They hiked for at least two hours, occasionally stopping to take a small drink of water before reaching a small, battered shed. Sasuke was praying that the snowmobiles were still in decent condition; he just needed them to work as far as the cabin and nothing more. Kicking the door open, he went and checked one of them, finding an old canister of gasoline that they could use. He poured a small amount into one of the snowmobiles and tried to start it to no avail; it wouldn't even turn over. Moving to the second one, he poured a small amount in and got it started, turning it off to refill the tank with what was left in the gas canister. Once he had it started, he was able to pull it out, beckoning Sakura to get on.
This was all a very new experience for Sakura. She hadn't even been on a snowmobile, let alone this high up in the mountains. She had to hope that they could stay there for a more extended period and not have to go entirely on the run again. She had a feeling they would have to be mobile, but this was enough for them to gather their bearings. Perhaps it was lucky that the land was over a different border; that way, they wouldn't have to worry as much about being caught. There would be jurisdiction issues, and Oto hadn't ever been very cooperative with them. In any other situation, Sakura would have been swearing up and down that it was a problem; in this situation, she was glad there were going to be all kinds of issues.
They soared through the snow, the wind whipping at the soaked layers of clothing around Sakura's ankles and her exposed hands. The engine sputtered on the snowmobile before they reached the cabin, though they could see it at the top of the hill; Sakura couldn't feel her hands or her feet, and she was starting to feel significant numbness in her legs. No, no... they couldn't have this die out on them. There was no way she'd make it to the cabin without the snowmobile. Not a chance.
"Damn it. We'll just have to walk the rest of the way," Sasuke said quickly, hopping off the snowmobile. Sakura followed suit, the cold snow soaking further through her shoes and even her layered pants; it was deep, at least up to her knees, and she could barely feel her feet. She was shivering uncontrollably, and if she dared to take off her backpack, she knew she'd surely drop it in the snow. Determination was the only thing that let her trek behind him, moving slower and slower with each passing minute; he ended up having to stop to make sure she was keeping up a few times, doing his best to hurry her.
It was when he couldn't hear her footsteps anymore that he stopped and was gripped with worry. Sakura had tried to keep following, but her legs were weak; she knew what was happening, but it was challenging to convey to him among the confusion and exhaustion: Hypothermia. Out in the cold like this, improperly dressed... it wasn't doing well for her, especially after a hike in the snow twice now.
"Sakura?" He asked quickly, worry coming over him as she collapsed in the snow, too cold and tired to stand. She was still shivering repeatedly, more than any average person should have after being out in the cold; even he knew the signs, and he knew he had to hurry. She knew, too, though it was difficult to convey; she was tired from their journey, overwhelmed by what was happening, and not used to the colder temperatures.
"H-h-h-hyp-po-th-th-thermia," she tried to say through chattered teeth. "I c-c-can't f-f-feel-"
"I know, I know," he said quickly, pulling off layers of his own and wrapping them around her. Konoha's climate wasn't nearly as cold as it was up here; the higher elevation worsened the temperature. She was finding it harder to breathe the thinner air, and the cold was making her tired. She knew she had to stay conscious, and the best way for her to conserve heat was to save energy, which meant turning her focus on staying awake instead of trying to talk or communicate. Sasuke seemed to understand the gravity of the situation.
Sasuke knew what he'd have to do if they were going to make it to the cabin in time. Doing his best to wrap her in his jacket, he ignored the biting cold through his two shirts and pulled off his usual gloves, slipping them over her hands in an attempt to keep them warm. She was thankful for them; the warmth from the inside was enough to give her a tingling sensation briefly in her hands. He scooped her up in his arms and adjusted to ensure he could carry the extra weight, then drew in a deep breath and took off through the snow as quickly as he could. It was challenging to run in deep snow, to begin with, but trying to run while carrying her, plus their bags, was even more so. At that moment, he thanked his excellent athleticism from his job; he wouldn't have been able to do it otherwise.
Reaching the edge of the cabin, he was stopped by the large metal gate; it wasn't locked, but he was forced to open it with his bare hands, wincing as he pushed open the cold metal. It burned against his skin as he pushed it open, the barest moisture on his skin causing it to stick briefly, tearing off the top few layers of skin and leaving a couple of lower layers exposed. Even as he reached to readjust and carry her, the brush of fabric against the exposed skin of his palm caused him to grit his teeth from the pain. He ran the last few steps to the cabin, setting her down on a small bench as he kicked at a plant pot at the front door that had been frozen to the ground; luckily, the spare key was still underneath it and not frozen to the ground like its cover was. He scrambled to open the door and turn back to her, carrying her inside to close the door with his foot and rush her to the living area. It was warmer inside, though not warm enough; they needed a warm fire, fast. A stack of firewood, kindling, paper, and matches near the fireplace left Sasuke with just one obstacle.
Himself.
His eyes glanced at Sakura, who seemed confused and tired; swearing under his breath, he tossed sticks and paper into the fireplace, keeping a close eye on her. Shivering was a good sign; it meant she was still in the mild stages and less something for him to worry about. The hand that had touched the cold metal gate outside was seeping blood, albeit a small amount; nothing that was a cause for concern, at least. He sat there, matches in hand, shaking as he fought to strike it.
She's going to die, he thought to himself. If you don't light the damn fire, she's not going to make it. She'll get severe hypothermia. She'll need a doctor-and she is the only doctor around. He had to do this. He was too worried and frantic to grasp the irony of the situation; here he was, afraid that he would lose everything to hot, searing flames again, on the verge of losing the only person he'd let into his heart since the day his parents died to the very thing that heat and warmth could prevent.
Whatever deity was out there putting him through this... they were undoubtedly a cruel mistress.
The match fizzled to life as he struck it, the smell of sulphur burning off the tip meeting his nostrils. He tossed it into the fireplace where it caught on the corner of the paper; he frantically struck a second one, throwing it at a different section. The piece caught and started to burn, giving them the warmth they desperately needed. As the sticks caught, he carefully laid a log on the top, doing his best to remember the little medical training he had—hypothermia... hot water. No, warm water-tap water would do. He scrambled to the kitchen, grabbed a large cup, and filled it with hot tap water, carrying it over to Sakura.
"Come on. We need to get you out of these damp clothes," he said quickly, stripping away the layers of her clothing; she was so cold she could barely move, but she did her best to help him. She was down to almost no clothing while he dug in her bags, pulling out another pair of leggings for her to change to. He dug in his bag and pulled out a large sweater, one way oversized for her but perfect for this scenario. He slipped the gloves back on with it over her head, hoping it would help warm her hands, and slipped at least two pairs of dry socks on her feet.
"Here, drink this," he said, holding out the cup of warm water to her. Her hands were too shaky to hold it; he had to help her try to drink it. He pulled blankets off the couch and wrapped her in them, grabbing one for himself and pulling her close. Shared body heat would be best; the last thing he needed was to deal with her going into shock. "Rub your hands and feet together," he instructed, inching them carefully closer to the fire.
"Y-y-you're b-b-b-bleeding," she said through chattered teeth. He looked down at his hand; there wasn't a lot of blood, but enough that it was noticeable.
"Yeah, it's fine," he replied, waving her off. "Warming you up is more important." He kept himself wrapped in the blanket as he moved over to the thermostat, turning it up to a more comfortable temperature, then added more wood to the fire, silently praying he'd been quick enough. After a bit, her shivering started to slow down, and he could see that she was more conscious and able to think. She looked at the fire, then up at him; she felt... proud of him.
"You lit the fire," she said softly, drawing his attention.
"Hm?" He asked, confused.
"The fire," she said again. "You lit it." He was still confused before it dawned on him, remembering what had happened that night he'd tried to treat her to a sort of date night in. He'd tried to light the fire that night, but he hadn't been able to. Fear had stopped him. This time, fear had driven him to do it... but he'd done it—fear conquering another fear.
"Oh... yeah," he said, moving to sit on the floor next to her. "I guess I did."
"I guess I should dress poorly for the cold more often," she teased gently.
"I'd prefer if you didn't," he replied with a frown. He was too exhausted to argue that point any further; he hadn't slept in at least eighteen hours, maybe more.
"Hey," he said, nudging him. "Add more logs to the fire and build it up, then put the screen around it. We both need sleep." She gestured to the wood. "It's birch wood, so it burns without crackling or popping like other types of wood. With the screen around it, it'll contain any sparks that may pop up, but the fire will keep us warm. Use the shovel to scrape the coals off to one side, then put big logs on the bottom and work up toward smaller logs. Once you've got them stacked, shovel the coals back on top, and they'll burn downward and burn longer. It'll be enough to keep us warm until the thermostat warms the rest of the place." He was surprised just how much she knew; it was all knowledge he didn't have. Then again... he tried his best to stay away from fire as much as possible.
Tentatively he reached for more of the wood, following her instructions; he packed it tightly in the back, almost like a stacked pyramid. He was lucky; there were only a few coals left that he was able to scrape out of the way, only feeling their heat as he stacked the wood quickly and efficiently. He did as instructed and shovelled them on top, allowing them to catch on the wood before putting the screen in front of it. The fire only crackled gently, the flames slowly burning through the top few logs. The couch in front of the fire, he noticed, was a futon; reaching for the bottom, he folded it out and grabbed a couple of the pillows from the chairs, setting them up a small makeshift bed. He picked her up and gently laid her on it, leaving her facing the fire for better warmth, then crawled in beside her, ensuring they were both carefully wrapped in the blankets. Her skin was still a bit cold to the touch, but her colour had returned; as long as she remained under the blankets, body heat would do the rest of the trick.
"Sasuke?" She asked softly, chewing her lip.
"Hm?" His eyes opened briefly to look down at her, waiting for whatever question or statement she had.
"Thank you," she said, nestling a little closer to her. "For... for warning me and for allowing me to make my own decision. I... I know this sucks for both of us, but I'm just glad we're in this together." They were away from home, in an unfamiliar place, on the run as fugitives, but...
"Yeah. Together." He kissed her forehead. "And I'll always let you make your own decisions. I'll always look out for you... no matter what happens."