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“There’s rope in my compartment,” Gunn said, lifting Em and draping her over his shoulder. “You’ll have to tie her to me so we can get her back to camp.”
Nate moved as swiftly as he could through the thick snow, Gunn on his heels. Gunn waited while Nate searched the compartment behind the seat. Then Nate held up the rope, Gunn placed Em’s feet in the snow for Nate to hold until Gunn stepped over his snowmobile and started the engine. Then Gunn placed her behind Gunn on the seat and began to tie her arms to Gunn’s arms, and then looped the rest of the rope around both their middles to hold her in place.
Gunn radioed the camp to tell them they were heading back and to turn on the stove, open the door to warm the kitchen, then gather every blanket they had and ready the table for Em.
“Stay on my ass,” Nate said unnecessarily before climbing on his machine.
The return trip felt like it would never end. All the while, Gunn worried that she was already too far gone, that he’d be delivering another dead body to Maddie.
Maddie sawthe headlights just before both snowmobiles halted in front of the door to their facility. Together, Eric and Maddie untied Em and carried her into the building. The snowmobiles moved away, likely to the garage, but Maddie had too much else to worry about.
Inside the kitchen, the room was warming, and a thick layer of blankets was spread over the table. More were piled on a chair. They carried Em to the table and quickly began pulling off her snow-encrusted outer gear down to her thermals, which were slightly damp.
“These have to come off, too,” Maddie said,
Hanna moved in to take Eric’s place, and the two women stripped Em to her panties and bra. Maddie glanced at Em’s dark fingers and toes, but didn’t have time to worry about her extremities, she had to save her life. They threw blankets over her body.
“She needs body heat. You’re the only one not in winter gear, Hanna. Get in there with her,” Maddie said, holding up the blankets. Hanna slipped between the blankets and snuggled close to Em’s body.
Maddie stripped off her gloves and jacket and tossed them away, then went to the kettle she’d already heated. Four hot water bottles, every one that she could find, were lined up on the counter, and she filled them with the warm liquid, handing them to Eric, who placed them between the layered blankets, not directly on either of the women, to speed the warming of the blankets.
Nate and Gunn strode into the kitchen.
“Good work,” Nate said, his gaze going to Hanna who gave him a little wave. He went straight to Em’s head and felt for a pulse. “It’s stronger than it was. That’s good. Got my kit?”
Maddie went to the first aid kit she’d retrieved from the mudroom and handed it to Nate. He removed a digital thermometer and lifted the blankets to place it under Em’s arm. When it beeped, he removed it. As he studied the reading, he frowned and handed the thermometer to Maddie.
It read ninety-two degrees. Low, but Maddie had expected worse.
Nate pulled out his stethoscope, warmed the disc in his hands, and then slid his hand under the blankets to listen to Em’s heart. “She’s improving,” he said, “less sluggish, but not an irregular beat.”
“I’m going to get out of this gear,” Maddie said and left the room. Once outside the kitchen, she headed straight to the mudroom. Her movements were jerky as she flung off her jacket, kicked off her boots, and pushed down her cold-weather pants. When she had them off, she wadded them in her hands and threw them against the wall.
“Here,” came a voice beside her.
A hand appeared in front of her, holding a jacket. She grabbed it and tossed it at the wall, too.
“Feel better?”
She shook her head, determined not to look back at Gunn. Her eyes were quickly filling with tears.
But Gunn had another idea. Hands landed gently on her shoulders, turning her. A finger tipped her chin upward. She couldn’t clearly see his dear face through the shimmer of tears.
“Baby, it’s okay to cry,” he said, pulling her against his chest.
Maddie sobbed and clutched his T-shirt in her hands.
Kisses landed on her forehead, her temple, her hair. She slipped her arms around him and clung to him while he smoothed his hands up and down her back.
When she quieted, hiccupping now and then, he bent and picked her up, then carried her to a bench and held her on his lap.
“I can’t do this. I can’t be here.”
“You have a choice,” he whispered.
She rested her forehead against his chest. “I should go back inside.”
“Only when you’re ready. You don’t have to be strong all the time.”
