In the silence of his mind, the archeologist listened to the numbness. It filled him up and threatened to spill over the edge onto the stone floor beneath him. He imagined the desperate cold fingers licking across the slippery ground in search of something to clutch onto. Something warm. Something familiar. It found its pray in the blonde woman sitting on the opposite side of the cell. He watched as his thoughts toyed with the image of her body enveloped in malicious light as it sucked the very soul of out her and gave him its warmth. He yearned for that kindness and hope that he knew wasn't there. She was empty like him. Both of them were empty shells of what had once been smiling laughter and sweet scents of joy. The image immediately vanished as a twinge of guilt snapped in his gut. He would rather die than take anything from his friend; she had already been through too much. He could see her dirty face streaked with tears where she lay unceremoniously on the ground. Her mouth twitched ever so slightly in her sleep and he wondered what she was dreaming about. Hopefully something that didn't include this wretched place.
As if his words were heard by some divine being up above, his friend's body suddenly twitched. It was still for a few seconds and he wondered if he had finally gone insane and his head was playing tricks on him, but then a hand shot out and grasped at nothingness. A terrified moan escaped her partially open lips and her head jerked to the side. The blue orbs hidden behind her eyelids moved furiously as the nightmare took its final hold and she let out a slight cry. Daniel gave himself only a split second to decide whether he should wake her up or not, but the anguish of her cry forced him into a desperate stumble as he staggered onto his feet, only to collapse again by her side.
"Sshh, sshh, Sam… It's alright," he cooed quietly, grabbing one wrist carefully and cupping her face with the other hand. She woke up with a start, eyes wide and tears beginning to stream down her face. Those blue eyes were filled with so much fear and pain and death that he almost broke down with her, but instead he cracked a slight comforting smile. She did not smile back, nor did she reflect any comfort or relief after waking up from the dream. She just stared back at his face with a look that told him more than words. Waking up from the nightmare hadn't been much of a relief. She had just awoken into another one. Except this one was real.
"Sam…" he muttered again, pulling her into a sitting position as he thumped back against the wall. She sniffled pathetically as she followed, wrapping her hands around her knees and leaning her head back onto the cold stone. They sat there for a few seconds, listening to the dripping of water and Sam's quiet sniffling. He could feel her tremble beside her, and whether it was from the cold, exhaustion, or reality, he couldn't say. But when he could sense her throat choking up again and her eyes closing in an attempt to hold tears back, he gently put a hand over her knee.
Then as strangled sobs erupted from her parched throat, he opened his arms and pulled her in close, his own eyes shedding tears for their pain. They crushed themselves against each other, hands clutching at shirts and arms painfully constricting. She buried her face in his neck, seeking out that comfort and warmth that they both knew didn't exist. Not a word was said as they cried, they just sat there intertwined as close as possible as Daniel's hands resorted to gentle rubbing instead of clutching. He kissed the top of her head roughly, squeezing his eyes together tight as more tears dripped out.
"I'm so sorry Sam." He stuttered through sobs, gathering her up closer. They cried for the friends they had lost. They cried for the pain they'd been through. They cried for the fear pulsing through their heart. But most of all, they cried for the lives they knew they'd soon lose.