Kaive was unconscious, and Olessia knew they couldn't stay out in the cold any longer. She dragged him back into the cave, her breathing uneven from the effort.
Spotting Kaive's backpack, she quickly pulled out a mat and spread it on the ground. She rolled him onto it carefully, her hands trembling nonstop. Then she grabbed the blanket and covered him, trying to keep his body warm.
Her fingers shook as she tucked the edges around him, and tears kept slipping down her cheeks, no matter how hard she tried to stop them.
Olessia knew she had to keep the cave warm because the cold was already getting to him. She gathered the few pieces of wood stacked in the corner and lit a fire, watching it grow just enough to heat the space.
Once the flames were steady, she boiled water over them, her hands still trembling. When it was ready, she soaked a cloth and pressed it gently against Kaive's skin, wiping away the dirt from his body.
