Honestly, right then Sam'd like nothing better than to haul Kurloz in as close as he can and protect him from everything. It's not like that's a new feeling - it's not even like this is the first time that he's wanted to cradle Kurloz in his lap and keep him safe - but somehow it feels worse now. Maybe because he knows whatever it was has to have been so much worse than everything else, maybe because now he's got a name for this thing he and Kurloz have-

But it doesn't matter, because he can't.

Sam frowns, reaching out to press his fingertips against Kurloz's, brows furrowing at the flash of teal. It takes him a moment to figure out what that means, to remember the other time he's seen blood that color - and quite suddenly it feels like the world's dropped out from under him.

Terezi.

He wants to ask what happened again, wants to demand to know where she is, to tell Kurloz to take him to her because it doesn't matter how bad she's injured, Sam will fucking fix it. But he doesn't, because Kurloz wouldn't have gotten like this if Terezi was lying injured somewhere.

He wants to ask if Kurloz killed whoever did it, and if he didn't if Sam can help him track them down and tear him apart. But he doesn't do that either, because he isn't sure he wants to know the answer. There's a soft, pained noise, and Sam is pretty sure it's coming from him, as not for the first time today it feels like someone's stabbed an arrow in his chest and twisted it around.

And he doesn't know what the hell he's supposed to say to that - he doesn't want to say anything to that, because if he doesn't get confirmation then maybe he can just pretend like he came to the wrong conclusion. The only thing he can think to do again is yank Kurloz back in, wrapping him up and pulling him in until there's no space between them.

Until Sam can't tell which one of them is shaking with sobs.