Gone Crazy Be Back Soon Part Seventy Nine

Once we were outside of the cave1

Dave laid me down on the ground
Right in a big patch of sunlight
Ken instructed me to take off
My three top layers of clothing
When my fingers refused to move
Enough to cooperate Dave helped
Me peel the wet layers off of myself2

Off came the rain jacket and rain pants
Off came the wool sweater and fleece sweats
Off came the long sleeved woolen shirt
Off came the second layer of fleece sweats3

I was left in a thermal undershirt
Pants made out of thermal material
And my bathing suit that served as
The layer underneath the thermals4

I was still freezing cold
But I was so numbed over
That I wasn’t even shivering5

The not shivering seemed to concern Dave
He kept whispering things to Ken in a voice
That I probably was not supposed to reach me
But I have hearing too keen for my own good6

“She’s still not shivering, her core temperature has to be in the basement.”7

“Hopefully she’ll start shivering soon, it is warm out here.” 8

Responded Ken
I was confused
As to why my
Not shivering
Was such a
Big problem
But I was too cold
To even ask that9

Ken pulled out a funny looking
Shiny silver blanket from his bag
(He had a special water proof bag with him)
And he covered me with it as I lay
Still on the ground panting away10

Fortunately my breathing was getting easier
Now that I was lying in the sunshine and
Covered by the special blanket they had
The blanket seemed to be made of a tin foil
Type material and it crinkled as my chest rose
And sank in sync with my panting breaths11

“How do you feel now?”12

Dave asked me13

“Still cold” 14

I managed to gasp out
Dave leaned down near me
And pressed on my finger nails
And then on my toe nails15

“Her capillary refill time is awful.” 16

He muttered to Ken
Ken kneeled down
He pressed my nails too
And then shook his head17

“She’s definitely hypothermic, we need to get her to a hospital.”18

“No,” 19

I gasped and slurred my words20

“I’ll be okay. I really don’t need to go the hospital. I’m fine. Just cold.”21

Dave pulled out his phone anyway.22

“You have hypothermia, we need to get you somewhere where they can use more intensive techniques to get you warmer. We could be in big trouble if we didn’t get you emergency medical treatment now.”23

Dave pressed some buttons on his phone
Then he frowned and tried pressing again24

“Shit!” 25

He swore and then covered his mouth.26

“Sorry”27

He apologized28

“The phone’s not working. It must have gotten water in it.”29

“My phone’s in the van.” 30

Ken offered31

“We’ll just have to get her to the van and get help there.32

Before lifting me up
Dave felt my wrist again33

“She’s still pretty bradycardic. Her respiratory rate is too low too.”34

Ken shined a flashlight in my eyes
He shook his head and whispered 35

“Her pupils are pretty dilated. We’re gonna have to be really fast here.”36

I was aware that the van was parked
About three quarters of a mile away
We would have to go through the woods
To get back to the other kids and the van37

I figured maybe I would be better enough
By the time we got to the van that they
Would change their minds about sending
Me to any hospital or anything like that38

All my previous experiences with the hospital
Rushed through my head rapid fire sequence
I had been completely traumatized by hospitals
The thought of them carried a bad taste with it39

All I could think of was that I had to avoid
Going to the hospital at all costs I had to be fine
I had to be okay and get better faster then fast40

On the way to the van41

Ken and Dave carried me between them
They made a sort of chair with their hands
After going about ten feet they realized that
My thermal layer was completely soaked through42

“Do you have a bathing suit on underneath this?”43

Asked Dave
I nodded
Unsure where
He was going
With the question44

“We’re going to need to help you take off the thermal layer then.”45

He told me apologetically
I shook my head as hard
As I could manage in my state
I shook it too hard apparently
Because for a moment I went
Spinning into a black nothingness
When I opened my eyes again
Dave and Ken were both shouting
At me to46

“Open my eyes and stay with us”47

I was scared by the blackout
But more scared by the idea of
Stripping down to my bathing suit48

I was sixteen years old and 82 pounds
But I hated my body with a vengeance
I was sure that Dave and Ken would
Think that I was fat and gross and disgusting
If they saw me in just a bathing suit and nothing else49

Before I could protest they were putting me down
For a moment and peeling off my last layer above
My bathing suit I felt panicky and could do nothing
I simply flopped backward against their hands that
Were holding me upright and keeping my head up50

When Dave inhaled sharply I was sure he was
Shocked that I was so fat and gross looking
He turned to Ken who also looked worried51

The two of them picked me back up and kept walking
While they were walking Dave asked me as casually
As he could manage 52

“Do you have any medical history?”53

I whispered that I did54

“What have you been diagnosed with and what medications are you taking?”55

I started the list with the simplest diagnosis56

“Asthma”57

I paused took as deep a breath
As I could manage at the time58

“Anorexia”59

Ken and Dave looked at each other knowingly60

“You are really too thin. I think that might be part of why you are so hypothermic.”61

I shrugged off their comment
I never believed I was too thin62

“depression and a psychotic disorder”63

Embarrassed of the diagnoses
They didn’t say anything though
They just continued carrying
My little body wrapped in the
Tin-foil-like blanket to the van64

Everything was really hazy for me
I felt a little like I had overdosed
On my grandmother’s pills again65

Every time I collapsed into unconsciousness
I would wake up to Dave or Ken rubbing
my hand and repeatedly telling me to 66

“Just stay with us”67