tainted by tremors. She surmised a beast was behind her, waiting for her to turn before attacking, so she stared straight ahead instead.
Universe is not. Cold is not. Concrete block ahead of me is. Must walk past it, she thought.
Step past .
Step the .
Step block.
Nero on floor! Beast on his head aim fire hit turn around look look look. Hair collapses
Breathe! Now!
Icy air filled and fled Kebe's lungs in compulsive fits mixed with coughing that bent her spine. She rested her hands on her knees, crying; she was dizzy enough to forget the temperature.
How long till the next time?
She turned to Nero and... The beast was gone!
Kebe was sure she hit the monster. The animal had been half merged with the top of Nero's head, plenty of clearance, the microwave gun had a tight beam at this range. Nero was unhurt. But the beast was gone!
Kebe realized Nero's left ear was bleeding. He looked as though he'd fallen flat onto his back from standing: possible skull fracture. He was breathing, his pulse was weak and slow. She must get him out of the cold, to the tractor—how? He was too heavy for lifting.
Kebe opened the first aid case, rummaging for the flashlight. She turned it on, lifted Nero's eyelids, directed the beam to his irises, which contracted. She went for the vial of ammonia, cracked it and put it under Nero's nose. He coughed and moaned, waking up.
"Kebe... What—where am I? What happened?" Nero tried to lift his upper body on his elbows. "The power plant hangar. Yes. Pook, the other Cheshire. I've got to..." He coughed. "Oh, my head."
"Here, Nero, easy." Kebe took a pad of bandages from the suitcase and laid Nero's head on it, his back flat on the floor. "What about your head?"
"It hurts, all over."
"Your ear is bleeding."
"Which one?"
"This." Kebe touched the left side of his head.
"It's an old injury."
"You fell on the concrete, you may have fractured your skull."
"There's an X-ray machine in the infirmary." Nero said, laying down. "I'm so cold."
"Been exposed for too long."
Nero's teeth were chattering. "I'm sorry, Kebe."
"Whatever you do," she said, "don't leave me here alone; I'm not hermit material. Can you stand up?"
"I'll try."
"Wait. This first." Kebe applied a patch with a pain killer to his neck. "When the pain stops," she brushed his forehead, "then you try to stand up. The tractor is idling next to your cart over there," she said, pointing to the entrance. "If you can, let's walk to it. I can't carry you."
Nero tried to sit up. "I'm passing out."
"Take another whiff."
*
Nero coughed and reopened his eyes: Kebe was waving again the ammonia vial under his nose. The acrid smell engorged his sinuses and lungs. He understood he had to stand up, so he tried. Pushing up, his hand met a ropy strand lying on the floor; his fingers latched onto it by reflex. Kebe was trying to steady him with partial success. Nero at last got to his feet, leaning on her.
"OK?" Kebe said.
He nodded.
"Then let's get out of here." She put her arm around his waist. One of his arms was around her shoulders; the other swung freely, the hand still clutching the strand.
A step at a time they walked to the exit. He was so cold, so cold. Walking next to Kebe in this state he'd better be careful, if he fell he could crush her. Kebe knew where to go—that was OK. Putting one foot in front of the other and remaining upright took all of his attention.
*
Kebe had two concerns. One was helping Nero; to take care of the other, her free hand caressed the gun's holster.
Their breaths puffed, Nero's shallow, hers slower. She tried to flaunt a composure she didn't feel as her eyes panned from recess to recess; after an eternity they got out of the building, back into the wind. The cold was unbearable.
"The cabin is warm!" Kebe yelled above the wind, pointing at the tractor.
Nero
Universe is not. Cold is not. Concrete block ahead of me is. Must walk past it, she thought.
Step past .
Step the .
Step block.
Nero on floor! Beast on his head aim fire hit turn around look look look. Hair collapses
Breathe! Now!
Icy air filled and fled Kebe's lungs in compulsive fits mixed with coughing that bent her spine. She rested her hands on her knees, crying; she was dizzy enough to forget the temperature.
How long till the next time?
She turned to Nero and... The beast was gone!
Kebe was sure she hit the monster. The animal had been half merged with the top of Nero's head, plenty of clearance, the microwave gun had a tight beam at this range. Nero was unhurt. But the beast was gone!
Kebe realized Nero's left ear was bleeding. He looked as though he'd fallen flat onto his back from standing: possible skull fracture. He was breathing, his pulse was weak and slow. She must get him out of the cold, to the tractor—how? He was too heavy for lifting.
Kebe opened the first aid case, rummaging for the flashlight. She turned it on, lifted Nero's eyelids, directed the beam to his irises, which contracted. She went for the vial of ammonia, cracked it and put it under Nero's nose. He coughed and moaned, waking up.
"Kebe... What—where am I? What happened?" Nero tried to lift his upper body on his elbows. "The power plant hangar. Yes. Pook, the other Cheshire. I've got to..." He coughed. "Oh, my head."
"Here, Nero, easy." Kebe took a pad of bandages from the suitcase and laid Nero's head on it, his back flat on the floor. "What about your head?"
"It hurts, all over."
"Your ear is bleeding."
"Which one?"
"This." Kebe touched the left side of his head.
"It's an old injury."
"You fell on the concrete, you may have fractured your skull."
"There's an X-ray machine in the infirmary." Nero said, laying down. "I'm so cold."
"Been exposed for too long."
Nero's teeth were chattering. "I'm sorry, Kebe."
"Whatever you do," she said, "don't leave me here alone; I'm not hermit material. Can you stand up?"
"I'll try."
"Wait. This first." Kebe applied a patch with a pain killer to his neck. "When the pain stops," she brushed his forehead, "then you try to stand up. The tractor is idling next to your cart over there," she said, pointing to the entrance. "If you can, let's walk to it. I can't carry you."
Nero tried to sit up. "I'm passing out."
"Take another whiff."
*
Nero coughed and reopened his eyes: Kebe was waving again the ammonia vial under his nose. The acrid smell engorged his sinuses and lungs. He understood he had to stand up, so he tried. Pushing up, his hand met a ropy strand lying on the floor; his fingers latched onto it by reflex. Kebe was trying to steady him with partial success. Nero at last got to his feet, leaning on her.
"OK?" Kebe said.
He nodded.
"Then let's get out of here." She put her arm around his waist. One of his arms was around her shoulders; the other swung freely, the hand still clutching the strand.
A step at a time they walked to the exit. He was so cold, so cold. Walking next to Kebe in this state he'd better be careful, if he fell he could crush her. Kebe knew where to go—that was OK. Putting one foot in front of the other and remaining upright took all of his attention.
*
Kebe had two concerns. One was helping Nero; to take care of the other, her free hand caressed the gun's holster.
Their breaths puffed, Nero's shallow, hers slower. She tried to flaunt a composure she didn't feel as her eyes panned from recess to recess; after an eternity they got out of the building, back into the wind. The cold was unbearable.
"The cabin is warm!" Kebe yelled above the wind, pointing at the tractor.
Nero
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