Rhett Beckett, Nadia Reyes, and Theodore Colbeck
Location: The Lighthouse; Atlantic Ocean.
Interacting With: Each other, and Isaura Eldars (@Vicier).
A lighthouse? Yes, he remembered something about a lighthouse before. Had he seen it, or had he just heard about it? Rhett’s memory was slipping away faster and faster - his legs giving up long ago in an attempt to help propel the three of them forward. He rested his head down on the seat cushion, pressing his cheek to the fabric and laying his head on the side as to not get any water in his nose. His eyes were forcing to shut but each time they did, his heart panicked and his eyelids shot right back open again.
“..almost-... a-almost there…”It wasn’t a lie- they were close… so close to what looked like large steps leading up to the lighthouse; but just how much further she could go, she wasn’t sure. Forcing herself to keep her eyes open as wide as she could, Nadia paused, the kicking motion of her legs losing its luster as she once more began to tread water, doing her best to keep her head above the surface as she struggled under the weight of their dog.
“..solo espera… please, Rhett… not much l-longer…” Bringing herself closer against him, she dropped her head, her eyes shutting as she let her forehead come into contact with the cool touch of his skin against her own. They were both cold… so damn cold- not to mention exhausted… She-... She just needed a break… just a small one… then they could keep going… she could get them both to safety…
Spanish. Why was she yelling at him in Spanish? Did he forget to turn off the coffee maker again?
”I’m s-sorry, baby. L-last t-t-time. P-prom...ise…”Sorry..? Her brows furrowing together in slight confusion, Nadia lifted her head, her body shaking lightly in the water, though she didn’t seem to notice as in a moments notice, all of her attention was once more on her fiance,
“..R-R-Rhett… s-stay with me, n-now…””You need a hand?” The voice… a stranger… though close, had Rhett’s mind coming back to himself, somewhat.
”N-no thank...s. I… I’ve al...ready g-got t-two…” He couldn’t even see the male that spoke out to them, but he gave a weak smile to the opposite direction of his fiance’ figuring that might be somewhat close.
Theodore was more than a little taken aback at the response. Was the guy drunk, or seriously hurt? He was clearly something, but Theo couldn’t tell.
”Well, yes… but… I meant did you need help? I wasn’t going to physically give you a hand” he said, wondering if it had been a mistake to approach them, not even sure what he could do, with Isuara on his back.
”G-good. Cuz… cuz we’d n-need a d-doctor f-for that.” Rhett laid his head back down on the cushion where it was nice and comfortable a fourth of an inch submerged under the frigid salt water. He snickered to himself, finding something rather funny..
”Heh… g-good thing I… I kn-know one…”Theo once more hesitated, not particularly sure where to go from there, wondering if he should just… swim away. Still, he continued
”Did… did you want help, or not, ‘cause I can just keep on swimming… ““..e-espere…” Her eyes panicked slightly as she looked over her fiance, Nadia eventually lifted her head, her soft and slightly blue tinged lips parting ever so slightly as she looked over in the direction of the other man, her legs struggling to keep her head above the water,
“..p-please… I-I need h-h-help…””Alright… “ he said,
”I’m not sure what i can do… I have Izzy already… but I’ll try” he said,
’we’ll get out of this… it’s not far now… We could get the dog between us?“As if on cue, Boris had finally had enough of being carted around on Nadia’s shoulder. Claws digging into her skin for a moment as he got his footing, he launched himself off of her shoulder and back into the water, paddling as quickly as he could to the submerged stairs that led up to the lighthouse. Feet finally able to touch, Boris bounded up the stairs and once he was on flat, dry ground, shook his black and brown fur - the tag on his collar jingling in the night air.
“..n-nghh..!” Her face scrunching up as she felt the claws digging into her shoulder, Nadia winced in pain, her body sinking down and under the surface of the water the canine lept from his perch. Her body thrashing slightly as she hurried to bring herself back above the surface, she once more gasped for air, her eyes opening wide as her heart once more began to beat wildly within the confines of her chest.
“..d-damn that d-dog..! H-H-He’s on a d-diet w-when we get b-back h-home..!””Sh-shoulda g-got a Schnauzer.”Theodore watched the dog reach land,
”Well, that makes things easier… “ he said,
”let’s get closer, then I’ll get Izzy out, and help you with him”Nodding her head up and down as best as she could without swallowing any seawater, Nadia once again let her attention turn to Rhett, her dark gaze still filled with worry before she shook herself out of it, forcing herself to bring her mind back to the most current, and rather hard task ahead of them- she needed to be strong… for him; she needed to be the strong one…
Taking another couple of moments to catch her breath, Nadia shut her eyes, her legs heavy as she kicked them back and forth behind her, doing everything she could to get the both of them moving once more in the direction of the steps, the familiar sound of Boris’ bark letting her know that she was, at least, heading in the right direction.
Committed now, Theodore waited for the woman to begin to move once more, before he followed. Reaching the stairs, Theodore sighed in relief, quickly getting out of the water, and helping Isuara down from his back, checking her over quickly before he returned to the water, to help get the man out.
”I… I don’t th-think I c-can pull m-myself up th-there…” Rhett admitted, taking a look at the steps that Theodore had pulled himself out of the water to reach safety. Boris sat on the edge of the square-like structure, looking down into the water at them, his whine carrying over the water and mixing in with the lingering cries from help from those who hadn’t discovered the lighthouse yet.
”It’s okay, I can help” Theodore said as he flexed his hands to keep the blood moving, and loosen the stiffness the cold had worked into his body, He quickly sought a good place to stand, where he could keep his balance, without immersing himself in the water again,
”Might be a bit rough, but you’ll get out” “..I have you baby- we’re going to get you out of the water okay..?”Her foot slipping from the submerged step as she moved forward, Nadia paused for a moment, taking a spell to regain her balance before she began to work once more, doing all that she could to push him as close to the risen steps as she could manage before she crouched down at his side, a flash of worry flickering behind her tired eyes as she let her mind wander over just
how they were going to get him up the steps and onto the flat surface above them,
“..we just need to get him out… I would do it myself, but-... but I don’t think I can…”Theodore crouched on the steps, wishing he had something to hold onto.
”I think if i can get my hands under his arms, we can get him out, enough so he’s out the water at least.” He said, trying to figure out just how he could do that before he reached down to try and get the man out the water.
“..here; take a hold of my wrists, we can lift him together…” Her attention focused on her fiance, Nadia carefully slid her arms under the surface of the water, slipping them slowly between his back and the seat cushions that she had been using to help keep him as afloat as she had, her hands open as she waited for the guy who was helping her.
Theo nodded, and quickly reached for her wrists, gripping them, he shifted slightly, trying to make sure he wouldn’t slip, and that they weren’t going to drop him.
”Alright, I’m good, are you ready?” he asked, ready to begin getting the guy out the water.
Hesitating a moment to adjust her grip over his wrists, Nadia tightened her hold, chewing softly upon her lower lip before finally, she nodded her head,
“..yeah… yeah, I’m ready…””Just… watch the b-back… and the front… Feeling the two somewhat sandwiching him, specifically Nadia at his back, the once numbed nerves of the entry and exit wounds began to flare up, reminding Rhett that he had a large piece of shrapnel piercing through his torso.
”I’ll n-need to be p-put on my side…””Right… “ Theodore wasn’t sure if it would be possible to get the man out while watching his injuries, but if they didn’t, he’d die in the water. So, he slowly began to rise, being careful not to slip, making his movements slow, knowing that one wrong move could be more than dangerous.
Her heart beating wildly against her rib cage with both the pressure and the adrenaline coursing through her body, Nadia’s gaze continuously moved, flicking back and forth between Rhett and the stairs as she took up the rear of the small cluster, ignoring the searing pain coursing through her arms at the sudden weight falling against her as she took it one step at a time.
Theodore could hate the water, and wish for the weightlessness it gave at the same time, as they began to get the man out the water, the task becoming harder the more they succeeded as the man’s weight was no longer supported by the water. Theo began to struggle, but he knew if they stopped now that would probably be it. He glanced down, grimacing slightly, making sure he wasn’t about to trip up the steps, focusing on when to rise up each step, until the man was out the water. His muscles, previously aching from cold, were burning with fire as they rapidly warmed up with the exertion, and breathing hard, Theodore looked for somewhere that the man could rest, without falling back into the water, knowing he’d have to put him down, or risk dropping him.
Finally, Theodore figured they were far enough on land to set the man down, and he began to carefully lower the man, remembering what he said about wounds, he shifted to be able to lay him down on his side, relief flooding through him when he was finally able to set him down, stepping back, he stood, shaking somewhat, looking back to Isuara before going over to make sure she was okay.
Reaching out towards him as he began to move away, Nadia took a gentle hold of his hand, her soft lips parting ever so slightly from one another as she lifted her gaze up to meet with his,
“..t-thank you…”Her grip dropping, she turned her attention back down to Rhett, her hand instead moving to gently brush the wet strands of hair of of his face so that she was able to see him better, her heart pounding against her chest while her stomach twisted nervously, her body shaking as she held him gently in her arms,
“..don’t leave me, Rhett… please… please, you can’t leave me…”
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