Golden Thorns: Chapter Twenty

There was so much blood. It ran down and formed a puddle on the hard dirt.

In a flash Coran was there, at her side. "Dev! Jo! Help me!" he cried. He looked back at Marie. Her beautiful face was pale and contorted with agony. She was breathing heavily. Her teeth were clenched and her bright green eyes were screwed tight shut. She was still conscious then. That was something.

"Marie, Marie listen to me." He said urgently. "I need you to talk to me okay? Keep talking, it doesn't matter what about just keep talking." He turned to the others. "Jo, find water. To clean it. I heard a spring that way" as she ran off he turned to Devlyn. "Put pressure on that wound okay?" he did so and the bleeding slowed a little. Marie gasped at the sudden pain but didn't scream. He started tearing strips off of his shirt. "I don't hear you talking Marie." She started mumbling quietly.

"Coran!" Jo was back with her water bottle freshly filled.

"Okay Dev, lift off on three. This is going to sting a bit. Ready. One… two… three!" the scaled hands lifted, the water was poured and Marie groaned. "Go get Port, anyone that could help. GO!" he shouted to his team.

He was alone with her now. Holding the wound in one hand and hers in the other. "Now you listen to me. I have too much going for me right now. You wouldn't want to break my winning streak would you?" he joked, even though the tears were falling freely now. God there was so much blood. He picked up the rags and shoved them into the wound to staunch the flow. He squeezed her hand tightly and she responded in kind. Her grip was vicelike. "Keep talking, Marie. Keep going." He cradled her in his arms as her laboured breathing continued… barely.

"The… ship…" she murmured

"Yes, on the ship. Where we met."

"I… am glad…"

"So am I." he suddenly had a desperate thought, an idea of how to keep her awake. "Hey, Marie." He was half laughing, half sobbing, "y'know there's prom coming up?"

"Really?" she had the faintest trace of a smile.

"I was wondering whether you would like to go with me."

"I… can't imagine you dancing"

"I'm actually pretty good, though probably a bit out of practice." He laughed through the tears

"We… shall see…" with a small grin she slipped into unconsciousness.

He felt her bone-crushing grip lessen even as the airship descended and the medical team rushed out, along with a breathless Port. Coran only let go when Devlyn and Jo lifted him to his feet. The airship took off and they were left in the clearing, dust billowing around their ankles.

Coran was so numb he barely noticed Professor Port hurrying over to them, puffing and wheezing slightly. "Come on children. Back to base camp. Good heavens! Mr Silverthorne, are you hurt?"

He looked up to see Port staring at his torso. He wasn't aware of any injuries but when he looked down he realised that his shirt was covered in blood. Her blood. He had to get up to the school. He had to make sure that she would pull through.

"She'll be okay. Beacon has some of the best doctors in Vale." Dev said quietly, though it sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than the others.