Somehow, Marco managed to nod, and even better, follow Abra's instructions. He waited for her to breathe, then took a deep breath along with her. It hitched at first, and the exhale was shaky, but the next time around was a little better, and the next time better than that. He kept going until it felt safe enough to unclamp his hand from around his jaw, and even then he made himself breathe a few times through his mouth. Finally, he nodded, not really saying that he was okay, but at least giving Abra some sort of sign that he could talk. Hopefully.
"Sorry," he croaked as he dragged the heel of his palm over his eye. He took another breath. "Um... I'm, um, Marco. I..." He wasn't actually sure where to go from there, so he let that thought slip away as he looked around the arena again, no longer expecting to see his friends, but now wondering how long they had been standing there breathing. "We should move," he told Abra, starting forward unsteadily.