Jacob held Nicholas up firmly as he swayed. There was no doubt that he'd already lost too much blood, along with the fact that he lost a whole arm. This boy was not in a good state at all, mentally or physically. If he survived the blood loss, then he would live normally, but without an arm. He wasn't infected anymore, thanks to his sacrifice. Jacob watched Mattie help Nicholas drink from the bottle of water, and the kid cooperated pretty well. Nicholas' eyes were drooping, though. That wasn't a good sign.

"Hey, kid," Jacob shook him a bit, still holding him up. "I need you to stay awake for me, alright?"

Nicholas muttered under his breath incoherently, turning his head away from the water bottle this time. Jacob examined his face, noticing it had gone very pale, though that was understandable. He was shaking.

"You cold?" Jacob asked, hesitantly shrugging his jacket off of his shoulders and wrapping it around Nicholas. That was his favorite and only jacket, and now he'd gone and given it to this kid, covered in blood. Now, the jacket was soiled and Nicholas might die. What a waste. "I'm gonna carry you, alright? Don't freak out."

One arm around his shoulders, Jacob put his other arm behind Nicholas' knees and lifted him into his arms as if he were a baby. It was probably a ridiculous and grave sight, all at the same time - one man carrying another who'd lost an arm. Turning to the girl, Jacob said, "I've got a place right down here. See that house? It's mine. Come on, I've got plenty of food and I've got a fire going, so it's warm. By the way, I never got your name..."

---

At first, Nicholas was grateful for the water. His mouth had gone very dry inexplicably, so it was a relief when Mattie put the bottle to his lips. His head felt heavy, along with his eyelids, and he let them close a couple of times. Then, the man helping him told him to stay awake.

"I can't, it's too hard," he had muttered, but he didn't know if the man heard him. Mattie had put the water bottle to his lips again, and he turned his head away, starting to feel choked.

When the man picked him up to carry him, it surprised him. Obviously, Nicholas had never been carried before. At least, not since he was a toddler. It was a relief to be off of his feet, though, and he let his eyes close again. The man was talking to Mattie, and the words didn't register in Nicholas' ears. He started coughing.