The Winter People (37 page)

It’s not as though
Tom didn’t want to help Nick, he just didn’t know what to do.  The man was
dead.  No heartbeat, no pulse, he was blue and nearly frozen solid.  Tom
guessed that his core body temperature had to have been around fifty degrees,
and by all accounts, he had been this way for at least twenty to thirty minutes. 
The CPR was useless he was sure, but at least it kept Sarah busy.

Tom thought hard. 
He didn’t have an IV line or any fluids.  He had no way to check his blood, or
warm it for that matter.  He had no oxygen, or ventilator, or trach tubes.  He
had nothing.  The only thing Tom could do was to warm him.  He had to get his
core body temp up and see what happened.  And blankets and space heaters would
not be nearly fast enough.  The only other way that Tom could think of was peritoneal
lavage, but cutting this man’s belly open and pouring warm water in it, in this
setting?

Almost instantly
he shook his head no.  “That was invasive.  Flushing the peritoneal cavity with
warmed sterile saline was far too dangerous,” Tom argued with himself, “and he
didn’t even have sterile saline.”

“Nick was already
dead, how much more could he do to him?”  Tom replied to himself.

“No, I don’t have
the supplies,” Tom rebuked.

“Boil some tap
water.  If he lives you can worry about peritonitis later.”  Tom pressed.

“And what if he
does recover?  What if he starts to bleed out when the blood starts to
circulate?”  Tom countered.

“Use a needle and
thread, paper clips, rubber bands, anything.  Just keep him alive long enough
to make it to a hospital.”  Tom came back.   And that’s when Tom decided it. 
He was going to cut this man open and pour warm water into his belly.

“Sarah,” Tom
started, “the only hope we have is for me do peritoneal lavage and try to bring
his core body temperature up.  You need to know that I don’t have anything I
need for something like this, so the word crude doesn’t even come close.”  Tom
explained.

“I don’t care
Doctor,” Sarah replied, “He’s dead if you don’t do something, anything.  You do
what you have to and I’ll accept whatever happens.  I just can’t, not do
anything.”  Sarah pleaded.

“Just so you
know,” Tom continued, “I have to cut open his belly and lavage its interior
with warm water.  All we have is a knife for the cutting, and tap water for the
lavage.  If I do manage to bring him around and something goes wrong from the
incision, I don’t have anything to deal with that.  Also, there is a strong
possibility of infection, organ failure, hemorrhage, any number of things.”

“I don’t care.” 
Sarah replied.  “Just do whatever you have to.”

Tom nodded and
went to the kitchenette where Sarah had made coffee earlier and put on the two
largest pots he could find to boil.  Then he took a large glass bowl full of
water and placed it in the microwave.  While those heated, Tom retrieved a
large hunting knife from Hayden’s desk drawer and heated the blade with a flame
from a lighter the others had brought back from the general store.

Once the knife
blade had cooled some, Tom rinsed it with the alcohol they had also brought
back.  Tom stood over Nick with the large hunting knife in his hand,
trembling.  Jesus, he wanted a drink.  Tom licked his dry lips and turned down
the blanket to reveal Nicks abdomen.  It was blue and unmoving, save for the
motion of the CPR being done.  Tom sighed and placed the knife blade on Nick’s
stomach.  He needed a drink.

Johnny had skirted
the woods and come up on Copper Creek from the South of town.  The woods were
alive with the depravity of the Winter People and so intent was Johnny on
shutting out their thoughts, that he had nearly missed the soft “Thank you”
that followed him from Donner.  The warmth of that thank you filled Johnny with
a renewed sense of purpose and conviction.  He was no longer afraid of what the
others
could say, or had to show him.  He no longer had any doubt about
himself, or his gift.

And so Johnny
decided he no longer needed to shut out their thoughts.  In fact, he needed to
hear them.  He needed to know as much as he could about them.  What he thought
had been his main purpose was now complete and he realized that he had not one
or two reasons for being.  He had many.  Johnny now knew that as soon as one
task was done, there would be one, or two, or a dozen to take its place. 
Johnny’s life was for the soul purpose of using his gift to help other people. 
And right now, there were some people in Copper Creek that needed him in a bad
way.

So Johnny opened
up his mind and let
them
come on in.  Their taunts no longer had a
paralyzing hold on Johnny.  No more could they torture him, or twist his mind
with their perverse desires.  Johnny could see clearly now, more clearly than
he ever had.  And as he listened to them, he actually felt sorry for them.  Their
entire existence was pain, the pain of their hunger.  Johnny pitied them.  And
as if his pity was a magical thing, as if his lack of fear freed his spirit,
they
no longer wanted to be in his mind.  It was now
they
that were trying to
shut Johnny out.

But he wouldn’t
let them.  For the first time since this nightmare began, Johnny was in control
and he relished it.  Johnny peered into their black hearts and sick minds. 
Johnny knew what they knew, and saw what they saw.  He could feel what they
felt, and he knew their intent.  He knew their location, all of them.  He knew
where they were and where they were going.  And more importantly, he knew how
many of them there were left.  And for the first time, Johnny heard fear in the
wind.

***

Gary had never
seen anything like it.  It repulsed and captivated him all at the same time. 
There was a hole cut in Nick’s belly and Tom had his hand inside the man’s
stomach.  Gary could see it moving underneath the skin and it freaked him out. 
Tom was holding the incision open and was pouring in warm water as he gently
massaged the internal organs.  As the water washed in and out the opening it
was tainted pink from the blood beginning to flow.  It was surreal and Gary
couldn’t look away.

Sarah kept up with
CPR all the while.  She refused to stop and drove herself beyond her limits. 
Gary saw it on her face; she would not give up on him no matter what.  And he
decided, neither would he. He would do whatever Sarah needed him to do,
whatever Tom needed him to do, and more importantly whatever Nick needed him to
do.  So Gary continued to supply the warm water to Tom, and spell Sarah when
she would let him.  He would not fail them the way he had failed his mother. 
And with that, Gary became more determined than ever.

The lavage was
working, Nick was warming up and some color was returning.  Finally, after what
seemed like forever to Gary, Nick coughed.  He coughed up frothy pink sputum
and his eyes sputtered open, then closed again.  He took in several gulps of
air then let out a moan. Sarah, Tom and Gary stopped what they were doing and
stood expectantly, quiet and tense.  Gary’s mouth went slack jawed, waiting for
more. Sarah only bit her lip.  Tom then saw his chest rise and fall again, and then
checked his pulse.  It was rapid and thready, but it was there. 

Suddenly, Nick
broke out in tremors.  Without realizing it, Sarah, Tom and Gary each let out a
collective sigh.  None of them had even realized they had each been holding
their breath.  Nick was breathing regularly, albeit somewhat labored.  And from
what he was seeing, Tom knew that this near drowning had been the best possible
circumstances.  Nick had not aspirated any water and the cold had slowed his
metabolism.  Now only time would tell if there was any brain damage.  Tom was
amazed.  Nick must have an incredible desire to live.  He should by all rights
be dead.

Tom turned to
Sarah, “You are going to need to sew him up for me…can you do that?”

As tears ran down
her cheeks, “Yes, I can do whatever you need me to.  Thank you Doctor.”  Then
she hugged him.  Holding on a little longer than Tom felt comfortable with, Sarah
hugged him hard.  And for the first time in a long time, Tom actually felt like
a doctor.  And then Tom did what doctors do and took command of the situation.

***

Hayden awoke to
uncontrollable shivering.  His mind was lethargic and confused.  He wasn’t sure
where he was or what had happened.  His mind was a jumbled mess, images and
thoughts out of order and out of context.  Hayden struggled to clear his
thoughts and was met only with a throbbing at his temples.  Water and ice; that
was all he could remember.  But the more he concentrated, through the pounding
headache, his thoughts began to slowly clear.  As a dark realization came over
him, he suddenly felt defeated.  The memories began to fill up the recesses of
his mind until he was whole again.

He cuddled closer
to the warm round lump next to him and heard a dog whine.  The weight of the
blankets on him felt good, comforting.  Hayden only barely remembered the trip
back here with Johnny.  He vaguely recalled blankets and heaters and people
hovering.  But he remembered the cold.  It still had a grip on him.  His
muscles ached and his hands and feet were throbbing.  The tremors began to ebb
and his teeth had finally quit chattering, but he was still cold.  And as his
memories became even stronger he knew that he would be cold for a long time.

 A final rack of
tremors coursed through his body and he heard voices in the other room.  Tom
was barking out orders.  Nick he recalled.  There was something about Nick,
something bad.  But he could recall nothing else.  Fighting the cold and the
ache deep down in his bones, Hayden pulled himself from the cot.  His legs were
rubbery at first, struggling to hold his weight.  But finally he could stand. 
He found the pot of coffee on the desk next to him and discovered it to still
be warm at least.  So he poured a cup of the pungent beverage into a used cup
that was sitting there and drank deeply of it.  It felt good and warm running
down his throat, and warmed his insides.  He quickly finished that cup and
drained the rest of the pot into his cup and drank that down as well.  It had
revived him somewhat and even taken some of the chill out of him.

With his wits a
little more revitalized, as well as his body, Hayden sat down at the desk and
pulled on a pair of work shoes he always kept at the station.  He looked
through the desk drawers until he came upon a bottle of aspirin and washed four
of the little pills down with the dregs of his coffee.  Stretching this way and
that, he worked his tired, aching muscles so that he could move a little more
freely.  Satisfied that he was as good as he was going to get, Hayden pulled
his heavy frame up from the chair and stood.  Unbalanced at first, he supported
himself on the corner of the desk.  Eventually he worked up the strength and
composure to shuffle into the next room and see if he could do anything.

***

“Gary, keep
checking his pulse and keep an eye on his breathing,” Tom directed.

“Okay”

“Sarah, clean your
hands thoroughly with the alcohol and prepare three needles with silk thread,”
he continued.  Sarah only nodded and did as he asked.

Next, Tom made
sure all of Nicks internal organs were tucked neatly up inside his abdomen and
then directed Sarah in the fine art of surgical closure.  He knew they had to
move quickly, the more Nick warmed up the more he would bleed.  And they simply
had no way to deal with significant blood loss.  But he also knew that Sarah
needed to do it correctly.  So Tom explained how to do the proper stitch, and
how she should close the wound.  So focused were they all on what they were
doing, none of them realized that Hayden was standing in the doorway leaning
against the door frame.

As Sarah finished
closing the muscle layer with her needle and thread, Hayden finally spoke up. 
“Is there anything I can do?” he asked.

“Yes.  You can sit
down before you fall down!” Tom barked.  He did not turn around but remained
focused on his current patient.  However, inwardly he smiled.  And Hayden sat
down in the nearest chair.  Gary looked over at Hayden and gave him a brief smile;
however, Sarah was too focused on her task to pay any attention to him.

Sarah had begun
stitching up the subcutaneous tissue and Nick began to move around on her.  He
was slowly regaining consciousness and the pain was registering.  Tom knew this
was a good sign.  He then checked with Gary and Gary only nodded.  Good pulse, good
pain response, good God almighty he might just save this man.  Yes, Tom felt
like a doctor.

“Doctor he’s
moving too much!” Sarah exclaimed as she was trying to close the skin.  “I
can’t get the needle where I need it to go.” 

Tom had seen her
struggling but hoped they could work through it.  There was little else they
could do.  Finally he said to Gary and Hayden, “The two of you hold him down
the best you can.”  And to Sarah he continued, “And you just keep stitching. 
Do the best you can but get it closed.  It doesn’t have to be pretty, neat, or
anything else but closed.” He chided.

It hurt her to
hurt her brother, but Sarah continued.  She struggled with each suture, but she
continued. Four, five, six…she continued.  Tears were welling up in her eyes,
seven, eight, and nine.  Her brother began to moan again, ten, eleven, and
twelve.  Sarah finally finished all eighteen sutures and wiped the blood away
with a towel.  Nick relaxed but continued to moan for another minute or two, and
then fell into a fitful sleep.

“Now all we can do
is wait,” Tom quipped, “let him rest, keep him warm, and wait.”

They dressed the
incision and his other wounds and packed him in blankets.  Hayden fell back
into the chair he was earlier sitting in, his energy spent.  Tom checked Nick’s
vitals, or rather he had Gary check them for him, and satisfied he sat down
next to Hayden and checked him over as well.  Sarah would not leave Nick’s side
and bounced between checking his breathing, his pulse, and talking to him.  For
a moment there was only silence in the room, and it was then that each of them
noticed that the storm seemed to be letting up.  The wind was not as ferocious,
not as strong.

***

Johnny, Mike and
Barbara had made the treacherous trip from Donner to Copper Creek in record
time Johnny thought.  Fear will do wondrous things to your resolve he mused. 
Ever since they had left Donner he could feel the storm wane, and he knew it was
because he and Mike had decreased their numbers.  They were not as strong as
they were before, and they were not as confident.  Although he also sensed
their hatred of him had increased exponentially. 

The trip to Copper
Creek and eventually the Courthouse had been uneventful, if not outright cold. 
The
others
had set upon Donner in an attempt to stop him, and had left
Copper Creek empty.  Empty except for the ghosts, that is.  The streets
contained the ghosts of those he’d released back in Donner.  They were the
ghosts of friends and acquaintances, of unknowns and even some enemies.  It was
in fact the ghost of the town.  It had died this day and even now was just an
empty husk.  A vessel that had once been alive and vibrant now reduced to a
decaying corpse.  It was an empty shell that would never know laughter, or joy,
or sorrow again.  Deep down Johnny felt this was the end of Copper Creek.

It saddened Johnny
to think of his home shriveling up and rotting into nothingness.  To think of
the lives that had been lost and the futures that would never be.  And lost in
his melancholy he had allowed despair to creep in.  How could he not?  And
again the self doubt tried to fill him.  It attacked him as a living thing,
determined to drive him down.  It tried to tarnish his resolve and betray his
courage.  Despair was his enemy as much as any of the
others
.  Then
Johnny realized that it was the
others
.  They were fighting back, and
they were on their way.

***

Gary heard it
first, then Hayden and then Tom.  The growl of the snowmobiles was a welcome
sound, as was that of the large bay door opening.  Only Gary moved down the
corridor to the garage bay, Tom and Hayden remained behind.  He pushed through
the double doors just as Johnny and Mike dropped from the drift to the hard
concrete floor, their snowmobiles protesting the transition with metallic
screeches.  Gary could see right away that both men appeared okay, and
immediately noticed the bundle tied to the back of Mike’s machine.  He tried to
look away at the reverence of what he knew must be within that bundle, but he
could not contain his relief and genuine happiness to see the two.

“Thank God you two
made it,” he shouted to be heard above the sound of their engines.

No sooner had he
finished his statement when the two men shut off their machines and the big
door finished closing.  Both sat motionless for a moment, relishing the
comparative safety and warmth of the garage.  Only then did Mike realize he had
been clenching his teeth the whole ride back.  “Where is everyone?” he asked.

Gary explained the
situation as both men dismounted and removed outer garments.  Mike wasted no
time.  He removed his snow gear and ran down the corridor to where Sarah and
Nick were.  Johnny moved a little more gingerly and took some time to stretch
his bum leg.  It was protesting at every movement.  And then so was his side,
his back, and his shoulders.  Johnny hadn’t realized how much he had put
himself through in the last several hours until just then.  He finally took a
furtive step toward Gary and only then noticed his gaze.