"Still," Teige said, after a long pause, as Hawk bent double to splash some of the clear water onto his feathers, "I can already almost lift my arm again." He did this, bracing his arm with his good hand, and still only managed to raise his arm about a quarter of the way. "She does good work. We got lucky finding these girls, yeah? And lucky you got whatever...powers, you got."

Hawk's expression tightened. He splashed some of the water into his face, pressing his hands over his eyes for a moment.

"All I did was stop the bleeding," he said finally, uncovering his face. Water dripped from his bangs, and the feathers on his back stood up as he shook out his wings.

"No," Teige said flatly, and made a face, his headlamp eyes narrowing and his lip curling to show sharp teeth. "I know you're set against the idea for some reason, but you was working magic, Sunshine. It felt like you were...holding me together."

Hawk, his wings hung heavily over his sides into the running water, looked up at him. Teige stared back, and said slowly, "It's like you can pull ghosts apart...or, you can keep 'em in people."

Hawk looked away again with a huff. Teige, apparently, decided not to pursue that line of thought further; he was silent for a moment, and then pulled the modified undershirt Hawk had made from his shoulder, where he'd had it draped.

"...Mind helping me put this on?"

Hawk looked at him, and then returned to the shore, flicking the water off the edges of his wings. He said nothing, but Teige went on--somewhat nervously--as Hawk took the shirt.

"Can't say I feel quite right without it on," he said, and started to unzip the windbreaker he was wearing. "You fixed it up great."

"Can I ask you somethin?" Hawk murmured, studying the undershirt. Teige's smile went out like a light.