First Taste of Freedom

His words weren't any comfort to her heart... this heavy feeling wouldn't leave her mind as she sat beside him touching his bare chest. But he said that they needed to move, so she gave a bit of a hollow nod and then moved to rise to her feet and let her hands slowly draw away from his bare chest.

She could still feel the warmth from his body on her hands, a light dampness from his sweat. Her heart was still moving rather quick in her chest and she had to wonder if it was from all the excitement.. or was it from him? Was it from being so close and actually touching him? She tried to put the thoughts from her mind... now wasn't exactly the time.

As soon as she put weight on her ankle she gave a visible wince, taking a deep breath she forced herself to try and put on a mask and tried not to drag Zakry down. He was so strong and she wanted to be just as strong as him. But there was this tiredness in her too... she may have been physically strong, but mentally she was not prepared for any of this in the least.

"Wait.." she called to him, catching herself on a tree and panted a bit shaking her head. She turned, letting her back fall against the tree. "I.. I am hurt." her words were faint and she lifted her pants leg to show that her ankle was swollen now and slightly red.

"Zakry... this is my fault. I was told by Doctor McKinley that it could be dangerous out here. I didn't listen. I came out here without an escort or a care in the world. You saved me from that creature, and you even tried to help me bring it back to the ship. If I hadn't made you carry it you never would have fallen and we would already be back on the Hyperion... or if I hadn't come out here you'd still be on the ship." she sighed and closed her eyes as she leaned her head back against the trunk.

"And to make matters worse... I've not only injured both my legs but my hand as well." she lifted it up and he would see the wood had entered her skin. There was a fine sweat on her brow and with every moment somehow she was starting feel worse if that were possible.

Her eyes snapped open and she looked at the pieces of wood in her skin. "Bái chī!" the words were certainly not English as she gazed at the hand and noticed her vision was starting to blur. "Zakry..." The name flowed so well.. it felt so nice to say his name, again her mind wandered but she was quick to coral it back in. Damn... thoughts were getting really hard to focus on.

"When I slipped the branch ripped through my hand.. I think.. the wood is toxic." her eyes went to him and suddenly she realized that it wasn't just Zakry at risk. She had worn gloves for everything else but wood.. wood didn't it even seem like it should have been a danger!

Her eyes went to his face as he approached her, squinting slightly as things dimmed for a moment. Things weren't... getting that dark that fast right? She closed her eyes for a moment, squeezing them shut before reopening them and again she started to feel fuzzy in her mind. She couldn't focus on her words, her head was feeling heavy and more tired as the seconds passed. There was still sunlight but the edges of her vision were growing more dim by the moment.

The sun was starting to set on the horizon... a breeze kicked up that was chilled and made the young woman shiver hard. Zakry.." her voice was softer as her eyes tried to focus on his face but it was getting hard. Something about enjoyment... something she couldn't understand as her eyes closed the world around her started to tilt and roll. Her dark magenta eyes rolled back and her legs gave out from under her as she collapsed to the sun warmed earth, letting the darkness take her consciousness away.