My pulse was racing so fast that I thought it likely my veins would burst free from my skin to cool their confines of the heated blood inside. I had never been this hot in my life; it was a known fact that I couldn't manage heat well, and, being Canadian, I couldn't think of anything better than a Montreal winter right about now. Tegan had to finish the set without me, and I think the urgency of my condition was conveyed through my lying down on the grass, and the Lollapalooza employee coming to my rescue with a bucket of ice. I wasn't surprised when the frozen water brought goosebumps to raise on my arms and stomach, and I even rolled over to press my face against the grass in hopes of drinking in the morning dew that had long since evaporated, just like my will to stand up as the worker busied Tegan with questions of my well-being that flew right over my preoccupied head.
"Is she okay?" The staff member sounded concerned, but the only noise to come from my sister before I interrupted with a groan of discomfort was an unsure 'uh'. The kind person, whose features I could not see due to my position on the ground, offered to take me back to the hotel room, and just as Tegan agreed, I let out another grunt. "I don't want to move." I complained, relishing in the feeling of melting ice against my overheated skin as strong arms gently rolled me onto my back, slipped under my knees and neck, and lifted me off the ground, exposing me once more to harsh rays of warmth. I wanted to argue with whoever was ripping me from my cold paradise, but as my head was supported and I caught sight of the woman who had dumped ice on me, I realised that it was Tegan carrying me.
I wanted to bicker over my right to stay where I'd been most comfortable, but I could feel my skin starting to heat up again under the vulnerability to the sun, and all I wanted was to be in the confines of a room with AC. Tegan smiled as she kept her eyes on where she was going, moving around people who would jostle me in her hold and holding back a remark fighting to pass her lips. I could see the hotel coming into focus as I turned my head, briefly wondering how much longer I'd have to succumb to the weakness pulling my body into the impression of a near-death experience before I could pass out on top of chilled sheets.
We managed to get past the throng of Lollapalooza-goers and into the building, a sigh of utmost appreciation complementing the genius who installed the air conditioning in the lobby rushing past my lips immediately. I wanted to sing him a song about helping people and how amazing he was, but I found myself nearly drifting to sleep under the exhaustion I felt. There was noise coming from all around as Tee tried her best not to shake me. I could hear people babbling about the heat, some asking if I needed an ambulance and others actively offering their own assistance in carrying me to our room. I can only guess that Tegan had declined these proposals, because I never once left the arms holding my weight. The journey to our makeshift, temporary home was much longer than it would have been under different circumstances, and I'm sure that had I opened my eyes to assess where we were, I would find that we arrived at our room door just in time for me to sink under the tide of slumber.
…
I woke up in the comfort of cold sheets, dressed in only underwear and an oversized shirt that I knew belonged to Tegan. I looked around for her, and as my search proved to be in vain, I let my head fall back against the pillow for a few seconds, attempting to gain more sleep before this, too, resulted in disappointment. I made to get up before the click of the door signalled my twin's return, and she peered around the corner to check on me.
"You're awake, finally," she said with a sigh, turning into the bathroom and running the water. I tried to calculate how long I'd been sleeping for until she returned, pointing to the clock that answered my question. Four hours.
"Here, lay back," gesturing for me to resume my previous position, she pushed lightly on my shoulder, her other hand lifting a wet cloth to my forehead. I sighed in contentment as she manoeuvred over my body, slipping under the blankets that I kicked off in return, allowing the air conditioning to cool the parts of me that had been protected earlier. Curling up at my side and only moving to substitute the cloth for a fresh one every now and then, Tegan's company subdued the complaints that were sure to leave my lips once I was feeling better, her hand holding mine under the covers. I tried to turn on my side at one point, but she urged me to stay on my back, pushing her weight against mine before retreating back to her spot, worried that the contact of our skin would add to the heat I had been feeling earlier. I reached out for her hand once more, pulling her close and turning on my side regardless of her request not to, snuggling up to her, hiding my form in her slightly bigger one. After a while of talking about the show and how I felt in comparison to how I had, I was left to fall asleep, Tegan mumbling in her own half-awake daze:
"I guess this makes me the stronger one, huh?"