by Beth Martin
“Can you get your foot out now?” she asked.
He twisted at his foot again, trying to pull it free. “No,” he gasped. The exertion from all the shivering as his body tried to stay warm was taking its toll. He felt tired, and his thoughts seemed to slow down.
She grabbed on his ankle and pulled at his leg. She gave another tug. “You’re almost free.” She braced herself against the rock and put her weight behind a hard yank, and his foot slid out his shoe, which remained wedged between the rocks.
“Let’s climb out,” she said. With all his remaining strength, Peter pulled himself up. His left foot felt useless and was getting no traction on the frozen wall. He had to pull using just his arms and one good leg all the way to the surface.
Once they reached the top, he flopped onto the snow. It felt good to look up and stare at the cloudless sky, flurries dancing in the wind. His arms felt like jello.
“Dr. Cork, you’re all wet,” Grace said, hovering above him. The water in the chasm had permeated his coat and pants. “We need to get you back to camp. Can you walk?”
Peter looked down at his foot, his woolen sock caked in snow. “Not without a shoe,” he said, his voice slurring.
She pulled her hat off and put it over his foot, tying it on with a length of rope she cut off with the knife. “This will keep your foot dry.” She removed her scarf and wrapped it over her head, covering her ears. “We need to hurry back to camp and get you warmed up.”
“Okay,” he agreed. She slipped his left arm over her shoulders and helped him limp along back through their tracks in the snow. He didn’t understand her sense of urgency. Now that he was safely out of the chasm, he didn’t feel so bad. He wasn’t even shivering any more.
“Come on, Dr. Cork, we’re almost there,” Grace said, half dragging him along. His left foot didn’t work like it was supposed to. It felt like a brick was attached to the end of his leg, which refused to comply to his brain’s commands.
When they got to the camp, Grace said, “Wait here. I’m going to get my keys and then we’ll get in the car.”
Peter wanted to point out that they wouldn’t be able to drive anywhere, so her car was useless, but before he could get the words out, she had sprinted to one of the tents and furiously rummaged through it. Since she told him to wait, he decided he might as well take a seat. The mound of snow next to him looked soft, so he sat on that. When it didn’t hold his weight, he sank down, falling back into the snow. This felt comfortable enough; it would have to do.
He watched as she returned with keys in hand and a sleeping bag under her arm. She looked around for a moment before her eyes locked on him lying in the snow. Instead of helping him up, she rushed to her car. She dug away enough snow to get in one of the back doors, then climbed over the seat and jammed the keys into the ignition. The battery sputtered for a moment before the engine roared to life, steam erupting through the snow and making a hole over the tailpipe.
She got back out of the car and helped Peter get up and stumble into the back seat. She climbed in after him and shut the door behind them. Pulling off her gloves, she pressed a hand against his face. Her touch felt fiery hot on his skin.
“You’re so cold. You need to warm up.”
Peter realized that the burn of her touch wasn’t because Grace was on fire, but because he was dangerously cold.
“Take off… wet clothes,” he said, the words difficult to form in his mind and on his lips.
She pulled off his remaining shoe and the hat tied to his other foot, along with his socks. She removed his gloves, his coat, and the layer beneath, his pants, and his long johns. He wanted to tell her that was enough, but his voice wouldn’t cooperate. She kept going, removing his hat, undershirt, and underwear.
His muscles started shaking again, his body shivering, distracting him from the fact that he was completely naked. The car felt uncomfortably warm as heat blasted through the vents. Grace grabbed her sleeping bag and wrapped it around him, then hugged herself around the bag.
After a moment, she removed her own gloves, scarf, and coat, keeping the rest of her clothing on, before lying alongside him across the back seats. She held her hand up to his face again, and although she still felt hot, it wasn’t as unpleasant this time.
As he got warmed, his left foot began to throb. He may have injured it, but he would have to wait until he was warmer to see how bad it was. His teeth were chattering, and the vibrations made his head hurt, and his torso where he had been pinned began to ache.
“You feel any better, Dr. Cork?” Grace asked.
“Peter,” he said, giving her a weak smile. “You’ve seen me naked now. I don’t see any reason to not use my first name.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Over the next few days while Peter recovered, Grace didn’t mention earthquakes, the chasm, or research. The thick snow covering the landscape made it impossible to travel, so they stayed at their little camp. By the second day of isolation inside his tent, he needed a change of scenery.
“You sure you want to go outside?” Grace asked yet again. “It’s the same view as just opening the door on your tent. The ground is still covered in all that snow.”
He was sick of Grace taking care of everything for him. He needed to do something. Anything. “I just want to go outside,” he reiterated.
His left ankle was still swollen from a bad sprain, but he was pretty sure nothing was broken. Since he didn’t have a shoe now for that foot, he put an extra sock over his bandage, then wrapped it with a waterproof bag.
Even though it was still freezing out, the fresh air blowing against his face felt exhilarating.
“Here,” Grace said, looping his arm around her shoulders, “I’ll help.”
He stopped hobbling. “Grace, please stop. I don’t want your help. Just let me relieve myself in peace.”
“Right,” she said, flushing a bit.
Ever since his accident, she had been doting on him. For the most part it was nice, her company staving off boredom, but he was starting to feel better and needed to take care of himself.
She pointedly stared in the other direction as Peter slowly walked a good ways from their camp and did his business. As he hobbled back, he saw someone approaching off in the distance.
The man on skis looked like a giant even from far away. He was tall and overweight, his thick outerwear making him appear even larger. “Dr. Cork,” he called.
“Terry,” Peter yelled. Grace glanced between the two men, her brow knit in confusion.
His first exertion in days was harder on his body than he had expected, and by the time he caught up to Grace he needed to stop and catch his breath.
“Who is that?” she whispered.
“That is Dr. Hall,” he said between gasps.
Dr. Hall skied right up in front of the pair and stretched out a hand. Peter grasped it and accepted his firm handshake.
“Peter, what the hell are you doing here?”
Peter glanced at Grace before responding. “We were here to see if we could salvage the generator before we got snowed in.”
“Surely that thing was trashed by the earthquake,” Dr. Hall said.
Grace looked at Peter and bit her lip. She didn’t seem impressed by like Dr. Hall.
“Yes, I don’t think there’s anything that can be done,” Peter agreed.
“You look like you could use somewhere warm to stay until this snow melts. No snowplow would dare come this far out.”
“We’ve set up camp,” Grace said sternly. “We’re fine.”
Dr. Hall ignored her and continued, “I’ve got plenty of room in my RV. It sleeps six, and it’s just me and my PhD student Eileen right now. Hell, if you want, you could stay on and help me collect data on this fascinating new chasm.”
“That would be great, yes,” Peter replied.
“Excellent. I’ve got a sled you can use to carry your stuff. If you’d like I can go fetch it now and get you two some snow shoes as well. It’s a bit
of a walk.”
“I could also use a normal shoe,” Peter said, indicating his foot.
“Hell, man, what did you do?” Dr. Hall asked, taking in Peter’s bandaged foot and tattered coat. “We’ll just load you on the sled. Give me about an hour, I’ll be back.”
With that, Dr. Hall turned and started skiing back toward his RV. Once he was out of sight, Grace said, “Dr. Hall, this is my intern Grace. Grace meet Dr. Hall. Grace, would you like stay in the evil doctor’s RV?”
Peter was too tired to deal with her surly attitude. “I need to sit,” he said.
She immediately rushed to his side, helping him back into his tent to take a seat. She sat on the floor next to him. “How’s your foot?”
“Still sore,” he sighed. “Look, Grace, I didn’t think about the potential of a blizzard when we got all of our equipment. We’re not prepared to weather out a storm. Staying in Dr. Hall’s RV is our best shot.”
“We’ve been fine so far,” she said with a pout.
“Have we?” He lifted his injured foot a couple inches.
She glanced at his foot, then crossed her arms. “We’ll be alright until the snow melts.”
“There’s another front coming through soon that’s going to dump even more snow. The national weather report predicts another 6 inches of snow tonight.”
“How do you know that?”
“Check the weather on my laptop.”
She pulled his laptop down from the netted shelf above their heads. He had been using the computer sparingly since they didn’t have a way to charge the battery. Checking the weather had seemed important enough. He watched her face fall as she confirmed that, indeed, more snow was coming.
“Fine, we’ll stay in the evil doctor’s RV.”
He couldn’t help but smile at her angry face. “Thank you.”
···
After an hour and a half, Dr. Hall returned with the promised sled. They loaded as much as would fit on the sled with Peter also sitting on it and made their way to the RV.
When they approached the massive camper, the door swung open and a young woman in a fur-trimmed coat greeted them. She reminded Peter of an Eskimo with her straight black hair and black eyes offset by pale skin. She and Dr. Hall brought in all the gear while Grace helped Peter get off the sled and up the stairs into the RV.
Once they were all inside, Dr. Hall made introductions. “This is my student Eileen Young. This is my fellow Dr. Peter Cork and his intern Grace Hudson.”
Grace looked surprised when Dr. Hall said her name. Eileen stretched out her hand and shook hands with both Peter and Grace. “It’s a pleasure meeting you,” she said.
“We’ve met before.” Grace’s face was stern. When Eileen didn’t say anything, Grace continued, “You were the TA for my geology course.”
“Right,” Eileen said. “I’ve taught so many classes now, all the students sort of blend together. Advanced Geophysics, right?”
“Er, no,” Grace said.
“Basin Analysis?”
“No, um, it was Intro to Geology.”
“Oh,” Eileen said, making a proud little smirk.
“We really appreciate you letting us stay here,” Peter said in an attempt to smooth over the tension.
“I’m just glad I found you before you turned into icicles,” Dr. Hall said with a laugh. “Eileen, I’m starving. Why don’t you make some of those noodles?”
“Of course,” she said with a little bow. Grace gave Peter another look. Everything about the RV seemed to make her uncomfortable. The three of them sat at the booth that served as a dining and living area as Eileen began cooking.
“So, what do you think?” Dr. Hall asked waving his arm around. Peter looked around the camper. It resembled a nice hotel, just with all the essentials crammed closely together in the limited space.
“Looks like a budget cruise cabin,” Grace said.
“I assure you, this is much nicer than that,” Dr. Hall said with a smile. “The top is lined with solar panels, so there’s no need to hook into the grid or rely on fossil fuels. The kitchen is fully equipped. It has a water filtration system along with a composting toilet. And, there are two queen-sized beds along with the bunk beds on that wall.”
Peter looked around and saw the door for the tiny restroom across from the bunk beds before locating the large bed at the end. The other bed must have been at the front before the kitchen and dining/living area.
“Eileen is using the bottom bunk, but the top bunk and back bed are available,” Dr. Hall said.
“I can sleep in the bunk,” Peter said.
Grace shook her head. “No way, not with your foot. You take the bed, and I’ll sleep in the bunk.” Peter decided not to fight her on the sleeping arrangements. He assumed that, normally, she would have quickly taken the nicer accommodations for herself. Her guilty feelings over his injury did have a few advantages. He looked forward to spreading out in the big bed instead of squeezing two people in a tiny sleeping bag like they had in the tent.
While they all ate dinner, Dr. Hall dominated the conversation. He insisted on not discussing the local earthquakes, but instead talked endlessly about the conference he and Eileen had attended on geochemistry in Japan. Not once did he bring up Peter’s foot or ask what had happened. Nor did he mention Grace’s current status as neither student nor intern. He seemed more interested in rehashing the highlights of his Asian travels with Eileen.
After dinner, Dr. Hall said, “Since we made dinner, I’ll let the two of you clean up. Just try to conserve water while washing the dishes.” He turned to Eileen and added, “I’m going outside for a quick smoke.”
“I’ll join you,” Eileen said. They slipped on their coats and disappeared out the door.
“I can’t believe you convinced me to stay here,” Grace said as she brought all the dishes to the sink. Peter got up to help and wiped off the table and counters while Grace washed the dishes.
After a while, they heard the driver door open and shut. Peter expected either Dr. Hall or Eileen to come through the small door to the kitchen area, which must have led to the front bed and driving compartment, but no one did. Next came the sound of zippers followed by wet, smacking sounds and giggling. After a good bit of rustling noises, a soft female moan came, followed by a lower heavy pant.
Grace clenched her teeth and stared straight forward as she furiously scrubbed at the plate she held. Peter had heard rumors of indiscretions involving Dr. Hall, so he wasn’t entirely surprised the man was sleeping with his PhD student. Still, it took a certain amount of recklessness to do so within earshot of a colleague.
Quickly, the soft moans were replaced by louder ones, accompanied by grunts and groans.
“Oh hell no,” Grace said, dropping the plate she held into the sink. The dishes clattered as she threw her sponge on top. “I’m going outside for a smoke.”
“You smoke?” Peter asked.
“If it’ll get me away from that.” She pointed to the door which separated them from the noisy pair, “I’ll do just about anything.” Grace grabbed her coat and hat, leaving the vehicle before she’d even put them on.
Peter went to the sink to finish washing the dishes. Dr. Hall was being very gracious sharing their food and letting them stay here. Cleaning up was only a small gesture of gratitude. As he rinsed the dishes, he could hear Dr. Hall’s voice on the other side of the door. “Oh, yeah. You like that, don’t you? Tell me you want it.”
He had planned on drying the dishes, but instead quickly set them out on the counter before shrugging on his own coat and hobbling outside.
Grace was standing not too far away, and he limped over to her. It was full dark out now, but the exterior lights on the RV illuminated some of the snow on the ground and the swirling dark clouds above. It would start snowing again at any moment. Grace was staring into the distance with her back turned to the RV.
Peter wasn’t sure what to say, so he silently stood next to her. Although he could still
hear Dr. Hall and Eileen, it had started to quiet down.
“I would kill for a joint right about now,” she said. Autumn and Sunshine smoked pot all the time to unwind. Maybe Grace meant that she was stressed.
“You didn’t bring any?” He knew it was a stupid question as soon as he said it.
“You saw it, right? They had some at the camping store. Right between the GPS watches and waterproof lighters.” She glanced at him before staring back in the distance. He followed her gaze to their own humble campsite, the snow-covered tents and car the only objects breaking the gentle peaks of snow.
“If you really want some marijuana, you could ask Dr. Hall.” That was another of the man’s well-known vices.
“God, that man is truly evil,” she spat.
“He’s not so bad,” Peter said. His fingers were getting cold, so he blew on his hands and rubbed them together. He couldn’t remember where he had set down his gloves. “You get used to him after a while.”
“I can’t believe he’s fucking his student.” She shook her head. He was surprised by her moral outrage, since she had clearly wanted to do the same thing. “I saw he was wearing a big fat wedding band. I bet he has kids as well.”
“Two.”
“They probably banged every night at that damn geophysics conference in Tokyo.”
“Geochemistry,” he corrected. “And it’s actually held in Yokohama, not Tokyo.” Peter would have gone as well if the geology department had approved his travel expenses. He wondered if SLAU funded Eileen’s travel or if Dr. Hall had paid her way.
“Whatever,” she said, shaking her head. “He’s an asshole. I don’t like him.”
Peter smiled. He was amused that Grace could get so passionate over things he personally hadn’t even give a second thought. “When it gets a little warmer out and the snow starts melting, we can go back to our camp. We don’t have to stay with them.”
