Frostbite & bruises

Although the sun had set a few hours ago, there was still no sign of Steve and Viggo, and Morgan grew increasingly worried. What if the two men, like Nox, had been taken by the bear? The nausea returned.

A large, warm hand gripped her shoulder and she turned her head towards the tall, white-haired man.

“Just because they’re not here yet doesn’t mean anything serious has happened to them, Morgan. Maybe they found Nox and it wasn’t safe to travel in the dark anymore...”

Morgan looked out the dirty window into the factory hall again. “But what if something has happened Shane, what then? We can’t go anywhere! Steve and Viggo have taken the sled with all the dogs, how are we ever going to find them? And Nox... You heard what Elise said! The bear grabbed him the moment she ran away! What if he’s... he’s...”

Carefully, Shane turned her over and wrapped his arms around her. He knew from the trembling of her shoulders that she was crying, and in a comforting gesture, he put his hand on her head and stroked her hair. “I have to say, you two make an odd couple. The day you arrived my brother wanted to throw you out just as much and only because of the deal he made with you, you were allowed to stay and now...” Shane shook his head.

“So... uhhmm, what is it between you two? Did I vaguely catch something you guys have met before?”

Even tough Shane was concerned about his brothers’ welfare, something told him, call it a gut feeling, that Nox was still alive.

Morgan lifted her tear-stained face and looked at the blind man, dumbfounded. “You want to know where Nox and I met before? Now?”

Shane shrugged. “Why not, now is as good a time as any...”

Even though it felt strange to be talking to Shane about his brother, Morgan also felt the need to avoid thinking about various doomsday scenarios for a while, which she knew would pop up tonight eventually.

“That’s true... but do you mind if we stay like this for a while? I just need someone to hold me for a while...”

The tall man pulled Morgan close to him again. “You’re not the only one, Morgan... It’s been a long time since I could just hold someone for a while without any ulterior motives. You’re not the only one who needs a little support right now. I worry about those three too, believe me... if I were able to see, I would have been on my way hours ago”.

This time it was Morgan who pulled Shane close to him and she lay her head against his chest.

For minutes they just stood there, not talking, just bathing in the support they found in each other.

“Shane...?”

“Hmmm...” The white-haired man hummed in response.

“Has there ever been anyone in your life who... who never quite left your mind?” Morgan lifted her head from his chest to look at him and saw a smile appear around his mouth.

His pale blue blind eyes looked over her head into the distance.

“’Yeah, there was... Her name was Jenaifa, she was my fiancée before the world turned to ice...”

~~~~

Several miles away, Steve turned to the strange woman who had taken care of Nox.

“So, perhaps it would be useful if we had a quick round of introductions... “And he gave the woman who had watched the scene from a distance a broad smile that was not immediately returned.

“My name is Steve and this young man next to me... “And he pointed with his thumb at the boy standing next to him. “...is Viggo and our ray of sunshine in bed is Nox...”

There was a moment of silence and Steve expected the woman to introduce herself, but to his surprise she remained silent and looked at him with suspicious eyes.

When she finally began to speak, her voice, though whispering, was as sharp as a razor. This lady was clearly not so easy to appease, Steve thought to himself.

“Very nice introduction, but like I said... what I’m curious about is how your friend over there found the garage in the first place? The whole town is under a thick layer of snow... and if he had come through my entrance, I would have known... So... tell me I’m waiting!”

The sudden babbling of a baby startled them and all three men tried to see where the sound was coming from.

Before Steve could ask, the woman had raised her gun to them, the barrel pointed at Viggo’s head. “No funny business! I have no problem pulling the trigger, so don’t get any ideas!” Her voice was firm and the look in her eyes made it clear that the woman would not hesitate to use the gun.

“Wow, wow, wow!” Steve quickly stood in front of Viggo and raised his hands, palms facing forward. “Listen lady! We’re just here to pick up our friend... .... I understand you don’t trust us, I wouldn’t either, but we mean you absolutely no harm!”

In front of him, diagonally next to the woman, in a small wooden box, something began to move. Then a deafening wail filled the small room.

Steve watched as the woman hesitated, but the baby’s cry broke the stalemate and she lowered the gun. The tension eased from Steve’s shoulders and he turned back to Viggo and Nox.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw the woman pick up the baby and hold it protectively against her, her arms covering the tiny body.

Although the pain was almost unbearable and sweat ran down his body, Nox tried to stay as still as possible while Shane examined his lower leg and arm.

Sighing, the old man stood up and Nox opened his eyes to look at him.

The look in Steve’s eyes did not bode well and Nox prepared for the worst.

“Sorry pal, but there’s no way I can spare that leg of yours, it’ll have to come off just below the knee... If we don’t, you’re guaranteed to get blood poisoning and since I can’t get antibiotics...” Steve ran a hand through his thinning white hair.

“But even if I could get antibiotics, this leg is too badly damaged to be saved. Your arm, on the other hand, is broken, but as long as there is no infection, I can save that one.... But the leg has to come off, and as soon as possible”.

After a brief nod from Nox, Steve turned to Viggo, who was still standing beside him. “I’m going to need your help, boy, if I’m going to cut his leg off, you’re going to have to keep his leg as still as possible.”

The old man turned to the woman. “Do you have a saw, large flat scissors or at least something flat of steel that I can put in the fire to cauterise the stump later?And, uhm... a tub with warm water, alcohol and rags of clean cloth to use as bandages? Oh yes, and a piece of wood or something to put between his teeth?”

Amber tilted her head and looked from the old man to the boy’s face, which was getting whiter and whiter. “And you think this kid can help you?” She said with a nod in Viggo’s direction.

“He’ll go down as soon as you put the saw to his leg...”

Steve’s eyes shot from the woman to Viggo and to his horror he saw that the boy had turned deathly pale and was staggering on his legs. Shit! What do we do now?

“I’ll help... You take those dogs you were talking about to a shelter. The woman said to Viggo, before she walked over to the cot with the baby.

“First I’ll change the baby and give him a bottle, then I’ll prepare a remedy that will make both the baby and your friend fall asleep...”

“Hey, where are you going?” She asked, seeing Viggo walking towards the heavy cloth hanging in front of the hole.

Surprised, the boy turned around. “I was supposed to take the dogs to a safe place, wasn’t I?” His eyes searched for Steve’s.

“Yes, but not through the garage, kid... Follow me.”

To the surprise of both Viggo and Steve, there seemed to be a door diagonally behind Nox’s bed, hidden behind a brightly coloured cloth. “If you follow the stairs up, you will come to a hidden entrance. Make sure you keep the entrance covered at all times, understood?”

Quickly, Viggo nodded at the woman’s stern look.

After Viggo had left, Amber started to prepare the sleeping medicine for the baby and Nox. She had shown Steve where to look for the things he thought he would need.