especially after immersion in icy
water. He had read that some of the people after the Titanic disaster had
only fifteen to twenty minutes before hypothermia began to shut down their
bodies.
Luke picked Fiona
up off the ground, put her arm around his shoulders, and half-carried her down
the stony riverbank. “Try to move your feet,” he urged. He too was shivering,
and not very steady on his feet either.
“We walked for
two days,” she whispered. “Nobody’s home.”
“It just seems
that way,” he whispered, humoring her. “We slept, or passed out after we got
out of the water, I don’t know for how long.” He started moving again. “That’s
why the helicopters didn’t see us. Just keep going,” he said, dragging her
along. “I know we’ll find a fishing cabin, or a lean-to, or something. This is
a big fishing river. Come on. Just a little farther.”
But Fiona was
non-responsive. Her face was taking on a bluish hue. It was a bad sign. He walked,
or rather staggered, another fifty feet, searching the shoreline for any sign
of shelter.
And then he
saw it, and his heart lifted.
“Look!” Luke
put her down on the ground gently and ran up the bank. Sure enough, there, nestled
in some trees, was a tiny cabin. It was made of plywood and tin. And held
together by God knows what. But it was standing. He could get them out of the
chill wind, which hadn’t stop blowing.
Luke pushed hard
on the piece of plywood that served as a door. It opened with a creak. He felt
around for a light switch but there was no such luxury here on the river. There
was, however, a Coleman lantern. He discovered this when he tripped over it. Thankfully,
the battery still had some life left in it.
He held the
lantern up and looked around. There was a cot, some old grey blankets, and a homemade
fireplace fashioned from half an oil drum. To him, the place was as beautiful
as the Ritz. And it would save them.
He ran back to
the riverbank to find Fiona unconscious, lying on the rocks. “Hang on, Fiona.
Hang on!” he shouted in her ear.
He scooped up her
limp body in his arms and carried her to the cabin. After putting her on the
cot, he quickly stripped off her wet clothes. Then he grabbed every blanket he
could find and wrapped them around her.
Her lips were
blue and her skin clammy. She was shivering violently. He checked the little
fireplace but it held no wood and there was no time to search for any. Fiona’s
breathing was becoming shallow.
He thought a
moment, then stripped off his own wet clothes and slipped into the cot next to
her. He wrapped the blankets around them both and held her close to his body,
giving her what heat he could. He rubbed her back, her arms, and her legs, needing
to get her blood flowing.
After about
five minutes he began to feel the warmth their two bodies were generating. Five
minutes longer and her breathing became more even. His arms were aching but he
wouldn’t stop. The color was returning to her face and body.
Suddenly her eyes
fluttered open. She looked up at him, not comprehending who he was or what was
happening. Then she smiled at him and promptly fell asleep in his arms.
He looked at
her face, her perfect, beautiful face. Very gently, he kissed her on the
forehead. He rested his head next to hers, holding onto her as if never to let
her go.
Within seconds
Luke was asleep too.
SEVENTEEN
“Where
the hell is my jacket?” The crane operator was angrily searching the cab of his
rig. “My damn hat is missing too.” He turned to his crew gathered around
drinking coffee from a thermos. “Okay, who’s the comedian?”
Hayley was a
few yards away, with the volunteers who, with members of the National Guard,
were milling around, waiting for the search to begin. She was clad in a red-and-black
plaid jacket four sizes too large for her. A wool hat was pulled down to her
eyes. She slipped deep into the middle of the crowd, and out of sight of the
jacket’s angry owner.
She took out
her