Aftermath

She hasn't said a single word to me and it hurts. Yes, absolutely I'm thankful that she saved my life, but now it's like she's done with me. Lara is leaning against the railing at the stern, engrossed in some book. She's injured, exhausted and has refused treatment. Occasionally she glances up and stares at nothing in particular with those steely eyes. That look and her whole demeanour is alien to me. Yet I know how much she cares and I can guess how hard she fought. What I had seen on Yamatai would never leave me – it was the worst experience of my life. Though as traumatising as it was, Lara had likely been through worse. So it seems that I will be the one to make the first move. Roth is gone and really, Lara has no one left but me. I can't let her down.

Rising slowly from the crate, I excused myself, leaving Reyes and Jonah behind. Still weak from what had happened, I stumbled occasionally as I made my way over to my brooding saviour. There was no doubt she could sense me approaching, as Lara slammed her book shut and turned to face the ocean.

"Lara?" I called hesitantly, brushing her shoulder cautiously as I stood by her side. She remained silent, her expression still stony. Sighing I slumped forwards and leaned heavily on the railing. I joined her in the silence. After what seemed like a couple of minutes, Lara grunted and clutched her side. Her face was tight with pain.

"Sweetie...please. Sit down," I begged, clutching her arm securely. Due to the fact she couldn't stand upright any longer, Lara obliged and fell heavily to the floor. Pushing back a few stray hairs from her face, I realised just how much she was sweating. Her breathing sounded laboured. A wave of panic shot through my body.

"How long until we're at the mainland?!" I shouted, grabbing the attention of Reyes and Jonah. Jonah made it over first, kneeling down to examine Lara.

"Last I heard was half an hour," Reyes answered. "What happened? She seemed pretty strong a minute ago..."

Sam sighed, struggling to restrain her anger. "It's Lara Croft for God's sake! Remember the British stiff upper lip? Well, she can take it to a whole new level," Sam exclaimed, gesticulating wildly.

"Little Bird, I need you to listen to me," Jonah said, soothingly. Lara still wouldn't make eye contact and turned her head away from them. "Tell me what hurts."

The trio were surprised by the young woman's laughter. It was unexpected and quiet. Sam had to admit – it was a little creepy.

"What hurts?" Lara repeated incredulously, with a dark edge to her tone. "...I can't feel anything."

They stood there, a bit dumbfounded. Reyes seemed alarmed, glancing back and forth between Sam and Jonah.

"Reyes, go tell the Captain of Lara's condition. We need to pick up speed," Jonah ordered.

This time Reyes didn't mind being bossed around and sped off down the deck.

"J-J-Jonah...is Lara going to be alright?" I panicked, battling to stop the tears from falling. Jonah smiled confidently. "Yes, Sammy. She will. You're going to have to help her though."

Taken aback, I tried to organise my spiralling thoughts. I pointed at myself in confusion. "Wait, you said me?"

The big man chuckled. "That's right, I'll get Lara to our quarters and you take it from there. I get the feeling that you'll have the best chance at getting a proper look at her injuries. You need to fix her up with the first aid kit for the short-term."

Though I felt inept for the job, I was just grateful that we were making that effort to help Lara.

"Ok, Sam. We've got twenty minutes, you do what you do best. We'll be there before you know it."

Listening fixedly to Jonah's pep-talk, I nodded appreciatively. A gush of wind hit the back of my neck, signalling Jonah's departure. Clutching the medical kit, I approached the bed. Lara lay sprawled out on the sheets, marking them with blood and dirt.

Clearing my throat, I willed myself to concentrate. I spoke with faux-confidence.

"I've got a glass of water for you Lara. Here, let me help you."

Slipping my arm under her neck, I helped Lara to sit up slightly as she sipped at the liquid. At first she got a shock, choking as the cold water hit her parched throat. Then she gulped it down enthusiastically, until she was satisfied. A sense of relief hit me; it wasn't much, but it felt like it.

Falling back on the pillow, Lara grabbed my hand.

"Sam," she whispered. "My...my side."

I peeled away the fabric of her shirt carefully, pulling the material up to her chest. I didn't want Lara to be scared, but I couldn't help but gasp. It was disgusting. It was the sort of thing you accidentally come across on google images or when randomly flicking through television channels. Eventually, I found my voice.

"When. When did this happen."

A slight smile graced her beaten face. "It was the first thing that...happened to me, ac-actually." Lara stopped to take a deep breath. "It's a puncture...wound. Fell on a rebar...went...right through...me."

An array of disturbing images raced through my mind. I would vomit if not for the need to take care of Lara. The last thing I wanted to do was shout, but I did.

"Don't you dare keep something like that hidden from me. Do you hear me? Never do that again."

Lara's eyes were a bit softer than on the deck. When she looked just at me, things were different.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

Calming down, I began to realise something about the wound. It looked strange. Like it was burnt. Lara answered before I could ask the question.

"I...I cauterized it with a hot arrow head. It's botched, but...it did the job at the time."

This girl was unbelievable. Shaking my head in a mixture of disbelief and awe, I dabbed very carefully at the edge of the wound with antiseptic. Lara hissed, moving away from the touch violently.

"Lara," I sobbed. "I think it's already infected. We need to do this."

Wiping my tears away quickly, I set my mind on getting a grip. I was fed up of being a failure. This time I would be the one to help someone else.

"The fucking Solarii and that fucking sewage. I...I fucking traipsed through that shit...waist deep and more," she spat, eyes delirious. "Of course it's infected. Jesus it's hot in here."

I don't know what to do about the puncture wound. I just don't know. It can't be long now until we reach Japan. Paramedics would no doubt barge through the door in a moment. Switching my attention, I brushed a wet wash cloth over Lara's face, wiping away layers of dirt and blood. She squeezed her eyes shut, hissing through her teeth again, waiting for the pain to subside. Next I washed her arms, carefully applying a fresh bandage to what looked like a bullet graze. I dribbled water down her stomach, avoiding her serious wound and trying to cool her off. Finally, I pulled off her boots.

"Sam," Lara whined. "Why won't it come off. I can't get the taste out of my mouth."

My face contorted in confusion. "What are you talking about, sweetie? You did cut your lip. Are you tasting the blood or the medical stuff?"

"So red," she chuckled. "It was so human and now I'm inhuman. The slaughter...Roth, Alex, Grimm...symbolic."

Her madness terrified me as much as being tied to the stake or being attacked by Himiko. My gut plummeted.

I'd forgotten I was feeling weak myself. I tipped forward and my forehead pressed against Lara's.

"Sweetie," I gasped, trying to blink away the black dots threatening to blind me. "Help is coming. Don't worry. We both have to try and stay awake."

"You were reading Robinson Crusoe."

I smiled at her random memory. "Yeah Lara, I was."

"I love you, Sam."

My heart was beating out of my chest. Did she just say that? Did she really mean it? She doesn't know what she's saying.

Then there was darkness.