She fell out of the sky

A big storm was moving in, the kind that would rip the roof off of your carriage house and dump ten feet of snow in just a day. L Lawliet could smell the snow on the wind that was already beginning to blow. He wanted to check the genny one more time before he retreated inside and waited for the Alaskan winter to go by. He put his head down to walk against the freezing wind scolding himself for being so paranoid and compulsive; and that is when he heard it. A low buzz at first and then as it came closer it started choking. His eyes went to the grey blob of sky above. What the hell, way out here in this weather?!

A small red and white Cessna escaped the grayness staggering its way toward the lodge. The plane dropped, tried to level out, dropped again; sputtering and struggling as it lost the battle to stay in the sky. The winds were too strong, it was too cold and it had already started to snow. The plane dropped again and this time there was no correct. L watched in mute fascination as the Cessna descended into the trees. There was the sound of snapping wood and crunching metal and then nothing.

No fire ball yet…There could be survivors… He didn't want to be discovered out here by anyone, but he doubted the yahoo that crashed would be much of a threat to his identity; if the guy was even still alive that is. L decided it was worth investigating. He was curious as to who was in the plane and what they were doing way out here. He also knew that anyone who survived that crash would be killed by the storm if they didn't get to shelter.

The key to his snowmobile was on the ring in his pocket. L changed course and headed for the garage digging into his coat for his radio. He pulled it out and pressed the button. "There has been a plane crash, I'm going to investigate."

"Oh shit, Johnny," Lucia let go of his wrist, he was dead. She wasn't surprised he was already gone; his head hung awkwardly to the right, his neck was broken. The windshield had shattered on his side where the tree branches broke through. One of them had likely killed Johnny.

The plane was still rocking; they were tangled in trees and hadn't hit the ground yet. Lucia could see it about twenty feet below the nose of the plane; quite a drop. The dash had crunched up nearly pinning her legs but Lucia could wiggle free so she did. She planted her boots on the dash and pushed herself into her seat. Her right hand went to the clip on her seatbelt, her left pressed against the ceiling. Lucia released her seatbelt and steadied herself balancing her weight at three points.

She wasn't about to fall face first through the empty hole that had been glass three minutes ago. Lucia grabbed the seatbelt with her free hand and started to turn. She would have to jump down but carefully. If she could get out of the plane safely there was still hope. Lucia saw the old Moose Lodge as they were going down. Even if there was nobody there it was still shelter from the storm.

Lucia got into the best position to jump, a descent free of branches. One two, drop and roll! She shoved herself off letting go of the seatbelt. Lucia avoided every branch on the way down and landed on her feet. Her right foot slipped in the snow on impact violently twisting beyond its limits. Lucia cried out in pain as she tumbled over and rolled to a stop. Godamnit I sprained my frigin ankle! I can't fucking walk!?

"Damnit," she growled reaching for her ankle. It was already swelling. Above her the Cessna creaked against the snare of branches holding it up. Her escape had changed the weight up there, Lucia had to move. Standing wasn't possible; even though her legs hurt I'll be wearing bruises for a month she could still crawl. Lucia rolled over onto her stomach and dug her elbows into the snow. Her aching body screamed in protest. Hurting just about everywhere Lucia crawled nearly fifty feet away from the crash zone before she could go no further.

I just need to rest for a minute. Lucia looked back at the plane and the trail she left in the snow. It was patterned with red dots. Blood? I'm bleeding? She couldn't see anything wrong with her in the front. She reached around and felt at the back of her head. There was a lump and a cut there numbed by pain or shock or cold, Lucia never felt it. Something flying around the cockpit must have got me. Shit.

Gimped up and bleeding in the deep wilderness was a bad combination. She had to hurry to the lodge before a predator picked up her blood scent or the storm became a white out. "I don't have time to bleed," Lucia wiped her bloody hand off in the snow. I have to get out of here. I have to get inside fast! The temperature was steadily dropping; the snow was beginning to come down a little heavier. The lodge is north east she reminded herself digging into her coat pocket with a blood smeared hand. Lucia pulled out her keychain and brought it close to her face. The compass on the end rotated and then settled. That way.

Lucia pointed herself in the right direction. She took a deep breath trying to exhale some of the pain she was in and started to crawl again. I can do this. I can make it. The lodge can't be more then three miles from here. I can get there. I can make it! Her dragging right ankle rolled fresh pain up her leg every time her heart beat but Lucia kept going. She had no choice. Storm or no storm of she didn't get inside she was going to end up as dinner for something with sharp claws and teeth. Go, just keep going.

With her keychain clutched tightly in her bloody hand Lucia pulled herself along. Her fingertips were starting to freeze; her gloves and hat were on the couch in the cabin with her purse and her scarf. Too bad they didn't fall out then I could have just grabbed them and… There was a sound being carried on the wind that hadn't been there a moment ago; a hum that was steadily growing louder. Lucia held her breath listening. Not a plane…it was getting close fast. A snowmobile! Somebody is coming! She pushed her hands into the snow and forced herself to a sitting position. Her eyes went to the direction the sound was coming from, the direction of the lodge.

Lucia's neat little compass keychain was also equipped with a thermometer and a whistle. She brought it to her lips and took in a breath. Wait a minute, why is there somebody at the lodge now? Her heart picked up the pace as old paranoid instincts kicked in. Hunting season was way over, nobody stayed this far out in the wilderness all winter; it was too dangerous no matter how many generators you had. Somebody's out here why? Are they after me? Good guy or bad guy, it didn't matter. Lucia had to get to shelter. If it was an assassin it would all be over in two shots; Lucia might have left her gloves in the cabin but her .22 was in her big side pocket. If it wasn't a hit man then she could at least get help. Either way, whoever it was, they were coming from the lodge she needed to get to.

The snowmobile came into view in the distance. Black and green with a single rider wrapped in black. Shit, this is it. She raised her arms and started waving. It hurt her pain wracked body and Lucia shouted it out. "Hey! Over here! Hey!" A minute later the driver saw her and pointed the sled in her direction. "I'm here," she sighed winded dropping her arms. Lucia sagged back on the snow and waited for what was next.

L wasn't far from the crash site when something bright pink caught his eye. He steered toward it a survivor the pink ski jacket was waving its arms. A girl. The female ahead apparently saw him coming her way and sat back in the snow. To his dismay a moment later pink jacket lady fell over. L gunned it and arrived on the scene quick. He left his Arctic Cat running and hopped off. Running over to her the woman turned and looked at him still alive and conscious. There was blood in the snow behind her head.

Lucia watched the man coming to her. His face was hidden behind goggles and a scarf. She forced her hand to her big pocket. If he pulled a gun maybe she could shoot first and steal his ride. It was below freezing out here but Lucia broke into a sweat. Her eyes never left him as he jogged over and fell to his knees beside her.

"Are you alright?" L asked quickly evaluating the situation. He took her by one shoulder and turned her some to find the head wound.

"I hit my head; my ankle is either sprained or broken."

He looked down at the young woman that had begun to tremble beneath him. She's going into shock. "Were you the only one on that plane?"

"No but Johnny is dead. His neck was broken in the crash." If at all possible she didn't want the stranger going back for a look at Johnny's face.

L looked in the direction of the crash. He could see the nose of the Cessna in the trees. She crawled quite a distance. Hypothermia is probably setting in too. L shifted and got his arms under the woman. "It's alright, let's get you inside and looked at," he tried to ease as he picked her up and started toward his idling Cat. Getting her inside was top priority right now.

She already knew but, "Where are you taking me?"

"I'm staying at the old Moose Lodge." L set her butt down on the front of the seat and straddled the leather behind her. "Can you hold onto me while I drive? It isn't far."

Lucia wrapped her arms around the man's middle. She didn't feel a gun in his coat but there was something walkie talkie shaped in one pocket. "I can hang on."

He dropped the sled into first gear and slowly got them rolling. The woman was shaking a little worse now. Just stay with me until we get back to the lodge. L wanted to get her talking. "What's your name?"

"I'm Emily Woods." The lie came out sounding perfectly natural. It should, she had been using that name for a year and a half now. "Who are you?"

"I'm Richard Clark. You're going to be just fine Emily Woods." L chose to use his most recent identity with her. His mind was already beginning to work out what he was going to do about her.

His repeated attempts to reassure her lightened her suspicion. "There's a big storm coming in."

Good, keep talking. "I heard. It's going to be days before we see the sun again. I'm sorry but we'll have to wait for it to pass before we can contact anyone on the outside."

"Yeah," Lucia hadn't thought that far ahead yet. Shit I can't have the state cops questioning me. Lucia peered up into the dark eyes behind the snow speckled goggles. If this guy has a plane… "I'm lucky you found me. What are you doing out here? Hunting with your friends?"

To anyone else her questions would seem normal enough but why am I in this remote place and how many people are with me. She's smart. "I came out here to finish my book in peace and quiet. My assistant William is back at the lodge."

Lucia knew creative people could be weird. Only two of them, good. Her chances for survival were steadily increasing but Lucia remained cautious. "This is pretty far out. What's your book about Richard?"

"It's a survival story. I wanted to see a vicious winter first hand," L explained over the hum of the snowmobile. Emily was still testing him.

Makes sense. "Oh, I see."

"What are you doing way out here Emily Woods?" One of her pockets was heavier then the other. L shifted into second gear.

"Environmental studies." Going faster made the sled bump more. Her ankle was on fire and Lucia squeezed her eyes shut.

There was a joint college research facility sixty miles west of here. Graduate student. The lodge came into site. "We're almost there. Hang on Emily."

L pulled the cat right up to the front door before he killed the engine. Wammy opened the door and hurried outside. "William," L called out to his old friend.

Lucia looked up and saw an elderly man hurrying to them. Behind him was a nice warm house. Safe! She let go of Richard and tried to steady herself. Perhaps the rush of excited relief was too much for her traumatized head. For a minute Lucia was staring at the snowing sky as her eyes rolled back in her head and then there was darkness.

He caught her as Emily finally passed out. "We have to get her inside. She has head trauma."

Wammy balanced the woman and L climbed off the snowmobile. "You take her and I'll fetch the first aid kit." L scooped the woman into his arms and Wammy went ahead to hold the door. Once they were all inside he locked up behind them.

The young lady was trying to come out of her faint as L carried her to the closest empty bedroom. He lay her on the bed and her head turned from side to side. At the foot of every bed in this place was a big cedar chest full of extra blankets and pillows. L went to it peeling out of his outdoor gear. H tossed his outer ware on the settee and pushed the top of the chest open. He grabbed out two blankets and a pillow and went back to Emily's bedside. He set the items beside her and moved to her feet. The left boot came off with no response from the woman but when L took off the right Emily's eyes flew open and she cried out in pain. It wasn't a consciousness that would last though, her eyes slipped shut again almost immediately. Carefully L rolled up her pant leg and rolled off her sock.

No bones were sticking through the already bruising skin but the ankle was swelling. L felt it as gently as possible. It wasn't broken but it was badly sprained. He tucked a pillow under it and spread one of the blankets over her legs. L then turned his attention to Emily's head wound. He planted one knee on the bed and took her by her shoulders. He pulled her up and leaned her against him for a good look at the gash behind her left ear. It had mostly stopped bleeding; it might not need stitches after all. Wammy came in carrying a suitcase of emergency medical supplies. "Grab me a roll of bandages and come hold her. We'll wrap her head first."

Wammy followed L's instructions. He noticed the girl's foot up on a pillow. "Is her ankle broken?" he asked passing L the white roll.

"Sprained, we'll ace bandage that next." Wammy held the woman and L started wrapping the wound up. It was difficult at first; Emily Woods had a lot of long hair. After the initial wrap though it wasn't too tough. He was almost finished when she stirred; L made one more loop and tied it off.

"Nnnnn," Lucia mumbled as she tried to come out of the weird sleep that had her. "Wha…doin…"

"It's alright Miss," Wammy leaned closer to her ear.

L moved his hands away. "Emily Woods."

"Miss Woods, can you hear me?"

Sure she could, she just couldn't find him. Her eyes didn't want to work right and her head was too heavy to lift. "There…"

"I think she's in shock." L moved in again and reached for the zipper on her ski jacket. "We have to get her warm."

Her head was swimmy but Lucia had the presence of mind to realize her coat was being taken off. That might be okay and it might not, her gun was in there. These guys might find it or take it away or shoot me. Lucia opened her mouth to protest but all that came out was a groan of pain as her aching arms got free of her jacket. She saw Richard toss her jacket onto a chair behind him and Lucia squeezed her eyes shut again.

"Easy," L got an arm around Emily. "Lay her back down now. Try to keep her head turned to the right." L and Wammy lowered her back down resting her head on a stack of pillows. Emily moaned a little again. He didn't fuss over her and went to the foot of the bed. "Ace bandage," he asked for looking down at her ankle. "We'll have to ice this after we get it wrapped up."

"I'll fetch some." Wammy left the girls side and went back to the suitcase. He pulled out a large brown roll and tossed it to L. "I'll be right back."

Wammy went out and L bent over to wrap Emily's ankle. "Try to be still Emily Woods, this might hurt a bit. Please don't kick me in the face."

As soon as his words were out Lucia felt a sharp pain in her ankle. Richard was straightening it out and wrapping it up. She held back the scream for as long as she could but inevitably; "Fucking God that hurts!"

His patient was awake now. L looked up from his wrapping and saw the tears leaking from her closed eyes. "I'm nearly finished."

"Hurry up!" she couldn't help it if she was being rude. Lucia just wanted to be left alone with her pain.

L moved as quickly as he dared. He was finished in no time and set her foot back on the pillow. He picked up the second blanket and spread it over Emily as she sighed with moderate relief. "Sorry that hurt. If you don't have a concussion I can give you something for the pain."

That sounded wonderful. "I'm sure I'm…" Suddenly her eye was being pulled open. Emily opened both eyes and looked up into the face of the man that had rescued her. Spook! The man was very pale and had dark circles under his eyes. He was either a junkie or an insomniac. Lucia thought the weird guy looking at her pupils was too well spoken to be high on some fucked up drug. Just a weird artist? He stopped examining her and their eyes locked. The weird guy didn't blink. "Do you have a muscle relaxed?"

Emily appeared to know what she needed pharmaceutically, but most college students did. "Can you tolerate Vicoden?"

Vicoden huh? "Yes, I took it once before when I had back problems," Lucia lied again.

He nodded and went back to his abandon coat. He fished out his radio and pressed the button again. "William, could you bring up a glass of water too? Oh, and start tea. Hurry up." L dropped the talkie onto his pile of protective clothing and went to the suitcase. "How much do you weigh Emily Woods?"

Even in her current state the offensive question made her frown. "I can take five hundred milligrams at a time," she answered with a slight snarl.

L picked up a bottle and twisted the cap off. He shook a pill into his hand and resealed the bottle. "It should help."

Relief was in the palm of the spook's hand. Yeah, weird artist. "Give it to me. I can dry swallow pills no problem."

It was no surprise, rugged people and drug addicts usually could. L took the pill to Emily on the bed. "Alright, but at least sit up."

She tolerated the spook sitting her up, Vicoden was worth it. Lucia took the pill from his palm with a shaking hand and popped it into her mouth. She swallowed the chalky thing. "I'm in shock or something right?"

"I believe so. You were also out there long enough in this cold for the onset of hypothermia to effect you. We have to keep you warm."

"Do I need stitches?"

"I don't believe so."

Good then I can avoid the paramedics. Outside the wind was becoming increasingly stronger. "The storm is hitting."

"It will be alright. I don't believe you need to be in the hospital to make it through this."

Lucia stared at Richard. "You trained in first aid?"

"Yes, I'm CPR certified as well. I could perform minor surgery if I had to."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Are you a doctor?"

"No, I dropped out of med school." He thought the lie about collegiate studies might put her more at ease and it did. Emily relaxed a little in his arms.

I really am…safe? "So you're… sure about me?"

L nodded. "You are going to be just fine Emily Woods."

"You don't have to call me Emily Woods," weirdo. "Emily or Em is fine."

Her presence of mind is unusually good considering… "Alright M," he shortened her name his own comfortable way. "Can you tell me, have you ever been in shock before?"

Daddy…Lucia closed her eyes and tried not to hear gunshots. "I was in a car accident once. It happened to me then."

He detected the slightest fluctuation in her tone; he couldn't read her closed eyes. She's lieing. "Just the once? Do you remember anything?"

Tony's blood and brains all over my face, in my hair. "I was really stunned, passed out for a while."

That wasn't a lie. "You're going to get through this just fine too."

Lucia opened her eyes. She couldn't let the past cloud her thinking now, she was still separated from her gun. "Thank you Richard for helping me."

Again L nodded at Emily Woods. "You don't have to thank me I'm just glad somebody survived the crash." As if to accent his point from outside there came a low booming sound. L knew that the fuel on the Cessna had finally found a way to burn. The plane was now a fireball.

"Wh-what was that?" Lucia had heard the noise too. It was…the plane?!

"If I had to guess I'd say that your plane finally hit the ground and exploded. I'm sorry M." L heard familiar footfalls and a moment later Wammy came in. "Water please."

Lucia's eyes went to the window. The plane is gone… A glass was placed in her hand and she drank from it. The elderly gentleman William packed ice around her elevated ankle. She didn't dare look at her jacket four feet away. "Thank you," she repeated hoping her hosts wouldn't nosebag through her coat.

L still held her up. She should sit upright for three minutes after swallowing a pill. Within fifteen the Vicoden should begin to take effect. "It's alright M, we're here to help."

The young lady was settled into bed and covered up. The Vicoden took effect quickly and in no time Emily Woods dozed off. L and Wammy stepped out into the hall. L shut the door behind him. "Is it alright?" Wammy asked at once. The girl didn't look like an assassin, but that was the point wasn't it?

"I think so. She's a grad student. She and this Johnny person were heading in from the University station." That part L mostly believed. "She is rather cautious though, but in times like these you can't blame a woman for being suspicious especially way out here at this late of a date."

"If she's from the University isn't she leaving rather late?"

"Mmm," L pushed his thumb into his bottom lip. He paused thinking of the way Emily had regarded him. She was assessing if I was a threat or not. "I'll check her pockets while she's out. She has something in her coat, probably a cell phone and junk but," L turned back toward the door and his free hand went to the knob.

"What will you have me do?"

L shrugged. "Keep some tea hot and make soup with dinner I guess. It will be a bonus if we can get her to eat something." L went back into the spare bedroom and closed the door behind him. Emily woods snored away on the bed. Good drugs ne sweetheart?

He crept over to her coat and went straight for the heavy pocket. His hand wrapped around a familiar shape and L raised a brow. He pulled out a small .22 pistol, clearly a woman's choice in small arms. Now this is interesting. L examined the gun; it was fully loaded and ready to go. In the same pocket was another full magazine. Yes, very interesting. He looked over at the woman on the bed. What are you doing with these Emily Woods? L tucked the gun back in her pocket and stepped over to the bed.

Emily if that's who you really are was deep asleep thanks to the pill she swallowed. L slipped his hands under her warm blankets and frisked her. There was nothing in her pockets or waistband, nothing hidden in her bra either. All he felt was a nice shape and L guiltily pulled his hands back. She was cautious, maybe she kept the gun handy because the station had problems with the local wildlife or maybe she's here to kill me. That didn't sit quite right. She was in pain but somewhat lucid when they took her coat and thusly her gun away. Now she lay here zooted on Vicoden, not the moves of someone on a mission to kill.

If she was just a cautious and prepared outdoorsy college student why such a fancy pistol? Her gun was expensive, not something a grad student could easily afford. If she were an assassin, why didn't she kill him when Wammy left them alone? Did she think she couldn't kill them both before the pain immobilized her? But the Vicoden… . No one that had come here to kill him would pass out helplessly in front of them would they?

L stood back contemplating whether or not he should take one of those pillows and smother her in her sleep. His thumb went to his mouth again and he nipped at his fingernail. If she's innocent its just murder. She did seem as if she wanted to live… He decided not to smother her, but he was defiantly taking her gun away. When Emily Woods woke up she would have some explaining to do.

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