Winter Woods

by ID Johnson

  “I don’t know,” Memphis replied. “I can see my mom gettin’ a little wound up about there being a delay.”

  “Most of my readers are middle-aged to older women,” Olivia explained. “I think you could take them.”

  “Not in a pack,” Memphis said with a chuckle as if he was picturing a group of older women coming at him. They walked along, side-by-side, back toward the bridge. The snow had melted even more while they were inside, making it easier to walk through, even though it was wetter.

  As they approached the stream, Olivia walked ahead a bit. It looked very narrow here, and just as she’d felt like leaping it the other day, she had the urge to fly across.

  “Whatcha doin’ there?” Memphis asked, as Olivia sped up.

  “Same thing I always do when I leave the chapel,” she shouted over her shoulder.

  “Olivia, that might be deeper than it looks. And not as narrow.”

  “It’s fine.” She turned to face him, walking backward, a knowing grin on her face.

  “Liv, let’s use the bridge. It’s right there,” Memphis cautioned, gesturing toward the structure a few feet away.

  She spun back around, and taking a few running steps, flung herself into the air. Just as she’d done a few days earlier, she sailed across the stream, expecting to land on the other side. Instead, her forward foot landed in a few inches of snow, which was on top of a thin layer of ice. Olivia slipped, and as she fell backward, she had a clear view of a sparkling December sky with hardly a cloud in sight—before she landed flat on her back in a rushing stream of cold water. Even though it was only about a foot deep, it was moving more quickly than it had appeared. The breath was knocked out of her completely; her head and back began to splinter in pain, and she could hardly move from the jar of the impact. She remembered what Memphis had said about the cold water as the sensation of a thousand pins poking into her body took over through her coat and jeans. It was easily the most painful moment of her life. No matter how badly she struggled, she couldn’t seem to get up, and even though it had only been a few seconds, time slowed down so that it felt like hours.

  Before she realized what was happening, Olivia was scooped out of the water. She closed her eyes and nestled into Memphis’s chest as he whispered, “You’re okay, Liv. I’ve got you.” She felt the blanket around her shoulders, but the warmth of his arms around her was even more intense. As he rushed with her back to the cabin, she began to shiver, and she desperately hoped she didn’t end up with hypothermia over one little urge to fly.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Memphis realized what was about to happen even as he saw Olivia tumbling backward. He knew he’d be no use to either of them if he was also soaked, so he sprinted across the bridge to the other side of the stream and pulled her out within a matter of seconds. Still, even being in the water for less than a minute, she was freezing cold and shivering. He gathered the blanket around her and ran as fast as he could through the trees toward her cabin, using the plume of smoke from the fireplace as a beacon.

  He tried to reassure her as he carried her that she was going to be all right. She didn’t seem to have any broken bones and she was moving a little bit, but the risk of hypothermia was so great, he wanted to hurry back to warmth. Luckily, the water hadn’t been deep enough for her to get any in her lungs. He knew the best method of rewarming her body was out of the question, so he thought through his training and made a plan.

  As soon as he reached the porch, he asked, “What’s the code on the door?”

  Through chattering teeth, Olivia said, “Five, five, three, two.”

  Reaching out under the blanket, Memphis typed it in and pushed the door open. The room was nice and warm, and for a moment he considered letting her sit by the fire to warm up, but he knew that might not do the job fast enough. He carried her to the chair over by the fire and gently set her down. “Olivia, I need you to take off all of your wet clothes—all of them—while I go upstairs and draw a warm bath.”

  He saw her eyebrows raise beneath the brim of her hat which was now down around her eyebrows. “Okay,” she managed.

  “Here’s another blanket you can wrap around yourself when you’re done,” he said, grabbing one from the pile. “I promise I won’t come back downstairs until you’re covered.” He hoped she knew he respected her modesty. “Let me help you with your boots and coat.”

  She nodded, and he began to help her take off her outer layers. Even though he could tell she was hesitant, she seemed to understand the need to warm up as quickly as possible. Her eyes looked a little glassy, and he wasn’t sure if that was from the fall or the shock. Once she had her boots and socks off, and her coat, hat, and scarf, he left her to manage the rest. “I’ll come back and get you as soon as you let me know you’re ready,” he said. He tossed his hat onto the couch, thinking it might get in the way, as he ran up the ladder and into the loft space. Spotting the bathroom, he rushed inside and quickly turned on the water so it could warm up. He looked around the room for towels and her robe, and seeing those nearby, he thought he had a manageable plan. The only obstacle would be that ladder.

  Once the water was warm, but not too hot, he put the plug in the bathtub so it could fill and stepped back, breathing in deeply. His heart was racing, and he realized he hadn’t been so scared in a long time. Olivia hadn’t known there was a patch of ice under that snow. She was lucky the water wasn’t deeper or moving even slightly faster or else she might’ve been swept downstream. While he could appreciate the joy of leaping across a brook, doing something she used to do as a kid, with all the runoff from the snowstorm, that body of water was not what it appeared, and he only wished she’d listened to him. With a sigh, he ran his hand through his hair and then tested the water temperature, turning the cold on a bit more to make sure it wasn’t too hot. What was done was done. Now, they just needed to fix the damage.

  “I’m ready,” Olivia hollered up the stairs. He could tell by her voice that her teeth were still chattering. Getting her in that warm water was paramount.

  Memphis turned both faucets off and crossed back through her bedroom. He took the rungs of the ladder head on and nearly jumped down to the first floor. She looked pale, but not blue, standing by the chair with only a blanket wrapped around her. She had it wound several times, and he was relieved there was no way she could accidentally become exposed in any fashion.

  “How are we going to get up the ladder?” she asked, her teeth clanking together.

  “I’ll manage,” he replied, stepping over to her. “Ready?” he asked.

  “Maybe I could climb up and you could just follow me.”

  “Liv, I’m not going to drop you,” he assured her. She nodded and he scooped her up, most of her upper body higher than his left shoulder so that he could use his right hand to pull them up the ladder.

  “I hope we don’t end up in a heap on the floor,” she muttered as he began to climb.

  “Nah, I got you,” he assured her. It was awkward, but he managed, and within a minute or so, they were near the top rung. “I’m going to set you on the floor and then climb the rest of the way up, okay?”

  Olivia didn’t say anything, but when he boosted her up, she reached over and pulled herself onto the floor, scooting out of the way so he could make it across the threshold. Carefully, Memphis pulled her to her feet. Looking into her eyes again, he saw that they were still glassy, and he worried that she might have a concussion. “I ran a warm bath. It should help get some heat back into your body. Do you think you can manage getting into the tub by yourself?”

  “I can,” she said, the chattering lessening a bit. She turned toward the bathroom, but he picked her up again, carrying her through and carefully standing her by the tub.

  “I’ll go out, and you just holler if you need anything. I’ll cover my eyes if I have to come in, I promise. Also, there’s your robe where you can reach it, and a stack of towels.”

  Olivia looked around and then nodded. “Thank you,
Memphis,” she said, her voice weak.

  He slowly removed his hands from her, making sure she was able to stand on her own and then backed out of the room. He thought she would be able to make it over the edge of the tub without falling, but he was concerned she might hit her head again, or re-injure her back. He knew he couldn’t help her with that, though, so he stepped into the bedroom and closed the door.

  A few seconds later, he heard a gentle splash. “I’m in,” Olivia called through the door.

  “Good,” Memphis replied, letting go a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “I’m going to go down and throw some more logs on the fire and make sure the heat is turned up all the way. Don’t try to get out until I’m back up here, okay?”

  “All right.” Her voice sounded a little stronger.

  “Also, if the water starts to get chilly, you can turn the hot on just a trickle, but stay out of the direct stream.” To her skin, the water would feel much hotter than it actually was.

  “It’s very warm,” she said back, just more evidence of how cold she really was. It wasn’t even as hot as most people’s bathwater would be if they let it sit for fifteen minutes.

  He went back downstairs and gathered up her wet clothing, finding safe places for it nearer the fireplace where it could dry out. Then, seeing that the firewood piled on the enclosed porch off the kitchen was nearly gone, he went out the back door and grabbed a few large logs off of the stack, making a mental note to bring in some more wood before he left. He tossed those logs on the fire and found the thermostat, which he cranked up a few notches.

  Memphis stood next to the ladder and listened. He couldn’t hear anything, and a bit of panic began to fill his mind. “Olivia? Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” she called back.

  With a sigh of relief, he went into the kitchen and started a fresh pot of coffee. He wouldn’t be able to give it to her as hot as she usually drank it, but he knew she’d appreciate the warmth and the familiarity of her favorite beverage. Looking through the cabinets and drawers, he managed to find two old hot water bottles. He found a measuring cup that would fit in the microwave and filled it up before setting it to three minutes. That should get the water plenty hot and allow him to pour it straight into the bottles.

  Once the water was done and the bottles were full, he went back up the ladder and set them inside of her bed. The sheets were a little cold, and he hoped this would help. Putting the blanket up over them would lock the heat in.

  Memphis rapped gently on the bathroom door. “Olivia? Are you all right?”

  “I’m okay,” she said. Her teeth were no longer chattering, and her voice sounded much stronger. “My head and back hurt, though. I think I hit them pretty hard.”

  From his vantage point, it looked like she had. If her coat wasn’t thick, she might have even ended up with some abrasions and punctures from the rocks. “Whenever you’re ready, go ahead and dry off and get out, okay? Just put on your robe.”

  “Okay,” she said quietly, and he wondered if she was afraid to stand up again or afraid of him seeing her in only her robe. She’d be snuggled under a pile of blankets soon enough, hidden from view except her head.

  The splashing sound of the water running off of her as she stood let him know she was getting out. He heard her drying off and stepped back away from the door, ready to pounce if she needed him but also giving her some room. A few seconds later, the bathroom door opened, and she peeked one eye out, much as she had the night they first met. “I’m ready,” she said, quietly.

  “I’ll turn around if you like, so long as you think you can make it to the bed okay.”

  “I think I can,” Olivia replied.

  Memphis turned his back to her so that she could cross the room. He heard her shuffling footsteps and then the sound of her laying on the mattress. “Are these hot water bottles?” she asked.

  “I found them downstairs.” He still hadn’t turned back to face her.

  “I’m covered up,” she let him know. Memphis slowly turned to face her. She had the blankets pulled up to her chin. “Now what?”

  “Now I pile some more blankets on you and check to see if you have a concussion,” he replied. He opened up the closet and saw that there were several quilts on the top shelf, which he pulled down and brought over to the bed.

  “I didn’t realize you were a doctor.” The comment wasn’t sly or sarcastic, more sleepy and teasing, and Memphis couldn’t help but grin at her as he spread the quilts on top of her.

  “When you’ve played as many contact sports as I have, you learn a thing or two about head injuries,” he explained. He sat down on the edge of the bed next to her. She was still sitting up, though the blankets were high around her. Her hair was a bit damp, but it looked like the fire had done a good job of drying it. Memphis tucked the quilts in to make sure she was plenty warm and then looked into her eyes. They still seemed a bit off.

  “What do I do?” she asked, clearly nervous, either about the potential injury, or possibly from having him so close.

  He gently took both sides of her head in his and looked more closely at her eyes. Her pupils weren’t dilated, and she seemed to be able to stare right back at him. “Follow my finger,” he said as he moved it from side to side in front of her face. Her eyes seemed to naturally follow without any lag. “Does your head hurt?”

  “Yes,” she said. “So does my lower back.”

  He nodded. “I don’t think you have a concussion,” he replied. “But I’m not sure, so I definitely don’t want you going down that ladder for the rest of the night.”

  “My laptop is down there, and I have writing to do,” she reminded him.

  “I know. I can bring it to you. And anything else you need.”

  “You can’t stay here all afternoon.”

  “I can stay here as long as needed to make sure you’re safe,” he replied. So close to her now, it would be easy to just lean forward a bit and meet her lips, but he definitely didn’t want her to think he was taking advantage of the situation, so he stood. “I made you some coffee. I’ll get that and some water so you can take some medicine for the pain. Do you have anything?”

  “There’s Tylenol in my purse,” she said, gesturing with her head toward the chair where her purse was sitting.

  Memphis got the Tylenol from her purse and then went downstairs to get her coffee, sticking a bottle of water in his jeans’ pocket as he did so. He’d come back later for her laptop. Though the bottom of his jeans had gotten a little wet when he’d stepped in the brook to pull her out, his boots had kept him dry, and now even the soggiest parts of his hems seemed to be mostly dry.

  Memphis set the coffee down on the nightstand and opened the bottle of water. “Say ‘ah’,” he instructed, waiting for her to open her mouth like a baby bird.

  Olivia giggled but then did as she was told, and he plopped the two pills into her mouth, and then helped her with the water. Once she was done, he put the lid back on the water and set it next to the coffee. “Can you reach that—once you have arms again?” he asked.

  “Yes, thank you.” She was still giggling, and he loved the sound of it.

  “Okay, well, I’ll go downstairs and give you some privacy. Try to get some rest if you can, but you probably shouldn’t fall asleep—just in case.”

  “I don’t think I could anyway,” she replied. He could see that the pain was starting to get to her.

  “I’ll bring you your laptop in a little bit.”

  “All right.”

  Memphis approached the ladder, giving her one last glance as he did so.

  “Memphis,” Olivia said, just before he began his descent. He froze and looked at her.

  “Thank you,” she said, meeting his gaze. “For everything. I should’ve listened to you…. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve jumped across that stream.”

  “I know,” he said with a timid smile. “You’re welcome. Most of the time, it would’ve probably been just fine,
but with all that runoff, and the ice…. I’m just glad I was there to pull you out.”

  “Me, too,” she replied. “I guess I could’ve gotten up eventually, made it back here, but I would’ve been nearly frozen by the time I made it to the cabin.”

  “Don’t worry about what might’ve happened, Liv,” he replied. “I was there, and now you’re safe.” With another smile, he said, “Just get some rest, and I’ll come check on you in a few minutes.”

  “Okay,” she said, leaning her head back against the headboard. Even though she was still slightly pale and had a bit of a grimace on her face from the pain, she was still the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. He was so thankful he’d been there to pull her out of the water and that she seemed to be all right. The thought of something bad happening to Olivia was unbearable, and as he made his way down the ladder, he prayed that he might be the man to keep her safe and sound from now on.

  ***

  The day had certainly not gone as Olivia had expected. Never in a million years when she woke up that morning would she have thought she’d be off gallivanting through the woods with Memphis, that she’d have the chance to show him the chapel, or that she’d end up falling into the stream and nearly getting hypothermia. While she wasn’t sure she was as close to death as Memphis seemed to think she might be, falling into cold water was the most miserable experience of her life, and she certainly hoped to never do that again.

  Her head felt like it’d been run over by a Mack truck, and her back still had the sensation of being stabbed by a thousand jagged rocks, though it was really her lower backache that was bothering her. She didn’t take pain medication often, so she hoped this Tylenol would kick in quickly and alleviate some of the discomfort. She did feel much warmer now, even when she reached her arm out to find the cup of coffee he’d set next to her. One sip and she felt cozy on the inside as well. He really was a lifesaver, even if he hadn’t technically saved her life—though who knew what might’ve happened if she’d fallen into the water on her own. One thing was for sure, if she ever decided to have one of her characters plunge into cold water, she’d know exactly how to describe it.