Caught in the Aftershock - Chapter 1 - I'm a Tough Cookie
By LaurenCroft who knows absolutely nothing about ships and what you would find in one.
As I leaned over the railing of the ship, I watched as the waves splashed up the side; parting easily to let the ship through. The same waves, I pondered, that obeyed Queen Himiko as to not let us leave.
If anyone told me that the events of the voyage to find Yamatai would have resulted in that, I would never have believed them. But now, I know that the line between our truth and myths is fragile and blurry. I resented my father, just like the rest. I thought he was a 'fool' to believe such things. But now I know that he was right about everything.
I continued to watch the waves; still in my torn clothes – I hadn't bothered to clean up yet – I'd been in this state for so long I hardly cared. That island had taken everything from me. It had torn me down to ruins, yet, built me up to survive.
I sighed, leaning my arms on the railing; thinking of those who didn't survive. Alex. Roth. Grim.
"Lara?" A soft voice murmured.
I looked up, snapping out of my reverie. "Sam..." I sighed happily, immediately relaxing.
"Are you okay, Lara?" Sam asked, coming closer to me and putting a reassuring hand on my arm. Her eyes were filled with concern and I didn't like it. She was the one that was nearly sacrificed to the Sun Queen. Not me.
I brushed off her concern. "I'm fine, don't worry about me. How are you?"
"I am worried about you though, Lara. You suffered more than any of us. We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you."
I could see genuine affection for me in Sam's smile. I opened my arms to her for a hug. She didn't think twice before rushing into my embrace, resting her head on my shoulder.
"Oh, Lara," She sighed. "I knew you'd save me."
It took me a moment to realise that she was crying. I didn't need to ask her why. I just kept my arms holding her and rubbed her back.
"Sam, don't cry," I murmured, "Else you're going to make me tear up too." I joked.
I felt her body rock as she laughed slightly. "That would be a first," She smiled as she pulled her head away from my shoulder to look at me. "You hardly cry."
"I'm so heartless," I smiled, removing my hand from her back to wipe a tear from her face. "Come on, let's get cleaned up." I took her hand, lacing our fingers together and led her down to the double cabin we'd been assigned too. We were assigned separate cabins until Sam declared that she had to be with me. I smiled, a surge of admiration for Sam welling in my heart. I gave her hand a quick squeeze and she smiled at me.
God, even after everything, my best friend was still beautiful.
We walked into the cabin and I sat her down on one of the two beds, still holding her hand. We both didn't move for awhile, deep in thought. It was nice like this. Not having to worry that some demons or crazed cult men were about to try to murder me or kidnap Sam. It was nice to hold her hand and to know she wasn't going anywhere – that she was still my Sam.
"Come on," I said eventually pulling her up and leading her to the en suite bathroom leading off from our cabin. "Get cleaned up. I'm going to go to the infirmary to get these wounds checked out."
"Don't go..." Sam muttered, reaching for my hand again. It wrenched at my heart.
"Sam..." I was so tempted to grab her hand, curl up and not move for a week. But my stomach wound was really painful, probably infected. Given that I was stuck on an island with a crazy Sun Queen and a fucked up cult; I didn't cauterize it properly. Disinfectant wasn't handy, and I was wading through shit half the time. So I think the visit was necessary. Also, I had many cuts, scars and bruises all over my body. It'd looked like I'd been thrown around like a ragdoll for days, and come to think of it, I was.
"Sam, I need to get these wounds checked out. I'll be back soon, I promise." I murmured, touching her out-stretched hand slightly before pulling away. I managed to give her a reassuring smile; though I'm not sure that it was convincing.
"At least let me come with you," She said, reaching down and grabbing my hand again. "I don't want to be alone."
That broke me. I loved Sam too much. I sighed but smiled. "Fine, come on then."
I led her down to the infirmary with me. There was a lot of medical assistants on board, given that we'd been sent a rescue ship after being stranded on the PT boat for days.
We walked in and saw that there was a doctor already tending to Reyes' arm; he turned around when we approached. He took one look at me, his eyes travelling down to my scarred arms and wrecked clothes.
"Well, I've got my work cut out for me with you," He said, but smiled so I knew he wasn't being callous. "Take a seat over there." He pointed to a medical bed a few beds down from Reyes'.
"And how about you?" He asked, gesturing to Sam who was still clutching my hand. "You don't look too beat but I'll give you a check over."
She nodded to him. And we both acknowledged Reyes before making our way to my assigned bed. I slouched on it, glad that I was lying on a soft bed – even a hospital one – and not the rocky floors that I had grown used too.
Sam sat on the edge of the bed, playing with the covers. She was being really quiet, but I didn't want to ask her about it, being what she had been through. What we had all been through.
I closed my eyes for awhile before I heard a gentle cough. I reluctantly opened my dreary eyes to see the doctor standing over me and Sam giving me a concerned look.
I sat up as the doctor dressed my wounds. I was sitting here in my just my bra and knickers as he examined the extent of my injuries; I couldn't care less that I was half naked now though. He was shocked to see the severity my stomach wound.
"How on earth did you get this to close up?"
I shrugged my shoulders; staring at the ugly, swollen scar that had formed. It definitely looked infected. "I cauterized it, or tried too, with a burning arrow." I admitted.
"That must have taken some guts." He muttered as he looked at me with deep respect.
"I did what I had too, to survive." I replied simply. Sam was staring at me with nothing but admiration. It made me blush as I was only in my underwear. It suddenly bothered me now. She must have noticed because she looked away. I could have sworn she was smiling.
"Okay, this is going to hurt a little." The doctor said, dousing my wound with disinfectant. It hurt but I managed not to flinch. I then felt gentle pulling on my wound as he was sewing it shut properly. It didn't hurt as much as I thought it would, so I was absentmindedly twisting my necklace in my fingers, not really bothered. I noticed Sam staring at me in complete awe again.
"Sam," I laughed, "I can assure you that I'm not as fascinating as you seem to think I am."
She smiled, "Sweetie, you're like Wonder Woman. You're so brave; you're not phased in the slightest."
I shrugged my shoulders, laughing at her. "I'm a tough cookie."
When the doctor had finished patching me up, he gave me some antibiotics to take over the next week. "Here," he said, passing them to Sam, "maybe your friend can help you to take them. Oh, and you'll need to change the dressing everyday."
"I'll help her," She volunteered, "It's the least I can do." She added.
As soon as the doctor checked over Sam – who only had a few cuts and bruises – we were allowed to go back to our cabin. Sam was the one leading me this time. The doctor had bothered my wounds so they were a little more tender than before. She sat me down on my bed and helped me to undress again.
"I'm so tired..." I moaned, it felt like I hadn't slept in weeks.
"Tough, sweetie, you need to wash; and then I need to dress your wound again." She pulled my trousers down and my top up and over my head. Even though she'd seen me naked before, I couldn't help but get embarrassed again. Before I could dwell on it too much though, she gently pulled me into the bathroom and gave me towels. "Can you manage?" She asked. I nodded.
I peeled the dressing off my wounds, annoyed that the doctor had only just put them on, and stepped in the shower. I let the warm water cascade over me. It felt like months since I'd had the pleasure of warm water and washing. I rubbed my fingers into my hair, working the dirt out. My wounds stung all over my body against the hot water. I tried not to let it bother me and continued washing as best I could given the state that I'm in.
When I got out, Sam went in while I dried and shoved the complimentary pyjamas on that were resting on my pillow. They were a little too tight and underwear wasn't provided for me. Wow. I couldn't wait until we docked in Japan and we could buy clothes; since ours were on the bottom of the sea somewhere along with the S. . When Sam came out, her skin was glistening wet. She walked over to her bed, which was across from mine, and picked up the complimentary pyjamas; one eyebrow raised.
"What are these?" She asked, seemingly disgusted at their taste of 'fashion.'
"Our clothes for the night," I laughed at her expression. "Just put them on."
She sighed, drying herself a little before dropping her towel. It wasn't like I'd never seen her naked before, because I had - on numerous occasions - but right now I found myself staring at her milky skin. She was very attractive; her curves were in all the right places and she was very beautiful, even after what had happened on Yamatai. She must have noticed me staring because she turned around, giving me a full view of her breasts – I might add - and smiling at me.
"Found anything you like?" She joked, rolling her eyes at me. I knew she was only joking but I felt my cheeks flood red. I looked away and climbed into my bed, sighing with exhaustion, and hoping it'd calm my blushing cheeks before she noticed.
When Sam was dressed she walked over to me and stood awkwardly at the foot of my bed, she was clearly considering something. I knew her too well.
"What's up, Sam?" I asked, opening my eyes to peer at her.
She didn't answer me straight away, but rather, started shifting her weight from foot to foot. She ignored my question and seemed to find an answer to her own internal thoughts as she, then, very gently, opened the covers and crawled onto my bed; curling up next to my side. I wrapped my arm around her and leant my chin on her head.
"Oh, Sam," I laughed. "You could have just asked."
She pulled herself closer to me, being careful of my wounds, snuggling in the crook of my neck. She sighed, with what I presumed, was happiness.
It felt good to be with Sam, whom I'd risked my own life to save. Our friendship had a new meaning now. She wasn't just my best friend anymore; she was the woman I would do anything for. I love you, Sam.I could smell the shampoo in her freshly washed hair. My Sam.