Colder Than Ice

by MacPherson, Helen

  Allison raised her spoon to her lips. “What other options?”

  Michela dismissively waved her hand. “Let’s see how this works out and then we’ll take it from there.” She looked around as a gust of wind buffeted the building.

  Allison scanned the walls, half expecting them to cave in at any moment. “Are you sure we’re going to be safe in here?”

  Michela nodded. “We’re a heck of a lot safer in here than out there. These containers are anchored into the ground, so it would have to be the mother of all blizzards to wrench them free.” She took another sip of her hot chocolate.

  Allison still looked doubtful. “Let’s hope so.”

  Through the meal Allison continued to glance at Michela and was relieved that she looked too tired to care about anything but eating. I wonder if she knows how nervous I am at the moment. But nervous of what?

  With the meal finished and the edge taken off the cold of the cabin, Michela removed her layers of clothing as she readied herself for bed. Allison preoccupied herself with a detailed inspection of every part of the cabin, except where Michela was disrobing. Her eyes wandered to Michela’s back, surprised at Michela’s build as she stood and faced the other way in her long Johns. She’s got amazingly broad shoulders, and well developed to hoot. Hang on, what’s that? Her voyeuristic appraisal halted at a stain underneath Michela’s left arm, near her ribs. She went to Michela’s side. “What’s that?”

  Without thought Allison touched the material. She drew her hand away and looked at her bloodstained fingers. “What happened down that crevasse? You’re bleeding.”

  Michela craned her neck in an attempt to see. “I told you, I bounced off the walls a bit, that’s all.”

  “Come here and let me have a look at it. It could require cleaning and dressing.” Allison drew Michela to her and lifted up the thermal top. Allison sucked in her breath at the purpling bruises spread over Michela’s torso. She gingerly probed the nasty graze from where the blood had come. “Bounced off the walls a bit. I’d say you did more than that.”

  Michela gritted her teeth, not from the pain but from the effect of Allison’s touch.

  “This may hurt a bit.” Allison swabbed the wound before applying a large adhesive patch to it. Michela clenched and unclenched her fists, the look on her face mirroring her discomfort. “I’ll have to have another look at that in the morning, when we’ll also talk about how much you bounced off the walls.”

  Michela murmured her thanks and quickly retreated to the warmth and concealment of the sleeping bag. “Tomorrow, but not tonight. I’m too tired to talk at the moment.” She turned her face toward the wall.

  Allison smiled at the gesture that allowed her to change in privacy.

  Michela turned back as Allison climbed the ladder to her own sleeping bag. “Have a good sleep,” she mumbled.

  “You too,” Allison replied, before making herself comfortable.

  For the next half hour Allison fought a losing battle to keep warm. She was beginning to doubt Michela’s advice regarding clothing in a sleeping bag. Plus, the lamps didn’t seem to be doing that much of a job to keep out the cold. She stared at the ceiling. “Are you still awake?”

  “It’s a bit hard to sleep with you turning all the time. What’s the problem?”

  “I’m still cold. Are you certain about the clothes thing?”

  “Yes I am.”

  Allison rolled and leant her head over the edge of the bunk. “You said there was another option. I’m willing to try anything at this moment. My feet and the rest of me are freezing.”

  Michela opened her eyes and looked up at the face peering down at her. “These bags are interlocking. We can join them together and rely on body warmth.” She stifled a laugh as Allison’s face rapidly disappeared back over the edge of the bunk.

  Allison face reddened as she thought about Michela’s suggestion. What happened when you were that close to her before? In the tent she’d been so close to Michela the day of Michael’s illness. She was certain Michela had meant to do something before she was fully awake and had been told of Michael’s heart attack. After that they slept as far away from each other as possible.

  This is ridiculous. I can sit up here and freeze or…

  “Alli,” Michela’s voice was muffled by the barrier of the bed, “I know this isn’t the optimum solution, but if you’re cold, it’s one way of combating it. The human body gives off its share of body heat. Between the two of us we should generate enough to keep warm.” Michela cringed at the way her words sounded. “Listen, if this has anything to do with my sexuality, I promise you I’d never take advantage of such a situation.”

  Allison, aware her face was flushed, looked over the side of the bed. “I’m sorry, it’s not that at all. I trust you. It’s just I wasn’t expecting such a means to keep warm.”

  Michela smiled. “I understand. I think it’d probably be better if you came down here. The two of us on a narrow bunk could be painful if one of us rolls the wrong way and we both end up falling from the height of your bed.”

  Allison climbed down the ladder, sleeping bag in tow. “So, how do we do this?”

  Michela wriggled out of her bag and unzipped the length of the zipper. “Simple, as long as these are male and female bags.”

  Allison looked at Michela in disbelief. “Now I know you’re having me on. There’s no such thing as male and female bags.”

  Michela shook her head. “Sure there is. Firstly, what side of the bag is your zipper on?”

  Allison held the bag up. “On the right, why?”

  “Mine’s on the left and that’s a start. They should be able to join together. Now zip the zipper all the way down as far as you can go. Before you get to the box foot element of the bag, there should be a box and pin mechanism, like any old raincoat.”

  “I see what you mean.” Allison disconnected the zipper from the other side of the bag. “So what now?”

  “Is your zipper on the top part or bottom part of your zip, and what side is it on?”

  “It’s on the bottom, on the right.”

  Michela took the bag from her. “We have a winner. Mine’s top left. This’ll allow me to join my zipper to your zip and then your zipper to my zip. Just watch.”

  Michela quickly zipped the two together. She then laid them on the small bed and unzipped the top of the bag. “Which side would you prefer?” She tried to sound as nonchalant as possible.

  Allison mentally cursed at her sudden blush. “You can have the wall if you like,” she replied, her voice higher than usual. “That way if I have to get out during the night, I won’t disturb your sleep.”

  Michela nodded. More like you don’t have to worry about me trapping you in and having my wicked way with you. Stop that! What if the situation was reversed and Allison was a man? Michela winced.

  “Is that okay?” Allison asked.

  Michela crawled into the bag and faced the wall. “Yes. One of my aches twinged, that’s all.”

  Allison climbed in and put her back to Michela’s, immediately grateful for the warmth created. “You’re right, this is warmer. Good night, Michela.”

  “Night, Alli,” Michela replied, and within minutes sleep claimed them both.

  MICHELA AWOKE AND was grateful for the warm body spooned in front of her. Despite the warmth of the lamps, the hut was cold. Listening, she could still hear the howling of the storm as it buffeted the hut. It looks as if we’re going nowhere, at least not today. As she made herself comfortable, she felt Allison stir.

  Allison awoke, suddenly conscious of the body that spooned her own. The soft breasts that pressed into her back were proof enough that sometime during the night she’d gravitated toward Michela for warmth. As she considered a means to discretely remove herself, she became aware of the uncontrollable warmth filling the pit of her stomach before it made its way southward. Oh my God. This isn’t happening! It’s just a natural reaction to how close we are. Shocked at the sensations Michela’s
body was causing, Allison scooted away.

  “Are you all right?” Michela asked in a sleepy voice.

  “Of course I’m all right,” Allison replied, knowing she sounded defensive.

  “Then what’s wrong?”

  Allison clung to the edge of the bunk so she wouldn’t sink back. “Nothing. Don’t think this is going to be a permanent arrangement.”

  “Nothing could be further from my mind. I like warmth in my women,” Michela tersely replied, regretting the words as soon as she said them.

  Allison propelled herself out of the warmth of the bag and picked up her clothes.

  You insensitive idiot! Didn’t Rick call her the ice queen? Why does she make me so angry? She watched as Allison attempted to pull on a frozen shirt. Michela sat up. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.”

  Allison turned her back to Michela. “I doubt it. It seems to be the common consensus around here. First Rick and now you.” She struggled with her shirt, her frozen fingers fighting a losing battle.

  Michela disentangled herself from the bag and padded to her. She gently touched Allison’s shoulder.

  “I really didn’t mean to say that,” Michela said. “It’s just I’m not much of a morning person and sometimes my mouth engages well before my brain does.”

  Michela looked around at the thin layer of ice forming on the walls. “Grab the clothes and come back to bed. It’s far too cold and too early to get up yet. Besides we’re not going anywhere in a hurry. We can put our clothes in the compartments below the mattress and if we both get back into the bag, this should generate some heat in their direction. They’ll be easier to put on when they’re warmer.” Michela held out her hand to Allison. “Please.”

  Allison looked at Michela’s hand, suddenly struck by the intimacy of her gesture. Searching Michela’s face, all she saw was contrition and little more than a need to get back into something that was warm, rather than the cold floor they were standing on. She nodded and grabbed her clothes as Michela picked up her own. After stowing them in the compartment below, they wordlessly returned to the bag and the position they’d woken up in.

  MICHELA SUCKED IN her breath as Allison dressed her wound.

  “The wound’s not too bad, but there are bruises all over your back,” Allison said. “What happened down there?”

  Michela looked at Allison, realizing she’d only be able to delay the conversation, not put if off altogether. “I fell.”

  “What do you mean you fell?”

  “My hand slipped off the rope and I fell a ways before I managed to perform an emergency lockout,” she replied, trying to sound casual.

  “Hang on a minute. You’re telling me you lost your grip on the rope?” Michela nodded. “You could have been killed.”

  Michela pulled the third layer of clothing over her head before returning her gaze to a worried Allison. “I wasn’t and that’s the main thing.”

  Allison returned the medicine kit to the table and sat on the bed. She faced Michela. “What happened down there yesterday? How do you know that Ewan’s not alive?” she softly asked.

  Michela gazed at Allison and, feeling her eyes water, turned away. She knew, as a psychologist, there was a need to discuss traumatic incidents. To carry them inside could be emotionally and physically destructive. She rubbed her hands together, bent forward, and put her elbows on her knees, as if to protect herself from the reality of what she was about to say.

  “There was wreckage on the ledge and when I got to it, one of our EPIRB’s was still attached to its side.” She looked at Allison. “It had the same piece of tape on it that I’d placed there while we were at Wills Station; it was my writing. I couldn’t see anything else and so I started to rappel again when I was distracted. I don’t know how far I fell, but I managed to lock out and then I swung back and forth, bouncing off the wall and spinning as I went. The light reflected off the wall and that’s when I realized Ewan was dead. The chasm was covered in blood, almost as if someone had hit it and continued falling. I spooled the glow light out to its full length and there was still no end. I couldn’t see the bottom of the crevasse. It went on forever, with Ewan somewhere at the bottom of it.” Michela’s voice broke as she covered her face with her hands.

  Allison embraced Michela and slowly rocked her. They sat, the sound of the storm outside enveloping them, until Michela gently broke free from Allison’s embrace.

  Allison brushed an errant hair away from Michela’s face. “So, that’s what you meant when you said you couldn’t afford to lose me as well. I’m sorry I was so stubborn yesterday, I should’ve known better.”

  Michela smiled. “It’s okay, I know I can be pretty difficult at times.” They shared an awkward laugh. “Can I ask you a question?”

  Allison nodded.

  Michela searched Allison’s face. “What did you mean when you said you almost lost me?”

  Allison, not really knowing what she meant, turned away in pretence of getting more clothes for Michela. She handed Michela her vest.

  “What would we have done if we’d lost our team leader? We certainly couldn’t do without you, that’s for sure,” Allison replied, a heavy emphasis on the word “we.” She rose and went to the stove. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”

  After breakfast Allison stood and took their plates to the sink. “I suppose with Ewan gone that means we’ll be ending the dig early.”

  Michela shook her head. “I don’t see it that way at all and I’m sure Ewan wouldn’t have wanted that. Understandably there’ll be reports to be written and people who’ll be called into account, but I think we should continue the dig.”

  Allison placed a dried coffee cup on a wall rack. “When you say people will be called into account, you mean Rick, don’t you?”

  Michela nodded. “Yes, except I don’t think he can be held to blame. Ewan made his own decision, no matter how much he was coerced into it. But I do intend to see if I can remove Rick from the expedition site. He’s a disruptive influence and I really can’t guarantee his safety once Rob finds out about his friend’s death. I know that’ll affect your dig, but I really can’t have it any other way.”

  Allison rubbed Michela’s forearm in reassurance. “I understand what you mean. Maybe it’s the best thing for all of us.”

  Both took the time to record their memory of the failed rescue attempt, in case they were required to produce evidence. In their search for paper Allison also found a deck of cards and they almost wore the deck out exhausting all the games they knew.

  When the day came to an end, Allison prepared tea, and they retired once again to the warmth of their two-person sleeping bag.

  MICHELA COULD NEVER be certain whether it was the storm that had awoken her in the small hours of the morning or some other innate sense. Despite the reason, she was comfortably spooned against Allison, the warmth of Allison’s body coursing through her. As she again settled into sleep, she snuggled closer, barely aware that her hand caressed the underside of Allison’s breast. Her breast? As if hit with cold water, Michela was completely awake, her body wired in response to the intimacy of her touch. Her breathing picked up at the undeniable warmth between her legs. Paralyzed at Allison’s reaction should she be caught in such a position, Michela fought her own battle between logic and libido.

  She’s straight, you know that. Now behave yourself and find a way to get out of this, or at least a way to remove your hand. She gulped, warring with a desire to leave her hand exactly where it was. Despite the sound of the wind pounding against the building, she was painfully aware of the beating of her heart as it roared in her ears. She felt Allison tremble and then shift.

  “Are you okay?” Michela worked to tamp down the almost uncontrollable urges of her own body.

  Allison was agonizingly aware of Michela’s hand and missed Michela’s words. She twisted her upper body and head, and found herself dangerously close to Michela’s lips. Michela’s rapid breath caressed her face. “It’s oka
y, I’m a little cold, that’s all,” she said in a breathless voice.

  For what seemed like an eternity but was, in reality, no more than a few seconds, Michela fought to focus on the unsexiest images she could conjure. With concerted effort, she finally managed to get her oversexed imagination under control.

  Allison turned away, and Michela pulled her to her, using the action to remove her hand. “Sorry, I didn’t realize.”

  Allison nodded and snuggled her backside into the Michela’s groin. Michela sucked in her breath. This is going to be a long night.

  ALLISON POURED A packet of food into a pan of boiling water, the latest of several chores she had done that morning to avoid being near Michela. In turn, Michela seemed to be deliberately preoccupied with small chores of her own. She turned and found Michela leaning against the table and looking at her.

  “Allison, about last night.”

  Allison turned back to the stove. Please don’t go there. I don’t think I could right now. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  Allison glanced back as Michela walked toward her and stopped a few feet away.

  “I think you do, I think we both do,” Michela replied quietly. “I think we need to talk about it.”

  “I don’t think I can,” Allison whispered, focusing on the food in the pot of water.

  “We both know something happened last night, something neither of us planned. Despite this, it did happen and it can’t be taken back. I just want to reinforce what I said before. I’d never seek to do something that would drive a wedge between our friendship. Despite our disagreements, I do regard you as a friend. I’d hate to think that’s changed.”

  Allison turned, sensing only sincerity in Michela’s words. “No, it hasn’t. I wouldn’t want that either.” She stepped to within arm’s length of Michela. “Michela…” Their radio burst to life.

  “Michela, Allison, this is Sarah, do you read, over?”

  Breaking free of Allison’s hypnotic gaze, Michela picked up the radio. “This is Michela. It’s good to be back in communications range.”