Snow Lodge
Chapter 26
Brian suddenly jerked awake, a cry falling from his throat as his heart beat wildly.
"AJ!" He called, bolting back upright, ignoring the screaming of his muscles in protest.
He squeezed AJ's hand, hoping for a reaction, but getting none. He could still hear AJ's laboured breathing, seemingly louder than ever in the room.
Brian closed his eyes in relief. It had only been a dream. He thought that AJ had left him. It was only a dream.
He stretched his aching muscles, which were cramped from the awkward position he had slept in, cursing himself for sleeping at all. What if something had happened to AJ whilst he was asleep? He would never have forgiven himself.
He checked AJ over, finding that his condition seemed to be unchanged. The snow-packs had long since melted, and the sheets were now wet. Brian cursed softly. He would have to move AJ so he could replace them. As he looked down at his friend, he realised that something WAS different. It wasn't AJ, he still looked the same, but the room looked different, it looked almost- bright?
Brian looked up at the window, noticing for the first time that the sound of the wind had gone. He jumped up and ran to the window, throwing back the curtains, to be greeted with a beautiful sight. The snow lay crisp and white on the ground, covering everything as it had been before, but now it was almost glowing, as the rays from the bright sun shined off of it, illuminating Brian's suddenly hopeful face. He smiled the first real smile he had in ages, before turning and rushing back over to the bed.
"Jay! The sun is out. The storm must be over. I can get you out of here!" Brian was ecstatic, almost bouncing on the bed with joy as he could finally try to get AJ to some help.
He rushed into the lounge area, grabbing a huge blanket off of the back of the sofa, before going back into the bedroom and laying it down beside AJ. He very slowly, and very carefully, managed to roll AJ onto it. He then wrapped AJ in it as securely as he could, in an attempt to minimise all movement, before picking him up and moving him into the other room, laying him on the floor beside the sofa.
He knelt down beside AJ and caressed his face, speaking to him softly.
"I'm going to get us out of here Jay. All I want you to do is just stay here and keep breathing, and I'll go dig my truck out. Then I'll come back and get you, and we'll find a hospital okay?"
He didn't really expect AJ to answer him, but he was still disappointed that he didn't. He still had hope that AJ would open his eyes and talk to him again. He was however, more than a little scared that he wouldn't, especially since AJ did not even make one sound the whole time that Brian had been moving him. He knew that he had been careful when he moved him, but even the slightest movement had made him cry out before, so his silence now was all the more worrying.
He reluctantly left AJ's side, and walked over to the coat hanger by the door. He pulled on as many layers of snow gear as he could, knowing that he needed to keep warm, before opening the door and heading outside.
