Re: #16: Juliet & Claire
"Yes, yes. Backing up." There was a small smile, remnant of idle thought that at least this Juliet was concerned enough to try and keep Claire from danger even at risk to herself. It was entirely unselfish, and to the woman that was raised to respect a certain amount of martyrdom? Highly respectable. Her hands wrapped tight around the sleeve, and Claire couldn't help but grimace from the pain. Gauze dug into open wounds, pressure from her end of the sleeve secured around wrist and into palm. With the jacket, Claire actually could back up now enough that toppling into the sludgy mess wasn't as imminent a threat as it was moments ago.
Still a possibility. Gravity was a bitch. "If you think-" Tug. "I won't go in after you-" Heave. "If this rips-" Pull. "And you go under-" Strain. "You are-" Yank. "Molta sbagliata." Yeah, Claire slipped into Italian, which she didn't even notice thanks to that bothersome lack of concentration on anything beyond making sure this woman was safe. Claire may have been weak from her injuries but she could work through it from pulsing adrenaline and instinctual training. However, the ground was so soft, waterlogged and barely able to hold traction, that the heels of her boots dug trenches into the soaked mud that edged dangerous close to hungry bubbling muck.
They only had to get Juliet a few inches closer, really. Then they wouldn't have to rely on the sleeve. But Claire wasn't going to take that for granted, and used her body weight for leverage as she leaned back. Her boots were filled with the watery mess that seeped in through plaid canvas with each deep ditch her heels made, making the open wounds on her feet throb uncomfortably from the cold and wet (and probably some strange bacteria) that ruined her socks and bandages. "No one dies tonight." And with that vow, her efforts to get Juliet free were doubled, even if she had to keep taking steps side to side to find grassy enough areas that she could manage to dig in. What happened to all the dry land?