"Help is on the way, Ilia."
I wasn't quite sure I believed her. I'd been in this hellish nightmare for far too long. My mind had been drifting in this perpetual blackness for as far back as I could remember. An image of Sally's lovely greenish face flashed in my mind's eye. She was nodding and holding her arms out to me.
"Are you sure this isn't just another dream? They've always been so real..."
Sally nodded her head, telling me it was true, telling me everything was going to be okay. She spoke softly, whispering reassuring words. Her beautiful, fish-like features were so sharp and vivid in my mind's eye.
Soon, her image began to fade and her voice became dim. I reached out with my mind, calling to her.
"No, please, don't leave me again! I'm so alone...so...a-a-a...alone..."
I was suddenly acutely aware of my body, I could feel again! I felt my arms, my legs and my fingers but I had absolutely no control over them. I was being pulled upward, and the biting air stung my icy, wet face. Muffled and dim sounds were all around me. A strong pair of arms wrapped around my torso, pulling me from the depths of darkness. They were lovely and comforting.
Something extremely hot lay on my chest for a moment.
It listened for my heartbeat.
"I'M HERE! I'm alive!" I screamed in my thoughts, but I couldn't make a sound. I was breathing shallowly and very slowly. My breaths were almost imperceptible.
I could finally hear some muffled noises, and within a few seconds, I was able to make out some words. I started to feel less and less like there were cotton balls wedged in my ears.
"She's not breathing Magnus!" Male voice first.
"I am breathing! I am! I'm here!" I couldn't tell them. I was paralyzed.
"Try to resuscitate, Henry. Will! Bring me the medical kit!" Calm, female voice, lovely accent. It's strange the things you notice when you're half dead.
I felt a beautiful heat on my lips as hot air inflated my frozen lungs. It was life. I'd been in the darkness for so long, I'd forgotten what warmth was.
He pressed on my chest a couple of times, then breathed for me again. Oh, how that gorgeous feeling spread in my body. I was still very chilly, but I wasn't an icicle anymore.
"Look Henry! She's getting some color." Henry stopped giving me artificial respiration. I was breathing deeply on my own now. I opened my eyes a crack, and I could see a blurry figure directly in front of my face. I tried to speak, but was only able to rasp a few words.
"C-c-c-cold. P-p-pleasS-s-s-sss-"
That's all I could get out of my mouth before my teeth began chattering too much to speak.
"Hey! Hey, you're awake! Try not to move or talk yet, okay? You've been in cryo for a long time." Henry's face was merely a big blurry blob hovering over me.
I saw another couple of blurry blobs behind the Henry blob move around a bit before something was wrapped around me. A blanket, mmm...so soft. Henry sat me upright, propped me up against his chest, and rubbed my arms trying to thaw my numb body.
My eyes were still adjusting and I could see things a bit more clearly. I stared at the woman crouching behind Henry. She seemed a bit stern, yet kind. She turned to another man, who was standing a little ways into the darkness.
"Will? Tell them we've got her."
She turned back to me, and brushed my frosty cheek with her warm fingers.
"Hello sweetheart." She said, smiling at me as she pushed a dripping lock of hair out of my eyes. She looked very motherly.
"My name is Helen Magnus. I'm so glad we've found you."
I smiled a weak smile and nodded a tiny nod. My eyes began welling up with searingly hot tears and a huge lump in my throat was choking me. I took a breath, but it caught on the lump and came out as a sob.
I felt Helen's soft hand on my cheek. Henry squeezed me in a bear hug.
My rasping words were muffled by his thick jacket.
"M-me t-too."