Marina stumbled at being pushed and bullied along the palace corridor. An aquaphibian guard grabbed her by the arm and yanked her back, Phones on her other side. The pain in her shoulder exploded and for a brief second Marina saw stars brighter than any in the sky, and her vision went white.
But instead of falling, Marina kept her balance.
It was Phones who had her, and her arms were free, not at all tied.
"Heck! Hey a little help?!" Phones called as ducked and pulled her other arm over his shoulder. There was a brief pounding of footsteps too. Marina could feel vibrations through the floor and up through her feet. Marina staggered leaning heavily both on Phones and on the wall with her other arm; before sinking to her knees, unable to stand. Troy skidded to a halt in front of her, Atlanta right behind him. Phones guided her down, with other hands holding her up right.
"She fainted; I think. Marina?" There was a treble of panic in Phones' tone. Marina hated that she was the one to put it there. But he sighed when Marina shook her head. "No, scrap that. You're awake. Sort of."
"Calm down." She wanted to say, "I'm alright. I just slipped; I think."
"Marina? Please can you look up? Open your eyes for me please." Marina did but only because of the worry in Atlanta's voice.
"I'm fine! I'm fine… I'm just tired. My legs and head have gone funny, sorry."
Marina tried to explain. All three were on the floor too now. All Crouched, knelt or sat with her.
"I'm alright, really. I think it was just a bad memory. I didn't mean to scare you. I don't know what happened? I'm just tired."
"Okay there we go just keep them open a bit longer yeah. I'm sorry I know you want to sleep honey." Atlanta assured her. Marina nodded but closed her eyes again to rub her eyes and face with her free hand.
"Did she hit her head at all?" Troy asked, turning to Phones. "I swear I only looked away for a second-!"
"No, I think she just tripped, skipper? She was out, sure, but not for real." Phones moved out from under Marina's arm but still held her upright, "Marina? Marina, did you lose consciousness at all?"
Marina shook her head, winced and tapped no.
"Maybe we should sit her against the wall?" Troy suggested. But Marina was already turning her back to the wall to do so. Or trying to.
Her body didn't want to move the way she wanted to. And her hand slipped on the lino as she tried to shuffle back.
"Woah easy there now. Slowly does it. Phones gimme a hand, would you?"
Again, Troy caught her, and more hands were there to steady her. Together with their help, Marina was sat up against said wall, and staring up at the ceiling. Phones pulled her feet onto his lap too, raising them. Again, saying something about shock. And again, the blanket had fallen on the floor at some point.
This time Atlanta tucked it over Marina's lap and front, rather than across her shoulders. Although Marina shifted her arms free. It felt too weird and claustrophobic on her chest. And the hall light was bright, even with her hand shielding her eyes. Troy had stood up and was already on his wrist communicator to someone.
"She fainted. Or felt faint and slipped? Then came to? Yeah, no she didn't black out. No no she's sat down. Her breathing seems normal. Phones check her pulse, would you? We were bringing her out of the tower. We're not far from the standby lounges."
"Marina, are you dizzy?" he asked.
Marina frowned trying to think. She had been very dizzy, yes.
"A little?" Troy guessed as she gestured. Pinching her fingers together was fine but the rest was harder. Thankfully Troy was paying very firm attention. "You were. But not now? Now not so much. Okay, Good girl."
"You get that?" he said, turning back to his radio.
"Should we try getting her back to the lounge?" Atlanta asked Phones. "Would that be more comfortable for her?"
"Even with those couches?" Phones raised an eyebrow.
"Even then." Atlanta replied. "Better than the floor. Right, Marina?"
Marina nodded with a little smile of agreement. And was glad to see small smiles on her friends faces too, brief as they were. "Maybe." Phones agreed, "We'll see if this passes huh? And what the doc says."
Marina groaned. Well complained in her head if not her throat like her friends would.
"Doc says get her home to bed." Troy said eventually, "Sleeping is fine. But if Marina collapses for real, we call an ambulance pronto. Agreed?"
Phones and Atlanta agreed. Marina was overruled.
"I know Marina. Don't look at me like that." Troy sighed.
"I won't faint then ." Marina sulked. And pulling her legs back toward her tried to get up. Only like before, Phones very gently but firmly held her in place with a hand on her shoulder.
"Marina, no. Stay down. Just another minute, yeah?"
"You need to rest anyway." Troy agreed. Atlanta made similar soothing comments.
Marina did not in fact stay down. Not without a fight. She would have fought too, had the floor (or at least the floor she was trying to push up from,) not chosen that moment to go sideways again. Really sideways. With a lurch. And Marina had to freeze. Then draw her knees up and in, to brace her feet on the flat.
"Oh. That wasn't battle stations, was it?" Marina thought, head over her arms. Atlanta rubbed little circles on her back and asked how she was feeling until Marina Slumped back up against the wall frowning. "Not if you three didn't feel anything. Is this what your migraines are? I'm not hurting right now though. I just… I'm tired. what were we talking about?"
As ordered Marina stayed where she was, not bothering to try and time a nonmarine minute. Atlanta and Phones were sitting either side of her now almost in solidarity. Troy crouched again in front of her. And made Marina follow his finger with her eyes and all the silly things the doc had asked of her twice over.
"How are you feeling Marina? Any better?"
"Okay. Better." Marina signed with a sigh. And it was partly true. She tried to apologise for being so clumsy and say how that the world seemed to keep going wobbling. It was getting harder and harder to make herself understood though.
"It was just as if I had no energy all of a sudden?" she tried to explain. But her friends looked confused at her. And Marina felt the walls closing in. The cool low watt institutional lighting corridor is too bright. The wise space is too narrow. Too unreal and unfamiliar.
"I want to go home." Marina tried again. more insistent this time; gently pushing Phones off her and forcing her feet up. "I want to go home now please."
"Steady Marina. Slowly does it."
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"Guess she just wants out?
Marina tried to push herself up independently. but even with help she felt Exhausted from even that small effort. Marina couldn't honestly place a time she was so worn out after doing so little.
"Don't strain yourself."
"Here, lean on me. you just concentrate on going forward." Phones said and ducked under her arm, his own around her waist.
Marina agreed, as slowly they set off. Even slower than before she'd fallen.
"Take it easy. And your time, there's no rush."
"It's not too far from the elevator. We're nearly there even."
Her body felt like a big old anchor. Although not heavy at all to someone else ducked under her other arm.
"Let me help you too, Marina." Troy said.
"We'll do it together." Phones agreed.
Or tried to. Something felt wrong and Marina felt almost sick with a sudden stab of- pain. Not pain exactly. It hurt sure but clouded and dulled as quick as it had surfaced. Whatever it was Marina tried to physically recoil from it.
"Oh! Hold up, you two. What is it, honey?" Atlanta asked.
"Shoot, did that hurt you?" Phones asked.
"Her shoulder!" Troy realised. "Aw gee Marina I'm sorry; I forgot about that!"
"Me too." Phones frowned. "Nah, that's not going to work then at that angle."
"You're too tall Troy. Let me try?" Atlanta offered. "Or is your shoulder sore Marina? Let me see, look up?"
Marina did so, trying to relax the arm she pulled in. Atlanta very slowly and gently had her stretch it out and move it little by little. "That hurt at all?"
Marina meanwhile leant heavily on the fellas for support. Both frowned at that.
"Gosh She's practically falling asleep standing up huh?" Phones said.
"Even without the bad shoulder, if we have her by her arms, we're going to end up dragging her." Troy said.
Marina scowled at him.
"No dragging. Am not in a net from the land boats."
"No, you're right that's not good, huh? What about a piggyback, Marina?"
"That would still be hard on her shoulder." Atlanta pointed out.
"And she could slip backwards if she dozes off for real?" Phones agreed.
"Can we both carry her?"
"Oh, like a swing carry?"
"Yeah. Wait no. That'll Only work if one of us goes backwards, huh?"
"There's three of us." Atlanta hummed. "We could just carry Marina straight between us. That'd be a squeeze though."
"And real uncomfortable for her." Troy said. Atlanta nodded. "Tell you what, how about I just-?"
Troy said something but Marina didn't know the first word. Again, conversations were going to fast follow.
"If we're taking the elevator anyway?"
"Well, okay then. Let's get this blanket back on you Marina." Phones shrugged. Atlanta didn't seem as convinced.
"Troy? Are you sure that's a good idea? You're not meant to be doing too much either."
"I'll manage. She's only a dinky little thing. Up we go!"
No sooner was the blanket put around her shoulders then Marina felt her body go up as feet left the floor. Something scooped her right out of Phones' hold without warning. Marina realised a split second too late with a jolt she was being hauled out of the tank. They would take her Titan! Marina fort it off; Weakly as she felt.
"Ow! Hey knock that off!" Troy said.
"Woah now. not again." Phones agreed.
"Oh, now she'll wake up?" Atlanta chuckled. "You should have asked her first maybe."
"Yeah, give the little lady a little warning next time huh?"
"Okay okay. Easy, Tigershark." Troy frowned. "Quit squirming!"
Marina stopped and blinked up at him; her mind catching up at who it was that had her. That Troy had again just picked her up to move her. It wasn't another memory.
"Breath." She reminded herself. "Breath! It's Troy. Troy is okay. We're both safe. Phones too…"
"Hey? Don't panic." Troy smiled gentler now. "It's just us? You sorta keeled over back there, Marina. Do you remember? We don't want you to fall, okay?"
Marina blushed, her cheeks burning and nodded. Feeling silly and trying to regain some dignity, Maria settled in the hold and sat up best she could, her arms over his nearest shoulder.
"We'll get you somewhere you can sleep for real." Phones told her, then asked Troy. "Did she actually hit you?
"No, not really. But I'd hate to be the one she did hit if she was feeling her usual self." Troy said, adjusting his balance. "You've some real force in that swing Marina. Ah gee she's shivering again. Can you get that blanket around her more?
They swaddled the blanket over her again, like a cocoon. Marina felt small and silly for it. Although grateful for the help.
Once she was steady, they set off, Troy carrying her. Marina disliked this new lack of autonomy over her body.
"Just another to the list," she supposed. Hopefully Troy wouldn't make a habit of this. But being carried won out over walking. Even if it felt too high up.
Despite her best efforts to remain awake Marina felt her legs go limp. And her arms start to slip. Marina let out a little frustrated huff and lay against Troy's shoulder, curling up. And letting go, tried to relax into it.
"There we are." Troy breathed as he adjusted his hold. Marina could hear how pleased he was that his plan had worked.
"Watch her head skipper." Phones said. Marina felt another set of hands holding her head as they went through the door frame. And pull the blanket over her head like a hood. "Or Marina will give you a third shove."
"Third?" Atlanta queried. but Marina didn't care to explain. Instead, Marina drifted, watching the world go by. Even if the view was Mostly of Troy's uniform, the ceiling and the blanket. Her eyelids were very heavy; but at the same time, she was struggling to keep her eyes shut.
There is a flickering of lights again. bright then dim and then back to normal. As well as the usually funny feeling in her stomach as they went down in the elevator. There was beep of a radio and chatter too.
Phones said something about his moped. Then, "Fisher's gonna bring his 'round."
"Sorry Marina. Of all the days I get the shuttle to work huh?" Troy said, down to her.
"You're not meant to be driving yet anyway." Atlanta said, only very lightly scolded him.
"And yet I captained a mechanical fish out to sea and back." he boasted lightly teasing her.
Marina meanwhile was quite Confused to what was going on. And where they were going or had planned. The whole conversation was muffled. Possibly by the itchy blanket about her but it was a curious feeling. As if she was underwater and the rest of the world was above.
Or worse, like Marina was dreaming…