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That hair…It was everywhere on the couch pillow, thick and springy If he didn’t have so ainst his face He bunched some of it up in his hand and it was soft and thick He couldn’t help but think of that girl, all of twenty-three and already a wife of four years, tending to abut flesh and bone God, what kind of life must that have been?

Several more times, he reheated the water for hot tea, read, checked her And then he heard a snuffling on the couch A dry cough He looked at his watch--a ten-dollar thing that had run for four years--and saas alonna wake up?"

She lazily opened her eyes and jolted awake, scooting up on her elbows "What? What?"

"Easy It’s okay Sort of"

She blinked a few tiht you inside I had to You were on your way to freezing to death You must not have a brain in your head"

She squinted at hi her lips "Oh--I have a brain I’led to sit up "Gee, if I’d known you got your eyebrow back and grew your beard in red, I et out of your hair, which I notice, you have plenty of"

"You’re not going anywhere," he said, putting a big hand against her sternu her down "You’re stuck--and so aht I have a good sleeping bag…"

"Did you hear me? You were passed out on your way back from the john, covered with snow and da to get your wish"

Her eyes widened suddenly "I’m…ah…naked under here?"

"You’re not naked You have underwear I had to get your wet clothes off you That or just let you die It wasn’t an easy decision," he lied

"You undressed me and wrapped me in this quilt?" she asked

"Pretty ainst ainst ht he"What happened out there? How’d you end up in the doorway of the john like that?"

"I don’t have the first idea I was so glad there was an outhouse for once and I wouldn’t have to squat behind a bush I was going to make it quick, but I was so tired I could hardlyI rehed "I didn’t think I was so tired I’d fall asleep on the way"

"You didn’t fall asleep," he said "You lost consciousness Hypothermia Like I said--half frozen"

"H really, really hot in here"

So, she’d been half-frozen before she made the trek out of her VW He stared at her for a minute, then went over by the stove where he had her wet clothes draped over one of his two chairs to dry out He felt them, then he went to one of the two trunks, opened it and pulled out a flannel shirt of his own He took it to her and said, "Here, just put this on" Next he reached behind the woodstove and picked up a navy blue porcelain pot hite dots that was probably fifty years old if it was a day When he turned back to her, she was sitting up and buttoning the flannel shirt "Use this"

"For what?"

"To pee in"

"I don’t think so," she said "Maybe, if you’ll give hed again, several tiet sick I don’t have time to deal with a sick person"

"I’m not sick, just a little dry in the throat I could use a drink of water, but not until I take a trip out to the--"

"Let’s be clear," Ian said gruffly "I’ you back outside Not for a few more hours at least" The kettle whistled He shut off the propane stove and shrugged into his jacket "I’ll step outside You do your thing Then you’ll have a cup of tea and go back to sleep"

She just stared up at hiled a little in disco his eyes fall closed i her the pot, he went to one of his cupboards and pulled out a new roll of toilet tissue Then he went out the door, hoping it wouldn’t take her very long to do her business He shivered out there for five minutes and then he tentatively knocked on his own front door He was answered by a round of hard coughing and he didn’t wait for further invitation

She was leaning back on the couch looking flushed, her skinny bare legs sticking out fro the pan possessively on her lap She looked up at him and said, "What should I do with this?"

"I’ll take care of it," he said She didn’t ave it up "I’ll be right back" And again he left her, this time to pour the contents down the outhouse hole And as he was returning he thought, she’s sick No question about it She’s been sleeping in her daot weakened Shein her that was ready to strike, and that bad chill just added to her troubles

He said nothing as he came in the cabin He put the pot back behind the stove for her use if she needed it He washed his hands, made her a cup of tea, and while it steeped, he poured a cup of water and brought her three aspirins

"Huh?" she said "What’s this?"

"I think you have a fever Might be fro else First we try aspirin"