Work Text:
Hypothermia/Shock
He was running through the woods, in an ice-cold mix of rain and snow. The floor was muddy, and his dress shoes found barely hold in it. He just wore his three-piece suit. Way too cold, and way too thin for early November. But he had to leave, had to escape. And now he was soaked and running through the forest in hope to reach a road or a house, before they caught him. He stumbled over a root and fell into a puddle of mud. He caught and rose again. His knees and hands hurt. He felt the cold creeping even deeper into him. Right now he wished for his woolen long coat. But he had left it at the resort. He had no time. They wanted to marry him off, to some rich heir, to save their honor. Ignoring all his wishes and his own life. He started to run again, tears mixing with the rain.
He really believed them as they told him it was just a nice meal with business partners. Why hadn't he listened to Cleo? Or Daniel for that matter? He didn't know. And so he ran.
He felt his knees hurting more and more with every step he took. With every step he took, he felt his body more and more shaking from the cold. With every step, he got slower and slower. To the rain, a harsh wind set in, letting him shake even more. After some more painfully minutes of walking, by now, he finally spotted something what looked like a road. He sped up again and stumbled again. He caught himself on a tree just in time before he hit another mud puddle. He took some deep breaths and took the last steps. As he reached the road, he broke down. The last of the adrenaline leaving his body. He lent on a tree and slipped down on it. Onto the wet ground. He sighed and cried out. He grabbed inside his suit jacket for his phone. Which was dead. He put it back and found his nearly empty package of cigarettes. He took one out and the package fell out of his hand into the mud. He cried out again and took a drag. He laughed and laid his head back. He noticed the lack of his shivering. Maybe that was not the best sing, but he couldn't place it. He took another drag, and slowly he calmed down and closed his eyes.
They sat in the car. Cleo, smoking and hitting the keys on her laptop. Daniel was driving and staring out the window. Searching. Searching for a hint of his partner. There wasn't a sing from his partner. Cleo tracked his phone to a close part of the forest, bordering the road. He drove extra slowly to see him, with open windows, so that he could hear him. He saw something humanshapish a few meters in front o the other side of the road. Maybe it was Theo! But as they passed, it was just a bush. He cried out. Cleo looked at him.
"We will find him. We just searched a fourth of the possible space, and maybe we have to park the car and search in the forest. Don't lose hope," she said, staring at her Laptop screen.
"You know, it would help if you would look outside and not on your god-damn screen! For all we know, he is at least missing for over an hour. He could nearly frozen to death by now!" screamed Daniel, outraged at her.
She looked up and closed the laptop.
"Do not talk to me like that! I blocked their phones and deactivated their cars. We want to find him before they do. And now slow down and pull over, over there. I'm sending out a drone for a scan", said Cleo.
Daniel stared at her and pulled over. As soon as the car stood, Cleo went out and opened the trunk. She opened a suitcase and took out the drone. She started it and pulled out the control laptop. She started the search program and activated the infra-red scan. Daniel walked up behind her and hugged her from behind.
"Please find him", he sobbed in her shoulder.
A few minutes went by and Cleo clapped on Daniel's arm.
"I think, I found someone. Give me a moment, I'll send the drone down and change on video transfer"
"Do that"
She tipped around and the drone feed changed. It flew down and in the LED light of the drone, they saw the unconcussion form of Theo. His face seemed dirty and wet.
"Where is he?"
"700 meters north. Let's go. Get your lover boy," she said, and closed the trunk.
They went back in the car and Daniel drove up to Theo's standpoint. As soon as they reached him, Daniel turned the engine off and left the car. He sprinted to Theo's form. He searched for a live sing and found it. The body of his lover felt too cold for a human.
Cleo had packed her drone away and came back with a blanket for Theo.
"Let's get him home. And dry him" meant she.
"Yes. Could you please?" asked Daniel.
She nodded and took Theo. She carried him to the car and removed his wet clothes. Then she dried him and put him in a blanket, wrapped in an emergency blanket. She sat him on the back row, where Daniel was waiting. He took him in his arms immediately. He pressed a kiss on Theo's to cold temple.
"Bring us home, please", whispered Daniel.
"Will do. We have to get him warm"
Cleo started the engine and drove off.
From the hypothermic and wet man, and the two searching for him, were no sings left. Everything washed away by the rain. What would hopefully hold Theo's family off their backs long enough to get him healthy enough to get out of the country. Out of their reach.
Back at their home, Cleo carried Theo inside and Daniel poured in a bath for them. As Cleo reached the bathroom, Daniel was already sitting in a luke warm bathtub. Cleo sat Theo down on the toilet and took his temperature.
"34,9°C. We have to raise his temperature slowly. I'll set him in with you"
He nodded, and then she sat Theo slowly inside the lap of his partner. AS he sat there, Daniel took his hand in his. He felt Theo's hand grabbing his.
"Theo, love, we got you. Can you hear us?" asked Daniel quietly.
Cleo sat down next to the bath hub.
"I am here, also. I'll make some soup and tea for us. When you are better, we will leave that country. I'll get us to our. They can't reach you there."
Theo blinked weak.
"... thank you" Theo whispered faintly, and pressed himself on Daniel.
Cleo smiled and went off.
Daniel held Theo close and slowly, he felt Theo getting warmer. He took the thermometer and took Theo's temperature. It was 35,2° by now. It rose. Another fifteen minutes went by. The water was slowly getting cold.
"I love you, Daniel"
"I love you too. Better now?" asked Daniel.
"I'd prefer a different kind of you warming me up," he said, grinning.
"You are better. Let's shower you and get you in bed. Cleo will be down with the soup any minute now"
"That doesn't mean you couldn't be-"
"Nope. You nearly froze to death. We will shower and then eat. Then We will take your temperature and then we can sleep a bit. You will need it. And then tomorrow, I can take your temperature in a different way. Okay?"
"Okay. And then you get me out of here. I never want to seem them again. I just gonna miss my coat"
"I got it. And also dinner is ready. Let's eat something and get to bed", said Cleo.
The men looked at her and grinned.
Daniel hugged Theo from behind, and both men grinned at her.
"I wanna watch tomorrow," she said, grinning.
"You always do"