Dwayne gripped a tree, turning his head to the side as the nausea hit him again. David and Ruby had to be in that grove. The waves of pain were fresh, tainting the air. Pushing himself forward, he threw the branches back and looked in.
Curled together were Ruby and David. They were burned – rays of sun had leaked through the trees and even at half power they had done damage to the vampires. Dwayne let out a cry, kneeling to check them.
David didn't move, his arm locked around Ruby. As Dwayne brushed back the red hair from Ruby's face he found the nickel-sized burn on her cheek. He choked on a sob, just as her eyes fluttered open.
"Ruby!" he called. Her eyes were white: sun blind.
"Dwayne…." She croaked. "Is David ok?"
"I don't know… he won't move…"
"I think he's got a concussion. He hit a tree." Ruby tried to push herself up.
"You're burned. Both of you." Dwayne eyed the charred clothes. They couldn't look any better underneath the ashes.
"Where are Marko and Paul?" Ruby asked, her head turning this way and that, trying to find Dwayne's face. But all she saw was darkness.
"Marko's trapped by the creek. Paul's with him."
"Oh Marko…" Ruby whispered. "You've got to get David back to the cave and healed. He'll go berserk if he's down and the Bloods attack us."
"I'm not leaving you." Dwayne took her face in his hands, looking at the damage; the burn on her cheek, a matching one on her hand. All that on top of the blindness was more pain then he could take. Even though he was in fang, tears ran down his cheeks.
"Dwayne. You have to get Paul." Ruby let her self go into fang, using her senses to guide her. The fact she was blind had not dawned on her. Gently, with her good hand she brushed the tears from his face. "Do it. Go."
"I'll be right back." Dwayne kissed her cheek and fled back to the stream. Ruby heard him go, slowly turning and trying to gauge David's health. He was ok, just trapped in protective sleep. Through their bond, he answered her call weakly, disoriented and confused. He was burned badly down his back, but could heal far faster then she would. Ruby sat, David's hand in her hers, awaiting rescue.
