A/N: Hello again! Sorry it's been so long, but you know how it is… what with birthdays, and Christmas, and family about to pester you… ugh. So, anyway… here is the chapter at last. Crap title, again. The alternative name was 'Losing Holly' but I decided I liked this one better.
TO MY REVIEWERS: Thank you to seambowler, Sindaaraniel, TrisaniSlytherin, EMerald QUeen, Artemis Fowl the Second, Eleida and crazygirly007. I love you all!, Oh, and to what TrisaniSlytherin said in her review… 1) I know in the book Foaly wasn't at all impressed by the human communications network, but that's because of the wires. The fairies would still be using email, they just wouldn't need wires. That's my reasoning anyway. 2) Aha! Little do you know as yet… Basil Kobalde is a lot better at lying than you think, and there was more to it than you would know… being that you can't see into my head where it is all laid out… And anyway, living in a big city doesn't necessarily make you able to spot players and the like. Even Holly can be a fool sometimes. We all can, if you think about it… OK, sounding way too cheesy for words now… but thank you for your review, the hug, and the praise. It does wonders for my ego!
THE PROPER A/N: Hypothermia is when your body temperature is sub-normal – basically you get very cold. It can be very dangerous, and can kill you if you don't get warmed up in time. It also makes you behave in a non-normal way. Just keep all that in mind while you read this.
And now… what you've all been waiting for… or perhaps not… the story!
*****
Holly came to lying on her side, with an excruciating pain thrumming through her head. With great effort, she managed to turn over onto her back, and lay there panting as she took in her surroundings. She was lying on a very cold floor, which was covered with snowy frostings and hard ice. Everything else seemed to be white.
With a groan, Holly flipped over onto her stomach, and using arms that felt like the bones within them had been replaced by jelly, hefted her chest off the floor. She flopped down almost immediately. It was too much effort for the moment. It might have been easier if her clothes and hadn't been so sodden, adding extra weight. But why… how under earth had she gotten so wet? The fairy's brain snapped from sleepiness to full alert. The swimming pool! The last thing she could remember was swimming… then the electric shocks… then the gun, then her…
With a sinking feeling, Holly reached deep inside herself, and felt nothing. So it was true. Her power was gone. In vain, she tried to heal the small cut at edge of her hairline, but it wouldn't come. Nothing. Not even a twinkle. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to quell the panic that was fast threatening to cloud her mind. She needed to think, and think good and hard.
After a few fruitless attempts, she managed to drag herself onto all fours. She was shivering from the cold so much now that her teeth sounded like a band of drummers at a military parade. Her breath was billowing from her lips in white clouds. She forced herself onto her knees, arms wrapped round herself for extra warmth, and looked frantically about her. She was in a small square room, with shelves along the sides, and packages of some kind lining the walls. Everything was covered in a thick layer of frost.
On closer inspection of the 'packages', Holly discovered that the lumps on the shelves were actually frozen food. She was in a huge freezer, not unlike the large one that accompanied the kitchen that provided the food for the residents of the LEP holding cells. So, if this was a domestic facility, there would be a door…
There! Holly turned around, and saw that it had been behind her. She struggled to her feet, and staggered to it, letting herself fall against it, as her hand sought the handle. She found it, and giving an extra shove, turned it. The door didn't budge.
"No…" she whispered, despair threatening to overwhelm her. "No! Who locks their freezer? No, No, NO!"
A tear spilled unnoticed from her eye as she slammed herself into the door again and again. It was completely unresponsive. Not a millimetre. She had bruises all along that side of her body already, but she ignored the pain, and kept trying.
"Let me out!" she screamed to no one, throwing herself furiously against the obstacle.
It was useless. Her newly-pooled strength dwindled, and after a few more pounds, she let herself slide down the icy surface, and her tears flowed in a hot stream. It wasn't fair. Why was it always her?
Holly shook her head, trying to dispel the fuzzy feeling one got from being tired, cold and upset. This wasn't like her at all. Dissolving into tears the minute something didn't go her way! She pressed her forehead against the cold surface, letting the low temperature clear her mind. If she was going to get out of this, she needed to think calmly and rationally. If she just kept slamming herself into the door, she would eventually pass through it. It was a law of science.
She stood again, a little shaky in the legs, and looked the door up and down, assessing its attack capabilities. She reckoned she could take it. It was a big sucker, but it didn't look like it would put up much of a fight. She glared at it, then charged, going for the full body slam. No effect.
"Oh?" she asked it, swaggering back, ready for the next attack. "Well, let's see how you take this!" With a war-like cry, she sprinted up to it, and launched both her feet at it in a flying kick. She was knocked back by her own momentum, and landed in a heap on the floor. She didn't move, and seeing how stupid she had been to think she would have been able to break it down, she crawled into the corner farthest away from it, and made herself as small as possible.
Huddled into the knook between the walls, she fought to stay awake. Lethargy was coming in massive, overwhelming waves that covered her completely. Somehow she didn't feel cold anymore… She let herself slump down until she was lying on her side again, and uncurled from her ball, stretching out slightly. It was surprising how comfortable a floor could be… She shook her head, desperately trying to resist the sleep that was beckoning to her.
Unfortunately for Holly, once again, all the factors were against her. The freezer was chilled to below -20° C and she was wet. Perfect conditions for hypothermia to flourish and take hold in less than fifteen minutes. Add to that the fact that her strength was depleted, she had just woken up from a tranquilliser, prior to being shot, had no magic, and was rather sparsely clothed, that being the nature of evening dresses, and she was lucky to still be conscious. Already she had gone through the early and moderately serious stages… confusion, sleepiness, irrationality… and now she was being sucked into the final stage: unconsciousness, followed closely by death.
Luckily, it was at that moment that her rescuers managed to breach the door.
*
Root and Foaly arrived panting slightly where the trail of wetness ended. It disappeared under a thick, solid looking door, with a magnetic-strip-lock to the right of it, and the word 'FREEZER' on a tastefully subtle wooden plaque.
They glanced at each other, both knowing the risks associated with being too cold. The LEP didn't make it out to either of the poles that much anymore, but they were still kept well informed on conditions such as frostbite and hypothermia.
The commander checked the temperature on the small thermometer next to the frame. It read -23° C. Very bad. Foaly, meanwhile was examining the patches of water.
"From these, I'd say she's been in there about five, six minutes already." he said, sounding worried.
Root nodded. "Very low temp… and with what she's wearing being soaking wet, she'll be slipping away from us in about thirty seconds. We need to get in there now."
The centaur gritted his teeth, desperately worried about his friend. He stepped up to the strip-lock, examining it closely. He reached into his pocket for a tool, and began fitting the end into the screw holding the thing to the wall.
"Just give me a half a sec, and I'll take the cover off, then disable the main fra - "
"Stand back." growled the commander, and Foaly did as he was told. Bringing his laser up and aiming it in one fluid movement, the elf sent a concentrated blast of light into the system. The door popped open, the lock smoking gently.
Foaly squinted at it. "Well, there's always that way…"
But his boss wasn't listening; he had already stepped through the threshold, and was squinting into the sudden whiteness. The centaur joined him, calling Holly's name nervously.
Then he spotted her, huddled in the far corner behind a shelf. "Holly!" he yelled, sliding along the floor towards her as quickly as he could, falling ungracefully to his knees next to her. "Holly… Holly are you OK?"
The captain struggled to focus on his face. "Hey donkey." she said weakly. Her eyes flickered to the ruddy features of her commander. "Sir." She frowned slightly. "What took you two so long…"
"Look, we're sorry about that, OK?" said Root, trying to hide his concern, so he wouldn't worry her. He patted her cold hand. "And anyway, we're here now." He smiled shakily, and Holly's lips also curved slightly as her eyes closed. She gave a peaceful sigh, and her face seemed to relax.
Foaly saw what was happening to her, and grabbed her wrist, squeezing it hard. "No, no, sweetheart, don't go to sleep." he said, his urgency now making itself obvious.
Captain Short's eyes flickered open, and she gazed dazedly up at him.
Foaly forced a weak grin for her. "That's it darlin'. Keep 'em open for me, there's a good girl." He turned to Root. "We need to get her out of here now. If we don't warm her up in the next few minutes, we'll lose her."
The other fairy nodded. The centaur gently scooped Holly up, cradling her in his arms, and struggled to his feet under her weight. The commander saw the problem, and gave an exasperated sigh.
"C'mon, Pony-boy. There's no time for all that romantic crap now! Just sling her over your shoulder, or better yet, give her to me. I'm stronger than you."
Foaly shook his head. "There is a reason for this method you know. She's fragile at the moment, and is in contact with more areas of my body, so is going to get more of my warmth. She needs it, Julius."
The elf sighed. "Fine. Just give her here though."
Foaly complied, letting Root slide one arm under Holly's knees, and the other under her shoulders, shifting the weight to him. The stricken officer barely even noticed her transferral, and merely huddled closer to the new source of warmth. She moaned slightly as the commander hefted her up a bit, into an easier position, and then settled back down.
Foaly raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know you were so good at all the 'romantic crap' sir!" he said, smirking. "You handle her like a pro!"
Root glared at him. "It's one of many hidden talents." he said, sarcasm cutting through his voice like a knife. He nodded to the door. "Now, if you wouldn't mind? Holly may be slim, but she's still heavy, especially when you're tired, and she's wet. Can we go, please?"
Foaly's answer was to draw his gun, and stride over to the entrance. He looked furtively out of the door, then, after confirming that the coast was clear, beckoned for the other two to follow him.
They slunk down three corridors, and around two bends, before Foaly judged it safe to stop. He paused outside an entrance, covering the two elves with his laser as Root, using his shoulder, pushed open the door, carrying Holly through.
Stooping, he laid her carefully on the floor, before running back to help the centaur. Luckily, they had not been followed, and there wasn't a goblin in sight. The two backed into the room, slamming the door shut as they went.
Root nodded to the handle. "Do your thing with the lock, techie boy. I don't want anyone bursting in on us. And please try to remember that we need to get out at the end, as well."
Foaly didn't even bother with a witty comeback. "Sure thing, Julius."
Satisfied, the commander returned to his fallen officer. He squatted down next to her, taking off his dinner jacket and draping it over her. Holly stared sleepily up at him. Her face was deathly pale, and her lips were a deep shade of blue-purple. Icicles nestled in her hair, not having had the time to melt yet. She did not look at all healthy.
Root smiled at her, trying to keep the mood light, so as not to tire her even further. "How you doing?" he asked gently.
Her mouth fumbled with the words, struggling to get them out. "I-I, um, I'm ti - " She tried again. "I'm rea-really tir-tired." Her eyelids flickered, and she looked pitiful and pleading. "Why can't I g-go to sle-sle -" She paused for a moment, lips practising the word she had half-forgotten how to say. "Sleep?"
He bit the inside of his cheek, her speech deficiency awakening fresh worries in his mind. "I'm sorry, Holly, but you just can't, not yet." He sighed, thinking of a way to describe it so that it would be easy for her to understand. "We can't let you, because if you fall asleep now, you might never wake up, and we need you. OK?"
Holly's eyes closed for a second, and she tried to speak again.
"No, no… It's alright, Holly, don't try and talk. Just nod your head for me…" She did. "Atta girl. Now," he said, speaking to her as though she was a child, to keep it simple for her to comprehend. "We need to make you nice and warm again, because you've gotten way too cold." He forced a grin. "Then, if you're better, we can let you sleep for a little while, OK?" He didn't like lying to her, but if she remembered that the minute she was stable again, she'd back on her feet, and kicking goblin butt, she might just give up.
She nodded again. Root grinned shakily. "That's my girl. You just hang on in there for me and Foaly while we warm you up."
The aforementioned centaur clopped over, having secured the door to his satisfaction and all of Root's criteria. He sank down next to Captain Short, squeezing her hand for a moment, worried sick about her. He turned to the commander, concern etched in his brow.
"How's she doing?" he asked nervously, not sure he was ready for any bad news.
Root sighed again. "Not so good. She's barely hanging on, and if we don't do something straight away, we'll almost definitely lose her." He looked questioningly at Foaly. "Got any bright ideas, Pony?"
The centaur bit his lip. "Well… if we can just get her out of the manor, and to a local hospital, then I reckon she – "
"Not an option." Root cut in, shaking his head. "We'd never get past the goblins, and they'd never let us bargain for temporary release, even if it meant life or death. They're trying to kill us anyway. This just eliminates the captain without them having to lift a finger." He drew a hand over his eyes wearily. "Plan B?"
The centaur looked away, unable to meet his or Holly's eyes. "That's it. There is no 'Plan B'." he said quietly.
Root swore, and Captain Short grasped at Foaly's arm, confused. "What's going on?" she whispered, scared at their tones. Somehow, she seemed to have regressed to the level of a young child. It happened in fairies with hypothermia, but never this quickly or severely usually. But then, these were not usual circumstances.
"Don't worry Holly, everything's fine." said Foaly, holding her hand to try and reassure her.
Root rubbed his forehead. "But what about us… I mean, couldn't we do it, by, you know, transferring body heat? I dunno know… couldn't we both just lie down next to her, or something?"
The centaur shook his head sadly. "It wouldn't be enough to save her. And then there's your magic… but that won't work – magic repairs flesh, and this is, at the moment, a temperature issue. There's no physical damage your power could heal. I guess we could…" He stopped, looking curiously at the expression of enlightenment that had just crossed the commander's face. "What?" he asked suspiciously.
Root chewed his lip, glancing down at Holly before bringing his gaze up to meet Foaly's again. "Well…" he said slowly. "There's one thing we could try… but you ain't gonna like it."
The centaur braced himself for the worst. "Hit me."
*****
Ok, ok, I know… cliffy. *looks indignant* But at least they didn't charge through a door at the end! Anyway, hope everyone had a really good Christmas, and has a good New Year. I shall update… at some point. Oh, and before you write me a big fat flame, there were reasons why Root, Foaly and Holly were behaving like that. I shall now briefly explain them:
Holly: She was not well. She had hypothermia, which is the sole reason for her behaviour. I really don't know that much about hypothermia – I did some research, and I reckon fairies would react differently to it, especially those who had just been shot, etc… Don't worry. She'll get back to normal eventually.
Root: He isn't going to be yelling at Holly because she's about to die. And she's not herself, so he can't treat her like he usually does. Just think about it if you still think I'm wrong.
Foaly: One of his few friends is dying, so he's worried, and as Holly is like a child, he treats her like a child, which is why you get all the 'darling' 'sweetie' business. And anyway, it's not like he's never called her that before… But there will be a weenie bit about that in the next chapter – it shall all seem more natural then.
Right then, I have babbled enough, and I'm just realising how very fast I am typing…. Anyway, if you still don't get it, say in the review, and I shall attempt to explain it better in the next chapter/an email/an IM conversation. Whatever. So, I hope that chapter was OK, and I shall see you guys later!
Luv slime
PS: DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!