Nate and Lara - I Cannot Lose You

"Nate?!" Lara was shocked.

After escaping an ambush, her and Nate had gotten separated. Finally, after an hour and a half, she'd found him, lying motionless on the cold stone flooring inside a reliquary that had been converted into what looked like a makeshift execution chamber. She ran over to him. She gathered him up in her arms, tears forming in her eyes. She put her ear to his heart. It was alarmingly slow. His breathing was shallow too. She looked him over. He hadn't any injuries...none that she could see.

She hadn't the foggiest idea of what had happened to him or how long he'd been like this. That didn't matter now. The island castaways had picked up her trail and were closing in. She had to get him up now.

"Nate!" She tried to keep her voice calm. It didn't succeed well. "Nate! Can you hear me?! Wake up! They'll be on us! Get up! Open your eyes! Nate!"

She started violently shaking him, lightly slapping his cheeks, forcing his eyes open, punching his chest, pinching his nose shut, even blowing air through his lips. All to no avail. He was in a complete comatose state. He'd have to wake up on his own. But Lara knew they couldn't wait.

"Nate. Please..." She almost sobbed. "Don't you dare give up on me. I cannot lose you. Wake up please." She looked into his face. No response. Tilting his head up and resting her forehead against his, she rocked him, silent tears running down her cheeks and onto his chest. The shouts and rapid footfalls of her pursuers could be heard approaching the chamber. Though still some distance away, Lara knew that wouldn't last long. She had to think fast. She could neither carry nor drag him out. At least not in time to escape. She knew she couldn't live with herself if she just left him here, utterly helpless and at the mercy of those sadistic devils. Only one thing for it; she'd hide him here and lure the bastards away. Once done, she'd return and take him to safety.

Wasting no time, she dragged his body over to the darkest corner of the chamber and laid him on his side with his shoulders propped against the wall. Next, she picked the body of a dead castaway, nearly a 1/4 of a foot taller than Nate, who hadn't been strung upside down from the ceiling, and dragged it over to lay it right in front of Nate's. With a few adjustments, Nate's body was virtually shielded from view. She felt guilty at the thought of leaving him here like this. But there was no time to have done anything else. The castaways were only minutes away now. There had to be at least a dozen coming. Lara had her plan of diversion ready. She'd take no chances  risking his discovery.

She bent down and touched his cheek.