I'm sure she thought the cold would get to her before the lack of oxygen.
This was probably a foolish undertaking on my part. I had rushed in before I really had time to think about what I was doing. If I wasn't careful, things could go south quickly.
I ran out of rope quicker than I expected and still hadn’t caught up to Judy.
That voice in the back of my head said don't do it, but I did it anyway. I released the tether from my belt loop. I kept swimming after her. The current pushed me along.
I was cold and numb. It didn't take long.
When I finally caught up to Judy, I grabbed her leg. She fought me, kicking and flailing, but at this point, she was almost out of oxygen. I pulled her close, and she kept flailing. It just burned more oxygen.
I wrestled her under control as she faded, then swam back toward the habitat. This time against the current. When I spun around, I realized how far away we were. I'm not going to lie, I was a little concerned. I'd already been through a good chunk of the oxygen in the bailout bottle.
I kicked hard, fighting the current, one arm slung around Judy's limp torso. She had blacked out completely. Time was of the essence.
I kept finning, but it felt like I wasn’t making much progress.
I finally reached the tether, picked it up from the sea floor, and attached it to my belt loop, then kept swimming.
After what seemed like an eternity, I made it back to the moon pool. The crew helped me get Judy out of the waterand onto the deck. Then they helped me. I was completely numb and shaking. Words were hard to form.
Jack started chest compressions on Judy, while the others brought blankets for both of us. Now was not the time for modesty. I peeled out of my clothes, and I needed help to do it. Fine motor skills degraded. Arms like icicles. Elana helped me towel off and wrapped me up in the insulated blankets.
Jack kept trying to revive Judy until finally she coughed up a lungful of water. He turned her on her side and helped her clear her lungs. She hacked and gasped, still out of it. I'm not sure exactly how long she was unconscious, but the cold water helped preserve brain function.
Dr. Norrington brought a heat pack for my core.
Judy was in worse shape than I was. We’d both need to stay horizontal while we warmed up. Standing too soon could cause hypotension, and we’d end up right back on the deck with a faceplant.
I shivered on the deck for half an hour before I stopped feeling like a popsicle.
I started to get my wits back about that time, if I had any to begin with. Elana brought me a cup of hot chocolate. I sat up and sipped it, slowly coming back to life. It tasted pretty damn good.
Judy still trembled.
I felt beyond exhausted.
Judy was transferred to the medical bay.
Finally, with a little help, I climbed to my feet and staggered back to my bunk. I climbed in and wrapped up under the covers, still shaking.
“Is there anything else I can get for you?” Elana asked.
“No, thank you. I’m fine.”
"I've got another patient to check on. I'll come back and see you after a while. I'm glad you're okay."
She left, and Jack stayed with me as I warmed up.
Dr. Norrington stopped by to check on me a few minutes later. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm thawing. How's Judy?"
"She's coming along. I think she'll make a full recovery, but that took a toll on her. Somebody's going to have to watch her 24/7. I think this is the end of the mission.”
"I think it was foolish to continue after Weyland’s death," I said.
"I agree, but sometimes there is no stopping Tristan Hawke. That man pushes himself past the brink, and he expects it of everyone else. I'm not going to lie, that makes me concerned about the safety of everyone involved in this endeavor.”
