A/N: I hated the part where he dies in the game - especially after it's revealed he had something for Lara. I'm thinking of making this a fic where he lives and how it affects Lara after getting off Yamatai.

Prologue

"Alex, come on! You can move your leg!"
"Lara, I can't."
"Shut up and do it!"
He grunts as he shifts his leg from under the metal. It's bloody and heavily cut. I haul him out quickly, and just as we're about to close the door, he fires a shot at a gas tank, exploding the chamber. I shut the door as fast as I can, ad we're saved from the hail of metal that must be going on in there. His breathing quickens, and I can see he's going to pass out from blood loss.

Upon quick thinking, I realize he can't rappel across the zip lines – unless he lands without his leg. I consider cauterizing his leg, but it's not the infection that's a bother. I quickly wrap a cloth around his leg, and I know we have no option but to call someone from the base camp.

"Jonah, can you hear me?"
"Lara, is that you? Where's Alex?"
"He's sort of fine, he's with me. Except his leg is messed up and I can't get him off the ship."
"What if he lowers himself into the water?"
"I thought that, Jonah. I don't think he'll last much longer. Is it possible for you to get any floating equipment here? We're at the second half of the ship."
"On it, bird."

We wait for around ten minutes when we spot a red floating buoy below. Jonah steers it awkwardly, but it's still moving. Slowly, I make my way down the ship with Alex, and we slump him onto the buoy. Jonah and I quickly manoeuvre the buoy to shore, and by the time he rolls over onto the sand, I know he'll pass out in the next minute.

"Shit, Jonah, we have to help him quickly."
"I know."

He carries Alex up to the base camp, where Reyes narrows her eyes at what she sees.
"Seems like anyone close to you has a very small chance of survival."
"Better keep your distance then," I say, not in the mood to strike up another argument with her.

We lower him next to the fire and I immediately strip him of his shirt and pants. His chest has a small crust of dried blood, I don't know from where, and his leg is terrible. I have to make a conscious effort to not look away as I clean his leg with antiseptic and wrap it properly. I try to rouse him – he needs to eat, and after several tries he finally creaks a "Hey, Lara."
"Hey."
"I'm alive right?"
I crack a small smile at his goofiness
"Yes. But if you want to remain so you need to eat."
"I just wanna sleep."
"I know, but you have to eat something before you can."
Grudgingly, he sits up and leans against a wooden pole as he slowly chews down a roll of bread and water. I know the sick feeling he must be having right now, but I also know what'll happen if he doesn't eat.

Once he's done, he sits up for a while, and when I'm sure he's asleep, I walk over to where Sam is sat, watching everything silently. Reyes sits behind her on a crate, her eyes still hard but I know she understand this.

"You know, I never understood what you two have for each other," Sam says as I sit beside her.
"What?"
"Oh come on, everyone can see that there's clearly something going on between the two of you."
"Sam, this is not the time."
"I'm just saying, Lara. Even Reyes agrees with me!"
I look at her and she nods silently.
"Sam, I really don't know what you're talking about."
"Ugh, you're impossible."
"Could we please talk about this later?"
"If your bird brain could get it in, then yes!"

She goes back to the book she's reading, and I stay at my place watching Alex. His face, thankfully, is untouched except for a small cut below his left eye, and his glasses rest beside him. From behind me, Reyes speaks up.

"Lara, I'm sorry about what I said earlier."
"It's not like it wasn't true, Reyes."
"But you have him alive. I don't even know him well, but thank god he's alive."
I nod and we fall into silence.
He's alive.

A/N 2: That was only the prologue. The main story'll begin from the next chapter. Reviews are welcome. Thanks for reading.