Chapter Eight
Half of a mile. He could make it half of a mile, right?
The pain in his lower half had subsided before he even reached the edge of the brittle lake. But that was because he could no longer feel his extremities. They just felt like sandbags pounded through the thick snow.
Kristoff had no idea how his feet were still moving forward but he did not dwell on the thought. After what felt like an eternity, the cottage was within sight. He could make it.
"ELSA!"
Gerda had always complained that he spoke too boisterously as a boy, his childish voice booming through the Manor. It was his laugh that was probably the loudest, him and Anna running through the halls at all hours of the day, laughing and giggling and shrieking with delight. Kristoff was surprised they hadn't driven the poor woman batty.
"ELSAAA!" He repeated. He was still about 100 yards from the front steps but he needed to get her attention now.
A sharp stabbing sensation was drilling into his lower spin now as his eyes began to water from the howling wind. He prayed that someone heard his cries for help before his body gave beneath him.
Squeezing his eyes shut and gearing himself up for another roar, he noticed the front door swing open and two figures race out. A short sigh of relief left his mouth and he almost collapsed right there.
Both Staffan and Elsa were sprinting towards him, terror apparent on both of their pale faces.
Then, the bundle in his arms stirred with a painful groan. As his drooping hazel eyes looked down at the crumbled figured he could barely hear her hoarse voice, "Ar-are you going to be ok?"
The faintest of smiles crossed over his bluish lips, "Don't worry about me."
He could feel the weight of her body being lifted from his arms just as his body, too, was giving way. With his last strength he managed to mutter, "Make sure she's safe…" before he dropped into darkness.
Holy shit was he sore. That match must have really done a number on him. His entire body was raw, his muscles aching with the slightest movement. Groaning, the burly enforcer tried to roll over but was quickly stopped by the annoying tugging from the inside of his right elbow.
"I wouldn't recommend that vän." A thick Swedish voice came from his left. Venturing to open his heavy lids, Kristoff was met with a sterile white room with bright, buzzing florescent lights. Confusion flooded his masculine features as he tried comprehending what was going on. Did he take a nasty hit in his match?
"So I take it you won't be coming to the Kronors practice tomorrow?" Again the Swedish voice spoke. Turn his stiff neck towards the sound; Kristoff was met with a newly familiar face. Stafffan Kronwall?
The events of the last 24 hours came rushing back to him, "Shit! Anna!" Ignoring his screaming muscles, Kristoff quickly jolted up from the hospital bed. The tall brute in the corner only laughed, halting Kristoff in his place, "You are going to go see her dressed like that?" A thundering laugh came from the burly Swed.
Looking down at his appearance, Kristoff noticed his snow gear from earlier was gone, replaced by stiff linen medical gowns. A hot blush quickly overtook his wide face as he grabbed for the blanket to cover his bare legs and…rear.
"Tell me you brought me something to wear."
After changing into some of Staffan's spare clothing and, painfully, removing the IV from his vein, Kristoff was off down the hall towards Anna's room. The hallway was just as sterile looking as the room he was residing in but now he was pushing past doctor and nurses rushing around. Nothing seemed comforting or calming, just…clean.
Finally reaching the door to what Staffan said was Anna's room, Kristoff carefully opened the metal door. The room was quiet and dark, the loud, buzzing lights off and the curtains drawn. Tiptoeing past the private bathroom and into the main part of the room, Kristoff could spot Elsa's figure uncomfortably slumped in the same chair her boyfriend sat moments ago in his room.
The slight patter of footsteps was enough to stir the elder Dronning sister. Her eyes snapped open, focused on her younger sister's still unconscious face. When the blonde noticed Anna was not the one to make the sound, her icy eyes moved towards the door. Although they had only been at the hospital a few hours, Elsa's appearance gave off exhaustion and distress.
Kristoff could tell she had been crying. Redness rimming her large, tired eyes.
"She hasn't woken up yet, the doctors say its just a matter of time now." Her voice had the sound of false security. Kristoff could tell she was trying to be strong, but was slowly crumbling.
Making his way slowly over to the elder sister, Kristoff gently placed his large hand on her slender shoulder. "Staffan went to go get some coffee, how about I take the next shift."
Nodding inaudibly, Elsa stood and silently made her way out of the room.
Awkwardly not know what to do now, the blonde man just reached for the hospital pamphlet on the side table and started reading useless facts about the building, foundation and staff.
"That's two I owe you now." Kristoff had read the pamphlet six times when the smallest voice from his side spoke.
Registering that Anna was awake, Kristoff dropped the folded pamphlet and rushed to the side of the bed. Kneeling beside her, his anxious hands instinctively moved her fallen hair away from her face reassuring himself she was indeed awake.
"What?" he had not listened to the actual words she spoke.
"That's twice you have saved my stupid arse from falling into the ice." Her delicate eyebrows knitted as she stared right into Kristoff's worried orbs.
…Twice?
"You remem-" Kristoff began to stammer.
"I feel like I just woke up from a longest déjà vu of my life."
Overwhelmed with joy, Kristoff slid his strong arms around Anna's back and squeezed her form to his. Ignoring the jolt of pain that stabbed the back of her head, Anna gripped the boys wide shoulders and held on for dear life.
Still in their embrace, Anna whispered gingerly, "I missed you," That sounded strange seeing as she had been around him everyday for the past month. But now that she regained her memories of her childhood and the decade without him in her life, her heart yearned for her lost friend.
"I missed you too Anna." He finally had his best friend back.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Kristoff pulled back from the hold but remained kneeling next to her bedside. A mix of emotions was swirling across her face, too fast to pinpoint one.
Breaking his hazel eyes away from her questioning gaze, Kristoff felt as if he had betrayed her by not confronting their past. Rubbing the back of his sore neck, he gained the confidence to answer, "There were a few reasons, but in the end I was content with starting over with you, fourteen years is a long time Anna. Neither of us are the same kids from Living Rock. But as long as I still got to be in your life, I would be."
Anna could feel the guilt radiating off of him. His deep caramel eyes barely making contact with her azure. Reassuringly, she grasped his large, rough hand, forcing him to look at her again, "Sorry it took so long."
Squeezing her delicate hand in his own, Kristoff replied, "I would have waited forever." He was drowning in her endless blue eyes, the intensity of the room crashing down on them.
A sly smile broke across her thin coral lips as her free hand moved to grip the front collar of his shirt, "You idiot." And with a swift motion, she pulled the larger man's body down to meet hers; forcing his lips to crash down on her own. Not expecting the sudden movement, Kristoff's eyes widened with surprise. But once his brain registered that she was kissing him, he soon obliged, moving his rugged hand to the back of her neck, deepening the kiss he had waited so long for.
