Adam knocked on the door of the freezer.
"I don't think anyone can hear us. . ." Kate shook her head. Her hair was frosted.
"We have to do something. . ." Adam slumped down on the floor. "I'm cold. . ."
"So am I. . ." Kate shuddered. "Come here. . ." Adam sat down beside Kate. They hugged each other.
"Come on. . ." Lucas looked at his watch.
"Okay. . ." Amanda pulled the curtain back; she was wearing a set of green overalls from the hospital's operating theatres. "Where do we start?"
"Well we have officers searching everywhere except for the basement." Lucas pointed to a plan of the hospital.
"What's down there?"
"The morgue, kitchens and the incinerators."
"Great. . ." Amanda frowned.
"They'll be safe, I'm sure. . ."
"Now say it like you mean it. . ."
"I can't do that without lying." Lucas walked down the ward. "Let's go."
"I'm frightened." They walked out into the corridor and into the waiting lift. Lucas pressed the button and the lift whisked them down into the bowels of the hospital. They stepped out into the corridor below and walked into the morgue. Amanda gasped as she breathed in the stale air. "Ugh!" Lucas pulled open the refrigerated drawers.
"They aren't in here."
"Thank goodness. . ......” Amanda sighed. "Can we get out of here. . .?” She held the door open and walked back out into the corridor. "What's in here?" Amanda pushed through the double door and stepped into the steaming kitchens.
"What are you doing in here?" The chief turned round.
"Detective constable Lucas." Lucas showed his identity card.
"Not more of you..." She frowned. "Look there is no one here, and perhaps you can let me have my freezer back!" She frowned and started walking away.
"What do you mean?" Lucas stepped closer.
"Two people ran through the kitchen earlier, followed by two police officers." The chief walked towards the freezer. "He locked the door, said that someone else needed to look for evidence."
"And what about the two people?"
"He said that they had run out of here. Strange really, as I certainly didn't... “She stopped as she watched Amanda's shocked face.”What's going on here?"
Lucas ran to the freezer and pulled at the handcuffs.
"Get me a piece of steel, a knife sharpener, something like that!" Lucas followed the chief and grabbed the sharpener. He forced it into the freezer's door handle and forced it. The catch snapped.
"I hope you are going to. . ....” The chief stopped when the door opened, Adam and Kate crouched together in the centre of the freezer. Amanda screamed and started sobbing; she ran towards Adam and clutched him in her arms. He was silent and cold, his hair white with frost and his skin a shade of blue. Kate moved slightly.
"He gave me his coat." Kate whispered, her teeth rattling. "He gave me his coat."
"Get them out of here! Please get them out of here!" Amanda tried to pull them both out of the freezer.
"Miss Bishop." The nurse bustled into the waiting room. Amanda stood up. "Can you come with me please?" She followed the nurse into a small room. There was a white coated doctor waiting for them.
"I'm sorry to keep you waiting." He smiled. "Your brother was very brave. He gave away his coat to save the young woman, she wouldn't have survived otherwise. He is also very lucky." Amanda gasped. "His metabolism slowed down as hypothermia set in. In simple English, his heart and breathing slowed down but it kept him alive." The doctor paused. "He is very weak, but he is alive."
"Thank god!" Amanda wiped her cheek.
"The nurse will take you to see him." The doctor smiled. "Your brother is lucky, another couple of minutes..."
Amanda followed the nurse through the wards until they came to Adam lying silently on a sea of white sheets. His skin was back to a warm pink. He was attached to a series of heart and breathing monitors. "Adam. . ."
"Hello sis. . ." Adam's voice was rasping and quiet.
"How are you feeling?"
"Warmer. . ." Adam smiled briefly. Amanda sat on the edge of the bed and hugged him.
"You frightened me. . ."
"I frightened myself." Adam looked up at the ceiling.
"You saved Kate you know."
"It was nothing. . ." Adam whispered. "How is she?"
"I haven't seen her yet."
"Tell her I love her. . .."
"She knows. . .." Amanda whispered. "I'll tell her." She added aloud.
"Thanks sis. . ." Adam put his head back on the pillow.
"He's tired. I think you had better let him rest." The nurse smiled.
"Okay. . . I would like to see Miss Grimshaw."
"Of course." They walked to one of the other wards. Kate was sitting up in bed. Her eyes were red. She smiled when she saw Amanda walk down the ward.
"Hello Amanda." Kate smiled. "How’s . . .-?"
"He's okay. Weak. . . But okay. He asked me to tell you he loves you." Amanda paused. "Have your parents seen you yet?"
"They don't know I'm here." Kate looked away.
"I told them you are here."
"Amanda please!" Kate pleaded.
"Kate. Tell them. Please tell them everything. They were concerned about you; they have been trying to get in touch with you for a long time." Kate lay back on the bed. "I don't know why you haven't called them, and I don't really care, but now is the time to tell them about everything Kate." Amanda stood up. "It took me a long time to find your family Kate, please, at least talk to them." Amanda glanced at her watch. "They'll be here soon. Tell them about Adam." Kate watched as Amanda walked away...
Kate lay back and sighed. Her parents wouldn't understand what she had done.
"Kate! How are you?" Kate sat up; her parents were standing beside the bed. Her mother rushed towards her and hugged her.
"Hello Mum. . . Dad." Kate smiled briefly. "I'm sorry."
"What for?" Kate's mother sat down beside the bed.
"For everything, for not contacting you. . . For running away, for everything!" Kate sobbed. "I didn't know what to say, or do. . ."
"Kate you can always talk to us. . . Please remember that. . ." Kate's father took her hand. "We respect you. . ."
"I'm sorry. . . I was frightened, I needed to do something. But I had nowhere to turn. That was when I met Adam."
"Adam?"
"Adam is my. . ." Kate paused. "I'm going to get married."
Kate's mother smiled. "I hope we are invited."
"You mean that you aren't angry about it?"
"Why should we be angry? If you are sure that you have made the right decision. . ."
"I have. . . He's saved my life twice and we love each other. . ."
"Tell us about him. . ."
"Caroline. . ." Amanda sat down. Wires and tubes surrounded Caroline. "I have to apologise." Caroline lay silently. Amanda took her hand.
"I'm very impressed." James smiled and turned his chair back to the two men. "It was a very interesting way to get rid of them. Something even I would be proud of. You are sure that the job is completed this time."
"No one knew that they were in there, by the time anyone had realised what was going on they would be just a pair of frozen turkeys." The man laughed. "And the money?"
"Of course. . ." James reached into his desk drawer. "You have done very well." The door slammed open, a group of police officers stormed into the room.
"Mr James Simpson, I am placing you under arrest for murder, attempted manslaughter, fraud, precession and sale of category A drugs, need I go on?"
"I really don't know what you mean?" James smiled.
"You're going to be going down for a long time. . ."
"How are you feeling?" Kate smiled. She watched as Adam did up the last few buttons on his shirt.
"All the better for seeing you. . ." Adam picked up his bag. "Shall we go?"
"I'll be glad to leave this place. . . I really hate hospitals."
"It's not been that bad!" Adam paused. "Actually? Yes I think I agree with you." He started walking down the ward. They reached the corridor and pressed the lift button, the door slid open and they stepped inside, Kate shuddered as Adam pressed the floor selector.
"Not the basement please. . ."
"Don't worry it's the ground floor we're going to." The lift doors shut and the lift went slowly downwards. The doors opened again on the ground floor. Kate gasped as she saw the two police officers standing waiting outside. They stepped past her into the lift. "Come on calm down Kate. . . It's all over now. Trust me!"
"Are you sure?" Kate frowned.
"James has been arrested. They say he will be in prison for a very long time."
"He was in prison before, he'll be out again." Kate frowned.
"Not for a good few years, and who knows where we'll be then. He can't harm us now." Adam pushed the doors opened and stepped out into the sunshine. "Oh wow! Fresh air, how I've missed it!" He looked around. "Where's Amanda? I thought that she was going to give us a lift back?"
"I'm here. . ." Amanda stepped out from behind Adam. "I have to take you shopping."
"Shopping?" Adam laughed. "What do I need to buy?"
"Adam. . . I'm not going to escort you down the aisle in jodhpurs and wellies!"
"What?"
"You need a suit. . . That's if you still want to marry me!" Kate smiled. Adam hugged her warmly, tears spilling from his eyes.
"I do!" Adam sighed. "Thank you Kate. . ."
"Miss Amanda Bishop." Amanda span on her heals. She stared at the police officers standing in front of her.
"Yes. . . Can I help you?"
"Miss Amanda Bishop I am arresting you for handling stolen money."
"What?"
"If you would like to come along with me please."
"No!" Amanda screamed the officer clicked handcuffs on Amanda's wrists. "Adam!"
"Please Miss Bishop." She was ushered to a waiting police car. Adam turned round and watched in shock as she was driven off screaming.
"Oh my God! They've taken Amanda." He ran across the hospital car park after the police car.
~~~