If I Recall

Chapter 3

Brenda's eyes flew open as she realized she had fallen asleep. She hadn't meant to, her eyes had just closed for a few seconds, or so she thought. She glanced at her watch, relieved to find that it had been less than five minutes ago that she had last seen the time. She was fine, this was okay, she reassured herself.

Jax was not in the room with her anymore, she quickly discovered. He probably just went to the bathroom, it's okay, she was continuing to try and reassure herself. But she didn't hear a sound coming from anywhere in the cabin, just the howling wind outside. She threw back the blanket that covered her, vaguely thinking it must have been Jax who put it there. She could tell he wasn't in the kitchen from what she could see. She walked quickly to the bedroom, gasping at what she found.

Jax was lying on the floor of the bedroom, on his side and unconscious. He was no more than a foot away from the bed, but Brenda knew she wouldn't be able to get him up on it. She rushed over to him and tried to see if he was all right. Obviously, he wasn't or he wouldn't be lying on the floor now, would he? She didn't know what to do this time. She couldn't very well drag him out to the main room again. It was too far. She rolled him over onto his back and felt for his pulse. It felt strong to her, but she didn't know what strong was supposed to feel like.

"Oh God, Jax, what happened?" she whispered frantically to no one in particular. She didn't know if it was because of his injury or if it was something else. Maybe it was because he hadn't eaten that soup. Yeah, right, and you didn't hit him that hard, either, right? She felt his forehead and everything again seemed normal.

Running back into the main room, she grabbed the blanket from the couch and brought it back to him. She covered him quickly with it and then took a pillow from the bed to place under his head. It was all she knew to do for him. Her eyes were beginning to well up with tears. She really didn't know what she would do if there was something seriously wrong. She had only been asleep for a few minutes! How could this have happened so quickly? She had to remind herself it was not her fault, it would have happened whether she'd been awake or not. Jax was not a child, he did not need to be babysat. Then why did she feel like this was all her fault?

Minutes dragged by before she heard anything coming from Jax. His eyes fluttered open as he tried to focus on his surroundings. He could see Brenda kneeling beside his chest, looking at him pensively. She had been crying, no, she was still crying. What had happened? And then he remembered. He'd gotten up from the bed too quickly when he was going back in the other room. The room had begun to blur and swim before his eyes and he blacked out. He must have ended up on the floor and Brenda found him.

"Ouch," he moaned softly as he moved his head slightly and caught the bump on the back of it.

Brenda leaned over him anxiously. "Jax? Are you okay? What happened to you?"

"I'm fine. Help me up," he said softly. He winced as he tried to sit up.

"Are you sure?" she asked before she let him move.

"Not this again. Yes, I'm sure. Please, help me up?" his voice was not irritated, only weary.

Brenda took hold of his hands and helped him stand up. He swayed for a second before he caught his balance on his feet. "Jax, what happened?"

He stretched for a minute and began to massage the muscles in his lower neck. "I think I got up too fast from the bed. I felt light-headed and suddenly everything was black."

"What were you doing on the bed? No, nevermind, let's just go into the other room. It's warmer in there and your hands are freezing." She followed him into the room, carrying the blanket with her.

More than his hands were cold, and Jax stood in front of the fireplace to get warm again. At least his jeans were finally dry, but he was far from warm all over. "So, does this mean we have to start counting the hours all over again?" he tried to joke.

"I'm not sure. I don't think so. I mean, it wasn't a direct result of your head injury, was it? I think since it wasn't, you're okay and we can just pick up where we left off. At least, I hope I'm right." Brenda wasn't all that sure, but there was no one there to tell them otherwise.

"All right, then where did we leave off?" He sat back down on the couch and accepted the blanket that Brenda placed around him. He really was cold, almost to the point of outwardly shivering.

She looked at her watch. "We have almost seven hours left."

Jax groaned in response. He hadn't thought there was still so much time. "What time does that mean it is?"

"It is five-thirty in the morning." It was also still completely dark outside. They hadn't been able to see anything for hours, not even the snow in front of the windows. Brenda was sure it was still storming and the snow was probably just piling up, making it impossible for them to go anywhere anytime soon.

Jax drew the blanket closer around him and sighed. "Now what?"

"I don't know," she responded. She stood watching him for a few moments. She was concerned by how deeply he was snuggling into the blanket. "Jax, you're really cold, aren't you? Why don't I fix you something warm? You haven't eaten since who knows how long ago. Certainly not since you've been up here."

The only problem was Jax was not hungry in the slightest. The thought of food still turned his stomach. But he nodded anyway. He knew that part of the reason he was so cold was because he hadn't eaten in so long. He didn't know when the last time was that he had eaten, but he knew it was at least seven hours shy of twenty-four hours ago.

Brenda went into the kitchen and put on a kettle to boil water in. She fixed him some hot tea and then poured a cup for herself while she tried to figure out something to make. There wasn't much to choose from. She'd only brought in a few cans of soup and some other canned goods that she was able to carry.

Jax wrapped his hands around the steaming cup of tea and stared into the fire. The tea burned as it went down, but it felt good. The fire was slowly warming him back up. He put one hand to the side of his head and began to massage his temple. Gently, he felt the lump on the back of his head and was still surprised to find out how big it was. It had been a long time since he'd given thought to the rift between Brenda and him. Now, she was acting more like his mother than an ex-girlfriend or even a friend.

His mother. He wished he could remember something, anything. He didn't know anything about his life right now. He was sure it was only temporary, but it was still frustrating.

Brenda saw Jax staring moodily into the fire and made sure he was still awake before she continued. Instead of fussing over it, she'd just decided to make another can of soup. It was warm and easy to make. He needed something quickly. She would worry about another meal when the time came. She took him the bowl and sat next to him until he began to eat it.

Jax sipped cautiously at the hot soup. He really didn't feel like eating, but he knew he had to, if for no other reason than to make sure Brenda didn't worry. She came back to sit with him when she'd cleaned up the kitchen. They made idle small talk and waited for the time to pass.

Jax was so tired, all he wanted to do was go to sleep, but Brenda wouldn't let him. She'd been keeping him awake making him listen to her talk or read or whatever it was she doing at the time. She kept shaking him every time his eyes would close. To do this, that meant she was sitting directly next to him, watching his every move. They'd played word games and real games, card games and mind games, but Jax didn't want to play anymore games. He just wanted to sleep.

"How much longer, Brenda?" he asked with his eyes half-open.

"It's only another hour, Jax, then I promise, I'll let you sleep." The truth was, she was exhausted herself. It was hard work to keep talking and keep him awake. She had run out of things to do hours ago, now they were doing whatever the first thing was that came to her mind.

It had long since grown light outside. They'd watched the dreary surroundings come into focus. It was still snowing as if there were no tomorrow and they couldn't see more than four or five feet in front of the window. There was more than two feet of snow gathered out there, the weather men had been wrong. Jax could just barely see the top of the dark blue SUV outside. He was sure it was one of their cars and they'd probably have to dig to get to the supplies locked inside it. He'd wanted to go out and find the water valve, but Brenda wouldn't let him. She insisted that he stay in or he might add sickness to head injury and then she really wouldn't know what to do. She was beginning to think that was already the case anyway. They were running low on the bottles of water she had brought in, but they'd started melting some of the ice cubes from the freezer that no one had thawed. They had enough to get by another day or so. The wood supply was lowering, but they were still in good shape with it. There'd be more than enough to last the next night while they slept.

Brenda got up to put another log on the fire and then sat back down next to Jax. She was sharing the blankets with him so that they both kept warm. "Come on, Jax, let's play another game."

"Do we have to?" his voice was so soft. He was still cold. The tea and barely touched soup of hours ago had long since lost their effect and he didn't want to say anything for fear that she might make him try to eat more. He didn't know what was wrong, but figured it had to be because of the blow to his head.

"Yes, come on. We'll play the geography game."

"The what?"

"The geography game, you know, the one where I say a place and you say one that starts with the last letter of the one I said. We'll start with…Canada." She was grasping at straws. She would have been willing to play Candy Land if they'd had it, she was that out of ideas.

"Oh, nice choice," he laughed softly. "Then, I'll say Alaska." He was playing along rather than argue. It was only an hour anyway.

Alaska? Did he remember something? "Jax, why'd you choose Alaska?" She had to ask to make sure. She wouldn't put it past him to try and make her think he wasn't remembering anything.

"Hmm? I don't know. No reason, it was just the first place I thought of. Why?"

"Oh, nothing. Um, my turn," she said nervously. "How about Arkansas?"

The game continued with Jax asking for a time check every other minute it seemed. An hour later, Brenda finally said, "Denmark." She waited for Jax's response, but he didn't answer right away. "Jax?" She leaned over to see if he was awake and thinking or if he had fallen asleep. She looked at her watch one last time and was relieved to find the time was up and they really could go to sleep now. But she knew Jax would be better off in the bed right now than on the couch while he slept. The couch wasn't nearly long enough to accommodate his tall frame comfortably. "Jax, wake up," she shook him until he opened his eyes again.

"Isn't it over yet?" he pleaded. "It has to be close, at least. What's a few minutes less or more?"

"No, Jax, I thought you'd be more comfortable sleeping in the bedroom."

He sat up straight and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Where will you sleep? I'm fine on the couch. Anywhere, as long as I can finally sleep."

"It's a queen-sized bed. I think we can both sleep there for one night, don't you?" She really was okay with it, but she knew if he hadn't had this amnesia, he wouldn't be. She was only hoping it would last until the morning so that he wouldn't get upset. It wasn't like they were going to do anything except sleep, she was going to make sure of that.

Jax was too tired to argue with her. He got up and followed her into the bedroom where she turned on the lights and turned down the bed. He didn't even take the time to take off his jeans. He just lay down on the bed, put his head on the soft pillow, and was asleep.

Brenda sighed and climbed in the bed next to him. She set the alarm clock to wake her in order to put more wood on the fire and settled in to sleep herself. It would be an interesting morning when they woke up.

Brenda awoke for the fourth time that night, having gotten up three times before to put more wood on the fire. She glanced at the clock and was surprised to find that it was early the next morning. There was a gray glow coming from behind the curtains and she knew it was daylight. Jax had slept the entire night without waking once, as she had wanted him to. She didn't even try to bother him with the fire, knowing he needed the sleep more right now. If she was right, as she suspected she was, he was already fighting off some kind of virus. She'd have to keep a close watch on him to be sure.

She got out of the bed and turned to check on him one last time. He had the down quilt pulled up over his shoulders and he was curled into a ball to keep warmer. It reminded her of so many other times when she had been able to watch him sleep like this. But that was all a long time ago.

Brenda went into the kitchen and put on a pot of water to boil and make tea. She hadn't brought the coffee in with her. They'd have to go out to her car and get it, unless Jax also brought some. She went over to the front door of the cabin and peered out the window cautiously. It was still snowing, but it had tapered down to a flurry. There were two and a half feet of snow on the ground, it looked like. Jax's SUV was half-buried, making it a difficult task to get anything out of it, she was sure. She couldn't even see her own car from where she was standing. The water was boiling and she had a quick cup of the hot tea.

When she was finished, she pulled on her boots and heavy parka and went to the front door again. There was a shovel next to the door in a small closet and she took it out. She went out onto the front stoop, careful not to let any snow into the cabin when she opened the door. She quickly shoveled off the porch and the steps leading to the ground. It was all she was going to do, but it was still a task to complete. She was beginning to dread when they would have to go get the supplies from the vehicles. She was suddenly very glad that Jax had been able to get his car all the way to the cabin, unlike her.

Brenda went back into the cabin and put two more logs on the fire, warming her chilled body. She'd been outside for less than half an hour, but it was bitingly cold out there. She went to look for something to fix for breakfast when she was warm enough. Before she went into the kitchen, she checked on Jax to make sure he was still asleep. He was not only asleep still, but he was in the same position he had been in when she had left the room.

Jax slept a long time, longer than Brenda had ever seen him sleep before. She was reading an old magazine when she heard what sounded like the first stirrings from the bedroom. To be sure, she got up and went into the room.

Jax opened his eyes slowly, trying to recognize where he was. He remembered the cabin and the previous day and a half. His still persistent headache was an instant reminder. He sat up and groaned as his muscles stretched from their locked positions. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed and sitting on the edge, he put a hand to his head.

That was how Brenda found him a few seconds later. "How are you feeling?" she asked as she entered the room. "Does your head still hurt?" She had noticed he was still gently fingering the bump.

Jax turned to face her and got up from the bed. He smiled slightly at her. "I think I'm fine." He winced once. "But did you ever find out if you had that aspirin? It's probably safe to take it now if you do."

"Let me check," she responded. She went back into the main room where her purse was on a table beside the door. She rummaged through it quickly and came up with a half-full bottle of Tylenol.

He had followed her into the room and was standing in front of the fire. He smiled when he saw that she did have the aspirin for him to take and went into the kitchen to get a glass of water. He took the pills and went to look outside the front window.

"So, how much do you think is out there?" he asked her.

"Well, there was a foot and a half on the front porch when I shoveled it and that's sheltered. I'd say about two and a half feet fell out there."

"You shoveled the front porch? When did you do that?"

"This morning while you were still asleep."

"You must be an early riser," he commented and turned back to the window.

He really didn't remember her, did he? If he did, he would remember that she was a notoriously late sleeper, always still asleep when he got up. He had always been the first one up when they were together. "Do you want something to eat? I can fix you some breakfast, if you'd like." She saw him visibly grimace at the mention of food.

Slowly, he shook his head. "No, I'm not hungry."

"You have to eat something, you know. Are you sure you're okay?" She was getting concerned again.

"I know and I will eat, just not now. Now, what I have to do is find that water valve and get some water in this place." He went to get his leather parka from it's place in front of the fireplace. It had been there since Brenda had hung it up. His gloves and scarf were right next to it. He pulled on his boots which were now dry and warm and got ready to go outside. "How close is it to the cabin?"

She knew she shouldn't argue, it would just cause problems they didn't need. And he was going to do it whether she told him or not. It was better that he do it and come back in than wander around out there for half the day. "It's on the left side of the cabin, just behind the second window there." She pointed to the window she was indicating. "You're going to really have to dig for it," she cautioned him.

"I know. I'll be back in a couple minutes." He opened the door and braced himself against the wind. It was extremely cold outside and he wasn't totally prepared for it.

Jax stumbled as he stepped off the bottom step from the porch when he put his foot into the deep snow. He turned to see Brenda watching from the window. He set off carefully to walk around the side of the house. It was amazing as he walked around. All he could see was a huge blanket of even snow, except where trees interfered. It was truly beautiful, if he took the time to really look at it. He stayed close to the cabin as he walked and he found the second window quickly. He bent over and began to dig through the snow, hoping he was close to the vicinity of the valve. He was lucky enough to have hit it when he was digging and he twisted it as hard as he could, but it wouldn't budge. He tried to get a better grip, but his leather gloves kept sliding on the metal.

The wind was picking up and he wiped away the few tears it brought to his eyes from the cold. He stood up momentarily to catch his breath and looked to see how close the shed might be. Not close enough to get any kind of tool out of and it looked completely snowed shut. He braced himself on his knees as he bent again, trying to see if there was any particular reason the valve wouldn't turn. He couldn't find one other than the fact that it probably had been two years since anyone had tried to move it. He tried once more with his gloves on, but he couldn't get it to turn. He took off his gloves and shoved them in his pockets. Though the metal valve was absolutely freezing, he immediately felt the better grip he was able to get. He twisted and turned until finally, the valve turned a fraction of an inch. He kept at it until it came loose and he got it turned on fully. His hands were so cold now he could barely move his fingers to put his gloves back on.

He stood up and looked around again. If he squinted really hard, he could see a car half-buried in the snow down the road, just about to the bend of the street. It must be Brenda's car that she'd had to abandon. At least it wasn't as far away as she had made him think it was. He'd be able to get to it and that was the important part. The biggest problem he saw was that just behind her car, a tree had come down blocking the road. The snow plows would already have a hard enough time getting up here with just the snow, but now they would need something to get the tree out of the way before they could leave. It'd be a few days at least, and judging from the clouds above, another snowstorm was coming and it might be at least a week. The coming snowstorm also meant he had to get the supplies from Brenda's car and his own before they got shut in from it.

He started back towards the front door to tell Brenda where he was going and what he was going to do. He opened the door and nearly collapsed at how good the heat finally felt. He walked over to the fireplace and stood in front of it before he said anything to her. "The water's on now, try it."

Brenda noticed how cold he looked, almost frozen to the bone. His cheeks were bright red and his jeans were caked in snow around the bottoms again. She went into the kitchen and turned on the faucet. The pipes groaned, but the water soon ran out. She waited for it to turn clear before shutting it off and going back into the other room. "It works," she smiled. He was standing again, putting his gloves back on. "What are you doing now?"

"It looks like another storm is coming in. I'm going to get the supplies out of the cars and get them in here. It looks like we're going to need them." He opened the front door again.

Brenda stopped him. "Jax, wait, let me help you." She ran for where her coat was hanging next to the fireplace and picked up her boots, as well.

"Brenda, no, it's too cold out there for you."

"And it's not for you?" she argued.

"The snow will be up to your thighs! You won't even be able to stand, let alone walk."

"I'll walk in your footsteps. And the snow might be packed enough for me to be able to walk on it."

"Not all the way down there."

"Down where?"

"I could see your car from the side of the house. I'm going down there first to get the things out of it. Then, I'll come back here and get the things from what I'm guessing is my car." He really didn't want her to come after him. It was too cold and she'd get frostbite in seconds.

"All right, we'll compromise. Give me the keys to your car and I'll get the supplies from it while you get the supplies from mine."

She wasn't going to give up, he realized. "Fine," he finally agreed. He found the keys in his coat pocket and handed them to her. He was halfway out the door when he thought of something. "Hey, Brenda, just exactly how much stuff is in your car?"

"I don't know, not a whole lot. I was only planning on being here for four or five days. My suitcase, some groceries, and I brought some firewood in case there wasn't enough up here. Why?"

"I don't want to have to make a second trip." He knew he'd never be able to hold out that long. It was a good quarter of a mile down to the car and then he'd have to come back. He needed a way to get it all in one trip. "Is there anything here that I can take down there that is big enough to bring everything back in or on?"

"Oh, I don't know," she thought for a few minutes. "There is an old sled in the utility room, but I don't know if it'll be big enough." She showed Jax the way.

To call it a utility room was a stretch, it was more of a closet. There wasn't even enough room for both of them to be in there at the same time. He found what she was talking about shoved behind the door. It was a long sled that used to be large enough for two people to ride on at a time. It was perfect for what he needed it for. He dragged it out as carefully as he could. They both set out into the cold again to get the things back into the cabin as quickly as they could get it done.

Brenda slipped and stumbled her way to the back end of Jax's Jeep Cherokee buried in the snow. She struggled to get the hatch open and almost had to climb inside the vehicle to reach some of the items. She had everything in after making four arduous trips. She stood for the longest time in front of the fireplace, trying to get warm once everything was piled on the floor next to the door. She would organize it later. She was more concerned about getting the feeling back into her body parts right now. When she could finally feel her limbs again, she started to put things away and get them out of the doorway. She finished and went to check to see if Jax was making his way back up the road yet. It had been more than hour and she was afraid he would end up with frostbite from being out in the cold so long.

Jax was so cold he was trembling, but he persisted. He knew they needed these things back in the cabin and he was going to get them there. He got to Brenda's car, which turned out to be a dark green Ford Explorer, relatively easily. The snow was deeper in areas where it had drifted, but it was beginning to pack down under him. He had to dig away some of the surrounding snow before he could open one of the car doors, but he eventually got everything loaded onto his make-shift sleigh. He turned around to head back to the cabin. As he walked he kept two goals in mind, that the cabin would be warmer and he wouldn't have to do this again now that it was done.

Finally, Jax reached the front door of the cabin. He was stumbling and had to make a real effort to lift his legs out of the snow and up the steps. He left the sled at the bottom of the stairs and went to the door. He was so cold that his hands were shaking too hard to get a grip on the doorknob and open it. He could barely feel his feet through his soaking wet boots and his jeans were long since covered in snow. When he couldn't get the door open, he settled for knocking as hard as he could manage.

Brenda thought she heard some noise at the front door. She went to investigate and when she opened the door, she found Jax nearly frozen, shivering violently. "Oh my God, Jax!" she exclaimed. She pulled him inside and closed the door, forcing him in front of the fire. As soon as she stopped pushing him, he collapsed onto the floor. She was frantic again.

She couldn't tell if he was conscious right now. He was shivering so much that she could barely focus on anything else. He was on the floor directly in front of the fire and he was instinctively trying to get closer to any source of heat he could find. She immediately pulled off his gloves and scarf. Then, she began to undress him. He was completely soaked to the bone in the freezing cold clothes he was wearing. She started with his shoes and socks, noticing that his toes were slightly white in color. She knew that was bad, but not the worst it could be.

She was starting on his heavy coat when she heard a soft moan come from him. "Jax? Jax! Are you okay, Jax?" she was trying to get his attention.

His eyelids opened and closed slowly as if he was trying to focus on something in the room. "Brenda? Brenda, I'm so…so…cold. I'm…" he mumbled softly. He was shaking still, almost to the point that she couldn't get his coat unbuttoned.

"I know, Jax, I know," she said, trying to comfort him in any way she could. "It's going to be all right, Jax. Just as soon as I get you out of these wet clothes." She was concentrating on getting a good grip on the button of his jeans as he shivered.

"Undressing me, already?" he whispered. "But I barely know you." He tried to joke, but he knew the humor fell short. He literally felt as if he could never know a moment when he could be colder than this. He felt the immediate difference as Brenda began to tug at his jeans to get them off. He tried to help her as best he could, but he couldn't stop shaking.

"I knew I shouldn't have let you do this, Jax," Brenda whispered as she got his jeans off, revealing his dark blue silk boxers underneath. They were damp, but he'd survive with them still on. She knew they'd dry quickly.

"Not your fault," his voice grew softer with each word. "I…would have…done it…anyway." He gave in to the beckoning darkness then and slipped into unconsciousness.

"Jax? Jax?" Brenda tried to rouse him. She couldn't do it. He was out, but he was still shivering nonstop. She pulled off his sweater and turtleneck and got up to grab the three blankets from the couch. Placing a pillow under his head, she covered every exposed part of his body with the blankets. He clutched at them and drew them around him, making her think he was asleep and not unconscious completely.

Several minutes went by and Jax's shivering still did not cease. He was shaking just as badly as before and Brenda's mind was racing with possibilities. She could have a huge problem on her hands if this didn't stop. But she didn't know what to do. She was not, by any stretch of the mind, a doctor or even trained in first aid, but she tried to remember what she'd seen someone, anyone, do in a situation like this one.

Body heat, her mind finally screamed. Suddenly, she remembered from somewhere that the body heat of one person could do more to warm another than anything else might. Well, he was asleep, and it was worth a shot. Quickly, she put another piece of wood on the fire and got undressed. She pulled back the blankets from Jax's body and lay down on top of him. She tried to cover as much of his body with hers as she could, trying to ignore every thought of the past that was racing through her mind. She covered them both with the blankets again. His arms automatically went around her waist and he held tightly to her. She clutched at his shoulders, trying to feel if he was shaking any less. She could feel the slightest difference and knew it had to be working somehow.

Brenda was looking down into Jax's sleeping face as she brushed his damp hair back from his forehead. She could tell that he was getting sick just by looking at him, even if the rising fever hadn't given it away. Whatever he had been fighting off had finally hit him, hard. Beads of sweat had broken out on his forehead even as he continued to shiver from the cold. As she had been lying there, she could feel the difference in his temperature. His body was still cold, but his face was getting warmer. As he continued to sleep relatively peacefully, the shivering began to abate. Brenda was grateful to whatever beings were looking down on them that he didn't seem to have a severe case of frostbite to go along with everything else.

Eventually, Brenda got up off of Jax's body when she was sure he was warm enough. She kept him covered with the blankets. She got dressed and finally remembered the load of supplies Jax had been bringing up before all of this happened. Quickly, she went outside and brought in the sled from the bottom of the stairs. She'd never been so happy to see her suitcase of clothes in her life. She put away the supplies and firewood before she went into the bedroom to unpack her things and get them warmed up. They'd been sitting in a freezing car for over two days now, she didn't dare put any of it on.

Jax was still asleep on the floor when she returned to the main room a few minutes later. She wanted to wake him and get him to move to the bedroom where she knew he'd be more comfortable, but she didn't want to disturb his sleep since she knew he needed it. Instead, she sat on the couch and opened the novel she had brought to the cabin in her suitcase and began to read. She kept a close eye on him to make sure she knew when he woke up.

Every bone and muscle in Jax's body ached. It was the first thing he thought of as he woke up slowly. He wasn't cold anymore, he realized. In fact, he was warm, almost too warm. He opened his eyes and looked around. Brenda was on the couch above him reading a book. The fire was burning brightly next to him. It all felt vaguely familiar to him. And he didn't have very many clothes on, he came to find out. But he wasn't cold anymore. Cautiously, he tried to sit up and found that his body hurt too much to allow him to do it.

Brenda saw the movement above her book and looked up to see Jax awake. She had been watching for over two hours and he hadn't moved. She got up and went to his side. "Jax? How do you feel?" He looked at her for a few minutes as if trying to figure out the answer to that question himself.

"Not…" he considered, "not very well." Now that he thought about it, he was too warm, hot even. He hurt all over, his headache was beginning to pound again, and he didn't even want to think about what his stomach was doing right now. "What happened?" he asked her softly.

"You went to get the supplies from my car. I shouldn't have let you, I know, but you went anyway. When you came back, you were nearly frozen solid. You passed out in front of the fire."

"And my clothes?" They were a good reason he wasn't trying again to get up just yet.

"They were too wet. I had to take them off or you would have frozen to death in them. Jax, you were so cold." She thought it was best to leave out her contributions in warming him up for now.

"I know," his voice trailed off as his eyes began to close again.

"Jax? Jax, do you think you can make it into the bedroom? I think you'll be more comfortable there in the bed."

That made sense, but he didn't think he would be able to make it into the bedroom right now. "Probably," he mumbled. But he wasn't sure what he was saying that in answer to. He knew he wouldn't be able to get up, not without some serious help and he doubted he could force himself to walk the short distance to the bedroom.

Brenda noticed he wasn't making any move to get up since he had moved before. "Come on, Jax. I'll help you," she tried to get him up. She put her hands around his shoulders and with his great effort, he sat up.

Every muscle in Jax's body screamed at him from torture and he nearly screamed himself. He felt sure he was going to pass out again any minute now. But he didn't. He remained painfully conscious. Brenda was trying to get him to stand now, but his body would not cooperate. She had a hold of his hands and tried vainly to pull him to his feet. Several attempts later, he was finally on his feet. The room was wavering in front of his eyes and he had to close them in an effort not to get sick. He shuffled slowly in the direction of the bedroom. Even his feet hurt while he was standing on them.

Jax stood next to the bed, swaying dizzily, while Brenda drew back the covers. She put her arms around him to steady him and gently laid him down on the bed. He groaned loudly at the stress on his body and closed his eyes. Mercifully, he fell back asleep almost immediately. Brenda sighed and swept the hair off his face once more. The storm brewing outside was nothing compared to the action Brenda was sure she was about to see over the next few days.