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Kevin dragged his foot upwards, thumping it back down onto the snow beneath him. Just that single step felt monumentally difficult, limbs numb and heavy.
The forest ahead of him was blurry, and Kevin wasn't sure if that was because of the snowfall or the way his lungs stung every time he took a breath, stealing his oxygen. The very air around him was freezing, numbing his skin as much as it hurt it.
Shivering, he gripped the side of a tree, desperately trying to keep himself upright. His fingers were so stiff that they slid over the bark. Kevin stared at his hands, not even feeling the bleeding scrapes.
Where was he going, again? He wasn't sure, brain working too slowly. But Kevin had to keep going forward, he was sure.
Wet snow seeped into his shoes, clinging to his legs as he stumbled along. God, he was so tired...
Keep going, he told himself, but was it really that important, when he couldn't even remember why?
Maybe it would be easier after he rested. Yes, that sounded like a good idea. The next time Kevin's legs rebelled against him, he didn't fight it, falling forward onto the ground.
It was cold, with the snow pressed up against his shirt, but not having to fight his body for every step was such a relief that he didn't care. Kevin tucked his arms into his body, distantly watching snowflakes settle on the nearby bushes.
He wasn't shivering anymore, he realised. That was... Fine. Maybe it wasn't as cold as he'd thought.
Kevin's eyes slipped shut.
Aaron Minyard had not signed up to spend his winter break searching the forest for his dumb brother's situationship. Yet here he was, face red from the cold, trapsing through the snow.
Kevin just had to fucking get lost, didn't he? Sometimes it seemed like that guy based his actions on what would inconvenience Aaron the most.
The Foxes had decided to stay in a log cabin for a few days, because of course there was no way that would end badly, it wasn't like they were the most trouble-prone team in the whole NCAA-
Something caught Aaron's eye. A ugly orange bobble hat, the same one Renee had forced onto Kevin's head earlier today. He picked it up, mind racing.
Either it had fallen off and Kevin hadn't been able to put it back, or Kevin had taken it off himself. The first option didn't bode well, but it was the second that made a rock of dread settle in Aaron's stomach. The only reason someone would remove warm clothing in this weather was if they were so severely hypothermic that they were convinced they were too hot.
Aaron scanned the area around him, almost frantically. Fuck, he'd really been hoping Kevin was just out here sulking or something, not unable to return to the cabin. It had been nearly an hour since Aaron and the others had set out, longer since they'd heard from Kevin, and he was far enough into the forest that it would take a while to reach shelter.
Snow fell on Aaron's coat, and his chest tightened. He really didn't want to go back and look at Andrew's face and tell him that... that...
Kevin was too irritatingly stubborn to lose to cold weather. He'd be fine. Aaron ignored his brain telling him that's not how hypothermia works, and kept walking.
At least, until he nearly tripped over something.
Stupid, asshole Kevin Day was laying on the ground, unmoving.
Aaron's hands reached for his neck, fingers trembling as he felt for a pulse. God he was was so, so cold, and Aaron couldn't help but remember Andrew pressing up against Kevin on the cabin's sofas, relaxed in a way that Aaron almost never saw him, and-
Kevin's pulse was slow, weak, but it was there.
Aaron took a deep breath. First things first, check his condition. Kevin didn't respond when Aaron called his name, or when he shook his shoulder, or even when he pinched his skin. That wasn't good. He was freezing to the touch, winter coat unzipped, for some godforsaken reason. Aaron did it up, not that it would do much good now that Kevin's core temperature must be so low.
Kevin didn't have any injuries that Aaron could find, except some minor grazes. The next step, then, was calling the others to come and carry him back to the cabin.
Aaron pulled his phone from his pocket, sheltering it against the show with his hands, and swore visciously, finding there wasn't even a drop of signal.
"We have to find him, Aaron!" Aaron mocked, shoving his phone away. "Let's all go out into the snowstorm, alone! That sounds like a great idea!"
His voice came out strained and yeah, maybe Aaron was losing it a bit. Kevin was a fucking giant, over six foot and he had the muscle that came with being a professional athlete. Aaron was, loathe as he was to admit it, pretty short, and he didn't have the strength Andrew did. How the hell was he meant to get Kevin back inside on his own?
He couldn't, except that he had to. Kevin was going to die if he didn't.
"Okay, here we go..." Aaron dug his hands under Kevin's arms, hauling him upward. He intended to get Kevin over his shoulder, somehow, but the guy was deadweight, limbs draping in the most awkward position possible. Aaron had never appreciated how much work the carryee did until they were incapable of doing so.
He didn't have much choice, then. Aaron wrapped his arms around Kevin's chest, under his arms, and locked his hands together. He stood as straight as he could and walked backwards, neck craning to make sure he didn't crash into anything.
Dragging Kevin through more snow wasn't doing him any favours. But he was already far too cold, and there was nothing Aaron could do to help until he got him somewhere warm. He'd just have to hold on, for however long this took.
Please hold on, he thought.
Aaron didn't know this forest well. Of course he didn't. They'd only been here for two days. But it wasn't that dense, and there were enough notable trees or rocks to be used as landmarks. When Aaron spotted the strange, catus shaped tree that could be seen from the cabin's kitchen window, he almost felt he might cry.
There was no one else at the cabin. They must still be out looking for their second-worst troublemaker. Aaron pulled Kevin onto the wooden floor and slammed the door shut after them, sealing the cold wind outside.
Okay, Aaron. You're a med student. How do you treat hypothermia?
Raise the body temperature, but not too quickly. Aaron dug through Kevin's duffle bag, snatching some dry clothes for him, and ran back to kneel next to him.
He hadn't put Kevin down in any kind of comfortable position. He hadn't moved, and the logical part of Aaron's mind had expected that, but it still weighed heavily. Aaron dragged Kevin's cold, damp clothing off of him, awkwardness be damned, and wrestled the dry ones on. He attacked Kevin's hair with a towel before tucking a blanket over his head.
The fireplace was still burning, across the room. He couldn't move Kevin any closer, not yet, but he added some more wood, to make sure it wouldn't go out.
What next? He couldn't give Kevin a hot drink, but some room temperature water couldn't hurt. He sat Kevin up a little, massaging small sips of water down his throat.
...He was so still. So quiet. It wasn't right.
Aaron gently rubbed Kevin's hands and fingers with the towel. They were red, in the early stages of frostbite, but hopefully it wasn't too serious. He bundled his hands in another blanket before finally reaching for his phone, relieved to find he had signal.
Found Kevin. Back at cabin. He meant to text everyone, but he'd barely started on the second person before Andrew was calling him.
"How is he?" Aaron wasn't that good at reading his brother's tone, but he'd gotten better. Not that he would've needed to tonight. Even a stranger could have heard the fear in Andrew's voice.
"Not injured, but he's hypothermic."
"You need to warm him up." Aaron wondered if the strain in his voice was from running back toward the lodge or from worry.
"I've obviously already done everything I can." Aaron pressed his eyes shut, trying not to snap. Sue him, he didn't want to hold his teammate's life in his hands. "He's breathing fine, and he's somewhere warm. Don't kill yourself trying to get here faster."
Andrew hung up, and Aaron turned his attention back to Kevin. He was still far too cold and pale.
Aaron shrugged his coat off. He grabbed another blanket, mentally thanking Nicky's overpacking, and wrapped his arms around Kevin, pulling him close to his chest, before laying the blanket over both of them. Sharing body heat was one of the most effective ways to counter hypothermia.
"I bet the Vixens don't get into these situations." He muttered. Katelyn's team seemed much more sane.
Despite Aaron's complaining, though, he knew the Foxes were the best fit for him. Aaron didn't exactly repel trouble either.
Kevin was heavy and cold against him. Aaron held him tightly, partly for Kevin's sake, and partly for his own. He'd be okay. He would. He had to be.