Jay looked at his watch. It was almost 11:30PM and they'd been in there for almost an hour.
"We just need to think that we are like we were on the beach the other day, sitting in front of a bonfire, preparing and eating smores. If we think of heat, the cold will not get to us as much".
Seeing that Caitlin wasn't responding, he tilted his head to look at hers. Her eyes were closed. This was not a good sign. He shook her and she opened her eyes.
"You've got to try to stay awake Cat! I know it's hard and I know you probably aren't feeling your extremities anymore, but you've got to hold on. Think of Antonio. After all that you two have been through, you are finally together, you can't give up. Not now"!
She couldn't speak. She was too cold and too tired. Instead she nodded her head slowly.
The Intelligence Unit team arrived on site. Hank went for the door, armed and prepared. It was locked. He looked at Adam. "Get the crow bar"!
Adam ran to the car as quickly as he could. During that time Al shone his flashlight through the window and had a look around. "No one in sight".
"There may be a room out back that we can't see from here", said Hank as Adam returned with the crow bar and positioned it to force the door open.
They entered and tried to turn on the lights but they didn't work. Al kept looking around and finally found the fuse box, he lifted the fuses and the lights went on to everyone's relief.
Hank kept moving inside the building. "Jay! Caitlin! Call out"!
Unfortunately, in the cold room and with the noise of the cooling fan, neither Jay nor Caitlin could have heard them call out.
They heard nothing. Within a few minutes they had checked out all the rooms and they were empty. They congregated back to the middle of the main room in a state of confusion and disbelief.
Adam turned on himself and looked around again. "Hey guys"! he said as he pointed to the cold room.
Antonio's eyes grew wide with fear as he looked at it. He looked at the temperature on the display and started to shake inside. Never in all the years he had known Cat, had he ever worried about losing her. Today, was different.
"No. No. NO"! he said as he ran for the door.
He opened the door. Pain and panic filled him as he saw Jay sitting on the floor holding a semi-conscious Caitlin in his arms.
"Oh my God", said Kim as she also witnessed the scene.
They all walked in hastily and Antonio immediately went for Cat.
Al took his radio. "Dispatch, this is Detective Olinsky with the Intelligence Unit, badge number 713874, requesting 2 ambulances at Sam's Meat Company 1041 W Carroll Ave. And make it a priority, we've got two of our own in a hypothermic state"!
"Copy that. Ambulances being dispatched".
Antonio picked up Caitlin in his arms and walked out of the room as Hank helped Jay.
Hank looked at Kim. "There should be a blanket in each trunk. Hurry and bring them back".
Antonio walked into one of the other rooms, where he had remembered seeing an electric heater, along with the rest of the team.
He gently dropped Caitlin on the floor so that she sat against the wall, she was pale. He turned the heat on and quickly took out his phone. He sped dialed a number.
"Dispatch, what is the status on those ambulances"? asked Al in his radio.
"Ambulances are 10 minutes out"!
Kim arrived with the two blankets as the number Antonio had called picked up.
"Hey Antonio, what's up"?
"Sis, I need your help. Caitlin and Jay are in a hypothermic state. What can we do"?
"Did you call an ambulance"?
"Yes, they are ten minutes out".
"Ok. Are they conscious"?
"Jay is but Caitlin is in a semi-conscious state".
"Is she breathing"?
"Yes, but it's slow and shallow".
"Are their clothes wet"?
"They are damp".
"OK. You need to get them out of those clothes and slowly bring their body temperature up. Use blankets or foil blankets. You can rub and massage them, but only at the core, not the limbs, so neck, and chest. You can also use your own body heat to warm her up"!
"Got it", said Antonio as he looked at Cat. Al was helping Jay remove his clothes and put the blanket over him.
"I'll stay on, until the EMTs get there, just in case you need me".
"Thanks, I'm passing the phone to Kim".
He passed the phone to Kim and knelt down in front of Cat. He removed her bullet proof vest and her jacket with Hank's help. When it came time to strip her down to her underclothes, Hank stepped back and let Antonio keep going. Cat was constantly coming in and out of it. Jay watched as he stood and Al rubbed his chest.
Antonio stood to remove his jacket, shoulder holster and badge, under everyone's attentive eye. He sat back down on the floor right across from Cat, with his legs crossed and their knees touching. He placed his arms underneath hers. He lifted and pulled her so that she was sitting on his lap in a straddled position. He put his arms around her back and pulled her in as close as he could against his own body. He shivered as her cold body pressed against his chest. When they were in position, Hank came over and placed the blanket around them.
Antonio caressed her hair. "I've got you".
During that time, Hank and Jay spoke about what had happened. He commissioned Adam to check for video surveillance footage.
When the ambulances finally arrived, they removed Caitlin from Antonio's hold and placed her on a gurney, and covered her in a foil blanket. Jay was warming up and insisted that he could walk. They exchanged his blanket for a foil one.
As the EMTs exited the building, extra backup and forensics arrived on site. Hank looked at Antonio. "Go with her to Med and keep me posted. We'll meet you when we are done here". He turned to Al. "You should go with Jay".
Al nodded.
Once they were in the ambulance on route to Med, they hooked Caitlin up to the scope, oxygen and IV fluids. They checked her body temperature. She started to shiver and shake. Antonio held on to her hand and looked at the EMT.
"That's good news. It means her body temp is going back up. When it drops under a certain temperature, they usually stop shaking".
Antonio nodded. Even if what the EMT was saying was reassuring, he was still worried. He didn't want to lose her. Even if all of those years, he had duck his head in the sand, he knew, from that very first date, that he couldn't live without her.
Flashback
It was 7PM and he was in the locker room getting ready to leave, when his phone rang. He smiled upon seeing Caitlin's name on the screen. Ok, so he had already saved her as one of his contacts; it might have been too early, too pretentious, too confident or simply stupid, but he had done it.
He sat down on the bench and accepted the call, pretending he didn't know who it was, he wanted to play it cool and especially not appear desperate.
"Dawson".
"Hi, it's Caitlin".
He smiled. God he loved the sound of her voice.
"If the offer still stands, meet me in an hour in front of the Cascade Drive-In".
He looked at his watch as he grabbed his jacket from his locker. "I'll be there"!
"See you soon, Antonio", she said before hanging up.
He grabbed his car keys and closed his locker.
When he arrived, a little less than an hour later in front of the drive-in entrance, she was waiting for him. She was wearing an above the knee marine blue dress, sandals and her long brown hair was down. He stopped his black Ford Mustang at her level and opened the window.
"Good evening, Caitlin", he called out to her.
She smiled and walked over to the car, opened the passenger door and sat down. He looked at her. She simply looked amazing. He wanted to tell her, but feared that he might be getting a little ahead of himself.
They made way inside the Drive-In and he parked the car and turned the engine off. He shifted slightly in his seat and looked at her. Their eyes locked and they remained that way for a couple of minutes without saying a word.
After having talked, laughed, flirted and eaten hot dogs and popcorn during Bad Boys 2, they left the drive-in and he proceeded to drive her home. When they arrived at the house, he got out of the car and went to open the car door for her. She stepped out. It had been an amazing evening. He had taken her by surprise, by taking things into her own hands and by how easily it had been talking and spending the evening with her. He didn't want it to end, but knew it had to. He debated whether or not to kiss her. Aside from the flirting at the Drive-In, their physical contact had been rare.
Seeing that he was hesitant, she planted a kiss on his cheek. "I had a great time tonight, thank you".
"So, did I", he answered back.
She smiled. "Well, goodnight".
"Goodnight".
She turned and headed up the front steps of the house. He watched from where he was, as she took her keys out of her purse. Realizing how stupid his hesitation had been, he walked quickly towards the house and up the stairs. She turned away from the door, keys in hand, as she heard him.
His right hand placed itself on the back of her neck and with the other hand, he pulled her into him. Her skin was soft and she smelled of raspberries. When his lips met hers, he felt an electric surge run through his entire body. Everything around them disappeared. Nothing else mattered than that moment, that intimate kiss. She put her arms around his neck and responded to his kiss. It was a mix of tenderness and passion. When they pulled away, both slightly breathless, they looked into each other's eyes and smiled.
"Now, it's going to be a good night", he said. He kissed her again and walked down the stairs. "I'll call you tomorrow".
She nodded and headed inside the house.
As he drove back to his place, he realized that he felt something, that he had never felt before for anyone. She had awakened something deep inside of him and he never wanted to let go of that feeling.
End flashback