One More Night (Richonne Story)

Not What It Seems

"Michonne!" My head bobbed up off my chest as I was shaken.

"I'm awake, I'm awake..." I mumbled.

"Michonne, wake up!"

"...Aaron?" I opened my eyes to find myself still sitting, knees to chest, at the base of the tree trunk. The clouds had parted now, and I was situated in a patch of damp sunshine. Aaron was crouching in front of me. I tried to reach out to him but he grasped me in a hug first, laughing with relief.

"Good God, woman what happened to you?" He pulled away from me, cupping my chin and it was all I could do to hold my head up. Aaron is awfully handsome in his ranger uniform, his tan shirt peeking out from under their army green waterproof jacket.

"Hi there Aaron," I said, my words slurred and hard to form. I managed a smile, the cracks in my lips stinging.

He nodded, his eyes serious and lips pressed thin, he opened a package of bright foil. Aaron pressed instant heat hand-packs into each of my palms and then more on my neck and tucked in between my thighs and armpits. Aaron wrapped me in the silver space blanket a moment later, there was a thermos cup held to my lips and I was drinking warm, sweet, milky tea.

I leaned against Aaron gratefully as he radioed our location to the rescue chopper.

"What were you doing out here, Chonne?" he whispered into my ear.

The next lucid sensation was the swipe of a dry, smooth thumb across the back of my hand, the squeeze of fingers pressing into my palm. My eyelids felt heavy, but not as heavy as every other time I'd tried to open them over the course of the last twelve hours. I blinked against the bright lights and groaned.

"It's okay Michonne." The words were softly spoken by my side. "You're at the hospital. You're okay."

I groaned again and closed my eyes. I was sick of trying to grasp hold of consciousness. So many hours had passed where I'd felt like bathwater whirl-pooling down the drain; I'd been helpless to fight against the pull of unconsciousness.

"Can't stay awake," I mumbled, lifting my free hand to touch whatever was over my face muffling my words. Another ranger, female, one whom I'd never seen before, covered my face with an oxygen mask.

The voice shushed me, and I felt my blankets being adjusted by another person, the mechanical whir of the bed rising slightly. I opened my eyes again and turned my head slightly towards the movement.

"Rick."

"Hello, Michonne."

I felt my eyes prickle with tears.

"I feel weird," I said. The words were thick on my tongue and muted by the mask.

"As I would imagine. Aaron said you're in shock. You're hooked up to machines that are working at slowly warming your core body temperature."

"Okay," I said, slowly accepting the information. The air blowing in through the mask felt warm. "I'm glad you're here," I found myself saying to him. The memories of the last twenty-four hours were hovering like shadows at the edge of my awareness, threatening to collapse on top of me. I squeezed his fingers lightly.

He nodded, "There is no place I'd rather be than with you," and said, giving me the sexiest smile I'd ever seen. "I'll call the nurse. She asked that I call her as soon as you were lucid." He stood from his chair and my eyes fixated on his cute backside leave the room. He reappeared in the doorway less than a moment later. "Before I forget - Beth Green, asked me to pass on that she is taking care of Noah for you. She knew you'd be worried."