"Hang In There!"
After rescuing Arinia Mark continued flying back to Mauville on his Pelipper with Arinia balanced gently in Mark's arms so that she wouldn't lose any more blood than what she had already lost. Arinia was still unconscious from where she had fainted from blood loss.
"Arinia…… Please…… Hang in there……."
"Mark……." Arinia said very weakly.
"Arinia!? Are you awake?" Mark asked.
"Yes…….. Mark…….. I don't know how long I can hold on…….."
"You must try! Just keep talking to me!" Mark exclaimed.
"Okay……." Arinia replied weakly.
"I was so worried. I was afraid that I might lose you." Mark told Arinia concerned.
"Well, you got me…….." Arinia replied.
"You must be feeling okay if you can joke……. Don't worry, we're almost back to Mauville." Mark told her.
"Mark, where are you taking me?" Arinia asked.
"Mauville to see a doctor." Mark replied.
"Okay……" Arinia replied.
"How are you feeling?" Mark asked Arinia, shifting her slightly in his arms.
"Mark, I feel really weak…….." Arinia replied.
"Does it hurt when I hold you this way? Would you be more comfortable in some other position?" Mark asked.
"No, you're holding me fine, I just lost a lot of blood……." Arinia replied.
Mark bit his lip, "Maxie is going to pay for doing this to you."
"What are you going to do?" Arinia asked.
"First, I'm going to make sure that you get to a doctor. Then……."
"Then what?" Arinia asked.
"Don't worry about it." Mark told Arinia sweetly.
"I wish I had that bear you gave me………" Arinia replied.
Mark smiled, "I take good care of you." Mark pulled the bear out of his bag and gave it to Arinia.
Arinia looked surprised, "Did Wattson give it to you?"
Mark nodded, "Yup."
"Mark, you're a dream come true."
"No, you're my dream, Arinia." Mark told her.
"I don't have the strength to argue with you or tease you right now……." Arinia said weakly.
"Hang in there, I can see the buildings now." Mark told her.
"Mark, how'd you know where to find me?" Arinia asked.
"I followed a Team Magma spy to their base." Mark replied.
Arinia winced in pain.
"Arinia!" Mark exclaimed.
"Mark, I think the wound's getting infected………" Arinia moaned.
"I'm going to have to take you to the hospital." Mark replied.
Arinia grimaced as she felt more pain.
"Hang in there, we are almost there." Mark, Arinia and the Pelipper they were riding on landed.
"Okay…….." Arinia replied.
"I'm sorry if this hurts you……" Mark told her as he picked her up.
"Arinia moaned in pain as he picked her up.
"I'm sorry……. We're here, I'm taking you inside." Mark recalled his Pelipper and carried Arinia into the emergency room.
"Can I help you, sir?" A nurse asked when she saw Mark.
"My girlfriend has been stabbed and she needs help immediately!" Mark cried.
"Follow me!" The nurse exclaimed.
Mark nodded and followed the nurse, "Arinia, just a few more minutes."
"Who stabbed her?" The nurse asked.
"Maxie of Team Magma." Mark replied.
The nurse looked mad, "He has no right to harm an innocent girl."
"I agree! But can you get a doctor before she gets any worse?" Mark asked.
"Lay her on the bed and I'll have a doctor come in, in a minute." The nurse replied.
"Thank you." Mark set Arinia on the bed. "Arinia…….. Are you okay still?"
The nurse now left the room to go get the doctor.
"I think I'll survive, but I still feel weak…….." Arinia replied.
"Just keep talking, the doctor is on his way." Mark replied.
"Mark, what are you going to do about the rest of your team?" Arinia asked.
"I'll go back and break them out." Mark replied.
"Aren't you going to need some help from someone else on your team?" Arinia asked.
"Probably." Mark replied.
"Okay……." Arinia moaned almost in a whisper.
Just then the doctor arrived, "Arinia, I assume?"
"Yes, that's me." Arinia replied.
"Let's get you set up in a more permanent room." The doctor told her.
"Okay……." Arinia replied very quietly.
"Will she be okay, doctor?" Mark asked.
"She'll need a couple of blood transfusions, but she should be fine other than that. You got her here in enough time for us to save her life." The doctor replied.
Mark exhaled, "That's a relief…… Please take good care of her……. She's my life."
"Don't worry; we won't let anything happen to her, she's in good hands." The doctor told Mark.
"Good. I'll see you later Arinia." Mark said.
"Okay……." Her bear fell off the bed.
Mark picked the bear up. "Here……." Mark handed the bear back to Arinia.
"Thanks Mark." Arinia hugged the bear tightly.
"Let's go, Arinia." The doctor began to wheel her out.
"Bye Mark." Arinia said.
"Goodbye Arinia." Mark said.
Arinia held her bear tight.
"We'll have you patched up soon." The doctor told her.
"Okay……." Arinia replied.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
A little while later after the doctor had stitched Arinia up and given her a couple of blood transfusions he looked at her and asked, "How are you feeling?"
"I feel a little better now." Arinia replied.
"That's good, but I recommend that you get lots of rest." The doctor told her.
"Okay, I'll do that." Arinia replied.
"I'll be back to check on you in about two hours." The doctor told her.
"When can I see Mark again?" Arinia asked.
"If he's here, I'll send him in……. But only for a little bit." The doctor replied.
The doctor exited the room and found Mark, "She's asking to see you."
"Is she alright?" Mark asked.
"Yes, go on in……. But don't stay too long." The doctor replied.
"Does her dad know where she is?" Mark asked.
"I haven't called him yet." The doctor replied.
"Are you going to? He's probably worried sick since Arinia had originally been kidnapped during the night by Team Magma."
"Do you have his number?" The doctor asked.
"I do." Mark handed the doctor his address book.
"I there anyone else I should contact?" The doctor asked.
"Yes, Wattson as well. His number is there too." Mark replied.
"Thank you." The doctor wrote down the numbers and gave Mark back his address book and headed to the phone.
"Thank god, Arinia's going to be okay…….." Mark thought as he headed to her room.
Mark walked into her room and Arinia looked up, "Mark?"
"Hey sweetheart, how are you feeling?" Mark asked.
"Better, but tired." Arinia replied.
"Glad to hear it." Mark replied.
Arinia nodded.
Mark looked somber, "Arinia what happened when the grunt managed to get to Maxie before I could get to you?"
"Just this." Arinia replied.
"What happened when Maxie sent someone to fetch you?" Mark asked.
"The grunt just grabbed me out of my cell and drug me to Maxie's office. I was carried by the grunt who had been guarding me, and he was the one who held me still when Maxie was about to stab me." Arinia replied.
"He will pay." Mark muttered, his hand tightening into a fist.
Arinia tightened her grip on her bear.
"Arinia, will you be okay here while I go deal with Team Magma?" Mark asked.
"Okay…….. I'll miss you." Arinia replied.
"I'll miss you too." Mark replied.
"Who are you going to tell about this?" Arinia asked.
"About your injury?" Mark asked.
"Yeah." Arinia replied.
"The doctor is calling your dad and Wattson." Mark replied.
"Thanks Mark." Arinia replied.
"You're welcome Arinia, I'll be back soon." Mark told her.
"Okay." Arinia replied.
Mark kissed Arinia goodbye, "I'll see you soon."
"Don't get hurt Mark." Arinia replied.
"Don't worry, I won't." Mark assured her.
"Promise me that you won't get hurt." Arinia requested.
"I promise." Mark assured her seriously.
"Thanks you." Arinia replied.
"Bye Arinia, get some rest while I'm gone, okay?" Mark told her.
Arinia yawned, "I will."
"I'll be seeing you, bye."
"Bye Mark……. Remember your promise."
"Don't worry, I'll honor it." Mark assured her again.
"Thanks."
"I need to get going, I'll be back later, okay honey?" Mark asked.
"I'll be fine, bye Mark."
"Bye Arinia." Mark left Arinia's room to go head back to the Team Aqua base to report to his boss.
Once Mark had left, Arinia closed her eyes and went to sleep and surrendered herself to the sweet dreams that sleep swept over her.