The pressure weighed down on him. His bones ached from crashing into the frozen ice. Cain knew it was the end, but he didn't want to give up. DG needed him, his family needed him. They were alive somewhere and they needed him! He watched as the light from the hole in the ice grew smaller and smaller along with his hope. He would never be able to swim to the surface now. He was too deep and he was sinking fast. His lungs started to throb, and he knew he wouldn't be able to hold his breath much longer. He thought of those last words from Zero,
"No wife and child; crying for years to free you from it."
He was bluffing. As much as it pained him, deep down Cain knew it. He had been trying to stab him through the heart one last time before he killed him. He was growing dizzy; a result of the lack of oxygen and probable blood loss from the bullet wound. By now, it felt as though his insides would explode. He knew it would only take one breath. One single gulp, and he could see his family once again. He prepared himself for the last thing he would ever do. All of a sudden, he heard a voice. He was unsure of where it was coming from, but it was there. Very loud and very clear.
"No Wyatt!! I won't be responsible for your death!! This isn't you!! Don't give up!!"
He felt a strong push on his back forcing him to point straight upward. A startled Cain looked down into the abyss. Nothing but the deep blackness of the ice cold ocean. He then realized what he must do. He had to get to the surface! He had live for his family! That voice had not only pushed him physically, it had pushed him mentally as well. He could feel strength flowing back into him, and he started to push his way through the water. He couldn't believe how quickly he was appraoching the hole. Hypothermia should have set in by now. But he felt an inner warmth radiating through him; making his joints moveable, giving him strength to hold his breath for just a little while longer.
He broke the surface and tried to take a deep breath but discovered he couldn't. His lungs burned as he took one breath after the other. The heaves of his chest grew shorter and shorter. He was weak and tired and he could no longer feel his legs. The cold was starting to take affect, and all he wanted to do was lay his head on the snow and sleep. But again, he heard that voice just as insistent as ever.
"This isn't you! Don't give up!"
He almost couldn't hear it over the sound of his labored breath.
"No... no... I can't... please... please... just leave me alone."
The voice answered back, it's anger evident.
"What happened to the tin man who said he only wanted to help people? Huh? Well right now DG needs you! Your family needs you! Do you hear me?! Now get up, Wyatt Cain!!"
That warm feeling started to course through him once again. It started deep down in the recesses of his heart and made it's way into his dead legs. With one single blow of strength, he gave out an earsplitting yell and pushed himself foward out of the ice. He collasped onto the ground and tried to get up again. Pain shot through his legs like a bullet.
He yelled out in agony and frustration and he cursed the bitter wind that was trying it's best to push him down.
He managed to pull himself to his feet, and started to walk. He made it to where he could actually see the spot where DG had broken the ice in front of the door. Desperately he called out,
"DG! DeeeeeGeeeee!!"
He managed to steal a few breaths and found he only had enough strength to whisper.
"DG...I'm sorry,DG."
He fell unto the cold, hard ground. He tried to support himself with his arms, but soon they gave out as well. His head hit the ground and he passed out.
"Don't worry, Cain. I'm here now. You're safe now. You just have to be strong for me."
"Adora? Is that you? Where are you?"
"No iron suit for you this time. No wife and child; crying for years to free you from it."
"My family's alive? My family's alive? My family's alive?"
Cain heard a noise and he knew it was Zero. He thrust his gun out to shoot him, but instead felt a warm hand on his; gently pushing his arm down.
"Adora?"
"You've been sleeping for hours. Like a baby with his pacifier."
"No, that definately wasn't Adora."
His eyes shot open and he realized he was alive and in Demilo's wagon. He looked around and saw Glitch sitting near his feet.
"Glitch? But how?"
"I thought you were dead."
"Ditto."
He tried to take a deep breath again, but found that his chest still hurt. He took short, shallow breaths instead, and tried not to hyperventilate.
Glitch saw that Cain was having trouble breathing, and it reminded him of how close he'd come to actually losing him. He remembered when he found him he had picked him up and had held him to get his blood circulating. Glitch had been so scared and he had told him to be strong for him, to hold on.
"You know, I may have saved you from hypothermia," he took out the small painted horse that had fallen from Cain's jacket earlier. "but..umm...this is what saved your life."
Cain looked at Glitch and saw what he was holding. His eyesight might have been blurry, but he knew in his heart what was being held out in front of him.
" My God."
He sat up and even though pain imeadiately shot through him which would have ordinarily made him cry out, he forced himself to reach for his son's horse. He examined the bullet cavity dug into the toy and couldn't believe what he was seeing. How could it have been in exactly the right place to stop the bullet? How did it not fall from his vest when he hit the water?
" Oh God. Adora. You were with me. That was your voice. You were protecting me."
Glitch restated what Cain already knew, as if to confirm it.
"It stopped the bullet."
His thoughts were racing as his mind slowly came back to life, and his heart jumped in his chest.
"Adora. Why did you save me? I could've been with you! We could've been together. Why did you want me to live?"
Then it hit him.
"DG."
Glitch didn't need more than a word to be spoken for him to know what he meant.
"Azkadellia."
"Then what about...Raw?"
Glitch sighed and said, "I don't know, I can't find him. Either they took him too, or he's dead, or...
"Maybe he ran away."
"Hell, I would've done the same thing."
It surprised him when Glitch spat back at him.
"You know, you should really do something about that bitter sinisism of your's Cain!"
He did a mental roll of his eyes. Glitch had obviously misunderstood his realism with not caring. The man had a knack for taking things out of context.
"Why? Someone's gotta keep your wide-eyed optimism in check."
A loud smack of wood was heard as Glitch,obviously fed up with him, threw down the firewood he had in his hands. Cain didn't mean to insult the man, and it was then that he realized that humor wasn't his greatest skill. A long silence filled the wagon, and he looked over at Glitch who had his head down and was looking at nothing in particular. Had he really hurt his feelings? He wanted to apologize, but couldn't find the right words. What did one say when someone you've only known a few days cared deeply enough for you, that he would risk his own life to save yours? He figured he could always wing it. And besides, he was feeling groggy again and if he said something wrong, he would be able to pass out by the time Glitch could say anything back.
"Hey Glitch."
The response was tinged with coldness and just a hint of sadness.
"What?"
"I owe you one."
And as Cain had hoped, he passed out before he could see the smug expression that was now gracing Glitch's features.
As he slipped into blackness, Cain waited to hear Adora's soothing voice again. But all he could hear was Glitch rambling on. His voice was echoed but he could hear something about...therapy? He tried the best he could to make a mental note to strangle Glitch when he woke up.