Huzzah!! We got back a day early so I was able to type this chapter a little sooner than expected!! I'm sorry I left you all with such a horrible cliff hanger but I'm so glad you all liked it!! Thank you for all the wonderful reveiws!! Hope you enjoy!
"Ben…! Help…!"
Ben froze instantly, the hair on the back of his neck prickling at the sound of sheer panic in Riley's voice. He whipped around quickly, his dark eyes scanning the frozen river where he'd last seen his friend. A nauseating wave of fear swept through him as he saw what looked like a hole in the ice near where Riley had last been standing. In a spilt second he'd raced down the frozen shore and out onto the river, sprinting as fast as he could across the ice.
"Riley! Hang on!" He yelled desperately, pushing his body to run faster even as the ice threatened to make him slip. Ben reached to hole, approaching it carefully to prevent the ice from breaking again. He knew that the slightest shift in weight could cause the entire section to collapse but it hardly mattered to him now; the only thing he was concerned with was getting his best friend out of the water.
Just below the surface, Ben could make out the red fabric of Riley's hood caught on a jagged shard of ice. He kneeled slowly, carefully breaking away the thin layer of ice that had already begun to form over the surface of the hole. Knowing full well that if the ice shifted and the fragile hold on Riley's hood was lost he'd be swept down river, Ben very carefully reached into the frigid water and grabbed a handful of the jacket. He tugged sharply, pulling Riley's head out from under the water and managing to get a slightly better grip on the younger man. The ice shuddered beneath him but Ben hardly noticed, his was far too concerned with the startling bluish-grey color of Riley's face.
The ice shifted once again and, for a terrifying second, Ben waited for the mind-numbing coldness of the water to engulf him. Instead, by some stroke of luck, the ice managed to hold just long enough for him to loop his arms around Riley's chest and pull him out a little more. The current tugged dangerously against the younger man's legs but Ben refused to let the river take him. Gritting his teeth and pulling with a strength he didn't know he possessed, he managed to pull Riley from the watery trap and across the ice to a more stable location.
Ben collapsed to his knees next to the unconscious young man and pressed his fingers to his throat, sighing in frustration and despair when he couldn't find a pulse. "Come on, Riley…Don't do this!" He begged, unzipping Riley's jacket in one smooth motion.
He positioned his hands on Riley's chest and began pushing down rhythmically in a desperate attempt to get the younger man's heart beating again. "Stay with me, kid…please…" Ben pleaded, pausing momentarily to tilt his head back and blow a mouthful of air into the lifeless young man's lungs. He repositioned his hands and began the compressions again, blinking quickly as hot tears began to blur his vision.
"Come on…" Ben urged in between compressions, ignoring the tears that had slipped down his face. "Come on, Riley…breathe…!"
As if on cue, Riley's body convulsed weakly and he began coughing raggedly. He rolled onto his side, throwing up water and coughing hoarsely as the cold air filled his lungs.
Ben laughed in overwhelming relief and pulled the younger man's trembling form into his arms, cradling him close. "God…I thought I lost you kid…" He breathed, closing his eyes for a second, content with just holding his best friend in his arms.
"H-Hah…" Riley tried to laugh but ended up in another coughing fit. "T-Takes…m-more than t-that to get…r-rid of me…" He was shivering so hard he could barely talk and the frozen terrain wasn't helping in the least.
Ben laughed gently, tears streaming down his face uncontrollably. He knew that Riley needed to get warm and fast but the nearest hospital was nearly close enough to suit him. His house was right up the street and he could at least get the younger man out of his wet clothes before he got any worse. Satisfied with that plan, Ben squeezed Riley a little closer to him and looked down. "Think you can walk for a few minutes? If not I can carry you, but we have to get you warm…"
It took Riley a second to answer, the intense cold slowing his thought process. After a second he nodded, or tried to, considering to the shivering wasn't validating his case. "I-I think I c-can make it…" He chattered, gripping Ben's jacket tightly.
Nodding, Ben helped his best friend up, wrapping an arm around his back and helping him stand. Riley was leaning heavily into him, his legs weak and shaky beneath him.
"Okay, you ready?" Ben asked, not really concerned with the younger man's answer. He was fully prepared to carry him if he needed to. Instead, Riley nodded slowly and allowed Ben to lead him carefully off the ice and in the direction of the house.
Poor Riley... :D More fluff to come! One thing I try not to do is include hospitals in my stories unless absolutely necessary, they're far too convenient -.-; I'd rather the characters work out the problems by themselves, it's more entertaining :D