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Sandrine stood and shuffled over to the window, looking out at them. Nicola spotted them and jumped at the window, pounding her fist against it. Bloody splotches appeared in irregular patterns. Sandrine jumped back, crying out.
“Stop!” Josie shouted, banging back at her.
Nicola froze and pulled back, holding her bloodied fist to her chest. Brian had climbed up behind her. He, too, came to the window. Lines creased his pale face, as if he were in pain. He glanced back down the path. Still, no one emerged.
“Please,” Brian shouted. “Please let us in. The bear attacked us! I scared him off, but he might still be out there.”
“He almost killed us!” Nicola said, opening her fist and pulling up her sleeve. She had a defensive wound along her forearm at least four inches long. “He might come back! Please let us in.”
Alice pressed her face to the window. “Just go to the next cabin! We’re not letting you inside.”
“But we need help!” Nicola cried. “Alice, please! You’re a nurse. We need your help!”
From behind them, Sandrine said, “Nicola tried to kill me. You cannot let them in here. You cannot!”
“Come on!” Brian shouted. “We won’t hurt you. We promise.”
“I made a mistake earlier,” Nicola called. “I’m sorry. I won’t hurt Sandrine. I promise. Please, just let us in. You can tie me up if you want but please, let us in!”
Brian pounded against the glass again until it bowed. Nicola went back to the door and started throwing her body against it.
“You can’t just stand there and watch us get slaughtered!” Brian said, eyes pleading.
The door shook in its frame. Josie moved over to it and put her back against it. Nicola kept throwing her weight against it. She was stronger than Josie would have thought.
“Just go to one of the other cabins!” Alice repeated. “You’ll be fine.”
Brian left the window and joined Nicola. The impact of his weight barreling into the flimsy door jarred Josie’s bones. Wood splintered. One of the hinges popped off.
“No!” Sandrine said, shrinking back against the wall. “No! You can’t let them in.”
Alice rushed over to help Josie, trying to hold the door back with her hands. It was pointless. With two more hits, the door flew open, knocking both Josie and Alice back. They stumbled over the bed frame and fell. Josie’s hands shot out to break her fall. Alice landed on her back. Looking over her shoulder, Josie watched Brian force his way inside. The bed frame screeched across the wood floor. Sandrine shrieked as Josie jumped to her feet again, ready to fight Brian off, but he simply staggered over the bed frame and to the nearest wall. He held one hand over his bleeding scalp and sank to the floor. Nicola stumbled in behind him. She tripped over the bed frame and toppled, landing at Sandrine’s feet. With a yelp, Sandrine jumped up and edged around her, moving closer to Josie.
Alice got to her feet, dusting off her bottom, and looked at them. Fury and fear warred for domination of her expression. Nicola was still flat on her back, staring up at all of them. Blood trickled from her hand, leaving large droplets on the wood floor.
“How dare you?” Alice snarled.
The door hung by a single hinge. Cold air sailed through it. Keeping an eye on Brian, Josie walked over and started to close it.
“Stop!” Alice said. “No. I’m not staying in here with these maniacs. We’ll just leave them here and go down to the next cabin.”
Sandrine shuffled over to the door, stepping over the bed frame and giving Nicola a wide berth. “Yes, let’s go.”
“Fine,” Brian said. “But can you at least look at our injuries to see if we need stitches?”
“I feel dizzy,” Nicola added, lifting her blood-soaked arm in the air.
“What good will that do?” Alice demanded. “Even if you need stitches, there’s nothing I can do for you. We’ve got no first aid. Nothing.”
Nicola rolled over onto her hands and knees. Her body swayed side to side. Josie thought she might fall but instead, she crawled over to Brian and collapsed next to him. “Forget it then. Just leave us here. But watch out for the bear.”
Sandrine stepped behind Alice and Josie, almost through the doorway. “Let’s go,” she said.
Josie looked over at Alice who was now staring at Nicola and Brian. The nurse in her couldn’t turn away. With a sigh, she said, “Fine. One look but then we’re leaving.”
“Alice!” Sandrine complained.
“It’s fine. It won’t take me long. Close the door.”
