In the eye of the storm.

Chapter Four

Oliver was already awake by the time a few sunbeams peeked behind the dark clouds. He was lying on his side, watching the sleeping woman beside him shift in pain when a cracking sound echoed in the silence of the forest. He slowly raised into a sitting position, scanning the early morning forest, when his eyes landed on the responsible.

A deer.

It was the first animal they saw since they had landed in that place.

He sat still, watching the deer study them. It was big.

Unfortunately Felicity chose that moment to stir, and the animal disappeared in a blink.

She moved again beside him, waking up completely. He turned to her, caressing her cheek.

"Hi."

"Hi."

"How do you feel?"

"Like yestarday."

He raised, removing the blankets. "Can you stand? I want you to be in an elevated position for a while. Your blood needs to circulate to your legs."

She nodded, offering her hand.

"Put your weight only on your good leg." He pulled her up, and she bounced a little on her left leg, grasping his shoulder for balance. He tighten his grip on her waist.

"My head spins." She said, leaning her forehead to his shoulder.

"It's okay, just breathe." One of his hand traveled to her neck, caressing the skin at her nape.

They stayed like that for a while.

His lips moved from her hair down to her forehead. "You're trembling."

He touched her skin with his lips, his eyebrows furrowing.

"You're hot, Felicity."

A soft giggle escaped into his shoulder. "You're hot, too."

His hand traveled down her cheek, making her look at him in the eyes.

"No, I mean you have the fever. A very high fever."

His voice was strained with worry, his hands moving up and down her arms to warm her up.

"Oh..."

"We have to move. We won't survive long if we don't find a better shelter, real food, and something for your arm."

"Okay."

"Come on."

After a cup of cold coffee, they packed their things and he lifted her up in his arms. Felicity draped the blankets around both of them and they were on the move again.

She fell asleep in his arms ten minutes after leaving their previous spot and she kept sleeping for hours.

Oliver was tired, his ribs hurt like hell and his feet were frozen from the snow.

But when he looked down at the woman in his arms, every bit of pain suddenly became silent, his entire being focused only on her.

She was suffering, but not once she complained. She was putting a brave face for him, but every night he felt her move against him, moaning in pain, sometimes with a few tears running down her cheek.

And now she had the fever.

He was getting more and more worried, more frustrated and angry...because there was really nothing much he could do. But even in the middle of the fucked up situation they were in, she could still made him feel hope.