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I’m shocked back to action. Ilook around desperately. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to help him without falling through myself.
Think.
I back up, turning and racing to the edge of the lake, looking around for something, anything to help me at all. I grab a thick, fallen tree branch, and then drag it back, carefully edging closer to the opening, then crawling, trying to spread my weight and not put any more pressure on the ice. I lie there and hold the branch out into the water.
“Sebastian!” I scream, searching the dark depths of the lake. “Sebastian!”
He surfaces, gasping and coughing for air.
Relief slams through me.Oh, thank God.
“Grab hold of the branch,” I yell, holding it out to Sebastian as he struggles to stay above the surface. His eyes are unfocused, and his movements are sluggish now. I can see that the sub-zero temperatures are sending his body into shock. “Sebastian!” I scream louder, trying to break through his daze. “Take the branch!”
He finally does, clumsily grabbing hold of it. Gritting my teeth, I pull with all of my strength, hauling him closer, until he manages to lever himself up, halfway onto the ice. I grab his arm, and yank him the rest of the way, until he finally falls to the ground beside me, panting hard.
“You’re frozen,” I gulp, panicking. His skin is practically translucent, and his whole body is shaking violently. Whatever cold we experienced on the hike over here, it’s nothing compared to this. “We have to get you home.”
“In a minute…” he mutters faintly, not moving.
My panic grows. “No.Now.”
Still, he doesn’t move. I wrack my brain for a way to break through his stupor. Then I remember, how I was in shock after the plane crash and Sebastian snapped me out of it.
CRACK.
I slap him hard across the face.
Sebastian’s eyes fly open, and thank God, they’re more focused this time. “What…?” he mumbles.
“Lean on me,” I order him, struggling to haul him to his feet. Despite his murmured protests, Sebastian doesn’t struggle this time. There’s ice on his eyelashes, and his breath is rasping.Fuck. “Come on, Sebastian,” I plead, almost buckling under his soaked weight. “We just need to get you warm. Won’t that be nice?” I say, encouraging. “A hot fire, and a bath. You’ll be just fine.”
“Warm…” he echoes, still wracked with shakes.
I swallow back a sob and steer us to the cabin. He stumbles beside me, almost falling a dozen times before we make it back inside. I steer him straight through to the fire, dropping him to the floor in front of it as I fumble to add several logs and strike a match.
My hands shake. The light won’t catch.
“Please,” I mutter, desperate. “Please light.”
Finally, the match strikes, and I touch it to the newspaper in the grate. The fire flares to life. I turn back to Sebastian, who’s lolling there, looking dazed. “Let’s get you out of these clothes,” I say, masking my panic with a bright tone.
He doesn’t protest, as I strip him naked, his limbs heavy and weak. I grab a thick wool blanket from the back of the couch and throw it over his shoulders.
“Stay here. I’ll be right back.”
I don’t know what I’m looking for as I rush into the downstairs bathroom, but I rummage through the cabinets anyway. All I find is an old first aid kit, but there’s nothing useful inside, just some old bandages and iodine.
Damn it.
I hurry up the stairs to Sebastian’s room, grabbing the thickest sweatpants and clothing I can find. When I get back to the living room, I find Sebastian where I left him, huddled under the blanket with his gaze on the fire. He’s still shivering, and his eyelids look heavy, as if he might pass out.
“Here, let’s get you dressed,” I say, kneeling in front of him to pull on his socks. I figure it’s a good idea to start with warming up his extremities.
“I’ve got it,” he says, but he doesn’t move. As if even dressing himself is too much effort right now. I quickly get him dressed, and then go fix some soup. I spoon-feed it to him right there in front of the fire, but he won’t take more than a few mouthfuls of the broth before slumping back, shaking his head.
“Tired,” he whispers. “Need rest.”
“Sebastian…” My heart is in my throat, watching him shiver. I wish there was more that I could do.
