It didn’t take long for Foxyn to regret those words; his conviction cracked looking at Ashford and Emmett dragging themselves along. The snow pelts them and the sky grows pitch black. Mher and Foxyn have the best eyesight, but it wouldn’t be difficult to take one wrong step careening off the cliff. A fall at this height horrifies Foxyn, so he calls off the night. He also doesn’t want to waste kindling on light over warmth when there’s no means to resupply.

This time they were out of luck, no safe and secure cave just an inward curve into the mountainside. The snow hasn’t piled very high, but Seton dedicates some time to form a barrier to block out some of the whipping wind. Ashford again comments on Seton’s cold hands, and helps him build a wall to speed up the process. Mher manages to light a fire under these conditions, and the unit lies in a circle around it resting.

From the second he lies down, Emmett's awake, a pounding headache and pulsing sensation generating from his eye constant. The cool air had felt relatively nice on his face, but the non-stop pain has him sweating under duress. He sits up and quietly pulls out his axe, unsheathing it in the fire’s light. He slips the bandages off and peels open his eye. His sight is blurred and the firelight painful to endure, but he uses his other eye to look at the damages in the rough reflection of the weapon. Everything looks swollen and red, the whites of his eye yellowing. The sight makes him sick to his stomach. He puts his axe away and crawls over to the snow- too nauseous to stand. He packs some of it into his hand and holds it over the swelling. The pressure is unimaginable but the chill numbs the pain briefly. His fingers ache and burn, but he holds out, clinging to this relief. In a half conscious state, he’s unsure how much time passes, he eventually releases the snow and covers his eye back up. He returns to his spot between Foxyn and Mher losing consciousness. In the next blink it’s sunrise.

Foxyn’s at Ashford’s side waking him. Roused and confused, Foxyn decides to tell him he received a head injury causing memory loss using the cut on his head as proof. He goes this route based on yesterday’s comments. When he inevitably asks about DeLuca, Foxyn still tells him the truth, unable to bear the thought of lying in that regard.

Their breakfast is meager as they have to contend with food shortage and walking through knee-high snow slows them down tremendously. That night they’re all too weak to speak or do anymore than sleep.

Again Emmett inspects his eye in secret, his vision dark around the edges, and soothes it with snow. He feels sickly, but knows there’s little they can do for it.

The next morning and day follow a similar pattern. Foxyn must talk and console Ashford, food is rationed out, and they march through the snow. Their only silver lining being the start of the descent off the ridge.

Uncovering his eye that night, Emmett touches it thinking he missed a bandage or it’s swollen shut, but he feels a viscous film over his open eye. He looks at the fire and sees nothing. In the reflection of his blade the skin has blackened and bunched up and his eye is blotches of red, yellow, and black. The vomit makes it to his throat before he chokes it down and dry heaves. He knows black’s bad, obviously his eye had been getting worse, but he thought he could withstand it. No amount of snow or medicine’s fixing his eye. Untreated this will kill him. He wonders if it’s too late already, the day in day out headache more than a symptom of his eye.

The fear finally gets him, a tear falls from his still clear eye thinking this may be the end of him. Everything he’s fought for, lost because of his eye. Out here on this godforsaken mountain where the damn war doesn’t matter. The money he fought for to be sent home, to his family. They couldn't even have his body sent back. He’s furious and wrecked, and unknowingly, his shuddering breaths wake Ashford.

Ashford rubs his eyes, lost in his surroundings, but certain that Emmett’s crying. His backs to him, so he softly calls, “Emmett?” Emmett jolts and looks at Ashford with a glassy eye. Ashford clumsily crawls over to him; Emmett rushes to bandage his eye and struggles to calm his breathing.

“Go back to sleep,” his voice is rough and goes ignored.

Ashford touches his shoulder. “What’s going on?” With his guard cracked, he thinks of his older brother knowing that Ashford’s an eldest child too. He’ll forget when he wakes up.

Feeling helpless like a child, Emmett admits, “I’m going to die.”

Ashford’s concern is surpassed by shock, and he sees the poorly wrapped eye, red and swollen. He moves his hand to Emmett’s broad back, heaving with uneven breaths, and tries to rub comforting circles. “You’re not going to die,” he tells him.

“I am,” he whimpers. Seeing that Emmett’s beyond consoling, Ashford pulls the larger man down gently, placing his head on his chest continuing to rub his back.

“It’s going to be okay.” Ashford has a flicker of a memory, where he’d said something similar to Foxyn, who’d been in a similar state. The devastation coursing through Emmett released in muffled whines into Ashford’s coat pocket. He’s grateful that Ashford’s the one that woke, but doesn’t wish to wake anyone else. “It’s okay,” Ashford continues to whisper. Emmett clings to him long after he’s stopped crying, simply accepting his comfort and soothings. Ashford might be in a worse state than him but he’s composed, with no idea their circumstances or location. Emmett can’t manage to feel guiltily, selfishly taking advantage of Ashford’s situation and reliability.

“I’m okay now,” Emmett murmurs, tired.

“You sure?” Ashford checks.

“Yeah,” he affirms, pulling away.

Ashford nods and glances around alienated. “Where are we?”

There’s a pause before Emmett says, “I’ll tell you in the morning.”

The way Ashford looks at him makes Emmett think he knows he’s lying, but all he says is, “Okay.” And they sleep.

Emmett is up early, mentally preparing himself and watching the sunrise. When he’s ready he wakes Foxyn; he already wears a concerned look because it’s unusual for him to do. “We have to cut out my eye,” he says, and a look of heartbreak passes over him. He reaches up and undoes the bandages, then hangs his head defeated.

“I’m sorry, I-” Foxyn chokes on his words. “I was focused on Ashford, and I didn’t-” The tears well up, somehow he hadn’t run dry from crying regularly each morning.

“...I don’t think there’s anything any of us could do at this point.” Emmett pets Foxyn’s head. “Thank you for taking care of me. I know you tried.” His small frame so heavily burdened, curls forward to cry into his sleeve.

Foxyn doesn’t let it go on for long and leaves to wake Ashford. Ashford looks around, brain desperate to identify anything. His eyes pass over Emmett, unable to recognize him. It was only hours ago that he remembered him… A loss greater than before hollows him out. Now thoughts of his ma wash over him, but he rubs the tears out of his eye. He’s determined to live through this. They’re both making it to Inveilin he assures himself.

He wakes Mher while Foxyn tells Ashford about his parasite, perhaps deciding the injury route couldn’t convey enough information. They’re startled to have Emmett wake them but are understanding after Emmett’s explanation.

Mher takes charge ordering Foxyn to locate some enclosed space for the surgery to take place in, then they set out skipping breakfast. The cave in question is moist, snow having left puddles; a curse and a blessing, the still water’s not ideal, but the water can cool him without chilling him. They lay a blanket down for Emmett to lie on, and Mher sets aside anything unnecessary leaving few tools in hand.

“You three will need to hold him down,” Mher instructs.

They share a look and Emmett says, “I won't fight back.”

“Not intentionally, but you’ll… writhe about. I’d put you under if I had the materials to do so,” Mher asserts.

Emmett swallows; Seton says, “I’ll hold down his legs.”

Ashford looks to Foxyn for guidance. “We can try and hold down his arms… but he’s stronger than both of us…”

“Yeah, I only ask you do your best to prevent him from choking me in retaliation,” Mher smiles humorously.

“Heh,” Emmett’s laugh at the dark humor is unexpected, but relieving to those around.

“I’ll have you bite down on your belt, so you can’t accidentally choke,” Mher says, and Emmett accepts obediently.

Mher ties up his scarf and expectantly waits for the other three to do the same. Before the anticipation can kill them, Mher begins to operate. Emmett stiffens and his eye wells up, but the instrument sliding past his eyelid is what causes him to thrash and produce a guttural scream. Ashford, Seton, and Foxyn put their full bodies into holding Emmett down. Emmett crushes Foxyn’s hand in his grip, producing tears from him. Emmett’s eyes spin wildly as Mher firmly keeps his head in place. When he’s relatively still, Mher continues though Emmett fights them against their own will.

Mher pops his eye out- Emmett saved a disorienting sight by the blindness already taken hold- and cuts it free. Emmett’s sweating and heaving, Mher inspects inside the socket and delivers the news to Emmett, “I have to cut out the dead skin.” Emmett’s remaining eye wide stares at Mher hardly rational. He scrapes at the inside, Emmett’s back arches in protest, chest pushing out before he collapses, body going slack. The other three freeze, but Mher calmly places their fingers on Emmett’s neck. “It’s okay. He passed out. Keep holding him down. His body will still react.”

Mher takes a chunk out of Emmett’s face leaving a hole lacking eyelids and part of his brow. Wads of bloody bandages are tossed aside and his face is wrapped up. Foxyn and Ashford leave for air allowing Seton a moment to thank and apologize to Mher recognizing the task they undertook is gorey and beyond what a ‘stand-in medic’ should be asked to do. Giving commendations for their effort.

Emmett wakes in the afternoon and insists they push on. The descent while icy gives some sorely missed foliage. They spend a couple nights travelling in the silent, snowy woods. Mher discovers a sedentary Alderkin talisman. They decide to seek out the stranger. Finding the isolated cabin, Mher asks xir personally to help. Xe cautious asking to inspect Ashford’s condition. When xe confirms the parasite xe allows them in. Mher fetches the unit waiting for a signal and they all come in to rest. Xe doesn't have the cure, but xe provides aid.