True North

Chapter 11

When I woke up Wren was above me. His cold breath against my forehead as my eyes fluttered open.

"You passed out when I told you how bad your leg was." he told me.

"Yea well wouldn't you?" I questioned. I looked back at my leg and it was wrapped in gauze and so was my hand.

"Where'd you get the gauze?" I asked in shock.

"I found it under the bed. While you were out I figured you wouldn't feel the pain so I wrapped it up." he said calmly.

He sat down. His lips were blue again.

"Wren, damn it. Why are you so damn cold?" I asked him. He didn't answer. He looked at his feet.

"We have a lot of blanket it should've kept you warm." I explained. He didn't answer again.

"Wren." I said once more.

"I... I saw your leg last night but I didn't want to wake you. The blankets aren't enough to keep us warm at night North. You were shivering. So I gave you my blankets these past two nights and I slept with this one." he shrugged the one on his back.

"Wren id so lunge at you right now? How could you be so sweet and stupid at the same time?" I snapped.

"Because I know that I love you." he stated. I stayed quiet this time.

"Here I tried to make shift a cast for you." he said handing my this wooden small shelf looking thing. "slip your leg in." he said helping my foot move its way in.

"Wren I need you to stop and lay down. Your cold and you need to get warm." I told him. I slowly began to slide my leg down to the floor. It stung. Every movement stung like a million bees.

He sat down but he protested that he care for me. But he was to weak to protest long. I took a bucket and stalked outside. The snow was clearing slowly but neither Wren or I were in any capable shape of walking back to my place. We'd just have to hope that my dad or someone we knew would find us first. My foot dragged behind me as I kelt to scoop some fresh white snow. I shuffled my way back inside carefully maneuvering my foot rotations. You know when you foot falls asleep and you have that tingling sensation throughout your foot. Well that's what my leg had felt like by now.

I started up a fire and melted the snow until the water was hot. Oh I'd love to bathe in this little bucket because Wren and I probably smelt horrible.

I dug in the cabinet and found the plastic cups. I poured some of the hot steamy water in this. It took me just under 30 minutes.

I dragged my limp leg over to the bed and tipped wrens head up and I poured the hot water in his mouth. Hot water must feel really good in his cold body. I had him covered in all the blanket but the one that was wrapped around me. I just had to make sure he didn't get a fever.

I sat with him as my entire leg turned numb and I only had my right to rely on. Wrens lips were gaining color but he still looked tired and weak as I.

In the still cold room the only movement was the fire. No sound other then that. Wrens body was now regular temperature. I could feel it against my lap as his head rested on my stomach. I brushed his hair out his face with my fingers. I hummed a soft tune. I almost fell asleep myself if it weren't for Wren breaking into a high fever and startling me. I slide out from underneath him and limped outside. My ears were ringing loudly and my head spun. I had gotten up way too fast. I caught my balance against the door. The wind blew. I shivered. The snow had stopped falling. I needed to get some snow or ice for Wrens forehead. As I dragged myself on the porch my leg throbbed and the gauze was red. I looked away. I looked out into the distance where I saw a small snow mobile.

I grabbed onto the pole on the porch for balance and began waving my arm in the air.

"Here!" I yelled. As the snowmobile came closer I recognized it. It skid over to a stop.

"North!" my dad yelled as he ran over to me.

"Dad, Wrens sick. He's really sick. I need help." I said. I was tearing with relief that we were saved and also because my leg felt so stiff and felt like it no longer was a part of my body.

My dad came up to me and hugged me quick.

"What happened to your leg?" my dad asked. Although I wish I could've told him and got him to aid me and get rid of the pain Wren needed this a hell of a lot more.

"Nothing! I'm fine. Wrens insides." I told him. My dad was just about to run in but he stopped and looked in and took a deep breath as if he were scared. Then he ran in. Seconds later he came out carrying Wren and rushing him over to the snowmobile where he laid out the side cart he made a long time ago. It's an attachment to the snowmobile to carry a body as long as 6 feet tall so Wrens feet might stick out a bit.

My dad laid him on and I began limping over to the snowmobile. My dad strapped wren in and covered him with blankets then got back on the snowmobile. I willed myself on and held onto my dad. I was so tempted to sleep right then and there as my dad took off. My head was spinning. My eyes were blurry and heavy and my body was weak so it took quite a while to get to my house but I willed my eyes open a bit longer. But as we drove I began to realize things. The pictures in the cabin. The hesitation for my dad to go in. My dad never wanting me to go there it must've been filled with sad memories. That's when it clicked.

Now i finally understand my dad. He couldn't go back to the life he never wanted to live. He couldn't be reminded of the father who once abused him or the mother who wanted to disown him.

Faunsy and a large man next to him waited at the front door. The large man ran to Wren as my dad lifted him up and brought him to the house. The hospital was way too far from here so my dad would have to start all four fires. The large man went with dad and Wren inside. Faunsy stumbled over to me. I pulled my leg off the other side of the mobile and put my feet on the ground when my legs completely gave out. I collapsed, but Faunsy caught me. I pried my eyes open just a little longer as Faunsy helped drag me inside. My dad and Wren were on the floor. My dad was going through his kit and getting medicines while wren yelled on a medical mat with a blanket in him. He was groaning and sweating and sickly pale. The large man was kneeling by Wren on the other side half hugging Laney who was crying.

Faunsy dragged me to the couch where my eyes couldn't stay open any longer.

But it wasn't black like it is when you shut your eyes. It was the color of the night sky, stars shone above me as I laid in the what seemed to be snow. Green lights shone so bright I could swear they were getting close to me.

And when I reached out they disappeared and in there spot replaced a short, young, beautiful, tan woman. She smiled at me. I reached for her hand. Her smile was so familiar and welcoming. I couldn't get off the ground though. She bent over close to my face and her features became more evident.

My mom was alive in front of me. As young as she was when she died. People say her time was too early but my aana said her timing was just right. Her soul was up in the lights now. And it was.

My mom died out in battle. She whom was a doctor, in health like my dad, was tending to an injured soldier when they were ambushed.

My dad and I know she went out a hero.

But to see her here was unreal. She was in uniform. She got to her knees and a watched me lay there. Her eyes watery. She leaned down and kissed my forehead but before I could react she disappeared back into the lights that drifted off back into the sky.