"Jesus!"
Luka woke to see Abby standing at the window, hugging herself against the cold. It was daylight. The room was still pretty dark -- it always was, but outside the window he could see blue sky, and a harsh light.
"Stopped snowing?" he asked.
"Yeah. And the future's so bright you gotta wear shades?"
"What?" He joined her at the window, and couldn't help hugging himself as well. It was cold! "Wow!"
The sky was blue and cloudless. The glare was blinding. The sunlight reflected off the ice, and the occasional patch of drifted snow. It wasn't often you got to see white snow in Chicago, Luka thought. Usually it was filthy from car exhaust and dirty shoes within minutes of hitting the ground. But the thick coating of ice on the street ensured that there were still no cars and no pedestrians. Nothing to spoil the beauty of it.
Luka touched the window pane. "Still pretty cold out though." He grabbed his jacket "I'll go start the fire and get breakfast going. You can dress in here."
The living room was even colder than the bedroom. It was freezing; almost literally. Luka could see his breath. He needed to talk to the landlord about the insulation.
He tore up a couple of magazines and started the fire. The window still wouldn't open. So much for leaving it burning for a while to warm the place up a bit. A saucepan of water for coffee. Maybe he'd try to make eggs this morning.
Luka heard Abby come into the room. It was hard to miss, she was stamping her feet as she walked, presumably to warm them. "How do you want your eggs?" he asked her.
"Fried, sunny side up. And don't lecture me about salmonella. And your fish are dead."
Joining her by the aquarium, Luka looked into the tank. Yes, definitely dead.
"Are you going to pronounce them?" Abby asked lightly. "Or maybe try to resuscitate?"
"I don't think so. Maybe they'll be dinner tonight." Luka spoke lightly too, but he couldn't help sighing a little. How many people in Chicago would die before the weather broke? People with MI's and strokes who couldn't get to the hospital in time. People who'd been out on the roads when the storm had started, and had gotten into accidents. People who were less sturdy and Abby and himself and would freeze to death in their own apartments.
He returned to his kitchen tasks, adding more paper to the fire (it burned away much too quickly), getting the eggs and frying pan. Abby quickly set the table and got a beer from the fridge. She joined him by the fire.
"Abby, it's 8 o:clock in the morning."
"So? I have one cigarette left. I'm cold, I'm bored ... and you're not my mother."
"Thank God for small favors," Luka quipped, and they both laughed. Maybe a beer with breakfast wouldn't be a bad idea.
Two beers, two cups of coffee and three eggs later, Luka got up to clear the table. He wasn't drunk and neither was Abby, it would take way more than two beers to get either of them even tipsy, but some of the tension seemed to be gone this morning. Abby seemed to be a better mood than had been since the storm began.
"I'm sorry about last night," he said. "I really wasn't trying to start anything."
"Forget it, ok? Just don't do it again." Abby wandered over to the window again and looked out. "I'm going stir-crazy in here. Want to go out for a bit?"
"Go out? Like where?"
"Just outside. Get a better look at the world; get some fresh air, see daylight for a change."
"It's pretty cold out there," Luka said doubtfully.
"It's pretty cold in here too. Don't be such a wimp." Abby was already putting on her gloves and scarf and hat. She was already wearing her coat.
"I'm not much of a skater," Luka said, but he got his own outdoor gear and his keys, and opened the apartment door.
The hall was very dark, and he and Abby had to make their way carefully down the stairs to the street door -- which didn't open.
"Frozen shut?" Abby asked.
"Probably." Luka threw his weight against it, and heard the ice crack. He tried again to open it and, with just a little more muscle, the last of the ice broke free and it opened.
After the dim light in the apartment, and the even darker hallway, the glare was blinding. Luka had to cover his eyes with his hand until they adjusted to the light.
"It's gorgeous," Abby said softly.
"It is," Luka agreed. Beautiful but treacherous, he thought. Kinda like Abby. And they still seemed to be the only people alive in the city. Still no cars, and no other people brave enough, or stupid enough to venture out.
Abby took a cautious step out onto the stoop -- but not cautious enough. Her feet went out from under her and, before Luka could grab her, she was sitting on the top step.
"Are you ok?"
"Yeah. My butt's well padded." Abby was laughing. She tried to regain her footing, but only succeeded in slipping down another step. "I think I need a little less padding and a little more Velcro," she said. "Or a heating pad. It's cold down here."
"And I'm beginning to think that this was a really bad idea." But Luka was laughing too. Maybe it was the beer, or maybe it was the pleasure of seeing Abby in such a good mood. "Come on, I think it's time to go back inside."
"Easier said than done," said Abby.
Luka held onto the door frame and reached out towards Abby. "Ok. Just grab my hand."
She couldn't quite reach him, just a little too far away. Luka stretched as far as he could go --- and lost his grip on the slick door jamb.
His body hit the ice at an awkward angle. He had no way to stop himself from sliding -- to the steps, and down them. He hit the sidewalk. Hard. And slid another few feet before finally coming to a stop.
Luka woke to see Abby standing at the window, hugging herself against the cold. It was daylight. The room was still pretty dark -- it always was, but outside the window he could see blue sky, and a harsh light.
"Stopped snowing?" he asked.
"Yeah. And the future's so bright you gotta wear shades?"
"What?" He joined her at the window, and couldn't help hugging himself as well. It was cold! "Wow!"
The sky was blue and cloudless. The glare was blinding. The sunlight reflected off the ice, and the occasional patch of drifted snow. It wasn't often you got to see white snow in Chicago, Luka thought. Usually it was filthy from car exhaust and dirty shoes within minutes of hitting the ground. But the thick coating of ice on the street ensured that there were still no cars and no pedestrians. Nothing to spoil the beauty of it.
Luka touched the window pane. "Still pretty cold out though." He grabbed his jacket "I'll go start the fire and get breakfast going. You can dress in here."
The living room was even colder than the bedroom. It was freezing; almost literally. Luka could see his breath. He needed to talk to the landlord about the insulation.
He tore up a couple of magazines and started the fire. The window still wouldn't open. So much for leaving it burning for a while to warm the place up a bit. A saucepan of water for coffee. Maybe he'd try to make eggs this morning.
Luka heard Abby come into the room. It was hard to miss, she was stamping her feet as she walked, presumably to warm them. "How do you want your eggs?" he asked her.
"Fried, sunny side up. And don't lecture me about salmonella. And your fish are dead."
Joining her by the aquarium, Luka looked into the tank. Yes, definitely dead.
"Are you going to pronounce them?" Abby asked lightly. "Or maybe try to resuscitate?"
"I don't think so. Maybe they'll be dinner tonight." Luka spoke lightly too, but he couldn't help sighing a little. How many people in Chicago would die before the weather broke? People with MI's and strokes who couldn't get to the hospital in time. People who'd been out on the roads when the storm had started, and had gotten into accidents. People who were less sturdy and Abby and himself and would freeze to death in their own apartments.
He returned to his kitchen tasks, adding more paper to the fire (it burned away much too quickly), getting the eggs and frying pan. Abby quickly set the table and got a beer from the fridge. She joined him by the fire.
"Abby, it's 8 o:clock in the morning."
"So? I have one cigarette left. I'm cold, I'm bored ... and you're not my mother."
"Thank God for small favors," Luka quipped, and they both laughed. Maybe a beer with breakfast wouldn't be a bad idea.
Two beers, two cups of coffee and three eggs later, Luka got up to clear the table. He wasn't drunk and neither was Abby, it would take way more than two beers to get either of them even tipsy, but some of the tension seemed to be gone this morning. Abby seemed to be a better mood than had been since the storm began.
"I'm sorry about last night," he said. "I really wasn't trying to start anything."
"Forget it, ok? Just don't do it again." Abby wandered over to the window again and looked out. "I'm going stir-crazy in here. Want to go out for a bit?"
"Go out? Like where?"
"Just outside. Get a better look at the world; get some fresh air, see daylight for a change."
"It's pretty cold out there," Luka said doubtfully.
"It's pretty cold in here too. Don't be such a wimp." Abby was already putting on her gloves and scarf and hat. She was already wearing her coat.
"I'm not much of a skater," Luka said, but he got his own outdoor gear and his keys, and opened the apartment door.
The hall was very dark, and he and Abby had to make their way carefully down the stairs to the street door -- which didn't open.
"Frozen shut?" Abby asked.
"Probably." Luka threw his weight against it, and heard the ice crack. He tried again to open it and, with just a little more muscle, the last of the ice broke free and it opened.
After the dim light in the apartment, and the even darker hallway, the glare was blinding. Luka had to cover his eyes with his hand until they adjusted to the light.
"It's gorgeous," Abby said softly.
"It is," Luka agreed. Beautiful but treacherous, he thought. Kinda like Abby. And they still seemed to be the only people alive in the city. Still no cars, and no other people brave enough, or stupid enough to venture out.
Abby took a cautious step out onto the stoop -- but not cautious enough. Her feet went out from under her and, before Luka could grab her, she was sitting on the top step.
"Are you ok?"
"Yeah. My butt's well padded." Abby was laughing. She tried to regain her footing, but only succeeded in slipping down another step. "I think I need a little less padding and a little more Velcro," she said. "Or a heating pad. It's cold down here."
"And I'm beginning to think that this was a really bad idea." But Luka was laughing too. Maybe it was the beer, or maybe it was the pleasure of seeing Abby in such a good mood. "Come on, I think it's time to go back inside."
"Easier said than done," said Abby.
Luka held onto the door frame and reached out towards Abby. "Ok. Just grab my hand."
She couldn't quite reach him, just a little too far away. Luka stretched as far as he could go --- and lost his grip on the slick door jamb.
His body hit the ice at an awkward angle. He had no way to stop himself from sliding -- to the steps, and down them. He hit the sidewalk. Hard. And slid another few feet before finally coming to a stop.