"You are shivering badly."
You hugged your knees as tightly as you dared with your damaged ribs. "I'm covered in frigid mud and rainwater," you said a trifle tartly, "and I've been this way for . . . how long now?"
"Thirty-four point six minutes," Spock supplied.
"Thank you." You grit your teeth and tried rubbing your arms in an effort to warm them back up. It didn't work very well. "The point is, I'm cold, and without a heat source, that won't change. And you happen to be just as cold, whether your stubborn Vulcan brain wants to tell you that fact or not."
"But I am uninjured." His voice had dropped in volume, but it was no less firm.
You let out a puff of breath, and it disheartened you greatly to see it condensate in the air before you. "It's getting colder."
"This planet is rotating towards the dark section of its daylight cycle. Predictions made on the ship suggest that nighttime temperatures can drop below negative fifty degrees Celsius," Spock said, his own breath forming small clouds around him.
"Not good." You watched the thin fog dissipate and shuddered harshly as a gust of chilly air swirled against your ankles. Just perfect. You were cold, wet, filthy, injured, stuck in a cave, and on top of all that, the cave was drafty. Wait . . . drafty? "Spock, there may be a way out of here," you said suddenly. "Put your hand where my feet are. What do you feel?"
Spock raised an eyebrow, but he did as you asked. His other eyebrow shot up to join the first. "A draft."
You nodded. "Spock, I know it could be only a crack in a cave wall somewhere, but . . . well, it might not be. It could be another exit."
"These caves are an extensive network of tunnels," Spock pointed out. "It is a complex system, and it would prove extraordinarily simple to lose our path."
"I know," you said wearily. "But if we stick to the draft, we should be fine."
"If the Enterprise should locate this cavern-"
"They'd have to dig through five meters of rock and mud," you said sharply. "If they find the site of the landslide, they will find nothing to indicate we were there prior to the disaster. Even if they did, they would have no reason to believe there was a cavern or niche of any sort in the area. They would assume we died." Your voice softened slightly. "Come on, Spock. There's absolutely no logical reason to stay here. The cave walls block scanners. At least if we get out another entrance, a search party would stand a chance of finding us."
"It would be dangerous to exert yourself in your condition."
"I'm not a limp noodle," you growled. "I can make it. Like you said up on the ship, are my injuries so severe that walking around will kill me?"
"(Y/N), your condition is far worse than it was on the ship. If we proceed as you propose, you may be in a dire situation. On the chance that we do not find a way out, you will possess no possibility of medical attention, and your life will have been put in jeopardy to no end. Even if we manage to locate an exit back into the storms above, there is still no guarantee that a search party would be able to locate us in time."
"But there's a chance!" you barked. "Look, I realize that I'm probably not going to make it no matter what we do, but I'm not going to just lay down and take it! I'm going to try my damnedest to survive, and in the event I fail, I'm going to meet my death on my terms, Spock, not yours. I'm going to follow that draft, and you can either stay here or come with me and help."
With that, you struggled to your feet and started painstakingly in the direction indicated by the icy draft, trying to ignore the prickles of pain all along your chest. You didn't get more than a step before doubling up with another unexpected pang in your ribs. A warm hand wrapped itself suddenly about your wrist, and you came to a halt.
Spock's eyes were soft, and his voice was a low rumble when he spoke. "Let me help you, (Y/N)."
You smiled crookedly and obligingly allowed him to place your left arm over his shoulders.
"Sorry for snapping at you."
"You were well within your rights."
The warmth of his grip left your wrist and instead assumed a position at your waist, and together you began down the first tunnel.
