Numbing Darkness

Miriam had been more than just grateful when Proteus had changed direction and taken her to the spire. The flow of blood had quickly stopped, as well as her coughing, but a new terror was driving chills through her bones, scaring her more than the pain ever had.
"I feel... numb," she told Proteus in a whisper, unsure of why she was admitting this weakness. Unsure of what she was saying at all. Her eyes kept fluttering as if she was about to fall asleep. She was so tired... if she could only... rest for a minute. What would be the harm in that...?

Proteus kept walking toward the spire, stopping as soon as he reached a good zone and gently laying Miriam on the ground. When she said to feel numb he felt chills down his spine but he forced himself to smile "Don't worry, you'll feel better..." but when he saw her tired and ready to fall asleep he gently shaked her head "Hey Miriam, come on, stay with me, stay awake." desperatly searching for a way to convince her to stay awake he decided to let her talk "Tell me what happened, tell me who did you... this?" Meanwhile, fastly, he had taken his bottle with the holy water and ripped a sleeve of his shirt to start to clean her wounds

Despite his attempt to keep her awake, her eyes drifted close and her breathing slowed to that of a sleeping pattern. She had clung to his top, but her hand slided down his shirt and landed on the floor beside her, the only sign left of her life the steady shaking from the cold air.
It couldn't harm to sleep just a little bit.. she might even feel better when she woke up.. yes, she was sure she would..

He had just started to clean the wounds on her arm when he noticed she was falling asleep "No!" He opened his eyes scared: it wasn't a good signal, at all: he could not be a doctor, but he knew that sleep in such conditions was just the step before the death "Miriam!" he called out loud, shaking her hardly this time, no matter it hurted, better hurt her a bit but keep her alive than loose her

She didn't wake, didn't move, only moaned at the soft pain he was inflicting on her. Nothing he did could wake her up, no matter how much he tried. Her heavy breathing, and beating heart, told that she was still alive, yet Miriam had surrendered fully to the mercyful, numbing darkness of sleep.

Proteus looked at her with apprehension: she didn't wake up, she kept sleeping, just moaning for the pain. But she was still alive, he could feel her heart beating and she was still breathing. He gave up after a few minutes to try to wake her up: she was still alive, that was the important thing, and maybe for her it was better in this way. He stayed by her side, and returned to clean her wounds, ripping after a while even the other sleeve of his shirt, that then used to create small bandages for the wounds that most needed it. Even when he finished he stayed by her side, checking often if her breath and her heart were still working properly...

It took hours before Miriam woke up, and when she finally did she could see the break of dawn from the hole in the ceiling.
Her heart was beating fast, though looking down on herself she seemed far better than she could remember, the deep gashes only half as big as they had used to, and when she gasped and sat up she felt close to no pain at all. She looked down on herself in wonder, this wasn't possible. No human could ever heal this fast, not even with medical care. It took her several seconds to even notice Proteus, and she stared at him with wide eyes.

Proteus had stayed by Miram's side the whole time, and only when he had finished to clean her wounds he had started to feel the pain in his own cut: he had even carried her on the stairs, and both the hand and the hip hurted a lot now.
He rested a bit by her side, waiting for the pain to pass while he was keeping check on her health. He barely noticed the fact that her wounds were already getting better: he wasn't in alarm for it since he had healed her with the holy water and he was sure she was human, his only idea was that maybe they had seemed worse than they actually were...

Miriam stared at Proteus for a while, unable to comprehend what his presence meant at first.
"You... stayed," she said, half shocked and half choked with emotion, but she quickly coughed and pulled herself together again. She had showed enough weakness for a lifetime, and he didn't need to see more of her pathetic side. It was to be locked away and never revealed again.
"Why?" she asked, more sternly, her face regaining the old, cold expression she always wore. Yet, the emotional expression had been there, if only just for a split second, and he had seen it. She was almost ashamed, but decided to pretend it hadn't happen.

Proteus looked back at her: he seemed tired, but he wasn't going to complain. He smiled at her, hiding an amused reaction when she hid quickly her soft side: he was used to her hard reactions, so he wasn't surprised when she looked cold at him
"If I remember it correctly, we are still ally" he said in a soft tone. Actually he hadn't stayed for this. He had remained just because she needed him, because she was another human being, and because he still considered her his friend, no matter he couldn't trust her anymore. She couldn't be there for him, but he could still stay there for her.

She decided it wasn't important, and focused instead on what really mattered.
"How long was I..?" The sky suggested she had been asleep at least an entire night, but her wounds suggested she had been out for at least a month. It scared her almost and she needed to know though she feared the answer.

"I'm not totally sure... some hours, however" he replied with a little smile before to close his eyes for one moment: he was really, really tired: he hadn't dared to sleep while she was asleep, keeping checking if she was alright, and however he wouldn't have fallen asleep next to her...

"Few hours?" she asked surprised, her eyes and mouth dropping wide. "How did I.." heal..?
She stared down at herself in shock, examining her wounds, both bruises and cuts. Even her shoulder felt better. Still numb and hard to move, but the pain was gone and at least she was still able to move it if only a little. That was more than she could before.
Her head hurt when she tried to remember what exactly had happened before she fell asleep. It was all just a blur, but she could remember Rin. Her heart ached with the longing memory of being in his arms. If only she could be there now... she shook the idea, it was idiotic.

He nodded at her first question, and then, at her second one, he guessed what she was going to say "I guess that it wasn't as bad as it seemed..." he replied with an uncertain tone: he wasn't really sure about it, the wounds seemed really bad, but... but it could have just been his anxiety to let it appear worse....

She stood up, so utterly different from the few hours before when she had been unable to move. She didn't feel tired at all anymore, it felt as if she had slept for a year. Her head was buzzing with memories of the day before, and as it slowly came back to her in pieces, the panick grew stronger and stronger in her. Yet, she was unwilling to show it to Proteus, and simply stood her ground, standing completely still as she stared blankly ahead, trying to remember more.
She knew Rin was in trouble, extreme trouble, and it was all because of her. How could he be so stupid?

When she raised up so fastly he looked at her surprised: really, it hadn't had to be a so bad condition... still... her wounds... the blood... he felt confused, but decided to not think about it, at least not in that moment.
He raised as well then, looking at her expression, he frowned "Are you ok, Miriam?"

"Fine.." she said, but that was what worried her. She was supposed to be deadly injuried, and instead looking down on herself she could only find scratches or minor wounds. Rin must have done something before he left her, that could be the only answer, but what? What had he done?
Not bothering uttering another word Proteus had left her mind. She had more important things to think about, and with her eyes blank as if he wasn't even there, she left for the stairs, climbing them quickly. She didn't know where she was going or what she was doing, but she was restless, and she had to do something. Anything at all.