My Last Dive [Made in Abyss Fanfiction]

10| Within the Labyrinth

I didn't know what was happening when I opened my eyes. Everything rhythmically lurched and swayed around me, cave walls scratching my side as they passed me by slowly. At the same time, I felt warmth pressing against my other side, and something was grasping my right arm as the rest of me hung limply.

"C'mon, stay with me..!"

My gaze traveled to where the strained voice was coming from, and I dimly saw Melva. She had my arm wrapped around her neck as she half-dragged, half-carried me down a tunnel, crouching a bit as the roof was too close for comfort.

When these feelings registered, so did the pain. My left shoulder and upper arm were burning—either fractured or broken. The same could be said for some of my ribs, as it was painful to breathe. My head pulsed with sickly thumps, and something trickled through the hair by my left ear. Judging by the metallic scent, it wasn't sweat. A hiss of pain escaped me, and Melva looked at me. That allowed me to see the bleeding gash across her cheek.

"You're okay!" Her expression turned grim. "Well, mostly. How're ya feelin'?"

It took me a moment to find my words. "L-like I'm going to be sick. My head's killing me, and so is my shoulder and chest," I muttered. The pounding in my head already made me queasy, and Melva's movements weren't helping. I managed to keep my stomach down, however. I already reeked of blood and urine, and I didn't need to add vomit to that list as well. Melva didn't seem to notice or care, though the realization of that last fact left me feeling embarrassed and ashamed.

"Your head and shoulder took the biggest impact. I patched up your shoulder, and it seems like the bleedin's stopped," she said.

I again fought the urge to vomit when she said that, thinking of the worst outcome. "I-is it a compound fracture?" I asked, afraid to hear the response.

"Nah, just looks like ya got cut on a rock like I did." That brought little relief to me. "On the bright side, the tunnel turned into a slope 'stead of hittin' straight bottom, so that saved us. And I think ya could just have bruised ribs. No thanks to me either, since I landed on ya."

I didn't care, since that might have saved Melva's life. "Are you okay?" I asked.

"Adrenaline's runnin' high, so I'm goin' off that. Still, my right arm's kinda messed up." She took a moment to heave for breath. "I've been haulin' ya 'round for the past however many minutes. We might've confused the Talpiclor by fallin' how we did, but we gotta keep movin'. At least it'll buy some time until it finds us."

'Until it finds us,' like it was inevitable. "There is... no way out?" I asked, unable to keep the fear out of my voice.

Melva was silent, save for her gasps. "There... might be, but there also might not," she then said simply. "Either way, I'll make sure that thing don't touch ya. I swear it on my life."