"More blankets, Elli." Doctor Trent's words were eerily calm as he worked at untying the belt at Cliff's waist to open his tunic.

The nurse hurried to the other room, her heels clicking loudly on the floor as she went. Claire's eyes followed her for a moment, but quickly snapped back toward Cliff, who was muttering to no one in particular and attempting to crawl off of the bed. Trent put a firm hand on him as he worked. In his fatigue, Cliff didn't put up much of a struggle, and she instinctively placed her hand over her heart as she prepared to take a step toward the bed, watching his bare chest rise and fall in an unsteady rhythm.

She bit back a cry of surprise as Doug walked in front of her, fatherly concern written upon his brow. "Carried him here as fast as we could," he muttered, leaning over the bed, steadying Cliff.

Claire nervously looked around his shoulder, standing on her toes to catch a glimpse of him.

"He's gonna be fine… right?" There was a tremor in Ann's voice as she joined her father.

Claire swallowed the lump in her throat, trying to squeeze beside her friend while still wondering if it was a good idea to crowd the patient the way they were. Ann's wet sneakers squeaked on the tile floor beneath them as she craned her neck to get a better look, blocking Claire's field of vision.

Murmured prayers from Carter could be heard from the corner of the room. "… and we ask that he is granted the strength and fortitude to carry through, if it be the will of the gods…"

The fluorescent lights above them hummed loudly, and the sink to Claire's right dripped in a steady rhythm. Claire blinked, trying to make sense of the noise in front of her, the combination of sounds deafening.

The entire room seemed to hold its breath as Trent closed his eyes, listening closely on the stethoscope. "Irregular," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. "Dehydrated…" The doctor turned his head toward the other room. "Elli, grab the IV. We'll need the heated solution; this is not a simple case of hypothermia."

"Right." Hurried footsteps could be heard in the next room.

Trent gently turned Cliff's head to take his temperature from his ear. The snow in his hair was rapidly melting at this point and Claire longed to brush the remains of it off of him and dry his dampened hair. She had a craving to hold him close and share her warmth with him. She wanted to see life in his eyes again.

Claire blinked her misty eyes and turned them back to the doctor.

Trent removed the thermometer and shook his head when he read the result. "Anyone know how long he's been outside?"

Everyone in the room turned toward Claire. Father and daughter parted to give Claire space. She walked toward the bed, struggling to keep her hand from instinctively grasping for Cliff's and the room fell quiet.

This is my opportunity to be of use, but…

Claire's breath left her in a soft sigh, her heart sinking. Her voice cracked as she spoke. "I… have no idea. I ran into him around twenty minutes ago in the square and he was like this." She reached for Cliff's hand and it moved away, clumsily touching the frame of the hospital bed, as if gathering his bearings.

… I'm not helpful at all.

Elli hurried into the room, wheeling some supplies and an IV. Everyone instinctively took several steps back in order to let her and Trent get to work. Carter's steady mumbling of prayers reentered Claire's consciousness as she tore her eyes from the patient, who Trent was holding down.

"Right there looks good." Elli's words were steady as she began inserting the IV.

A pale-faced Ann looked away. She leaned past her father, seeking Claire's eyes. A commotion at the hospital bed refocused her attention.

"Whoa, hold still." The tension could be heard in the nurse's voice. "You don't want to pull that out."

Cliff's eyes were whirling and flickering as he looked at the lights above them and the tube embedded in his arm. He gave it a weak tug with his trembling hands.

"No, stop that." Elli's tone was not unlike someone scolding a pet.

Doctor Trent let out a sigh, holding down Cliff's wrists. "The restraints, Elli."

Claire and the McKinleys watched Trent and Elli secured a pair of leather wrist restraints around the patient. Cliff let out a tired cry of protest and Trent looked over at the group.

"Ann, could I have your assistance, please?" His voice was calm despite the patient weakly flailing under him.

The young woman pointed to herself, bewildered. Her feet carried her over toward the bed without her realizing it until she was there.

"I saw the way he was looking at you. Please comfort him for a bit while we work on the IVs."

She fought a losing battle with the blush on her cheeks. She craned her neck to seek Claire's approval, but her father was already giving her a nod. "Y-yeah, sure."

Flustered, Ann pulled over a stool to sit on beside the bed lowered herself onto it, wrapping her fingers around Cliff's. "Hey, it's gonna be alright," she whispered gently.

His attention moved to her and his eyes widened. "You… really came back."

The corners of Ann's mouth twitched as a small smile crossed her lips. She moved forward and brushed her face against their joined hands. "That's right. I'm not going anywhere."

Claire thought she saw a sympathetic glance from Elli as she hurried to get more blankets and she felt a lump form in her throat.

"I saw the way he was looking at you…"

There was unmistakable warmth in Ann's eyes as she gazed down at Cliff, stroking his hand with her own. She leaned in and gave him a small chuckle, her free hand patting his arm. She spoke with soft, gentle words – much like someone trying to soothe an injured or frightened animal. What she was saying to him, Claire wasn't sure, but it seemed to be affecting him in a positive way. Cliff looked relaxed and his eyelids grew heavy as he leaned his head slightly towards her, hanging onto her every word.

Maybe Trent mistook them for lovers…

Her shoulders slouched and her heart ached.

She could still see Ann sitting at the inn, hastily wiping tears from her cheeks as she confessed she was afraid she had missed out on her chance at love. Things with Harris hadn't turned out the way she expected, either. Claire felt a stab at her breast. Her friend had a lot to offer, and she hadn't been very lucky finding someone to share her heart with. Ann brushed back Cliff's bangs, her touch much more careful than her usual boisterous self. Cliff muttered something to her and Ann smiled and nodded despite her lack of understanding. The pain in Claire's heart grew as she watched the pair.

Are… my feelings for Cliff keeping him and Ann from finding a happy ending together? Maybe I don't fit in the picture at all…

Ann gave his hand a final pat as his eyes closed and she stood back up, her posture stiff. Elli thanked her as they continued to work with him and Ann nearly tripped over the stool as she stepped away. Her motions were jerky as she turned around, and her mouth was a thin line. She turned toward her father, tears threatening to spill over.

"I… I'm sorry. I can't do this." Her voice cracked as she spoke. Squeezing her eyes shut, Ann's feet swiftly carried her across the room and she opened the door with her shoulder. A sob escaped her lips as she threw herself out into the cold.

Doug gulped, looking around the room uncomfortably. "Keep us updated on how he's doing," he mumbled, hurrying after her.

Claire watched the glass door swing shut, blinking as she absorbed what was going on. Her head spun and she couldn't fully remember why her heart ached as she turned back toward the hospital bed. Another painful swell went through her, leaving her nearly breathless.

A warm hand on her shoulder caused her to jump.

"You should go to her, Claire." Carter's voice was steady. He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Ann could really use a friend right now." There was a distinct sadness in his smile.

Claire's eyes were glued to the way Cliff's chest was rising and falling under Trent's hands. He looked so weak, so helpless, lying there… The searing pain was back in full force as she watched his limp body. "B-but I can't…" Her vision began to swim as her eyes filled with tears.

"Cliff's not going anywhere tonight," Elli pointed out quietly. She turned back to the IV monitor. "We'll keep an eye on him here and he'll likely be sleeping for the rest of the day. We just need to warm him up is all."

"I'll make sure he has a friend nearby," Carter added with a nod.

Claire's face scrunched up as she fought back the urge to cry.

I belong here with him…

But Ann… I know she's not going to open up with Doug…

"I'll… I'll be back soon," she choked, stumbling out the door.

The wind howled at the windows and Cliff flinched at the sound, hurrying over to his mother. She gave him a knowing smile in response, crouching down to untie his ponytail. She ran her fingers through his untidy brown locks and was surprised he didn't pull away in impatience the way he normally did. She let go of his hair and it rested on his tiny shoulders. He was looking nervously back at the window with a shiver.

"It's just the wind, Cliff."

Another breeze rushed past, creating an unearthly moan. The young boy's eyes widened as he took another step closer to her, following her like a shadow and causing her to stumble a bit as she moved around, getting their blankets from the cupboard.

He hugged her around the waist, burying his face in her stomach.

This meeker side of her son was rarely seen. More often than not he was rowdy, chasing his little sister around, shrieking with laughter.

"How about you help us set up the sleeping furs tonight?" Katrina suggested, ruffling the top of his head. Most of the other boys his age in the village were larger than him, and tonight as he shrunk down at the noisy wind, he looked smaller than ever.

He gave an obedient nod, casting an incredulous look at his sister, who was bundled in a blanket on the other side of the room, snoring away. How anyone could sleep through this weather was beyond him. His father was adding more wood to the hearth.

So cold…

Cliff could feel his teeth chattering.

A heavy haze enveloped him as he blinked, struggling to focus his eyes. Before him was a sterile white ceiling and some nauseating fluorescent lights. He inhaled deeply, trying to catch his bearings. A flicker of movement out of the corner of his vision caught his attention and attempted to move his hands to rub his eyes. Leather straps at his wrists creaked and restrained his movement. He blinked in confusion.

Elli's heels clicked on the floor as she approached him with a wheeled cart. She appeared to notice his opened eyes and spoke to him in a soothing murmur. He watched her lips move as his vision attempted to focus, the image of her still fuzzy around the edges.

The living room of his childhood home was melting away. The crackle of the fire, Ivy's soft snoring, his mother's hushed words were all fading. A small cry escaped his lips as he snatched for them. A soft touch at his bangs caused his eyes to fall shut once more. A sad smile was on Elli's lips.

"Just relax," she whispered.

His comforter was pulled back and he shivered as he felt a chill between his legs and under his arms while she removed something from those areas.

"I'm just changing your heating pads. I'm surprised to see you awake already," she commented, tucking fresh pads around him. "Can you tell me how you're feeling?" She checked the levels on his IV monitor.

She was given a blank stare in response and his eyes slowly fell shut once more.

The nurse knew that getting a response so soon wasn't likely. The drugs, along with the experience he had been through, would likely put him out of commission for a while. She pulled the blankets back over him, brushing a wisp of loose hair out of his face.

"Get some rest…"

Cliff could feel bear fur around his tiny body. The hearth was burning low as the wind howled. With a tiny gasp, he buried his head under the covers.

A gentle arm wrapped around him. "Just the wind~" his mother whispered, placing a kiss on top of his head.

The young boy rested his eyes and curled against her, his body warming immediately.

He was home.

He had love.

There was nothing more he could want.

Elli watched her patient's breathing deepen once again. Her eyes traced the scars that crawled up his hands and arms.

"I'm fur-raging! Just like Cliff~!" Stu had giggled, presenting his sister with a clump of wild rosemary he had found on Mother's Hill.

Mary had mentioned how the shy newcomer had timidly asked for some books on local plant life. The tip of the pencil had broken as he signed the book out, and before she could offer him a pencil sharpener, he had retrieved a hunting knife from his pack, whittling the pencil into a fine point.

It was quite apparent that he expected help from no one. He equipped himself – he knew how to survive.

Why then, go out in the snow without a coat?

Elli studied Cliff's heavy brows. They had often darkened his face in the earlier parts of spring when he scarcely spoke to anyone. She'd catch glimpses of him sitting in the pew of the church, unblinkingly facing forward with a haunting thousand yard stare.

She would pretend she didn't see and go around to the courtyard to pick up her little brother. Whether it was to protect Cliff or herself, she was never quite sure.

At least she told herself she wasn't; it was easier that way.

She felt a pang of guilt as she looked down at him, placing a hand over her heart.

"Trent's right. This is far more than a simple case of hypothermia," she whispered, wheeling her cart away.

Author's Note: Hello! I've spent so much time staring at this chapter, rereading it and worrying over it – I'm just going to post it already. I ultimately let the characters do what they wanted in this chapter, and both Ann and Elli ended up surprising me. I've been dying for a chance to add more Elli, but I never felt like I could work her in. I'm looking forward to further developing her.

I was so tempted to have Claire be the one to give Cliff comfort in this chapter, but that's not always the way things work out. "Magical moments" rarely happen, especially in times of crisis, and I felt like something sloppier and clumsier like this worked better. I was trying to create a feeling of chaos with all of the sounds and different interactions, all the while having Trent and Elli be the order to bring everything together.

This chapter is a little shorter, but I'm hoping to be updating more frequently in the future. I got a boost of inspiration in hearing the news that Friends of Mineral Town is getting a remake on the Switch! I hope they do the original justice!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the drama and are looking forward to more, haha. Please feel free to let me know what you think!