Stranded

Chapter 5

Damian's POV

I ran ,  towel in hand, on the edge of the waterfall, onto the rocks of the cave and caught sight of Mar'i,  lying limp on the ground blood dripping from her mouth.
Not again. Please not again.
Panic and worry invades my senses as I run to her, "Mar'i!"
I scoop her up in my arms and check her pulse. A weak throb meets my fingers. A rush of relief that simmers the rising panic but faintness of the little beat sustains it.
"Dammit."
I wrap her in the dry towel and lift her from the ground,  to see an exit to the waterfall cave. Hastily , I ran through it into the sunlight. I place her gently on the ground,  crushing the dead leaves beneath her.
I dry her best as I can and gently wipe the blood.
Mar'i has never been this fragile and it's what worried me most. Tamaranians were practically immune to most earth diseases and conditions, so what could possibly be affecting her so catastrophically.
I checked her pulse and sighed as her heartbeat stronger against my fingers.
Seeing nothing else to do, I started a fire.
***
The rain had started to drizzle at dusk and left with no other choice, I carried Mar'i back to the cave. The cave was magnificent and huge, the lake outside extended behind the waterfall so it seemed another huge lake lay inside the cave, the stone ground was mostly flat allowing for me to set up another fire,but the part I knew Mar'i would enjoy was the ceiling, practically covered with glowworms, the lack of light allowed for it to replicate the night sky. If only Mar'i would wake up. This would be the 2nd, no 3rd time I had an indefinite outcome to whether she would wake up. My mind flash backed to the scarring memory...

Mar'i had been 10, me almost 14. The uncommon occurrence of the flu fell on me and she volunteered to take care of me (even though I didn't require it -TT-). She'd forced me into bed, fed me soup,which she'd cooked, made me take medication and then... Put me to sleep. That night I experienced a nightmare; I was chained up in a dungeon of the League's, Grandfather stood over me, "You've grown weak, Grandson, you've forgotten your heritage. I will give you another chance to join me."
I clutched my jaw,"No,Grandfather."
He slapped me across the face and suddenly Mar'i appeared in his grip, his arm around her and a knife to her throat. I tensed.
Grandfather growled,"If this girl is the cause of your weakness it's best she dies."
Mar'i s eyes widened and she whispered,"Damian?"
Before Grandfather slit her throat.
I screamed,"NO!"
In the dream I broke the chains and launched myself at Grandfather. In my anger I failed to acknowledge the slip between dream and reality, as my hands wrapped around a real neck and tackled the owner to the ground, suffocating the person. Lightning flashed outside and I didn't acknowledge it, nor do I  acknowledge the strange smallness of the neck or the little hands feebly trying to pry my hands away. Only when the body choked,"Damian..." And fell limp beneath me did I realise the body was not Ra's Al Ghul but Mar'i. I took several deep breaths wide eyed processing what just happened, too many. I put my lips to hers and blocked her nose, blowing the air I had stolen into her lungs and pumped her chest, and repeated and repeated and repeated.
"Mar'i, please don't be dead." My voice choking and that's when Mar'i gasped for breath and her eyes flew open. Her eyes focused on me and she crawled back to get away from me looking like a scared lion cub.
"Mar'i, I'm sorry I-"
"You tried to kill me." She said while taking several shallow,panicked breaths, her hand touched her throat, which must have been hurting and bruising.
"I'm sorry, I had a nightmare and... I'm sorry."
Mar'is head tilted to the left and she crawled forward cautiously and sat on her knees in front of me. "What was it about?"
"My Grandfather killed someone, when I attacked you I thought it was him."
"Oh Damian." Her arms went around my neck and for a second I thought she was strangling me back when I realised she was hugging me, "I'm sorry you dreamt that. "
My arms had been open in surprised but I wrapped them around her torso and ,"I attempt to kill you and you apologise?"
"Damian, you're freezing, get your ass back in the blanket."
"You're spending too much time with Todd."
"Like you don't use language like that."
"You're 10."
"When you were 10 you told Uncle Jay and Uncle Tim to F-"
"Okay, okay, if your father hears you using language like that he'll murder me."
She smiled and shook her head,"Get in the bed, Damian."
I roll my eyes but slip under the covers. Mar'i said brightly,"I'm staying to protect you from Ra's Al Ghul."
And she climbed into bed next to me.
I rolled my eyes, "I don't need your protection Grayson spawn, but you may stay you've stayed the rest of the night."
And the rain poured through the night as the two slept dreamless and peaceful.

And the rain poured this night as well, as Damian waited for Mar'i to wake.