The moment that Logan pressed his lips to her hair, Marie was instantly alert. She cracked her eyes open, struggling to bring the world into focus. No matter how hard she tried, though, everything remained a constant blur. Marie guessed that it was because she had spent too much time trying to stare through the murky depths of the tank she had been submerged in.
So, even though she couldn’t seen Logan, she could sense him and that made her feel safe.
At least until she heard Logan’s grunt of pain.
“Logan, what’s happenin’?” Marie murmured, staring up at the blurred image of his face.
Logan squeezed her briefly. “Don’t worry ‘bout it, Marie. I’ve got it under control.”
Logan made another pained noise and this time Marie was able to hear the source of it. There was a gun going off somewhere behind them. That meant that Logan was more than likely getting hit by the bullets as they whizzed through the air.
“Put me down, Logan,” Marie ordered, shifting slightly in his arms. “Yer hurt. Put me down.”
“I’m fine, Marie.... Ugnhh!”
Marie continued squirming. “Yer not all right, Logan, an’ Ah’m pretty sure that carryin’ me isn’t helpin’ ya much.”
Based on his movements and the shifting of shadows, Marie assumed that he was shaking his head.
“Not an option, Marie. I’m not gonna risk you getting hurt.”
“An’ how good will ya be t’ me if ya get shot real bad? there’s not way Ah’ll be able t’ drag ya ‘round if yer half dead,” Marie pointed out, still attempting to squirm out of Logan’s arms.
“Marie--”
“Now!” Marie ordered. Her face softened then. “Ah know yer hurt, Logan. An’ it’s gotta be hurting’ ya even more t’ carry me.”
Not missing a stride, Logan set her down on the ground. He shielded most of her body from the gunmen behind them with his own. Marie was annoyed by the risks Logan was taking with himself, but at least she was standing on her own two feet.
As bullets began whizzing by her head, Marie yelped loudly and stumbled. Logan’s arm around her waist kept her standing and pretty soon he was the one stumbling.
“Logan!” Marie cried, spinning in his direction.
“I’m all right. I’m all right,” he assured her, straightening somewhat.
Suddenly, Logan pulled her to the left, shoving her through a partially open door. Marie went flying into the room beyond, nearly crashing to the floor. She caught herself at the last moment and spun around in time to see a hazy image of Logan locking the door behind them.
“Logan....” Marie moaned, glaring around the room, her blurred vision beginning to give her a headache. She reached a hand out towards him, waiting for the hulking form of Logan to turn to her.
“You all right, Marie?” Logan demanded, rushing towards her and placing his hands on her cloth covered arms.
Squeezing her eyes shut tight, Marie prayed that she would be able to see clearly when she opened them. Not being able to see was freaking her own. And besides, she couldn’t let Logan do it all by himself. She had to help in some way. After he had come for her when he didn’t need to, Marie was determined not to be a burden to him.
When she opened her eyes again, she could still only make out a few hazy images.
“Ah can’t see anythin’,” Marie whimpered, staring up at what could be seen of Logan’s face. “Yer just a big Logan-coloured blur.”
“You sure?”
Had their situation not been so dire, Marie would have made a big production of it. As it was, Marie was only seconds away from tears. “‘Course Ah’m sure, Logan. Now how are we gonna get outta here? Ah can smell the breeze.... Ah miss fresh air.”
“Come on, Marie. I’ll get you outta here,” Logan said, slipping his arm back around her waist.
Marie felt herself being turned and steered towards the source of the fresh air. She assumed it was a window, but with her vision so bad she couldn’t be sure.
“All right, Marie, I’m gonna get out first then reach in for you. Okay?”
Before Marie could answer, people began pounding on the door that they had just entered. Whimpering loudly, Marie could only stand there shaking. She was too frightened to move and had to be forcibly pulled towards the window by Logan. Marie could hear the door trembling on its hinges and cried out again.
“It’s all right, Marie. I’m gonna get us outta here,” Logan promised her.
Based on the movements she could make out, Marie guessed that Logan was climbing out of the window. When he disappeared completely, Marie cried out. Her panic was rising with every second. She couldn’t see Logan and all that she could hear was the constant thumbing against the door.
Marie’s whimpers turned to screams when the door was bombarded by bullets. Her hands out in front of her, Marie crept towards the window, grasping onto the ledge as soon as she was close enough.
“Logan!”
“I’m here, Marie! I’m here!” Logan called, appearing in the window once again. Logan placed his hands on her hips. “I want you to lean forward and wrap your arms around my neck. I’ll pull you out then.”
Marie wanted to protest that she would hurt him with her skin, but Logan was already pulling her out the window. Marie tried to protect him with the blanket that was still wrapped around her body, but there was only so much she could do. What the blanket didn’t cover, Marie tried to protect with her hair.
Logan didn’t set her down on the ground this time and Marie didn’t protest. She was completely terrified and knew that she wouldn’t be able to get anywhere outside. She would just stumble and fall and that would hold Logan up.
So would him carrying her.
“Stop!” Marie cried, attempting to wiggle her ways out of Logan’s arms.
“Marie, we’ll get farther faster if I carry you,” Logan informed her, gripping her tighter.
“No! No! Logan, Ah’m only holdin’ ya up! Leave me here an’ ya can get away!” Marie insisted.
Logan didn’t slow down in the least. “Not happening, Marie. You’re coming with me.”
“But, Logan--”
“That’s enough, Marie. I’m not leaving you here. They’ll kill you!” Logan shouted over the roar of gunfire that exploding around them. He cried out again and Marie felt something wet splash against her cheek. Logan stumbled, nearly falling, but was able to catch himself before they hit the ground.
“Logan, put me down! Ah’m not gonna make ya carry me! Now put me down!” Marie screamed, the feel of Logan’s blood freaking her out even more. “Yer hurt! Now put me down ‘fore Ah accidentally hurt ya mahself!”
Logan gave into the panic in Marie’s voice and reluctantly set her down on her feet. She couldn’t see his face, but she could feel the reluctance in his actions as he set her down on the ground. Pulling her along by her elbow, Logan and Marie raced through the field to what location, Marie did not know.
“Is there a place t’ hide?” Marie called to Logan, slipping on a patch of damp grass.
“Yeah, there’s a forest about a hundred yard in front of us,” Logan informed her, weaving slightly to evade some sort of obstacle that Marie couldn’t make out. “I know how to hide, Marie. I’ll keep us safe. You have my word.”
“Ah trust ya, Logan.”
Neither of them said anything after that. All of their energy was focused on running towards the forest that Marie couldn’t see. All of the blurs that she could see were dark so she assumed that it was dark. Dark was good. It would be easier for them to hide in the dark. The government sickos wouldn’t be able to find them in the dark.
Marie felt a sudden stinging sensation on her arm. She kept the pained cry from escaping from her lips, but she was pretty sure that Logan could smell the blood that was slowly dribbling down her arm. His grip on her arm tightened momentarily and Marie could tell that he was fighting the urge to pick her up again.
Then the pain got worse. Right in the pit of her stomach.
It hurt worse than anything Marie could remember and she stumbled forward, unable to catch herself. Logan’s grip on her arm tightened, but even he couldn’t keep her from falling to the ground.
“MARIE!!”
Marie wanted to tell Logan that she was all right, but she couldn’t. Everything hurt too much and was too dark.... And it had nothing to do with what had happened to her eyes.