Once Ace stepped back into the cabin, the flurry of movement began. Antonia stood up from her spot beside Aiden as Booth pulled his gloves on and stood up. Parker stayed with Aiden and the two suspects as Booth, Ace, and Antonia went outside to determine how best to secure the sleds to the snowmobiles.
She stepped outside with them, and Ace was already starting to secure the first sled. "Okay, what we're going to do is get the two suspects out here, and have them sit up one in front of the other, and Parker in back. We can tie the two of them together so if they do fall off, they can't run.
"Sounds good." Booth said, glancing to Antonia as she stared at the sled blankly. "Hey, are you okay?"
"Huh? Yeah." She nodded. "I should probably go get their boots." She said, turning toward the cabin, she walked over to the porch and ducked under the steps, pulling out the boots that she had stowed there.
"I noticed they weren't wearing boots, why did you take them?" Booth laughed.
"I didn't want them to run away. I figured if they didn't have their boots, they wouldn't get far." She said, giving her father a sideways smile as he shook his head.
"Sometimes you remind me so much of your mother, that it drives me crazy." He said, as he watched her climb the steps with the suspect's boots.
"Yeah, she says the same about me in reference to you." She laughed as she turned and kicked the door open, walking into the cabin.
Booth shook his head and watched her disappear inside, as he turned to help Ace with the sleds.
Antonia stepped inside, stumbling a bit as she glanced to Parker. "Hey, did you introduce yourself to Aiden?" She asked, watching as Parker gave her a strange look. "Aiden, this is my brother Parker." She called, dropping the boots onto the floor.
"Hi, Parker." Aiden said from the floor, his voice sounding a bit distant.
"Hi." Parker said, shaking his head at his sister, she shrugged.
She poked her head around the table at Aiden, and watched his eyes drooping a bit. "You doing okay over there, partner?"
"Still breathing, Tex." He said sleepily. Antonia glanced to Parker as he gave her a smirk, and she returned a playful glare.
"You need help with that?" Parker asked, nodding at the boots. Antonia nodded.
"Yeah. These are their boots." She said, nudging them toward Parker with her foot. "Put them on the wrong feet, and don't tie them." She said, watching as Parker flashed her an odd look. "Just do it." She said, nodding toward them.
"Alright." Parker shrugged.
She walked over to Aiden, watching as his eyes stayed closed for a moment. She knelt beside him. "Hey buddy." She said, watching him look up at her, he said nothing. "You're not looking so hot."
"I appreciate the compliment." He mumbled. "I'm tired." He whispered.
"I know, I know. We're going to have to get you to stand up again soon, to get you to the sled."
His brow furrowed and he let out a whine. "I don't want to stand up again. Remember the last time I stood up?"
"I know." She said, running her fingers over his hair. "I'm sorry."
"You can leave me here." He said. "Just let me sleep?"
"Not an option, partner." She whispered. "Here." She whispered as she reached for her neck, carefully unclasping the necklace that she had around her neck. She carefully clasped it around his neck, leaning over him gingerly.
"What's this?" He whispered, trying to look at the pendant as he scrunched his face and squinted to look at it. He ran his fingertips over the face of the pendant.
"It's my Saint Anthony medal." She whispered. "It'll protect you, keep you safe." She said softly. She took it from his fingertips held it in her hand for a moment, she placed her hand on his chest with the pendant beneath. "It'll keep you safe."
"Is that why you keep praying?" He asked softly, "For protection?"
"To be found, for protection, to be saved. Yes. That prayer always calms me, it is a part of me." She whispered, the sincerity in her eyes was palpable. His green eyes lightened at her words, his burden seeming less, at least for a moment. "Let's get you buttoned up, buddy." She whispered, her fingers trembling as she reached for the buttons of his shirt.
"You're shaking." He whispered, reaching his hand up to touch her hands. "Your fingers are like icicles."
"Stop worrying so much about me, I'm fine." She said. "I'll put gloves on when we're in the sled."
The door to the cabin opened and Booth and Ace walked in. "Alright, we're ready for you guys." Ace said, indicating the suspects and Parker.
Booth walked over to Antonia as she continued to help Aiden, spying the glint of metal around his neck, and his daughter's careful movements. "Toni?"
"I'll get him up." She said softly, without looking up at her father. "I need to get him to stand up, and get his coat on him, at least over his shoulders." She whispered. "I don't want him to get pneumonia on top of everything else." She said, the worry in her words weighing on his heart. "I'll put the oxygen mask from the first aid kit over his mouth and nose once we're in the sled, so he's not breathing in the cold air." She said, possibly to her father, but mostly just out loud. Her voice was catching a bit, and her exhaustion was making it creep into a lower timbre.
"Do you need anything?" Booth asked, watching as Ace and Parker pulled up the first suspect from the floor.
"I've got him." She said softly.
"She's got me." Aiden whispered, keeping his eyes on Antonia, he touched her face with his hand, running his fingertips across her skin gently.
Booth lingered for a moment, then turned to help with the second suspect, roughly grabbing his arm as he pulled him up, and yanked him along, following after the first suspect, leaving Antonia and Aiden alone in the cabin.
Antonia put her hand on the one he had on her cheek, watching as Aiden's eyes filled with tears. Her heart clenched as he looked up at her. "Hey… hey, what's wrong?" she whispered. "Is it the pain? Are you having problems breathing?"
"No." he whimpered. "I'm sorry." He whispered. "I'm sorry."
"Why are you apologizing? What's wrong?" She whispered.
He pulled his hand down, sighing miserably. "You've been so wonderful, and I've just… I'm supposed to be able to protect you, or help at the very least. I'm useless." He whispered. "I should just go back to Chicago after this. Go back into medicine. God, I'm pathetic." He whispered, putting his hand over his face. "Just leave me here to die." He whispered.
There was a very long pause before she spoke. "Are you done with your little pity party?" She asked, her voice deepening slightly, her eyebrow lifting incredulously.
He looked out between his fingers at the look on her face, and scowled.
"Yeah, that's right. Stop whining, and help me get you up."
"Are you even listening to me?" he asked, dropping his hand.
"I heard every word you said." She said softly. "But if I intended on getting out of this cabin alone, I'd have left your sorry ass in the snow to bleed to death." She said, leaning forward, she pulled the hand from his face. "So, we're just going to chock this little whine fest up to pain management therapy, and you're going to roll onto your good shoulder, and help me get your pathetic self out of this cabin and onto that sled before I lift you over my shoulder and do it for you. You got that, buddy?"
"Yes, Ma'am." He whispered, wiping the tear from his face, he furrowed his brow and looked up at her.
"Good boy." She whispered, leaning down to kiss him softly, she helped him roll to his side, managing his breathing through the entire process, onto his knees, and then onto his feet. He wrapped his arm around her carefully, allowing her to move with him as they shuffled to the table. "A little bit of tough love never killed anyone." She said, looking over at him, as she carefully helped him slip his good arm into his coat, draping the rest over his shoulder carefully. She carefully packed the rest of their belongings as he watched her, shoving the breathing mask into her pocket. She slipped her gloves on, watching his eyes the entire time. She then put his good arm around her shoulder, and supported him carefully as they shuffled toward the door.
"Is that what that was?" he asked, listening to her laugh tiredly as he gave her a gentle squeeze. "Cuz it was kind of hot."
"You're delusional." She said, pulling the door open as they shuffled outside.
"Yeah, well, you're…" he stopped, the cold air hitting his lungs, he faltered a bit, a dry cough striking him abruptly.
"Hey, are you okay?" She whispered, trying to support him as he coughed, his lungs wheezing with each breath.
"Yeah." He said, looking out at the other three men as they secured the first sled with the two suspects. "Just…" He coughed a little, grabbing hold of the post, he closed his eyes. "Just a little dizzy."
"Slow breaths." She whispered, waiting for him. She moved slightly in front of him, and looked him in the eyes, she put her hands on his face gently. "Slow breaths, Aiden. Close your eyes." She whispered, watching a slow smile rise on his lips.
"You know that doesn't work." He mumbled.
"Just get your ass on the sled." She said, watching as Booth moved the sled closer to them. "You can't take the post with you, Aiden." She whispered. "You have to let go of it."
He whined a little and took another step, releasing the post as Antonia helped him down to the bottom of the steps. She watched Booth as he reached out for Aiden, and she shook her head as he nodded and pulled the sled closer. Aiden knelt slowly into the sled, feeling Antonia's arm on his good arm as Booth held it securely. She stepped in behind him, instructing him to slide his legs out from under him. "I've got you." She whispered in his ear, "It's okay, just lean back."
He leaned back and found that her legs were on either side of him, straddling his body, his head resting slightly elevated on her tummy, his eyes moved up to look at her face as she looked down at him, he tipped his head back and stared into her eyes tiredly. "You're so pretty." She whispered, watching a lazy smile on his lips. She looked up at Booth. "The emergency blankets are in the cabin, Dad. Just tuck them around us, if you don't mind. Also, my bags are still in there." She said softly. "Could you grab them for me?"
"You got it, kid." Booth said, nodding as he started for the cabin.
"And Daddy?" She said, as he turned around to look at her. "Put out the fire."
"You got it, baby girl." Booth said as he climbed the steps and disappeared into the cabin.
After a couple of minutes, Booth stepped out with her bags, indicating that he'd put them in the snowmobile. He carefully tucked the emergency blanket around Antonia and Aiden, and leaned down to kiss her head. "You ready to go, Princess?"
"I don't think I've ever been more ready." She said, watching as Booth nodded in agreement. He pulled the sled over to the snowmobile as Ace and Booth secured the rope in the appropriate place on the back of the machine. Aiden's eyes were closed when she pulled the mask from her pocket, and leaned her head down, carefully placing the mask over his nose and mouth. He opened his eyes and looked up at her in alarm for a moment. His hand moved up and touched hers, holding it tightly. After a moment or two, both snowmobiles were started, and they slowly made their way out towards the waiting ambulance.
The ride was slow and excruciating, as Antonia leaned down and gently hummed a gentle lullaby in Aiden's ear. He kept his hand on hers and his eyes closed tightly, as each bump jostled him slightly, causing him more pain. He opened his eyes for a few moments, watching as Antonia seemed to be struggling to keep her eyes open. She kept her gentle watch over him until they saw the flickering lights of the ambulance in the distance. When it became evident that they were close, he watched her sit upright at attention, her eyes bright enough to reflect the lights of the emergency vehicles, but quickly fading with her exhaustion.
As soon as they were within reach of the ambulance, the EMTs approached them, trudging through snow as Booth climbed from his snowmobile and disconnected the sled from the machine, pulling Aiden and Antonia closer to them. They immediately went to work on Aiden, working to get him on a stretcher and into the vehicle.
Booth unhooked the other sled from Ace's snowmobile, and pulled it to the agent's truck. They had decided earlier that they would transport the suspects themselves. Ace and Booth worked to get the men into the back of the SUV, as Booth watched his daughter dote on Aiden, asking questions to the EMTs as they readied him for fluids, and gave him some oxygen. She seemed very comfortable in her element, but he could see that her shoulders were sagging, and her spark was fading quickly.
Parker watched the two men in the truck as Ace and Booth walked to Antonia. "Toni?" Booth said, watching as she followed the EMT as they started to pack Aiden in the ambulance.
"I'm going with Aiden." She said, without a second thought, She noticed that Booth and Ace exchanged a look, fully aware of her hatred of emergency vehicles, but she seemed like her mind was set. "I'm not sure which hospital they're taking him to, but I can't leave his side." She said softly. "He's my partner. I promised him I wouldn't leave him."
Booth nodded, and Antonia wrapped her arms around her father tightly, allowing a tear to escape. "Be careful getting home. I'll call you when we know any more about Aiden." She said softly.
"Yes, keep me posted." Booth said. "I have to call your mom."
"I love you, Daddy." She whispered. "Thank you for coming out here for me."
"Anything for you, baby girl." He whispered, dropping a kiss in her hair as she gave him another squeeze. She turned to see that the ambulance was waiting for her, and she waved to Booth and Ace, and climbed into the back of the ambulance.
Aiden lay on his back, fully strapped to the gurney in the back of the ambulance. It had been several minutes since had seen Antonia, and was beginning to wonder if she'd be with him for the ride to the hospital. The EMTs had removed the makeshift sling, had inserted an IV for fluids, and had stabilized his entire body for the ride to the hospital. They had begun to give him oxygen, a mask over his nose and mouth was a bit uncomfortable, but the oxygen felt good to his body. He was feeling extremely tired suddenly, but refused to close his eyes until he saw her again. He needed to see her again. After a moment, he heard her voice, she sounded slightly indignant, and he imagined that someone was probably offering to help her into the back of the vehicle. He waited impatiently, and finally he saw her face looking down at him. The harsh light of the back of the ambulance cast a shadow over her face, and he could see that her face was pale, her eyes sunken in, her lips dry and cracked. "Tex." He whispered into his mask, his eyes holding an intense concern.
"You just rest." She whispered, her voice grating and tired. "I'm right here." She whispered, sitting on the small bench beside the gurney, they readied the truck to leave, closing the doors.
"Tex?" He whispered, his own voice soft, he couldn't see her, and it was making him nervous, he could feel her hand in his, and when he squeezed her hand, her squeeze back was so slight, she was hardly moving. "Tex, are you okay?" he asked.
"I'm okay, Aiden." She said, but the tone of her voice was not convincing. "I'm okay."
The ambulance siren started wailing as the truck began to move, there were two EMTs in the back with them, both were monitoring Aiden, and neither noticed the pale face of the woman sitting awkwardly on the bench. None of them noticed her eyes drooping, or her head lolling. Aiden could sense something was wrong, her hand was nearly lifeless as he pulled at it, he struggled against the straps that were holding him down as he tried to look at her. "Tex!" He shouted, wheezing as he nearly hurt himself to get to her. "Someone catch her!" He shouted, but it was too late. Before anyone even realized it, Antonia had passed out. Her body and mind had finally decided that it had enough, and simply gave out, and before anyone could catch her, she tumbled to the floor of the ambulance, knocked out cold, her head slamming solidly into the edge of the gurney on her way down.