Chapter 2 - She's Here
Cosima stumbled feverishly out of the cold and into the camp. She was too numb to show her shock and relief at seeing Delphine again. The only thought that registered in her mind was, "She's here". Her knees buckled as soon as Delphine embraced her. In that moment, she questioned if Delphine was even real or a hallucination as if she finally passed over to the other side. The delusion was only reinforced when Delphine scooped one arm under her knees and held her close while carrying her over to the shelter. Cosima felt weightless as she glided across the clearing towards the door. The words of comfort murmured by Delphine fell on deaf ears only to resurface in Cosima's troubled dreams.
After checking Cosima's vitals Delphine stripped down and crawled under the blankets to help fight off the rapid onset of hypothermia. Cosima's logical mind made detached observations feeling warmth of Delphine's body against hers. Normally the twining of their legs would have sparked a fire in her belly. At that moment she didn't have the energy to more than catalogue the physical sensations her body was feeling. As Cosima surrendered into the blackness she could feel the blonde scientist shaking with concern as she peppered her cheeks and eyebrows with kisses.
During the night Cosima often shook with fevered dreams. She dreamt of Charlotte's small hand in hers and stuffing syringes into her knapsack. She cried out once when she relived seeing Susan's blood coming from the kitchen. And then there was Delphine sliding solidly underneath her. The immunologist whispered words of comfort and tickled the base of her skull. This action always soothed her and she settled down into sleep again. One thought echoed over and over again – she's really here.