Gabrielle sat in the snow with Xena's head resting on her lap, as she cried. She brushed Xena's hair out of her face, as she gently kissed her. Xena looked up at her with a small smile.
GABRIELLE
You can't die Xena. You can't.
Xena lightly squeezed Gabrielle's hand as she took a ragged breath.
GABRIELLE
What can I do for you?
XENA
I'm okay. It doesn't hurt that bad. Most of the feeling in my body's gone.
Hearing that just drove home the seriousness of the situation, causing Gabrielle to cry harder.
GABRIELLE
Xena.
Xena was silent for a bit as she let Gabrielle calm down a little. She reached up and wiped away Gabrielle's tears.
XENA
Gabrielle listen. It's time to go.
GABRIELLE
But how do I get you...
Xena stopped her.
XENA
No, I mean it's time for YOU to go. You need to get out of here. And head back down the mountain.
GABRIELLE
You want me to go and leave you behind. I can't just leave you like this.
XENA
Gabrielle, look at me. I'm in no condition to go anywhere. And there's no way you could get us both out of here with your leg. So you have to go and leave me here.
GABRIELLE
But if I leave you here Xena, you'll die.
XENA
I don't think that really matters. I'm pretty sure this branch peirced my lung. So at this point it's just a matter of whether it's gonna the cold or the blood filling my lung that does it first.
She took a labored deep breath as she coughed up a bit of blood.
GABRIELLE
I'm not leaving you Xena. I'll figure something out.
XENA
Gabrielle.
GABRIELLE
No. Without you I'll probably just end up dying out here before I can make it back down. So if either way ends up with me spending my last moments on this mountain. I'd rather them be spent with you.
Knowing that she couldn't force Gabrielle to leave, Xena held Gabrielle. She gently kissed the top of her head.
XENA
I love you Gabrielle.
GABRIELLE
I love you Xena.
Gabrielle pulled away as she carefully helped Xena turn to her side.
GABRIELLE
I know that you said it was pointless to try and get it out. But I'm not going to let you stay like this. I have to try and do something.
Xena was about to object, when Gabrielle stopped her.
GABRIELLE
Don't argue with me Xena. I'm refuse to lose you like this. Now I'm gonna get this out, stitch you up and you'll be fine.
As Gabrielle said that, she tried to force herself to believe it. For the moment she pushed aside her fear of Xena not pulling through. As she focused on the task at hand. She looked to see that the branch went all the way through and was sticking out of Xena's back. Gabrielle saw Xena deal with this sort of thing a number of times. So she knew what to do. She just hoped that she could get it done right and in time. She got out what she needed from their stuff.
GABRIELLE
You ready?
Xena nodded. She took a deep breath as Gabrielle began pushing the branch the rest of the way through.
XENA
GAH!
Finally after some work, Gabrielle removed the rest of the branch. Xena let out a gasp of pain and slight relief as she felt the foreign object leave her body. Gabrielle quickly covered one side of the wound to slow the bleeding, while she worked on the other side. She knew she had to work fast, or Xena would end up bleeding out.
GABRIELLE
It's gonna be okay Xena.
Gabrielle worked on Xena for what felt like forever. She was determined not to lose her. Finally after alot of work, Gabrielle finished stitching Xena up. After making sure all of Xena's wounds were sealed and bandaged up, Gabrielle gently helped Xena sit up.
GABRIELLE
Are you okay?
XENA
I think so.
Though in pain, Xena slowly got to her feet. Gabrielle helped to hold her up.
XENA
Are you okay to keep going?
Gabrielle looked at Xena.
GABRIELLE
You can't be serious. You were just telling me to go back and now you want to keep going.
XENA
Looking around, I think it's gonna be faster to the top, then it would be to turn back now.
GABRIELLE
And what's the plan for when we get there? You're not exactly in any shape to fight.
XENA
Hopefully we won't have to.
GABRIELLE
You realize they're not just gonna let us stroll in and take the princess back.
XENA
Don't worry, I have an idea.
And so Xena and Gabrielle continued on. Climbing their way back up to where they had fallen from. Together they pushed onward. Until finally they neared the summit. They had been through so much already and yet they still had so far to go. So though tired and hurt they knew that they had no choice but to press onward. But what layed ahead would be something that neither one of them would see coming.
TO BE CONTINUED...
أنت تقرأ
WHEN HELL FREEZES OVER
المغامرةWhen Xena and Gabrielle volunteer to traverse a highly dangerous mountain to rescue a kidnapped princess, they find themselves facing unimaginable dangers. Changing things from a mission of rescue, to one of mere survival.
