She remembered being in someone’s arms, warm and safe and comfortable. There was nothing sexy – or even all thatdistinct– about the memory, and yet, something about it made her cheeks flush pink, and she swallowed heavily, her lips parting to gasp out a breath.
“Oh – it looks like she’s waking up. That’s great – the last thing we want a potential hypothermia patient to be is unconscious.”
Hypothermia…?!
Poppy’s head seemed to swim as everything came back to her in a rush.
The avalanche.
The faint, indistinct sound of Max calling her name.
The vague awareness of chilly winter sunshine on her face, after having been buried beneath ice-cold snow.
And Max’s hands, digging me out, rescuing me, saving my life…
Poppy frowned.
But then?
She had to admit, everything after that was kind of a blur. The only strong recollection she had was of the warmth of Max’s chest against her cheek as she listened to the steady thump of his heartbeat in her ear. And the sense that, as long as she could hear his heart, everything was going to be okay.
She couldn’t hear anything now, though – and she didn’t even know where she was. And where was Max?!
Poppy jerked into full wakefulness, sitting up suddenly on whatever surface it was she’d been lying on, gasping for breath.
“Whoa, whoa, easy there!” A woman’s voice sounded from beside her, and Poppy swung her head around, eyes wide. She didn’t recognize the woman at all, but she decided to make an educated guess that she was a doctor – Poppy might not have been able to see her credentials right away, but the white coat and the stethoscope slung around her neck made it a pretty safe bet.
Blinking, Poppy looked around.
Okay, linoleum floors. White walls. A desk with a ton of paperwork. I guess I’m in some kind of medical clinic.
Which made sense, after having been buried in an avalanche. Of course Max would bring her somewhere she could get checked over for injuries after the avalanche had buried them both.
But whereisMax?
Maybe he was in another room, getting looked after? Or maybe –
Maybe he was badly injured, and they had to fly him to a bigger hospital, or he broke his arm, or – or –
“Just take it easy now,” the doctor said again, patting Poppy’s hand. She had a kind manner about her, her curly, gray-streaked hair piled up high on her head – but the last thing Poppy wanted right now was to take it easy. “You’re fine, but you had a bit of a shock. I want you to take your time and sit up slowly.”
“But – Max – where –?” Poppy realized she sounded panicked and breathless, and she forced herself to take a deep breath, closing her eyes and composing herself before trying again. “Max – the man who brought me here. Is he okay? Where did he go?”
“Ah – you came in with three people,” the doctor said, cocking her head. “Two of them I know, they live here in Girdwood Springs. But the other one –”
The doctor’s words were cut off as the door to the room opened, and two people walked through it. The first, a short woman with very long blonde hair and wearing a patchwork skirt, was followed by a tall, dark-haired man, who, Poppy thought, looked a little intimidating, though the expression on his face was mild enough. Maybe it was just his height and the broadness of his shoulders – Poppy wouldn’t have been surprised to see him standing outside a nightclub, forbidding people entry.
She waited for Max to appear at the door next, but there was no sign of him.
“Oh! You’re awake!” The blonde woman smiled brightly, laughing a little. “That’s such a relief – well, Iknewyou’d be fine, but it’s good to see you sitting up!”
Poppy had to admit, she felt a little bewildered. She supposed these two must be the people the doctor had told her she’d come in with – perhaps they were good Samaritans, who’d seen Max carrying her and offered them a lift, in which case she’d have to be sure to thank them properly. Just as soon as she found out where Max was.
“I got you this,” the blonde woman said, setting one of the cups she was carrying down on the bench by the examination table Poppy had been lying on. “It’s hot chocolate. Lots of goodness to warm you up! And your m— I mean, Max said you’d like it.”
“Max? He’s here then?” Poppy asked, sitting up a little straighter. “I mean – thank you for the hot chocolate. And for helping us out getting here. I mean that, really. But –”
“Okay, remember what I said about staying calm,” the doctor interrupted her. She lifted Poppy’s hand and took her pulse, pressing cool fingers against the inside of her wrist. “Like I said, you need to rest up a little. You seem to have come through everything remarkably well, with no signs of hypothermia, hypoxia, or hypercapnia, but I want to check your pupils to make completely sure you don’t have a concussion – though that may not show up for another few hours. I definitely want you to come back here if you feel any kind of dizziness or confusion, a bad headache, have any ringing in your ears, or just if you feel like something’s not right. Okay?”
