DOOM SAGA I - I'll be home tomorrow

Ezekiel 26:19-21 (NKJV)

The narrowness in his chest seemed to mimic the narrowness of the room around him. The weight of her petite body pressed down on him like a heavy rock, and the darkness gave him no chance to escape. No, he thought, no. His hands slipped along the rough stone again and felt the delicate edge where top and bottom met.
Why were they here again, he wondered. Once again imprisoned, together, at the bottom of this lightless hell, but a movement interrupted his frenzied thoughts.
He tilted his head forward, but he couldn't see anything. Still, he felt her becoming more restless, her breathing faster and rougher.
"Out. . . I want out...", she wailed powerlessly.
He grumbled understandingly and placed one hand on the inside of the lid. The cold was still present. If anything had changed outside, he thought. Is there a chance this time?
"Out!" she cried suddenly and began to beat and kick him as much as the room allowed.
"Let me out! Let me out! I want to get out!" she yelled, again and again, her fingernails striking him in anger and despair.
"Why don't you let me out?! I said I want out!"
Perplexed, he turned his head back and forth to avoid her, but one scratch after another began to burn on his skin and face. She started coughing, and with every word of her the smell of iron got stronger.
"Let me go!"
He felt all of his muscles tense up as he hastily pushed off the lid and let their bodies be embraced by the masses of water. Without thinking, he held her tightly and paddled upwards as hard as he could, and for a few moments, everything seemed to be the same as before. After only a few minutes he felt something near them, closer than he wanted and when a fin grazed his foot, he stopped for a moment in dread.
They had to move on.
To his relief, only a few halted breaths later glooms were to be seen, and with last effort, he struggled through the last meters, past the shadows that seemed to follow them. The light got brighter and the water warmer and as he believed they would break the surface Io almost got ripped from his arm. Frightened he looked down, and just to his feet she floated, her calm eyes looking at him. Fast he noticed the shackles bound to her ankle, its chain disappearing in the void below. He tried to pull on it unsuccessfully as her hand caressed his shoulder. Surprised he stared at her as she smiled unbothered and shook her head slowly.
"Listen more carefully.", she whispered but her voice seemed unaffected by the water surrounding them.
Confused and with wide eyes he looked up where the sunlight was just seconds away and back at her who was still gazing at him pleadingly.
"No...!", he gasped and bubbles came from his mouth. He did not understand. How could she ask that of him? How could this be right? What was it that he could not see?
her body floated downwards and for a few moments he followed along, as his shaking hand finally let hers slip bit by bit. Without turning away she was swallowed by the dark blue, and with her, the shadows sank as well, leaving him by himself after all.
"Io--!", he tried to scream as her sight had vanished, but his lungs filled with cold and choked him.
Gasping for air he fell onto his side, his hand slung around his hurting chest. He shivered badly and his teeth chattered as he came back to consciousness. The sweat that covered him head to toe felt like freshly molten snow, and he bashed his head against the floor in a frantic attempt to focus on reality again.
It was his fault, wasn't it? He hadn't done enough. He should have seen it, should have stayed with her. All these boys, no, rather men, strong and trained, falling apart in front of him as they told him. What a disgrace. They let it happen, right in the middle of their protected home. No wonder the crime rate was so high in the rest of the folk. If they cannot even protect their own, why should anybody believe in them?
Io. Why always her? Is everybody else blind, even he himself? She is conscious, they told him. Did she even want to see him? She was probably asleep at this time. Hopefully.
He needed to see her. Needed to apologize. Needed to protect her.

"WHERE IS SHE?!", he shouted maddened. He stomped wildly up and down as more and more came out of their beds and guards scrambled around him.
"Maybe you are not the only one with good hearing?", a warm voice mentioned. He spun around and saw Perrin sitting tiredly on his cot, who did not even give him a glance.
"How could you even think that she can sleep after what has happened?", he spat.
Dumbfounded the other men stepped back in worry as the Slayer stepped closer to him.
"Where is she?!", he hissed through his teeth but the other one wasn't impressed by this.
"She needed you!", he roared angrily.
"Not that night but TODAY, right here, right then! But you were too busy with your bullshit."
Perrin was now speaking right to his face, close enough that he could feel his heated breath. The Slayer growled, daunting him, but he didn't retreat a bit.
"What do you want to do? Kill me?!", he taunted him.
"You would do me a favour."
Immediately the Slayer's face softened and his shoulders sank at the look in Perrin's eyes. He slowly blinked and let go of a breath before turning around and shooing the others outside alongside him. Perrin was right.
The hall suddenly silent and dark the one left behind broke down sobbing.
"Why did you do that, you idiot?! I don't want you to die!"