Ninety-three: Mountain snow

"You're awake," Alistair said cheerfully. He was looking well in casual clothes and I felt I hadn't seen him for a long time. "More awake than last I saw you."

He described his latest trip up into the mountains and described the snow I had often heard of growing up, but never seen. Brightening at his description of the pristine white landscape and glowing fire of a setting sun, I tugged on Kiran's arm, looking pleadingly into his eyes. This made both men laugh. There was even a tinge of relief in their voices.

"You want to go up into the mountains?" Kiran smiled and laughed again at my vigorous nods and bouncing excitement. "We'll go the day after tomorrow. Let me get things organised. Alistair, do you want to come? I'll take her to Mt Lipsky. It's a bit wilder there and there are often little creatures, which I think she'll like."

"Of course I'll come. If only to help you keep an eye on Jean." There was a tinge of sadness in the dry voice now. "I've heard she can be quite the handful."

Opening my mouth and putting my hands on my hips, I shot a mock glare at the former agent. That sent the boys off laughing again and I wrinkled my nose and mouth up at them. Kiran kissed my forehead and Alistair followed suit, before both exited the room to talk outside where I couldn't hear.

I ate all my meals with alacrity and was very, very good for the next day.

"You've got colour back in your cheeks," Kiran grinned back at me, helping to carry me into the car. "I'm glad."

The land was awash with colour and Alistair put a bright red leaf in my hand before they shut the door. I drowsed during the long drive through beautiful scenery, my head resting on the window. The air grew colder as the car wound higher and higher up into the mountains. I was glad they had rugged me up in so many layers and put fur lined boots on my feet. At least, I'd stay cosy.

Behind us, several other cars followed. They were making a day and night of it. We'd have a big fire, roast meat dripping over the coals, barbecued meat and coal roasted vegetables. The boys were going to go hunting for the meat, so they had only brought the potatoes and vegetables. Someone had talked of baking bread the old way with melted snow water as well as making a stewpot. It all sounded wonderful.

An open tent was set up for me and they laid me down on the fresh snow, on top of layers of mats and fur rugs. Pillows propped me up, so that I could watch them all go straight to work. I admired their speed and efficiency. Kiran's parents had come too and I watched them bustle about to help with the work and laughing.

Everyone forgot about me. They all disappeared to join the hunt and I was left with only one other person who was tending the fire.

I struggled upright and looked about myself. It had been a while since I had tried walking. Now was probably not the best time, but I didn't want to lie here, left and forgotten by even the fire tender who had disappeared.

"Hello, darling," said a voice in my ear and I froze. "I was wondering who had come to disturb my walk and imagine my surprise when I see you with Kiran and his clan. I heard you got married. Congratulations. Now, if you will excuse me."

I was lifted up into wiry arms and while I struggled, my struggles were still relatively weak.

"Stop that. I don't want to drop you. If I drop you, you might fall on those nasty, sharp rocks there and they might do worse damage to you."

I stopped struggling and lay limp in the arms, listening to the puffing breath of the doctor who had been hiding from the world.

"You've put on weight."

There was really nothing I could say to that. I had put on weight, but lost a lot of muscle.

"I think I can fix your legs. I've been working on a way to help you regain your legs and fix the damage. I think the new therapy will work on you. Initial tests have worked well. You might owe me after I'm done with you. Don't worry about Kiran. My associate is putting in a fake pile of stuff in your blankets to make it look like you fell asleep and is covering our tracks for us. They won't notice you're gone for quite some time."

Brown eyes regarded me with the same warmth a scientist might regard his favourite lab rat.

I began to struggle again and the doctor dropped me. The snow was so cold I lost my breath. The doctor fumbled to pick me back up, muttering to himself and puffing.

We came to a rocky area and he clipped me into a stretcher there that had a hood which he lifted up over my head. The edges of the hood were drawn tight so that my world shrank to a tiny window through which I could see a patch of cloudy sky. I couldn't move and the window no larger than the tip of my finger showed me nothing that could tell me anything.

There was a lot of walking and climbing. I wondered who the second person helping the doctor was.

The air grew thinner and I had to take deeper breaths. I felt sick and dizziness assaulted me. In the end, I passed out.