Breathe. Little Resistance. Chest falls slightly down. Breathe. Sounds of gurgling. Chest falls back down. The brain isn’t dead the instant your heart stops beating and can still send some signals. If your brain can sense the capability to bring in oxygen, there is a chance that you won’t even have to fully do CPR. Though this chance is very slim, it’s still enough of a chance to try before having the chance of situation to break someone’s ribs. Though in this case, it didn’t have the desired effect, time for chest compressions.

Left hand on top of right, interlock fingers, place hands in the middle of the body and in line with the nipples. Yes, that does sound a little bit naughty, but this is how they explained it in the books. Depending on how strong you are, you may have to use all your strength or just enough. The goal isn’t to break the ribs but enough that it will bruise. 15 compressions, 2 breaths. If you don’t know what you’re doing, forget the breaths. If you definitely don’t know what you’re doing, don’t try this at all. (2 minutes, good chance she’ll come back) as I start pushing down I look up.

Helen is help Doug into his shirt and he already has his pants on. “I hope you changed your underwear” I huffed, “yeah yeah” he said stuttering a bit do to him shivering. Helen started to take her coat off and he reach for his own, grabbing his arm “What do you think you’re doing?” Helen asked as she dropped her’s on her pack.

“But I’m just so cold” he said as he shivered as he rubbed his arms. “I know you are, and so am I, so come here” she said as she reached down and grabbed one of the blankets.

She also is starting to shiver due to the fact that it’s winter. She pulled the blanket around him and herself, wrapped her arms around him and closed the blanket around them. I gave a grin and slowly shook my head, those 2.

15, pause a moment for any reaction, non. Lowered my head and locked lips again, breathe, check chest movement, repeat breath. Hold, no reaction, another 15 compressions (come on, don’t give up just yet). 1,2,3,4… (you better come back quick because I don’t know how many of these compression I’ll be able to handle). 13,14,15, check pulse, bad-um… bad-um… bad-um… faint pulse? But no coughing yet, guess I’ll try to kick start it.

Pinch nose, lock-lips, breathe. I back off quickly since this is usually the time where people have the coughing convulsions, and sure enough. Alexia starts coughing, spewing out the water that was in her lungs. I roll her on her side for easier and a lot less messy coughing and breathing. I fling my legs around and sit on the ground, I stretch out my left leg and roll her back when she’s done with the coughing fit and place her head on my leg.

I lean forward and place my right hand on her cheek to side of her head, one for comfort and to warm her face up a bit. She moans a little bit and slowly opens her eyes, I give her a moment to come to her senses and realize what’s going on. “Hi” she says softly, “welcome back” I reply with a smile, “had me worried there for a bit”.

“You just couldn’t wait to take a swim, could you?” Doug asks as they approach, both still huddled inside the blanket shivering a lot less than before.

There was movement that rippled the blanket, I’m assuming she jabbed him for that comment since the next thing I heard was “ouch”. Helen brought out a rag from under the blanket and handed to me as she spoke to Alexia “I’m glad we didn’t lose you”.

I took the rag and looked back at Alexia. ”I’m just going to wipe off your face” I said as I was reaching down to her mouth. I gave a quick smile and started to dab her face, which in response she blushed slightly. Good sign, blood is starting to flow a little. But still not out of danger since she still hasn’t started to shiver again, sign of hypothermia setting in.

Despite the fact that her coat is open, I had to open it so I could do CPR, and that she’s soaking wet. I finished drying off her face and handed the rag back to Helen. Then I looked into Alexia’s eyes “now I know we don’t know each other too well, and this is a request reserved more for after marriage. But I’m going to have to ask you to strip.” Her eyes shot wide open and gave a hu then narrowed a bit, “yes, everything has to go right now, and we need to hurry”.

Helen quickly spoke up “Couldn’t I do that? I mean we’re both women and she knows me more.” I gave a quick sigh, “If it was any other time, yes. But right now I need to warm her up as fast a possible, and my body radiates more heat than yours. You two need to get a fire going as soon as you can.” Helen gives a hesitant look for Alexia, “Look, I know this is going to be embarrassing for her, I get that. It’s going to be a first for me too, but she’s going into shock and I simply do not have the time to debate this”.

Helen looks at her for a second then nods, “ok, now that that’s over with. Please go grab me the other blanket and then start on getting the fire going” I say fast pace. Then I look back to Alexia and ask “can you stand?”, she looks at me for a moment as it registers with her.

She goes to lean forward, I can feel her neck muscles contract, nope she’s too weak. I help her lean forward so I can get into position, I place my feet on the ground, then I help her raise her knees up. I then place her hands in her lap, I wrap my left arm around her back and right arm around the back of her thighs. I lift her just above the ground then extended my legs “uuuup”. Then I roll my shoulders back and and set her against my body. I look around and find a boulder nearby in the open, I start walking over there as fast as I can.

When I get to the rock, I sit her down and try to stabilize her. Helen comes from behind and sets the blanket beside Alexia, she hovers for a moment only to then leave. They had gotten warmed up enough since she had her coat on again.

First I remove her wet coat and set that aside, (then comes the shirt, I don’t know if I’m even ready for this. Come to think of it, which way is easier, pulling from the top or grabbing the whole shirt from the bottom). I contemplate for a moment then decide to grab from the bottom, (up, up, up and pull over the head. Wait a minute, I didn’t feel a bra. Come to think about it, I didn’t feel one during the compressions either).

Sure enough there was a bare torso right in front of me, I definitely didn’t prepare fast enough for this. I stood there staring for a second, she’s already in oblivion so she didn’t notice. Just the right size aye (going off of my preference that is), no no no I need to focus. I grab the blanket beside her and unfold it a bit. Then I throw it over her torso so that she can have some protection from the cold for now. I lay her back against the rock, now for the pants. I unbutton and unzip her pants. I grab the sides of pants and underwear, I stare up at the horizon and start to pull. I glance a few times to make sure she’s not falling off the rock, I crouch down with the pant at her feet.

I grab each foot and slide off the pants and underwear the rest of the way, putting them with the shirt and coat. (Okay, here comes the cold time for me) I take off everything but my underwear. Skin on skin is the best way to transfer body heat whenever you’re in the stages of hypothermia. (This is going to be tricky and awkward) I grab the blanket from her and unfold it all the way. I laid the blanket on top of the rock and sit in the middle of it, I then positioned my body and her toward each other. I then spread her legs, looking up at the sky so I can have some deniability, and pulled her towards me. I did lift her up so I didn’t scrape her against the rock. Then I folded her legs around my back so I could lean back and grab the top of the blanket, then lay it around me. I brought her torso up and brought her arms around my neck. I wrapped the blanket all the way around her so we could be cocooned. Finally, I waited for about 5 minutes for her body to start to warm back up again.

It took a little bit but her body finally realized the pillar of heat against it and naturally grabbed at it. Finally her legs gripped around my waist and arms around my neck, though she was fast asleep by now. Now that she’s holding onto me, I’ll be able to hold her and the blanket while I walk. She started to shiver once we got to the newly set up camp, at least that’s a good sign.

I sat down on the seat they had put up, “Did you have a good show?” Doug asked, Helen hit him again “ouch, I was just asking”.

“Well it’s not funny” she said, giving him a despaired look, I say “I’m just glad that she wasn’t all with it all the way through”. I rotate my head slightly, she was still sleeping and everyone could tell.

“Did you get a good mental image of her?” He asked as he gave a wry grin, Helen went to hit him harder but he block it. “A nice minute stare should do the trick for a while” I answer with a grin right back. Man if only glares could kill, Helen.

It was about an hour off from dark, so we decided get ready for the sleeping schedules. We had gathered all the clothes by fire to dry off, and eaten our dinner of squirrel that we had hunted on our journey so far and some dried fruit.

“Helen, could you search in Alexia’s pack for a tank top and short shorts?” I asked, “Why such specific clothing?” she asked. Doug was off gathering enough firewood to last for the night, so he wasn’t there to make any type of comment.

“Because I can’t stand much clothing when I’m sleeping” I answer, “You plan to sleep with her?!" She gave a hushed yelling question.

I gave a sigh, “Yes, it’s only going to get colder with night coming and with what happened today, she needs the body heat. And before you say that you can do it. Let me remind you, you are on watch duty tonight” I answered hoping I got the point across. Seems I did since she went to Alexia’s bag in search of the clothes. She stood up with the clothes and walked towards me with a stressed/worried look on her face.

“Can you put them on her really fast before Doug comes back?” I ask, “Why, haven’t you already seen her” asking testingly. I scrunched my face “I only got a good look at her torso” I said slowly, “How could you?!" She basically screamed, which made Alexia stir.

She fumed but immediately quieted down. “Look I may have a low EQ, but I’m still a guy, we’re hardwired that way. It’s driven into our genes for the purpose of furthering our species. We’re in the middle of nowhere with only us, you have a husband so you’re already off limits in my book.

So what do you expect is going to happen. Actually don’t answer that. Day by day I’m driven mad by these hormones that humans produce, Male and Female alike. Made for attracting a mate, made for reproducing. What is suppose to happen, don’t answer that either. I hear you every once in awhile at night (she blushed hard at that), I’m not mad at you for that in fact I’m happy, glad for you even. You two have something great, something I don’t have, something I haven’t been able to obtain the 21 years of my life. I have everything raging inside and outside of me and all around. How am I supposed to hold without one little slip up from time to time?” I ask in a calm manner.

“I… I don’t know” she says in a meek way, “I just don’t want to force her into anything” she says.

“I don’t either, I mean I wouldn’t mind if she came to love me, I think she’s a great person with a good personality. But if she were to find someone else, that would be good, she would at least have found someone she wants to be with. I always try to put people ahead of my own desire, I would never intentionally hurt her or put her in harms way”. Helen adds “I know” and I continue “ I want what’s best for her and what she desires. Even If that puts me alone and with nothing.

”What are you guys talking about?” Alexia asks, apparently hardly awake since she doesn’t realize how she’s situated. “Nothing” I say softly so not to disturb her. “Mmm…” and she falls back to sleep. (Wait we need to dress her)”Hey, we need to get some clothes on you” I say quietly, I place my hands around the sides of her abdomen and I notion Helen to help. We go to pull/push her away from me but she clings on for warmth “Come on, I would like to get this done before Doug gets back” I say softly.

With a little more effort she finally releases me, I close my eyes that so I don’t see anything. CHILL. I search for the blanket’s ends and wrap myself up again. I sit alone in darkness for a few minutes only to hear a lot of moaning from someone who doesn't want to wake up. I wait for some notion to be able to open my eyes, that’s when I hear a whistle.

“Wow, you sure must be cold” I hear Doug say and hear Helen mutter “that was a close one”. I open my eyes to Alexia, finally dressed somewhat, and Doug stacking up a bunch of wood near the fire-pit. Helen went to grab the other blanket for Alexia. Though it was pointless since when she turned around, she had already climbed right back into my arms and lap, much to my surprise. Apparently she already knew a warm place right beside her. Helen sighed, “fine I’ll just find a sleeping bag for the both of you” she muttered.

“Must have finally taken a liking to you for having saved her, and now I hear you’ve graduated to sleeping together. Finally getting lucky, aye?" He asked with a grin.

“Must you always” Helen throws a towel at him,”Whaaaat, I’m just stating what I’m seeing with my own two eyes.” Helen let out a long sigh.

Helen lays the sleeping bag open next to the fire. I somehow get Alexia to stand up, and instruct/guide her to lay on the sleeping bag. I face her towards the fire and then I lay up against her from behind, for lack of a better term I spoon here. Then I spread the blanket over us and zip up the bag to incase us in it’s warmth. Tonight I may actually get a decent night sleep. I get to sleep with a beautiful female.

For Warmth and Companionship. I fall right to sleep with Alexia in my arms.