Page 105 of Out of the Cold

Lucy dropped to her knees by his side. “Gabriel! Are you hurt?”

He looked at her in disbelief. “What are you doing here?”

“Saving you, obviously,” she said. But the tears streaming down her face belied her sass. “Are you hurt?”

He lifted a gloved hand to wipe away her tears. “I’m okay, but I pulled something in my back.”

She took off a mitten and lay her hand against his cheek. “You’re freezing. We have to get you out of here. Can you move?”

“Not the last time I tried, but maybe with you helping, I can do it.”

“Should I try to roll you over?”

He nodded, his jaw tensing, readying himself for the pain. “It’s worth a try.”

She put one hand under his shoulder, the other under his hip. “Okay, on the count of three, I’ll push you away from me.”

He took a deep breath and let it out, then another. “Ready.”

“One, two, three.”

She pushed, and he rolled, and with a hiss of pain, he was on his side.

“Ready to try to stand?” she asked.

He nodded, unable to speak. Once again, she got her hands underneath him, again she counted off. He made it to his knees this time, but the pain was so intense, for a few seconds he couldn’t breathe.

Lucy put her mittened hand on his back and peered into his face, her expression anxious. “Are you okay?”

“Need a minute,” he gasped. Finally, the pain receded enough that he could speak. “You’re stronger than you look.”

“You’re as heavy as you look.”

“I don’t suppose you have a handful of muscle relaxers on you?”

“That depends on what’s in the first aid kit,” she said, pulling her backpack toward her.

He watched in amazement as she pulled out his first aid kit, along with the satellite phone, a water bottle, and some protein bars. “You’re incredible.”

“I didn’t know what I was going to find,” she said, her voice wobbling.

Ignoring his screaming back, he shifted his weight until he was sitting on his heels and could see her face. “Please don’t cry. I’m sorry I scared you.”

She nodded, swallowing hard. But she was trembling all over, as if her terrifying search was catching up to her. He pulled her hard against him and wrapped his arms around her until her body softened against him. Her arms came up to hold him, and she tucked her head into his chest.

Soon she let out a long, shaky sigh and pulled back. “I’m okay now, really. We should get home.”

Reluctantly he released her, but except for a sniffle, she was composed as she opened the first aid kit.

“There’s Tylenol and Advil. Would either of those help?”

“Both would be a start.” He took one packet of each, tore them open, and emptied them into his mouth.

She handed him the water bottle and a protein bar and waited while he ate and drank.

He passed the water bottle back to her, and she took a drink.

“Maybe if we wait a bit for the painkillers to kick in, I’ll be able to walk.”

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