number of profanities came to mind at those words since JT positively hated this part. It was the most disturbing feeling and if he had to spend the rest of his life going through this, he wasn’t sure he’d come out the other end looking too good. He had read in his training that people exposed to constant pain ended up with deep psychological damage which is why they encouraged Aurors to treat any kind of injury quickly and effectively. He did all of that and kept his superiors updated on his “progress” but since he wasn’t one to talk about it, he doesn’t know how to get help for what he was currently experiencing.

"Okay, I'll try and make this quick."

“If you wouldn’t mind,” he replied with a slight laugh, holding his leg so tight he thought he might bruise it. As soon as the skin began to come together, the thin flesh sealing in an unnatural way that made the hairs on the back of Jack’s neck stand on end and vomit rise in the back of his throat. He would definitely be more truthful about his pain level next time since he was severely under-medicated this time and it was almost more than he could bear, but this time he simply forced a grin every time he felt the Healer’s eyes on him since it wasn’t fair of him to make the man feel bad when he had lied. When he felt the sealing spell almost lace up his thigh, he could’ve cried with relief.

"Done," JT wanted to make some smartass comment about the Auror being glad Gabriel was proud of his work but he refrained since he had only himself to be mad at. "That should do it…Another potion for the pain?" Instinct told Jack to say no, that he could man up and deal with it but he couldn’t help the slight nod and pleading look that explained just how much pain he was in. It was ridiculous. It was just a small wound…He could tough it out…Maybe. Well, probably not unless he decided to drink the pain away which might land him back at St. Mungos.

“Thank you,” he murmured as he downed the potion Gabriel handed him. “Nice work, Doc!” He smiled a little as he examined the leg, gaining some perspective now that he knew he’d feel relief soon enough.



This ain't no place for the weary kind.