Clarke and Jess

In the weeks that passed since the meeting with Ryan, Clarke had regained his strength enough to venture out into the world. Jess had called Ryan and Nadeem and told them to meet her and Clarke at Carver's Bridge at 7pm. The pair had arrived early, having already been in the area.

Clarke walked forward onto the bridge, while Jess navigated the bank of the river until she was under the bridge. She took out her phone to use as a flashlight - the setting sun provided only scant light underneath the bridge - and scanned the area. After some searching, she found what she was looking for: the knife that was used to stab Clarke. She swished it around in the river to remove some of the mud and dried blood, then made her way back up the bank to meet Clarke, who had a look of unease on his face. Was this really a good idea? He had a bad feeling about being here.

Sasuke/Neji

Sasuke and Neji even though for the moment had kept their hands cleaned of their usual stealing were starting to get edgy and decided t oget out of the house close to dark and were leaning on a pillar of the bridge with ciggaretes . They glanced up as the two figures on the bridge but nothing more currently. His only eye closed soon after. Neji too only had one eye and a faint scar of CS on his forehead.

Clarke and Jess

Clarke continued down the bridge, his eyes on the ground. Jess walked at his side, keeping an eye out for danger. In the darkness, she spotted two unfamiliar people and nudged Clarke's shoulder. He looked up and his blood immediately ran cold. Their appearance sparked his memories from all those years ago. His heart raced. Adrenaline pumped through his veins and he froze for a moment.

"Do you know them?" Jess whispered, never taking her eyes off the strangers. Clarke, his voice breathless, responded weakly, "That's them." This made Jess regret coming here.

After the initial fear subsided, the adrenaline fed rage and hatred, and he barreled towards Sasuke and Neji. He attempted to pin Sasuke against the pillar, while Jess watched like a deer in headlights, the knife still in her hands.

Sasuke & Neji

Sasuke had not been expecting the ones they heard up on the bridge to pay them any heed but then he felt himself pinned against the pillar and his lip twitched as he tried to keep his temper in check.what is your problem? He hissed.

Neji good eye narrowed as he backed a bit away to better see the two.yo let him go he said.

Clarke and Jess

Jess could barely manage a shout by the time Clarke pinned his target, and after a moment of shock, she bolted after him to assess the situation. Clarke had his right forearm firmly against Sasuke's chest to restrict his movement and his left arm free to ward off any attacks should his opponent fight back. "My problem is that you killed my brother." He growled, barely restraining himself from killing Sasuke right here and now. "I know it was you, all those years ago. Can't forget an ugly mug like yours."

"Clarke!" Jess' call fell on deaf ears, and seeing that her friend had no intention of backing off, hesitantly chose to help him. She brandished the knife in front of her and faced Neji. "Don't make any sudden moves, kid."

Sasuke and Neji

Sasuke lip was twitching. So wasn't his eye. I've killed a lot of people , most not my faultHe hissed.Back off if you don't want to join themHe hissed.

Neji eye wa snarrowed at both of them.Then tell him to back off. You don't know what your getting yourself intoHe said his own hand pulling out his own knife.

Clarke and Jess

Sasuke's response elicited a snarl from Clarke, who was rapidly losing his patience and his temper. He promised Jess he'd stay out of trouble, but from the looks of it, trouble found him and roped her in as well. "You'll pay for your actions, boy. Even if it's the death of me, I'll kill you. I'd rather be a corpse in the river than a coward." Throwing all restraint to the wind, and still leaning his right forearm into his enemy's chest, he swung his free arm with a closed fist directly at Sasuke's face, aiming to hit him repeatedly.

Jess knew she was in over her head now. There was no de-escelating this encounter. "I'll feed you to the crows if you even think of intervening. Drop your knife and walk away - an officer is meeting us here soon." It wasn't a bluff; this was where she asked Ryan and Nadeem to rendezvous to proceed with the investigation. As it turned out, they were taking it into their own hands, and they'd deal with whatever admonishment Ryan had to give them later.

Neji

He frowned a little at the word officer. Great just what they needed. And if it was Ryan even worse.No I wll not abandon my friendHe said and then lunged past her and attempted to grab Clarke shoulder and pull him back if he got to him.

Sasuke glared ath im then. The first hit hittingbut the second he blocked with his arm.wrong movehe lost it then. His rational mind was gone and he aimed to head butt Clarke and then kick him in the knee.

Clarke and Jess

Jess moved quickly to try to stop Neji, and although he was too fast for her, she saw her opening when his back was turned. She swung the knife at Neji, aiming to stab him in the back. "Watch out, Clarke!" She shouted to her friend.

Clarke felt a hand grasped his shoulder and instinctively ducked away. This was lucky, as trying to free himself from Neji's grasp inadvertently caused him to dodge Sasuke's headbutt. His knee, however, was struck, sending a sharp pain up his leg. He faltered, but reached out to try to grab Sasuke and bring him down with him, dangerously close to the edge of the bridge.

Neji

Lucky for Neji due to all the movement and flailing her knife sunk into his shoulder and he hollared and swung around with his own knife going for her face.

Sasuke hissed as he was grabbed and went down with him. He aimed to kick at his stomach mid fall.

Clarke and Jess

Jess internally rejoiced when her attack was successful, and sparing no empathy, she twisted the knife to try to cause as much damage as she possibly could. But in no time, she felt a knife slash across her lower jawline, causing her to pull her knife out of Neji's back and let out a pained groan. But she wasn't finished yet. She slashed at him once again, this time aiming low for his stomach.

Clarke was nearly oblivious to what was happening between Neji and Jess. He had tunnel vision, and the ideal light at the end of this tunnel would be Sasuke and Neji's death, should his attempts at revenge be successful.
The man gasped for air once he felt a blow to his stomach, and he responded by twisting mid-fall to try to land with Sasuke below him, in order to pin him on the edge of the bridge. It was tempting to throw him into the frigid depths below, but he resisted that temptation for now.

Jess, in a moment of clarity, addressed her ex. "Clarke, let's finish this before Officer Sohmers comes. It's easier to tie loose ends here and now rather than waiting for the legal system to delay justice." Essentially, she gave him the go-ahead to use lethal force without her opinion of him dropping. It had been what Clarke was waiting for after all of Jess' failed attempts to keep him out of trouble.

Sasuke Uchiha

Sasuke grunted when he hit the ground underneath Clarke when he heard Sohmers name he frowned. great just what they needed. Neji over sensitive and protective guardian. He smiled at Clarke and he made to shove hisfeet up and hopefully onto Clarkes stomach and he would attempt to kick him over the side of the bridge. His pupils were small indicating the sane Sasuke wasn't there.

Neji leaped back away. When she said his guardian's name he winced. Well they'll claim self defense it was the truth. His left shoulder was bleeding profusly.

Ryan Sohmers & Nadeem Tarak

Two beams of light cut through the growing darkness of dusk, illuminating the desperate scene that was unfolding on top of the bridge. Those lights belong to the small, silver kia that was coming to an abrupt stop at the edge of the bridge, throwing bits of gravel and clods of frozen earth in its wake. Hardly before the engine had shut off, the driver's side door was flying open and officer Sohmers was stepping briskly out, one hand instinctively reaching for his holster while the other was pushing the door closed. "Hey, hey!" He barked out, dark eyes quickly scanning the scene with a mix of heavy disappointment and regret when he realized who all was here.

"Stand back! Step away from each other!" Deciding against drawing his gun, he used both hands to gesture aggressively at Neji and Jess both, ordering them apart in the hopes of preventing any further scuffling. He had no clue who had started what right now, so his main objective was to bring calm to the scene. "Shit!" Cursing not so quietly under his breath, Ryan jogged past the two and headed straight for the pair that were dangerously close to toppling over the side of the bridge. "Sasuke! Clarke- both of you, on your feet!" The eerie smile of Sasuke immediately put the officer on edge, but he reached forward regardless, grasping for his shoulder in an attempt to forcefully pull him back away from the other...

Another pair of lights had cut into the scene, these coming from an old blue ranger that soon puttered to a stop a few yards behind the kia. Leaving Nak in the cab, Nadeem rushed out and sprinted towards the bridge, where he too took in the scene and tried to make sense of what was happening. Part of him wanted to run forward and help Clarke, but upon seeing Ryan there, he moved instead to Jess's side. "Jess, your face.." With no weapons on him, Nadeem attempted to put himself in front of the woman, even if she was almost certainly more capable of defending herself than he was. "Hey buddy, back off and drop the weapon, okay?"

Clarke and Jess

Clarke, still pummeling away in a blind rage, and oblivious to his approaching acquaintances, was unprepared for a blow to the stomach. It was just as Ryan called his name that the kick from Sasuke flung his back into the railing of the bridge, a few loud pops resonating through the brisk evening air air; the eerie sound of two ribs snapping and a shoulder blade shattering. A pained gasp escaped him as he clutched him arm against his chest.

This rattled Jess more than she'd like to admit. Her face went pale, a grimace at the crack of bones falling over her features. She wanted to run to his aid, but her muscles wouldn't cooperate. She just stood there, like a somber statue, the only movement being her hair lightly blowing in the breeze and the shallow rise and fall of her chest. Her fingers loosened around the hilt of the knife and it fell to the ground with a dull clang.

Nadeem saying her name snapped her out of her trance only somewhat. She shakily raised her hand up to her face and felt the familiar liquid seeping from the wound on her jaw. She looked down, noticing that the entire left half of her once-gray jacket was stained red. Her gaze briefly met Nadeem's eyes, then she raised her arm to point at Sasuke. "We... found... the murderer," she stammered, slow to find words, clearly in shock from both blood loss and the unsettling sound that had assaulted her ears. She began to speak a few times, but all that left her mouth was breathy nonsense. Knowing that she wasn't making sense, she pointed at Sasuke again and covered her eye with the other hand to indicate that the killer had one eye.

Clarke, using the railing as a brace, rose to his feet, still hunched over in pain. He coughed profusely, an expected result of damage to his lungs. After the coughing fit ended, he gestured towards Sasuke. "I've finished the investigation," he spat. "That face has been burned into my head-" another coughing fit- "ever since he killed my brother."

Sasuke Uchiha & Neji Hyuuga

Sasuke kept fighting back. Till Ryan had him locked to him.Ill fucking kill you two you son of a bitch!He was not home what so ever. He struggled against Ryan oblivious to the words spoken.

Neji glared but when she dropped hers he dropped his and he moved now moving in front of Sasuke ignoring Clarke. His bleeding shoulder still bleeding. He locked his one eye on sasuke.Sasuke! Enough!He said. He knew how to get Sasuke back usually but it wasn't working well as Sasuke kept fighting. Despite the pain in his shoulder he smacked Sasuke which di the trick. we don't know what he is talking about they attacked us we were doing nothing but standing here talking Neji said knowing Sasuke still needed to calm down.

Ryan Sohmers & Nadeem Tarak

Ryan himself nearly winced at the audible pops that followed Sasuke's last kick, and reaffirmed his hold on the young man's shoulder. "Sasuke, stop! Stop! Do you hear me?" Had he not been mentoring Sasuke, the sheer wildness he was displaying would have warranted the use of a taser to seize control of the situation. As it was, Ryan didn't want to break whatever slim trust he'd formed with the brothers, so instead of employing the tactical weapon, Ryan attempted to wrap both arms around Sasuke from behind and pin him into a bear hug, leaving little but his feet loose. "Nadeem, call for an ambulance!"

When the knife was voluntarily dropped by Neji, Nadeem felt a slight wave of relief wash over him. That relief didn't stretch very far though, especially with what he was hearing from both sides. And then that sickening crack of bones. He instinctively stepped back, pushing Jess slightly in the vague direction of his truck. "It's them, are you sure?" When he looked back the woman, the sudden paleness that had taken her, made all the more dramatic by the wash of crimson shading her lower jaw and neck, snapped some sense into the man. He reached a hand for her shoulder, in an attempt to turn her away from the bridge and guide her back to his truck, "Here, why don't you come sit down? We need to get pressure on that wound." And yet, even as he said this, Nadeem was glancing back to see how Ryan was fairing.

By now Neji had delivered a resounding slap to Saskue's face, yet the officer refused to release his hold. "Clarke, sit down there. Neji, stand back." His immediate goal was to reign in control of the situation, and ask questioned second. "Sasuke, listen to me! You've got to calm down, okay? We're going to sit down, and we're going to talk about this, but you have to stop fighting." A glance as thrown at Clarke, but it looked like the other man out of the fight now.

Clarke and Jess

Clarke winced with every movement and every blow from Sasuke, his arm still wrapped around his chest. He cast a sideways glance toward Sasuke when his enemy replied. "Ah, that's the violence I remember from you." He would let out a chuckle if it didn't hurt so much. Neji's comment turned his mood sour once again. "Ryan, this is the guy. I've been searching for the killer for so long and I found him and did your job for you. An eye for an eye." His parroting of a common phrase wasn't intended as a jab at the fact that Sasuke had one eye, but he was pleased with that coincidence after the fact.

Jess still stared dumbly at the scene unfolding before her. She nodded slowly when Nadeem inquired further. "It's them. I swear." She managed a breathy whisper in response. Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she initially jumped, but calmed down when she realized that it was Nadeem and willingly went with him to the truck. He movements were slow and shaky, and the shock that overtook her was causing her to shake and shiver.

Clarke followed Ryan's orders, easing himself onto the ground. Another coughing fit. When he pulled his hand away from his mouth, he noticed blood that had accompanied the cough. This was not good.

Sasuke Uchiha

Sasuke was trying to at least after Neji slapped him. But what his psyhotic neurological condition was was making it exceptionally hard to do just that. The words everyone was saying was entering his ears but his mind was not processing much. His eyes were on Neji which was a good sign till Clarke started speaking then they went back to him and the psychoticness returning. ill fucking kill youHe hissed as he struggled. There was no breaking Ryan hold however.

Neji hand finally move to go over his left shoulder and place it on the wound he pulled his hand away to find plenty of fresh blood. He glared at Clarke.Just stop speaking or else he won't calm the fuck down your voice is setting him off now dumb assHe hissed and moved to stand in front of Clarke to block Sasuke view of him. They could deal with the supposid murder after Sasuke was calmed down. There was no sense in speaking to Sasuke till then.

Ryan Sohmers & Nadeem Tarak

"Sasuke!" Ryan barked again, his grip around the young man unrelenting, in fear for what would happen if he slipped free once more. "You've got to calm down, hear me? The fight is over." Though most of his focus was on Sasuke now, the officer was very aware of everyone else around him, and didn't miss the way Neji reached back for his shoulder, or how his hand was stained crimson when he withdrew it. His heart sank, as much for the pain of seeing his charges injured as it was for the implications that brought this perfect storm to pass. Sasuke had killed someone else. At least, that's what the case seemed to be, if Clarke's accusations were to be believed.

With Clarke appearing more or less incapacitated by his injuries, and alarmingly so, and Neji willfully withdrawing from the brawl, Ryan felt the situation was more or less under control as long as he kept his ironclad hold on Sasuke. "Sasuke, we're going to my car, okay? The rest of you-" As he began to move, trying to shuffle the young man towards the kia, Ryan shot a look to Clarke and Neji, "-you'll each have your turn to tell me what the hell just happened here. Neji, I want you sitting on the ground too, away from him."

Nadeem had opened the passenger side door and helped her into the seat, after scooting a worried Nak aside and murmuring a string of foreign commands to the silver-eyed wolfdog. "You think that's them, the ones that...?" He didn't finish the comment, knowing he didn't need to for Jess to follow along. But as he looked back to her, the shivering that had settled into her shocked frame had Nadeem fumbling for his keys and reaching across once again, this time to start his truck back up and turn the heat on. Of course, it wasn't just the chilly night that had her shaking, and he knew it. "Ryan has them now, it's okay. Here-" Lacking any gauze, Nadeem took a glove from his pocket and gently placed it against the laceration on her jaw, "Can you hold that there?"

Clarke and Jess

Clarke's temper was flaring, but he was too exhausted to keep arguing. He gritted his teeth to the point that his jaw hurt and shot Neji a glare with glazed, weary eyes. It hurt too much to talk, so he had no choice but to follow Neji's orders. He did, however, raise his right arm, left still clutched close, and flipped him off with a blood-covered finger.

Jess continued following Nadeem to his truck without resistance, but her gaze was still back over her shoulder, watching her friend with uncertainty. "Yes. It's them. They killed Calum." Her voice was a low, squeaky mumble, laced with barely-suppressed panic. Wide-eyed, delirious, and staring off into some unknown abyss, she took the glove and silently held it against her jaw. The silence lasted until she started to warm up a bit and regain some of her senses. "I've got a friend of a friend who I think can help," she confessed with increasing lucidity. "Don't tell Ryan, but she trains guard bears. She owes me a favor." The suggestion hung in the air with no further explanation, but it could be surmised that these guard bears were used to protect individuals engaged in less-than-legal activities. One or two of those giant beasts could easily take down a human.

Sasuke

Sasuke was trying to his. HIs pupils which were huge were shrinking back to normal as they speak. His body not registering the blood on his face, the aching of his bones at least not till they got to the car when he was finally not looking over to where neji and clarke were.

Naji rolled his eyes at the Clarke and sat down where he was. His hand back on his wound.I don't have to remind you Ryan to keep a hold of him till his pupils are back to normal and on you. He called to Ryan as he brought sasuke away from them. The wound on his back did not seem to want to stop bleeding.

Ryan Sohmers & Nadeem Tarak

"Nadeem, have you called them yet?" Ryan's voice rose, though he now debated on whether or not to just drive everyone to the hospital himself. Clarke in particular worried him, as he'd spotted the fresh blood on the man's hand after that rough bout of coughing. His concern would only deepen when he realized how deep the wound on Neji's shoulder was. Until he made any move to secure transport though, Sasuke's temper had to be tamed, and with that in mind, he stopped at the passenger side door of his car and addressed the younger man, "Sasuke, are you with me? We need to get everyone looked at, and taken to the hospital. But I need to know that you're not going to loose control of yourself. Are you with me?"

At the truck, Nadeem held pressure against the glove until Jess took it up herself. When Nak tried to move forward, ears back and tongue ready to assist in treating the wound, he was shoved back again by his master. "Those are Ryan's boys I think. Adopted, more or less." He didn't envy the officer's position now, knowing Ryan to be steadfast follower of the rules. But he had a big heart, and Nadeem wasn't sure how he'd handle this mess of a situation, if Jess's accusations proved to be true. His thoughts were soon jumping to a new situation when Jess brought up the bears, and his eyes widened in surprise. "Bears?" He nearly choked out the word, being something of a pacifist in the largely violent Valley. "I've... well, I know there's a lot of off-the-books animals kept out here, especially in the countryside homes. Do you think you can trust a bear, though?"

Clarke and Jess

Clarke groaned, the pain becoming too much to bear. He gingerly reached into his jacket and pulled out a flask from an inner pocket and fumbled with it, eventually getting it unscrewed. He took a swig of the substance - a formulation of home-brewed whiskey much too strong to be legal - and after the burning sensation in his throat subsided, he imbibed the alcohol once again. Whatever apprehension he had about the chiding he feared from Ryan fell by the wayside in favor of dulling the pain.

Jess settled back into her seat as her body, as a defense mechanism against pain rooted far back in animal evolution, began to flood her body with endorphins. The 'feel good chemicals' put her at ease. She had quit her habit of illegal narcotic use almost 15 years ago, but this feeling reminded her of those days. The better ones, at least, when she wasn't passed out in a ditch with Clarke.

Her brow furrowed and mouth curved into a frown at the information regarding the connection of her newfound enemies to the police officer from whom they sought help. "Well..." she shrugged with a defeated sigh, "let's hope he does the right thing and has them charged with murder." She turned and looked at Nadeem with a serious expression. "If we don't get justice, we will kill them. I hope you know that. It's in their best interest to be incarcerated." She returned her gaze to the scene on the bridge again, letting out a sigh of relief once the conflict settled down.

"Yeah. Bears," she responded calmly to Nadeem's shocked response. "She makes armor for them too out of street signs and tires. Lives out in a camp. Sold everything when her husband died and lived in the wild for... 30 years? 35? Anyway, she's like a bear-whisperer. Knows all the right body language and is closer to her bears than she is to any human. You'd be forgiven for thinking she speaks bear." A soft chuckle escaped her and she gave a nod at Nadeem's final question. "I'd trust those bears with my life as long as Abigail's around."

Sasuke

His eyes had returned to normal and after a few more moments his eyes were on Ryan. He was no longer trying to get away.yeshe said through is teeth.

Neji sat ther feeling faint but forced himself to stay concious. Ryan.... I can't stay conccious much longer im loosing too much bloodHe said though was unsure if his voice would reach him..

Ryan Sohmers & Nadeem Tarak

Ryan had missed the self medication of alcohol by Clarke, but the sheer potency of the homebrewed concoction guaranteed that he'd catch it on the man's breath before long. It was only the distance between them now that kept the officer in the dark, and the fact that he was focused very intently on the man in front of him. "You're good?" Ryan repeated firmly, studying the other's eyes critically before slowly releasing his grasp and reaching to open the passenger door. "Then get in, and buckle up. I'll sort out who did what after you've all been looked over." Normally, handcuffs would be involved at this point, but Ryan was desperately trying to cultivate trust in these two, so against his better judgement, the officer left Sasuke free and could only hope that the young man would obey his orders.

That's when he heard Neji, and his attention darted immediately to the other adopted son of sorts. Another curse escaped beneath his breath as he opened the trunk of the silver car and pulled out the medical kit, reaching specifically for the gauze and tape. He rushed these over to Neji, while doing another quick glance at Clarke, and now frowning as he saw the flask, "Put that away! Dammit - Nadeem, help Clarke. Take him and Jess, and I'll meet you both at the hospital. We can't wait for the ambulance." Little did he know that it hadn't been called yet, but in any case his focus was now on the deep laceration on Neji's back, a clean cut through the fabric of his clothing and straight into the flesh beneath. "Hold on for a second, Nej..." Ryan tore the fabric apart further, better exposing the wound so that he could apply the gauze, pressing it tightly and tamping down with medical tape. "Come on, you're going straight to the hospital." With one arm wrapped around Neji, Ryan began to guide him back to the car.

"Whatever he does, I know he'll make things right." Nadeem had followed Jess's eyes to the bridge, and his concern for Clarke only grew stronger. And not just because of his injuries. He didn't doubt Jess for one second when she declared that she'd be taking justice into her own hands if necessary, and he feared what might happen if Ryan didn't handle the situation right. It was beyond his own control though, so Nadeem didn't dwell long on that subject. It was the bears that had his cautious curiosity, "She does sound like quite the interesting woman. At the very least, I'd like to meet her and the bears that she... cares for. We don't really have a solid ursine record in the Valley, and if she's as good with them as you say, she could be invaluable help." That was Nadeem's way of trying to tip toe around the conversation of using the bears as protection or human hunters, and in all honesty, his interest was piqued.

In the next moment though, Ryan was calling for his help again. "I'm going to help Clarke. There's not much room in here, but if you sit in the middle there, we can get him in the passenger side." He gave a sympathetic smile, knowing that it would be quite a cramped ride to the hospital, but it was better than traveling with Sasuke and Neji he figured.

Leaving Jess's side, Nadeem hurried towards the bridge and knelt beside Clarke. "Heh, here we are again, huh?" An attempted jest was made before he reached a hand out, moving in close to help support the other stand, if Clarke could even manage that. "Let's get you up and out of here."

Clarke and Jess

"I hope so..."Jess' voice was laced with uncertainty. She didn't come all this way to let the legal system fail her and Clarke again. Her voice trailed off, as did her eyes, doing her best not to break down right there.
The change of subject was a relief to her. She could spend all day talking about that curious woman who lived with the bears. "She's not one for visitors, but we're--" she stopped to correct herself. "I'm on good terms with her. She and her bears have never wronged me, and she holds true to her word. A favor she promises is a favor she upholds. It might take some time, but she'll warm up to you. She's a dangerous woman with a heart of gold." She gave a lopsided smile, her injury preventing her from moving her face too much.

The calming warmth of the alcohol began to seep through Clarke's body, enticing him to drink more, but the knowledge that he'd feel like shit in the morning was enough to put that idea to rest. He heard an order barked at him from the end of the bridge and turned to see Ryan rushing towards Neji. Clarke, in a show of utter indignance, he stared Ryan dead in the eyes and slammed the rest of the whiskey, finishing it in one large gulp.

"Oh my god..." Jess cursed, shaking her head and bringing her hand to her face when she witnessed Clarke's behavior. She was equal parts annoyed and concerned, and it showed by the way she peeked back up at her soon-to-be wasted friend with a worried gaze. "Yeah, sounds like a plan." She scooched to the middle of the seat at the suggestion of Nadeem, still holding the glove against her wound.

The empty flask was returned to Clarke's pocket. He knew he'd be in for a wild ride after drinking that much alcohol in one sitting, but in his mind, the simple fact that it would spite Ryan was worth any living hell he faced. But all it took for him to wise up was seeing Jess with that familiar glare that seemed to say 'I'm not mad, just disappointed' when he glanced over to see Nadeem approach.

His concerned friend's question was met with nothing more than a tired grunt. He's fallen back into this pit of despair far too many times, and any attempt to change was quickly thwarted by some stressful event or near-death encounter. He seemed to be a magnet for those. The injured man gingerly raised himself onto his feet with the help of the bridge's railing and Nadeem's outstretched hand. Every step was agony on his knee - a direct result of the kick from Sasuke. Slowly but surely, he was able to make it to the truck. Jess reached over and swung the door open and helped Nadeem get Clarke into the passenger seat. He noticed the blood on Jess' shirt and his demeanor instantly changed. "Jesus. Shit. You're hurt."
"It's just a scratch. I'm fine." Jess was a good liar, but it didn't take a detective to see that it was more than just a scratch. This led Clarke to slam his fist on the dashboard. "You're not fuckin' fine, that's a Niagara Falls of blood!"
Jess scowled it him. "If you're gonna just name bodies of water the whole ride to the hospital, I'll raise your medical bill by ten thousand dollars."
"Make it fifty thousand and we've got a deal," Clarke sneered. The two didn't look at each other after this, seeming to not even acknowledge the other's existence. Jess knew Clarke was just worried, but she also knew that until the murderers were brought to justice and he had closure, they'd always end up fighting due to pent-up anger and panic with no way to release it.

Sasuke

He did his best to keep calm.Just keep him away from me and I should be finehe said and got in his head resting against the back of the seat in front.

Neji was doing his best to remain concious but Jess knife had gone pretty deep let alone she had twisted it to make more damage. He winces as Ryan applies the gauze and tape and with his help he gets back up. He didn't say anything cause he knew Ryan was moer focused on getting them all treated.

Ryan Sohmers & Nadeem Tarak

"You two are not going near each other again." Ryan assured, almost pointedly. He was going over in his mind what he'd seen upon approaching the bridge, which at that point had seen him arriving at the middle of the fight with no clear idea of who had started it. And he wasn't about to take either side's words at the moment, preferring to wait until all had been treated and given time to cool down. As it was, the officer was handling a mix of fury and dread as he helped Neji into the backseat, reaching over to help the younger man buckle in, to avoid further strain on the wounded shoulder. "Hang in there, Nej. This'll be a quick ride." The door was shut and he rounded the car to the driver's side, feeling more and more that while he believed Neji might be innocent, Sasuke's past had him concerned. He glanced at the other as he hopped in and brought the car to life. There was a brief moment where he then glanced at his police radio, hands fidgeting on the gearshift. The hesitation ended when he put his hand to the wheel instead, and waited for Nadeem to guide Clarke to his truck before he pulled away from the bridge and headed for the hospital.

Under the intense illumination of headlights, Nadeem did his best to lead Clarke back to his own vehicle. He could see now that the fellow was injured worse than he thought, and the recent memory of those sickening cracks came back to mind. He winced right along with Clarke, sympathizing with the discomfort the man must be in, despite the flush of alcohol to help blur some of it into oblivion. "Just a few more steps, and we'll be there. I'll get a wheelchair once we're at the hospital, no need for you to hurt that leg any more than it already is." The man awkwardly assisted Clarke into the passenger side as he and his friend squabbled, and Clarke through a punch for the dashboard that sent a small figurine wobbling and falling to the floor. Nadeem opened his mouth to say something, then quickly decided against it.

The man rounded the front of the truck after carefully closing the passenger door once his friend was inside. "Sorry Nak, you'll have to ride in the backseat." At the driver's side, he had to coax the wolfdog briefly out of the truck in order to fold the front seat down, allowing the canine to hop into the confined space that made up the 'backseat' of the semi-extended cab. With that done, and thoughts of bears in mind, Nadeem shifted the truck into gear and rolled out after Ryan.