Ruth wakes, her head is on the stranger's chest, her hand still tucked inside his suit. She can't remember falling asleep. It feels surreal and intimate. It makes her think of Harry. It makes her feel guilty.
His chest is rising and falling slowly and she guesses he too is asleep. She tries not to move even though her neck is stiff and aches. She is still cold but not unreasonably so.
His finger begins to move on the back of her hand, it is tapping against her like he can hear music, she wonders if he is dreaming. It is the same rhythm over and over again.
And then it stops.
They lie still in the cold dark silence.
And then she realises.
"Hello" she wants to shout but is prevented by the gag in her mouth.
It is morse, he was tapping out morse code on the back of her hand and all he is simply saying is 'hello'.
She wants to smile but the gag in her mouth stops her.
He is lying quietly. He has given up. She slides her hand from under his and rests it on top, raising her index finger she taps away, 'hello back'.
He moves. He sits up awkwardly, their hands caught beneath the zip of his suit. They extract them and he gropes in the dark to refind her hand. He turns it over and once again begins his rhythmically drumming.
'Know where we r?'
'No.'
'U hurt?' he asks.
'No. U?' she taps back.
'No.'
'Ur name?'
'Jim' he drums.
'Y u here?'
'Don't know. U?'
'Don't know.'
'Yr name?' he asks.
'Jo,' she lies.
'Hi Jo.'
And for a moment they just sit. Two strangers in a dark and dangerous world who are comforted by knowing each other's names. Even if she lied.