Fighting

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Samos shook his head, moving over so that the Shadow could help him look Lauren over. The elder sage sighed. “The change did too much to her. Torn, give me your knife.”

Torn, confused, complied, and handed the knife to the older Samos, who took it and Lauren’s hand, pressing the tip into the palm. At once, the black haired girl gasped in pain, her eyes closing. She licked her lips, the cold sweat making her insides feel very dry and hot. Everyone was looking at what the hell Samos was trying to prove by making Lauren bleed. The point came very quickly. Lauren’s blood was bright red, not a trace of purple in it. “She doesn’t have any eco at all. The experiments preformed upon her made her systems dependent on it.” He gave the knife to his younger self, who held it like he didn’t know what to do with it.

“So what now?” Daxter asked, looking down at Lauren, who still fought to stay in the realm of the living.

Samos looked down sadly. “She’s dieing. Her body can’t cope without it. Unless we could get eco directly into her system, she’s as good as dead.”

Daxter looked frantic. “Where ta’ hell are we gonna get raw eco??”

Jak pushed the Samoses out of the way. “Give me the knife.” The Shadow quickly handed the sharp object off, and Jak took it, looking at Lauren for a split second before pressing the point into his own hand, dark purple blood welling up. Daxter jumped down as the blond elf sat by Lauren, grabbing her still bleeding hand and pressing his onto hers, the blood mingling and mixing. There was silence at this action. No one cheered, no one spoke, and no one breathed. Lauren didn’t seem to improve, her ragged breath being the only sound there, her skin gleaming with sweat of her body trying to hold up on it’s own. Slowly, both Samoses backed off, and then Torn did, taking back his knife, and then Daxter, going to his bunk and watching his friend. Lauren’s breathing slowed slightly, evening as she blacked out from weakness in itself, looking pained in her current state, but alive and fighting. Jak laced his fingers through hers, lying beside her and putting his other hand on the side of her face, wishing he could do more for her.

“Lauren...” he said softly. “I’ll never be able to say it if you don’t pull through.” With that he kissed the hand he has clasped in his and fell asleep facing her, hoping she’d wake up before him.
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