Snow storm

Stranded

"Well that was a complete and utter waste of time" Jac grumbled "and now it's bloody snowing"
It had seemed like a good idea for Jac to drive to the nearby hospital to harvest a heart. It wasn't even for one of her patients but there was no one on site to do it and she was on the on call rota for organ harvest for 3 hospitals. Waiting for hospital transport was not an option she would even consider. She had roped Fletch in as her theatre nurse.
"Jac you can't blame the family for changing their mind. They're grieving their 17 yr old son"
"Who could have saved numerous people"she snapped
She sighed "just get in the car"
"Wow I thought you were getting less heartless"
"Look it's desperately sad and of course it's their choice but you know, stick to your choice and save top cardiothoracic surgeons from racing across the countryside in a blizzard"
"Guess they're just human" he mumbled
"Meaning I'm not? She spat
"If the cap fits"
Jac angrily threw the car into gear and with a screech of tyres sped off.
They drove in silence, the radio having long been broken which Jac had been too busy to get fixed.
The weather was getting worse making their progress slow and difficult.
"Why are you slowing down?" Fletch asked
"I'm not . My foot's on the floor but it's losing power" Jac stated She managed to pull into a farm gateway as the car engine gave up.
"Great. Fucking piece of shit" Jac said hitting the steering wheel.
" I'll take a look. Pop the bonnet"
"Be careful . It's wild out there" she said with uncharacteristic concern
Fletch put his hood up and stepped out of the car. The light was fading and the blizzard had taken hold, making it difficult to see what he was doing. As it was there was nothing obvious and he closed the boot and got back in the car shaking the snow off him
"Well?"
"Sorry can't see anything obvious. You'll have call your breakdown service"
Jac stayed silent
"You don't have a breakdown service?"
"No" she said quietly
"Well I do and the cover is linked to me not the vehicle so let me call them"
Fletch pulled out his phone and waved it around trying to get a signal
"Shit. No signal. What about yours?"
"No I tried to ring the hospital to send someone to rescue us when you were checking  under the bonnet"
"So we're stuck"
"Looks like it. I could try and find the farm that this gateway belongs to"
"No Jac. It's too bad out there and nearly dark. You would easily get disorientated"
Jac groaned in frustration knowing he was right. She noticed Fletch give an involuntary shiver.
"You need to take your wet coat off. There's a blanket on the back seat"
There still seemed to be some power in the battery and Jac put the heater on
"Don't leave that on for more than a minute or it will completely run the battery down" Fletch commented whilst struggling out of his coat and grabbing the blanket.
Jac turned the heater off after a few minutes and shivered herself soon after which Fletch noticed
"You're freezing Jac" he said reaching out and touching her hand. She snatched it away like she'd been scalded.
"Look" he said "I know this is the last place either of us want to be but unless a friendly farmer comes along in a tractor we're stuck here till morning and we need to keep warm. I suggest we both get in the back and get under this blanket"
"Together? Like snuggling up?"
"I know that's not a great proposition for you but neither is freezing to death. You know that shared body heat is lifesaving"
Life saving she thought The thought of snuggling up to Fletch was terrifying considering the feelings that she still had for him, but his suggestion made sense
"Ok"
They both scrambled into the back and tried to both get under the blanket whilst barely touching one another.
Jac huffed "you know the only way this is going to work is if we use each other's body heat which means snuggling up to one another"
"I know" he said quietly. He opened his arms and Jac wriggled into them with the blanket now easily covering them both
"That's better"  he mumbled
After a few minutes he spoke again
"Jac can you reach my rucksack?"
It was on the floor nearest her. Reluctantly she reached out and handed it to him
"God that weighs a ton what have you got in there?"
"Well whilst you were creating merry hell, I got talking to one of the nurses"
"Course you did" Jac rolled her eyes
"Anyway" he said ignoring her "she knew that the weather was going to get worse. Offered us a bed for the night if we didn't want to drive back"
"Sounds like the invite would have been just for" Jac said jealously. She had no right to feel jealous but there it was
"Hmm well, when I politely declined she insisted I took a flask of hot chocolate and some food in case we got stuck so do you want a warm drink or not?"
"Yes please" Jac said grudgingly. Pride was easy to swallow when you were so cold
They shared a cup of hot chocolate
"Sandwich?" Offered Fletch
Again she gratefully accepted. They sat in companionable silence.
"It's getting worse out there" Fletch commented noting the fading light, building winds and swirling snow
"Great" Jac commented hiding her fear "who's got the kids tonight?"
"Natalie's sister, Auntie Gemma"
"So you're spending your child free evening stuck here with me"
"I can think of worse people to be stuck with"
Jac laughed "yeah right" a shiver suddenly took hold of her
"Come here" he pulled her closer "god your hands are like ice, put them under my top"
Even in the fading light and with her back to him he knew she was rolling her eyes. Nevertheless she twisted round so that she was lying against his side and slipped her hand under his top
He flinched at how cold her hand was but pulled her close
"Won't Ange be wondering where you are?
"I doubt it we've split up"
Jac's heart stopped. Fuck
"Oh really what happened?" She asked desperately trying to control her breathing
"Just wasn't right I guess" he paused "have you heard from Joseph?"
"I told him I never wanted to see him ever again"
"Harsh"
Jac shrugged. It was a matter of self preservation she thought
They again lay in comfortable silence but their minds were spinning and they were each acutely aware of the other.
Jac began to slide her hand slowly over his chest
"What are you doing?" Fletch stopped her hand from moving
"I don't know" she whispered "do you want me to stop?" Jac said not knowing where this boldness was coming from
"No" he said removing his hand that had stopped hers from moving