The lazy idle they'd all fallen into lasted only a few days, and Quinn's warning that Mother Nature could be a bitch had gone to the back of Rachel's mind. Everything seemed too good to be true – too wonderful for her to remember that they were at the mercy of a force so much stronger than they.
When the storm hit them Rachel was reminded once again of who the actual boss was; Mother Nature was punishing them for getting too comfortable, too fast.
The sky turned nearly black as thunder rumbled, lightning lighting up the endless sea of rolling waves. Rain fell, not in gentle spatters, but in torrents. It flew sideways, carried by the wind in freezing sheets of huge droplets that soaked them all to the bone.
They'd all been sitting outside on the deck enjoying some time off with the kids chattering and squealing excitedly nearby under Luz's watchful eyes, until the clouds opened and the rain started to pelt.
Rachel hadn't had to say a thing; they all jumped to their feet and herded the kids indoors just as the first kick of the ship threatened to topple them all like dominoes.
"Damn, who pissed Poseidon off?" Chevy wondered, shoving Luz ahead of him through the door on the main deck.
"Probably you with that stupid mermaid comment," Luz shot back, shaking her dripping hands in his face. "Why you got to piss off the Sea God? I wasn't enough for you anymore?"
Rachel rolled her eyes at their familiar bickering and smiled over at Quinn who was wringing out her hair. Glancing around at all the faces crammed into the corridor, she took a quick head count, relieved when she saw no other damage than everyone appearing drenched and cold. They might all be raiding the kitchen for tea later, but she was pleased that nothing worse had happened.
Looking back out at the deck, she watched a wave crash over the side as the ship lurched under them. Her smile fell and her stomach dropped, nausea threatening, and it had nothing to do with the canting of the ship.
"Rachel?" Quinn said with concern clear in her tone. Rachel ignored her, shaking her head and refocusing outside to see if what she thought she'd seen was really there.
She didn't mistake it a second time. A tiny shape - just a speck of dark color - was still out there.
There wasn't time to do anything other than act. She darted forward, pushing Chevy out of the way without apology and running as fast as she could on the tilting ship. Her feet were slipping on the slick deck as waves pushed her down and tried to drag her away. She struggled to get up after each blow, teeth chattering already and body weak with the cold and exertion it took to move a few steps.
As she got closer and saw just what - no, who - the shape was her throat clogged in fear.
Skyler was crying, his foot wedged in a gap on the deck. Rachel could see how pale he was, how blue his lips had gone. Tugging at his leg with both hands, his screams were swallowed up by the boom of thunder and rush of water over his head.
The ship pitched under her as Rachel dove the remaining distance. She'd barely managed to get her hands on Skyler before water rushed over the side again, slamming into them. Twisting as best she could, she tried to shield him as the wave drove them back into the unforgiving metal ridge jutting up from the deck. A rough cry tore from her throat as she landed on her shoulder with a sickening pop. Burning pain ripped through her as freezing water battered them again and again. Wave after wave smacked them down, holding them captive.
Gritting her teeth, she fought to get her body wrapped more fully around the little life that clung to her. All she could see was water exploding around them like a frozen volcanic eruption. Skyler's blue eyes were wide in his pallid face; he looked up at her, mop of brown hair plastered to his head, and pulled at her shirt desperately. She was already shivering just as hard as he was. Her face, fingers, and feet had gone numb but her legs and arms still felt the bite of the ocean. Another wave covered them, threatening to drag them free of their precarious position hunched low against the deck. Rachel choked, barely managing to drag in a fire-laced breath before she was smothered again. Beneath her shaking legs the ship bucked and seemed to twist almost upside down.
She pulled at Skyler's leg with all her remaining strength and when that didn't work she tried to get his shoe off, but between the water filling her vision and uncooperative fingers…
Closing her eyes, she hugged him close and wondered how long it would take before they found themselves overboard.
Quinn rushed forward, a shout caught in the back of her throat, but Chevy grabbed her arm before she could follow Rachel out into the storm.
"Are you crazy?" he barked, fingers like steel around her forearm.
"Let go! They'll be swept overboard!"
Luz grabbed her other arm and together they yanked her backwards, feet coming off the deck for a brief second with the force of their pull. "Q, you'll join them if you go out there."
"I can't just – let go of me! I can't let them stay - they'll die." Quinn shoved Luz off of her and took a swing at Chevy. "Get the fuck off of me!"
"Knock it off!" Chevy ordered, roughly grabbing both her arms and giving her a shake. "Think. Think, Hollywood, and use that big brain of yours so we can rescue them."
There was no time to cry, no matter how she wanted to sink to her knees to scream and sob Rachel's name. It wouldn't save her or bring her back safely. "She just…"
"Ollie, go get Rory and CJ," Luz snapped, staring hard out at the deck and the two tiny figures they could see hunkered down when the waves swept back. "Alex, we need rope or something like it. We'll tie it off and then one of us will have to go out there."
Quinn shook her head, sucked in a deep breath and then glared at Chevy. "Let go of me or I'll knee you so hard in the balls you'll taste them."
He released her slowly, eyeing her warily. She had no intention of bolting out yet, not without the rope, but it didn't keep her from feeling the flood of adrenaline. Every muscle in her body screamed along with her mind, "Get out there. Go get her. Why are you still standing here?"
Alex came running back, a thick bundle of rope looped over his shoulder. Quinn lunged forward and grabbed it from him before Chevy could.
"Q, no, I'll go. I'm bigger, heavier, and trained for - "
"Either help me tie this rope or shut the fuck up," she said, hands fumbling with the harsh braid. "Actually, do both. I don't care – I'm going. Try and stop me and see what happens."
"Quinn, he has a better chance of bringing them back safely," Luz said, so cautiously that Quinn bristled.
"Chevy is heavier, Alex is stronger, and what we have a better chance of is building an anchor strong enough to pull us all back. I'm bigger than you, Lu, so I have the better chance of getting out to them without being knocked over. You wanted me to use my brain. Now would you all stop wasting time we don't have arguing with me and tie this goddamn rope properly?" With that outburst Quinn stiffened, stilled the shaking of her muscles, and smoothed her face into the blank expression she'd worn so effortlessly in high school.
Chevy, Alex, and Luz shared glances and then leapt into action. Alex untangled the rope, handing off a section to Luz, and together they started looping it around Quinn. It dug into her shoulders and waist, shooting pain through her joints, but Quinn ignored it and kept her face vacant, repeating the old mantra in her head: "You feel nothing. You are cold. You are steel. Everything bounces off of your armor and nobody can touch you."
Luz tugged on the rope. "Okay, this will hold. Take this extra section, loop it around them, and tie it back to this part." She tapped at the section belted tight around her waist. "That should keep you all attached. When you get them secured tug twice - hard - and we'll start pulling. You're still going to have to come back on your own steam as much as you can. If we do all the pulling just stay upright, okay?"
She nodded once and without another word launched herself out into the squall. It felt like she'd jumped from an airplane. That moment of terror, of uncertainty laced with a generous dose of adrenaline. But unlike the times she'd gone skydiving there were no clouds or blue sky, and the rush was different. She had a mission to accomplish; it wasn't for fun and she had to focus.
Under her scrabbling feet the deck jumped and groaned. The whole world tilted on its axis and she crashed to her knees. She felt like a dog on linoleum floors the first time. Her hands slipped and slapped at the deck searching for purchase as waves dropped onto her. She could barely breathe; every pant for air drew more water into her mouth. Coughing and choking she crawled, ran, and stumbled towards her goal, eyes focused on the ball of soaked plaid and dark hair.
"Rachel!" She shouted raggedly and gasped for another gulp of salty air.
Rachel jerked her head around, hair matted and obscuring most of her face. Quinn saw how one arm was hanging from her shoulder joint, the other holding tight to a raised part of the deck with the small boy trapped between Rachel's body and the lip.
Quinn lurched forward only to flatten herself as another wave came down on her head, and she felt her body starting to slide down the deck towards the railing and the ocean beyond. She bit down on her lip until she tasted the iron of her own blood, eyes locked on Rachel's. Rachel said something; Quinn saw her lips moving but couldn't hear anything over the roar of the sea.
Another push of adrenaline had her slamming her hands down on the deck, numb palms breaking out in painful tingles. She half crawled, half threw herself forward, sliding the rest of the way in to Rachel. Their heads cracked together and the world spun a little crazier. Rachel let out a small sound, shaking her head at the impact. Quinn looked down and saw the boy's - Skyler she recognized - foot caught. Reachin in with both hands, she grabbed his foot and yanked. Water sluiced around them, the sound like a roar. The wind sliced through her sodden clothes and thunder rumbled overhead.
Skyler's foot came free with a soggy plop.
Rachel sagged against her, but Quinn knew they didn't have time to sit in any sort of relief. She quickly wrapped the rope around Skyler's waist, securing him tight against her, and then tied the extra to Rachel, sliding the end through a belt loop and knotting it with shaking fingers.
With none of them holding on any longer, the next wave that hit succeeded in dragging them towards the dark abyss. Quinn's back collided with the railing, Skyler smashed into her front, forcing all the air from her lungs and then Rachel hurtled into both of them and nearly drove them over the edge. Quinn wrapped her arm around the railing, locking it in place as she'd done countless times in gymnastics. With her free hand she grabbed the rope stretching out towards the door and tugged once, then again as hard as she could.
Immediately the rope went taught, the pull at her waist agonizing as the bristles dug through her shirt and into her skin. The burn helped her focus. Her thoughts felt scattered. It was difficult to concentrate on anything and she was so tired. Her bones ached, her back felt broken, and her legs felt like they'd been cemented to the deck.
They couldn't stay there.
Quinn dropped to the deck on all fours, Skyler clinging to her belly like a baby monkey, and Rachel limp at Quinn's side. "Rachel," Quinn shouted. "Rachel, we have to crawl. Stay low!"
They inched forward, dropping back to the slippery deck with each blast of water. Three of Quinn's fingernails were torn free trying to dig for purchase and Rachel fell several times, one arm dangling uselessly. But the rope kept taught, the pressure unbearably holding them more or less in place.
She didn't know how long it took, but finally they collapsed right outside the door and then hands that burned with warmth grabbed her under the arms and dragged her inside.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck," someone was chanting. Quinn tried to see but her eyes were blurred and her eyelids didn't want to open wide enough to see past a wobbly sliver.
"They're blue. They're not supposed to be blue," another voice squeaked. Ollie. "This is not good."
"Thank you, Doctor." Quinn recognized Luz's snarl and tried to get her bobbing head to loll in Luz's direction.
"Help," she rasped.
"Shit," CJ said, sounding eloquent even as she swore. Quinn felt hands on her cheeks and then tugging at the ropes. "Get this off them. Now!"
More hands and harder tugging. Skyler was pulled away and Quinn heard Rachel mumbling incoherently next to her.
"I've got him, you two come with me. CJ…"
"Go," CJ ordered and then Quinn was being lifted. The world dimmed, lights faded away, sounds became muffled and distant.
At least the darkness seemed warm.
At first she thought she'd gone blind. Her eyes were stuck, lashes glued together. She was shivering and soaked to the bone, her clothes sticking to her skin. Any sort of movement pulled at her. Quinn's teeth chattered together as her body jerked and trembled. Finally she got her eyes to open and they went in and out of focus as she blinked at the three blurry shapes crowded above her face.
"Quinn? Quinn, can you hear me?" CJ asked, tapping at Quinn's cheeks.
"Hmmm," Quinn groaned. "Wh-ere – whererer – Rrr – ach- erl."
"Hypothermia," CJ said, almost gasped. "Fuck, fucking hell."
"Doesn't that take hours?" Luz asked, and Quinn could just make her out, hovering overhead.
"No. Chevy, get as many blankets as you can find and make sure Rory has some. Luz, help me strip them."
Quinn frowned as best she could. "N-no. 'm f-f-fine." She tried to sit up and was pushed gently back down onto what she realized was a mattress.
"Quinn, listen to me. We have to get you two warmed up and I can't do it too fast. This has to happen, alright? I promise we'll be discreet."
Too weak to struggle, Quinn laid still, bones rattling with the strength of the shudders wracking her as her clothing was peeled off. She heard Luz swearing under her breath and turned her head to see Rachel, dark hair curled in long dripping tendrils along her face and neck. Her eyes were closed, blue lips parted and breath wheezing past them shallowly.
"We need to wake Rachel up and keep her awake," CJ said, her palms hot as she cupped Quinn's cheeks. "Quinn, talk to me."
"I won' ru-un aw-w-ay ag'in, I prom…ise," Quinn mumbled, blinking slowly, trying to clear her eyes so she could see Rachel properly. "Where 'm I?"
"You're on a ship, remember? You didn't run away, sweetheart, you did something very brave and saved Rachel and that little boy."
"Loba, hey!" Luz yelled, harshly smacking her hand against Rachel's cheek. "Despierta, perra. Wake the fuck up and tell me what a shithead I am."
"Dooon' hit Ra…" Quinn squeezed her eyes shut and struggled to get her lungs to work.
"Yo! Rachel Berry, don't make me kick your ass," Luz said and shook Rachel. "Quit being lazy, hero! Wake up before you scare Quinn. She already looks like a ghost."
A scratchy blanket was pulled up over Quinn and she started to giggle as CJ crawled on top of her. "Now i's a parrr-tay."
Rachel moaned and tossed her head. "B'rbra 's stealin' m 'ward."
"What is wrong with them? They're drunk," Luz said, copying CJ and plastering herself over Rachel.
"Just get them warm." CJ stretched over to touch her fingers to Rachel's neck. "They'll come around. Keep her talking."
"Who's Barbra and why is she stealing your award?"
Rachel's eyes flew open and Quinn gasped. "Rachel!"
"D-don' speck 'bout Babs." Rachel growled, the sound gurgling wetly. She jerked and her eyes widened. "'m naked."
Chevy came running back into the room, blankets piled high in his arms. He stopped short of the bed and Quinn giggled again.
"Extra blankets," he said, dropping the pile.
CJ slid off of Quinn and pulled Luz up as well. "Quinn, can you hold Rachel, warm her up? She's very cold."
"'kk-ay," Quinn mumbled and rolled over. Her arms moved sluggishly but she eventually got them around Rachel, pulling until they were resting more or less on each other. Clarity was slowly starting to return and with it the pain of just how cold she was. "Fffuck."
"Agreed," Luz said as she unfurled blanket after blanket on top of them.
"Rachel's worse off," Quinn heard CJ whispering. "Can you get something hot, even hot water, from the galley? I've got to get her temperature up."
"Yeah, and Rory gave me some water bottles, too. I'll get those filled up."
"The boy?"
"Rough shape, but Rory thinks he'll make it."
"Good."
"Hey, Doc?" Luz called. "I think Rachel's shoulder is dislocated."
CJ's face appeared again, leaning over them. Quinn saw her frown and did so as well, hands clutching tighter to Rachel's back, the pronounced bumps of her spine pressing against Quinn's palms.
"The immediate danger is the cold; I'll have to reset it but I want her temperature up first."
"Quinn," Rachel whispered, a shaking fist pushing against Quinn's belly button. "Wh'ts happpppen?"
"Cold," Quinn answered simply, brain too foggy for anything else. "You – why did – you almos' died."
Rachel's shivering seemed to gain intensity, her teeth clicking together noisily and her hand flexing and clenching over and over against Quinn's stomach. "C-can' have you-you up st-t-aging me all th' time."
Luz laughed. "I think she's going to be okay, Doc."
Quinn rubbed her hands up and down Rachel's back, feeling the muscles quiver and quake. "Sorry."
"Mmm, why?" Rachel's eyelids drooped.
"Naked," Quinn said, shivering again as awareness of that fact hit her. She could feel every inch of Rachel's cold, wet skin. They'd been sharing a bed, pressed close, but she'd never stopped to process. Rachel was so thin. Without clothes Quinn realized that she could count Rachel's ribs, feel them every time Rachel breathed in and her chest expanded. Even her hip bones felt sharp, pressing against Quinn. She wasn't much more than sinewy muscle and bone. "You're too skinny."
"'s okay," Rachel stuttered, trembling lips forming a thin line. She hummed again and snuggled closer, nose against Quinn's throat. "Sky?"
"He's going to be okay," CJ answered, reaching over Quinn to push Rachel's sopping hair out of her face.
"Luz, can you see if you can find beanies or something to put over their heads?"
"Yeah."
"Arm hurts." Rachel whimpered, her warm, moist breath brushing against Quinn's neck. "Broken?"
"I think it's dislocated," CJ said, curling up behind Rachel carefully. "I know it doesn't seem like it, but the fact that you're feeling pain is a good sign."
"Don' cut it off," Rachel said, her words running together in a garbled mess.
"I don't think that'll be necessary." CJ prodded at the arm in question. "I'll put it back in place soon. You'll have to wear a sling."
"Still works?"
Quinn looked up at CJ and saw her smile. "It'll work. Trust me, I'm a doctor."
"British doctor," Rachel grumbled and sighed shakily.
"Astute observation, and I'm having déjà vu. I see that you and Quinn share the same perception of my kinsmen. How terrible."
"She's got good teeth though," Quinn slurred.
CJ rolled her eyes. "Such abuse for the woman trying to save your lives."
"You started it," Rachel said.
"I beg your pardon!"
"It's the accent, makes her sound snooty," Luz said, coming back into the room. Something itchy was shoved down over Quinn's head and ears. She jerked her head back and Luz winked at her before putting another obnoxiously orange colored beanie over Rachel's head. "There, now you're clothed… sort of."
Luz pushed gently at Quinn's shoulder and squeezed in behind her. Quinn could feel the heat coming off of her, even though the layers of blankets, and shuddered anew at the sensation.
"Hey, Q?"
"Mmph?"
"I just wanted to say that was all very Éowyn of you. The rushing out into danger and leaving the men behind."
Quinn smiled. "Nerd."
They all turned their heads when Chevy came clomping back into the room. Except for Rachel, who only grunted and nuzzled closer to Quinn.
"Is this an all girl party or can anybody join?" He asked, eyebrow arching. He didn't wait for a response, but quickly shoved two water bottles under the blankets at the foot of the bed. Quinn hissed at the sensation, the water bottles feeling like lava against her bare feet, and Rachel groaned lowly.
"There were some old cider packets in the galley. I don't know if that'll work or not." He held out a mug towards CJ, steam rising from it.
"The fun part, I'm afraid," CJ said, sitting up and taking it from him. "Luz, I'll need your help. Chevy you can go, I don't think they want you to see this next part."
"Ah, yeah, I'll just go help with Skyler," Chevy said, retreating.
Quinn watched CJ and gnawed on her bottom lip. Rachel trembled and whined when Luz started to move her.
"Sorry, Loba, let's get you sat up."
"Lean her back against me," CJ instructed. She smiled faintly at Quinn when Rachel was nestled back against her. "Quinn, you can help. Talk to her."
Rachel's head fell back against CJ's shoulder, her dislocated arm protruding awkwardly.
"Broadway," Quinn rasped and took Rachel's good hand in her own. "Rachel… you sang that song to Finn, right? Only to Finn?"
Brown eyes popped open again, went wide and then closed to half way. Rachel winced as CJ raised the hot mug to her lips.
"Small sip," CJ coaxed.
"N-no, I lied," Rachel whispered after she'd done as told. She coughed and let out a strangled sound when CJ moved her arm. Luz took the mug from CJ, pressing it against Quinn's lips.
"You heard the lady, Q."
Quinn took a sip, eyes locked onto Rachel's scrunched up face. "I was going to stop you."
"I knew," Rachel said, squeezing Quinn's fingers.
CJ pulled Rachel's legs up, knees to her chest, and gently untangled Rachel's fingers from Quinn's. "Sorry. Rachel, put your hands over your knees. Lace your fingers together, thumbs pointing up."
Rachel's breathing went ragged again.
"Look at me," Quinn urged. "Look at me."
"Luz, put pressure over her hands."
Rachel stared at Quinn, tears leaking from the corner of her eyes.
"This is going to hurt," CJ warned.
"Look at me," Quinn repeated. "Don't look away."
Slowly, CJ started to lean backwards. Rachel's mouth fell open and the sound of her panting and little whimpers filled the room. Quinn's eyes burned as she watched, but she smiled at Rachel who was still staring at her so trustingly.
Then her shoulder cracked back into place, Rachel's hoarse scream bouncing off the walls of the room. CJ clutched Rachel as she went limp again.
"All better," CJ said, stroking her fingers over Rachel's cap. "You're alright. It's alright now."
Rachel groaned. "Ow."
Luz laughed again, lightly, and handed the mug back to CJ. Rachel took another puny sip and even cupped CJ's hands against the mug. CJ let her take a couple more and then eased her back down onto the mattress.
Quinn moved forward immediately, pulling Rachel right back against her. "I've no idea how to top that," she commented and sighed.
"Don't even think about it," Rachel said. "No more heroics, I'm done."
"Liar."
Quinn felt Rachel smile against her skin. "Takes one to know one."
"The least romantic pillow talk I've ever heard in my life," CJ said, grinning when Quinn glared at her. "What? One of us has to be honest with you two self proclaimed liars around."
"Hear, hear," Luz said.
Rachel laughed feebly and tangled her chilled feet with Quinn's. "Hecklers."
TBC...