Jayme leaned against the wall with her arm held to her chest. It had been a pain ever since it happened but usually only became a problem during Physical Training or Drills. She closed her eyes and took several slow deep breaths trying to will the ache away. "Kama--sit down and conserve your energy. The sun is up, the wind has died down, and its hardly snowing...a ride back to base should be arriving anytime."
"I hope it will arrive.." She looked at Jayme. "I pray it will arrive before there is nothing left to rescue, sit down yourself, you look like you are in pain, and do not say you are not, because those thousand wrinkles on your forehead tell me a different tale, Jayme!" She looked at the woman, not planning to back down, no matter what excuse she would have for not taking a rest.
"My shoulder hurts...I'll live." Jayme said from her position of holding up the cave wall. She saw the other woman walk towards her. Jayme closed her eyes at this point the only thing she could do was pick her battles wisely. She knew Kama wouldn't cause her any intentional harm. The other woman the majors jacket and slid her hands along the shoulder, winced, and announced, "its dislocated Major!"
"Go ahead and try to reduce it." Jayme said through gritted teething knowing this was going to hurt like hell.
"Especially without medications--I have no choice, I have to do this, ready?" She stared at the arm and measured for the direction she would have to push and pull. She saw Jayme close her eyes and heard her scream, while the arm popped back in place. She had done it in a swift move. "There, fixed." She said calm. "All I want now is more heat, I am freezing!" She grumbled.
Jayme sank to the ground and rested her forehead against the sandy cave floor, arm cradled to her chest, jacket still open to the cold. She heard movement off to her right and some stomping and then felt Kama beside her, and something very cold pressed up against the anterior of the joint. Jayme looked and saw that Kama had found a large thin flat shale like rock that wasn't heavy but had been out covered in snow. She sat up and leaned against the cave wall and drew her knees up to conserve heat as Kama closed her jacket around the rock and her arm. "Good thinking Sergeant. Now, do as I ordered and sit down and save your energy."
"Too cold.." She mumbled but sat down, her eyes darted at the fire wood, the supply was almost gone...if no rescue arrived soon they were going to have to go out in the light snow and collect more downed branches to keep the fire going the second night. "No fire, just us and the cold, swell.." She looked at Jayme. "I hope they will show before this storm is over, if not, I am going to walk home myself..."
Jayme wasn't sure how long she'd been asleep if that's what you called the state she drifted in and out of. Both women had sat down together will all of their gear spread over them to retain heat. The rock was still inside her jacket and was warm. "Kama, wake up..."
"No, leave me.. dreaming so nice.." She mumbled and did not want to open her eyes anymore.. it was cold... and she heard a sound...
Jayme looked up to see CPO Donovan and his team stand in the opening of their cave blocking the light casting the cave into darkness.
"I must be dreaming still, pinch me!" Kama said softly. She did not recognize the man, only seeing darkness, she was so tired still.. sleep...maybe..
Jayme reached over and twisted the other woman's earlobe with her good hand and heard her yelp in surprise not expecting to being taken literally. "Ouch!" The woman rubbed her ear and started to stand.
Jayme worked her way up the wall to a standing position and said, "Chief Donovan--it's great to see you and your team."
"Major, you had us all worried back at base." He could see signs of hypothermia in both women and the major was holding her arm funny. "We brought cold weather suits for you two. Strip down and put them on. We'll be gentlemen and turn our backs." With that he and his team tossed duffels to the women and pivoted and stood at ease.
Jayme slowly got undressed and had a hard time putting on the jumpsuit and finally had to let Marki help get it over her injured shoulder and fastened. "Ready Chief. Hey, where did you guys park?" She asked taking a step toward him.
"About three klicks north-northwest...this is a hell of a spot to camp in. If Karissa Bentara hadn't called and given us your probable location we would still be searching...something in this mountain range scatters signals--hence we hiked in since transporter use was chancy, ma'am. Now, what's up with your shoulder if I may ask."
"Dislocated, but the Sgt reduced it here several hours ago." She said still holding the shoulder absolutely still.
"Without meds?" He raised an eye brow and shook his head and laughed, "--Marines, gotta love 'em." He took a roll of silver brigand tape out of his pack and immediately wrapped several wraps around her securing her arm in the position of comfort that she was holding. "There, its more stable for the hike out. I have a med kit if you want something for the pain--but I'm reluctant to give you anything with the exposure to cold."
Jayme looked at his handiwork and then back into his eyes, "I can tough this out, just like I did the reduction of the joint." She realized that he was right in that she was hypothermic because she hadn't been shivering for some time. Her hand when she looked was pale waxy white, and she could see her breath in the cave. Shit she thought to herself and now exerting herself hiking out could make things even worse. She looked over at Kama and noticed the same signs of hypothermia and exhaustion that she had missed in herself and that ticked her off. At that time a huge gust of wind blew threw the cave and snow was falling so thick you couldn't see the trees 30 feet from the entrance.
"Chief?" Jayme said realizing that no matter how good his team was they weren't going to chance wondering around lost in a blizzard.
"Major, we aren't leaving. When the snow abates we will send out a team to get firewood because dusk will be falling early." He called to one of his team to lay out the bedrolls and start preparing a hot meal. "Ma'am," he said setting his pack down and taking out his tricorder and medgear. "Have a seat."
"Thanks, but no thanks, CPO Donovan." Jayme said walking toward the cave entrance to watch it snow. The major noticed that Kama allowed him to scan her and before taking the cup of hot beverage one of the others handed her.
Kama bit her lip, then said very quietly with her back to the Major, "She's been this way the whole time...she hasn't slept in days, or eaten, and with the exposure...I'm concerned. Wish we had someone here who out ranked her!"
"Technically on a mission of this sort...I do." He said rubbing his chin then sighing. "Several senior officers tried to join the search and I said 'no' now I wish I had taken them up on their offer.
He pulled a hypospray out of his packet and then palmed it in his sleeve. He casually checked in with each member of the team and then went to stand in the opening with the major to watch it snow. He was standing on her injured side and knew he'd only get one chance at this before she kicked his ass. They'd spared for fun several times and he knew she was what the packaging advertised...MARINE.
She was leaning against the cave entrance and nodded to him before closing her eyes and enjoying the fresh smells. Her next thought was "shit" as the hypospray hit its mark and she felt herself sliding down the wall and gray fog obscured her vision.
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