Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of this work of fiction, and no profit, monetary or otherwise was made through the writing of this.
A/N: Written for the hc_bingo square, hypothermia. This one got a bit out of hand. There is an appearance by characters from, "Criminal Minds," and there will be a sister story to this in which the case that leads to this story will be wrapped up by the B.A.U. Thanks to my fellow ECTers and csi_sanders1129 for support and insight while I wrote this.
Warnings: This will feature death by extremes, torture, 'brainwashing', mention of sexual assault (not detailed), and serial killers.
"When an organism is suspended its biological processes cannot do anything wrong...Under conditions of extreme cold, sometimes that is the correct thing to be doing; when you can't do it right, don't do it at all." – Roth, "Mystery Explained: How Frozen Humans Are Brought Back."
Off-hand, Danny can't recall ever having felt this tired, or beaten, or cold, in his life. Actually, he no longer feels cold. He's warm and sleep beckons, but it is for Grace, and Steve, and Chin, and Kono, even if they aren't real, that he doesn't close his eyes and visit the Land of Nod.
It is a chore to even think, and if he could pull it off without dying, he'd stop drawing air into his lungs because it is just too much work, especially given the fact that he'll just have to expel it all in a matter of seconds, and then repeat the act.
Steven, however, would hold onto the air as though the next breath he took could very possibly be his last, which is a distinct possibility for Danny. Steven could probably survive this if their roles were reversed, and that thought is what kills Danny.
'Too much work,' Danny thinks, and his eyes drift closed. He lets out his last breath of air. It isn't hard not to take another breath.
A short time later, his heart stops beating. Eventually everything else stops too, and then he's really and truly dead. No spark of an afterlife. He doesn't even float above his body. There's no light at the end of a tunnel, no darkness, no fire and brimstone, no nothing.
Please review, and let me know if you are interested in reading more of this story.