A joy hard-learned in winter was the warming of the bed
You'd shake for minutes there and move your legs
You'd shake for minutes there and move your legs
He runs before he thinks, the high of victory collapsing into that lowest, most horrible low. No, his mind screams, no no "no--" And he doesn't know when the internal cry becomes an external whisper, hoarse as a prayer in the winter night.
By the time he reaches her she's shifted back, delicate feathers morphing into silken hair, that ivory skin as pale as snow. "Soh?" Koa whispers, sinking to his knees. A trembling hand traces the curve of her neck, searching desperately for the flutter of a pulse. "Please," he murmurs into the night, voice quavering as only smooth skin greets him. "Please, Soh, you can't - you have to--"
There.
Koa sighs, relief dropping weights from spring-tight shoulders, uncoiling his heart from where it had forgotten how to beat. She's alive, and that knowledge is enough to propel him into action, to jumpstart years of field training and remind him how to do what comes next. "We need a stretcher!" Koa calls to the backup, the medics now coming to the scene.
A calloused palm presses Soh's cheek as he waits, his copper eyes searching for any sign of wakefulness. "Soh, can you hear me? We're gonna get you to the infirmary. You'll be okay."
By the time he reaches her she's shifted back, delicate feathers morphing into silken hair, that ivory skin as pale as snow. "Soh?" Koa whispers, sinking to his knees. A trembling hand traces the curve of her neck, searching desperately for the flutter of a pulse. "Please," he murmurs into the night, voice quavering as only smooth skin greets him. "Please, Soh, you can't - you have to--"
There.
Koa sighs, relief dropping weights from spring-tight shoulders, uncoiling his heart from where it had forgotten how to beat. She's alive, and that knowledge is enough to propel him into action, to jumpstart years of field training and remind him how to do what comes next. "We need a stretcher!" Koa calls to the backup, the medics now coming to the scene.
A calloused palm presses Soh's cheek as he waits, his copper eyes searching for any sign of wakefulness. "Soh, can you hear me? We're gonna get you to the infirmary. You'll be okay."
Koa Carpenter
Wrap the blanket over you and keep your head within
Let your breath heat the air until you'd feel it getting thin
Let your breath heat the air until you'd feel it getting thin
