Page 75 of Love, Accidentally

I can’t tell whether Will is more embarrassed or relieved but, having fulfilled my task, my concern for him is rapidly being overtaken by the fact I’m not entirely sure I can still feel my feet. I stamp them a few times to try to wake them up but, beyond vague pins and needles in my toes, not much is happening.

‘Are you OK?’ Will asks. ‘Do you want some coffee?’

‘Yes, please.’

My hands are also suffering, so I wrap them gratefully around the plastic cup of warm liquid that Will gives me, but even the hot coffee isn’t enough to stop the chill that I can feel taking hold of me. I wonder if it would be bad form if I asked to go and sit in the car for a bit? The problem is that nobody else appears to be suffering. Audrey, Bernard and Will are all happily watching the helicopter. Maybe he’ll land soon and I can make my excuses then.

It’s a further ten minutes that feel like hours before Jonathan finally brings the helicopter back to earth on the landing patch and another, more enthusiastic, round of applause comes from the spectators. I join in with the clapping, but my hands are so cold that it hurts. To my dismay, Bernard doesn’t immediately rush out to help Jonathan bring the helicopter back to where we’re standing.

‘He needs to let the engine cool for a couple of minutes before he can shut it down,’ Bernard explains to nobody in particular.

By the time Bernard and a jubilant Jonathan bring the helicopter back, it feels like my internal organs have frozen. I don’t think I’ve ever been so cold and my teeth are chattering alarmingly.

‘Are you OK?’ Will asks, concern on his face.

‘Fine, j-just c-cold,’ I stammer.

‘She looks frozen,’ Audrey says, looking at me with alarm. ‘Will, take her to the car and warm her up before she gets hypothermia.’

‘It’s n-not that b-bad, honest,’ I splutter. Why won’t my teeth stop chattering?

‘I’ll be the judge of that,’ Will says firmly. ‘Come on. Let’s get you into the warm.’

‘I d-don’t want to ruin your d-dad’s special day,’ I protest as he begins to lead me towards the car park.

‘He won’t mind. He’ll be reliving every moment with boring Bernard until either the cows come home or Audrey stabs him to death with something.’

When we get to the car, Will starts the engine and puts the heater on full. I can tell this because the temperature knob is all the way round and the fan is running at top speed, but I can’t feel a thing. By the time we make it back to my flat in Tunbridge Wells, my teeth have at least stopped chattering but my backbone feels like it’s made out of ice, my legs have started trembling uncontrollably and I still don’t appear to have any sensation in my feet at all. To make matters worse, I stumble embarrassingly as I get out of the car; thankfully Will is standing right there and grabs me just before I face-plant onto the pavement.

The next mortifying moment follows hot on the heels of the last, as my defrosting hands are so tingly that they’re completely useless and I’m unable to reach into my jeans pocket to grip my keys.

‘Would you mind?’ I ask Will, pointing at my pocket.

What follows is possibly one of the most awkward moments of my life, and I’m almost grateful that my thighs are numb and I can’t feel where his hand is. He’s obviously feeling it too, as he yanks the keys out so fast you’d think something in there had bitten him.

‘You need a hot bath,’ he instructs as we go indoors.

‘No,’ I tell him, glad I’m not stuttering any more at least. ‘It sounds counter-intuitive, but I need to warm up slowly.’

‘Really?’

‘Yes. Hot water draws blood away from the heart and vital organs towards the skin. It can be fatal in hypothermia patients, not that I think I’m hypothermic. I’m just very, very cold.’

‘I’m sorry. I should have taken better care of you.’

‘I’m the one who should be sorry. I should have dressed more appropriately and been more aware of what was happening. I am supposed to be a nurse, after all.’

An uncomfortable silence descends as we climb the stairs and I point out which key to use to let us into the flat.

‘At least let me stay with you until you’re properly defrosted,’ he says once we’re inside. ‘It’s the least I feel I can do. I’ll only worry about you otherwise.’

‘I’m a big girl, Will. You don’t need to look after me.’

‘I know. I’d just be happier if I knew you were all right.’

I try to look at him sternly, but the concern on his face completely disarms me.

‘Fine,’ I tell him. ‘You can stay on one condition.’

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