The Neverseen's Last Resort

34

Dex

Fog clouds Dex's thoughts, making it impossible to think. His head was raised only slightly higher than the rest of his limp body, his neck tickled by a warm, tender surface. A nook cradled his head perfectly, and Dex knew he could easily drift back to sleep if he simply wished it. But he couldn't. Not yet. Though his brain was foggy, he knew he was supposed to be doing something. But what? 

As he took a shaky breath, still halfway unconscious, the cold air stung his lungs. He coughed, the force scratching his throat and making it harder to breathe. 

"Dex?" asked a voice. His hands flinched as something warm and gentle reached for his hand. "Dex, are you okay?" It was a hand, he realized, that was giving Dex's own hand a tight, reassuring squeeze. 

A groan escaped Dex, though it sounded crackly and broken. He heard a sigh of what sounded to be relief, come from whoever was hovering over him. He forced himself to open his eyes. Thankfully, his eyes adjusted without problem. It was very dark wherever he was. Still, he could just make out the silhouette of a girl. A faint light outlined her fair features and illuminated her hair, which Dex could now tell was blonde. She wore her hair in braids, scattered around her head, and her ice blue eyes twinkled with worry. 

"Dex," the girl breathed, a tear slipping from her grasp and falling onto Dex's own cheek. A smile twitched in the corners of his mouth as a name finally came to mind. 

"Marella," Dex choked out, bursting into a series of scratchy coughs at the sudden use of his voice. The girl held him harder, and Dex realized at that moment that he wasn't simply lying on the rocky cave ground, but someone's lap. Marella's lap. Startled, he jerked away and scrambled to sit up. Marella's lips curled into a warm smile, her eyes lingering on his a second more than they should've been. Dex eyed her up and down, relieved to see she wasn't too badly injured. Just a couple bruises and scrapes here and there. Nothing too bad. But despite her fairly well condition, he still saw the way her cheeks were stained from tears. Her eyes were bloodshot and hinted of exhaustion. 

"Are you alright, Dex?" Marella's eyes flickered with concern, and Dex sighed. He needed to ease her mind. He couldn't see his own self, but he knew he must've looked a lot worse than Marella. He had been the first to rush into the cave, leaving him farther and making the escape longer. But despite all those odds, Dex had still managed to survive with no fatal blows. 

"I'm fine," he assured, returning her smile in hopes it would prove some truth. In all honesty, however, now that he was fully conscious he could tell his arm wasn't in good shape. Broken, probably. Another deep breath and Dex confirmed that he might've broken a couple ribs, as well. 

"You're not," Marella said, pointing to his arm. Dex didn't dare look, his mind already concocting multiple images as to what might've happened. He imagined deep gashes, bones sticking out, and blood waterfalling from the wound. Each image perfectly matched the amount of pain he felt when he moved his arm only slightly. 

"Then why'd you ask?" Dex smiled at the question, but Marella didn't fall for it. Her expression seemed to only darken when he didn't argue with her. But, she was right. He wasn't fine, and he couldn't lie. Not when he knew how it felt to be lied to in that way. He remembered escaping death with Sophie so many times in the past, and each time someone would ask her that same question, "I'm fine" was her go-to phrase. It didn't do any reassuring or calming, no matter how much she insisted.

 A groan rang in Dex's ear, and he forced himself to break away from his thoughts, only to find Linh and Stina stirring.

 "Linh?" croaked a voice, and Marella rushed to Tam's side-- which reminded Dex, why had he been in Marella's lap? Why not Linh-- who was in the worst condition? Or Stina-- actually, never mind. But out of the twins, Marella had chosen him. What was the reason?