winter in greenland

Chapter 39

For the first time in his life August felt grateful to fate, or more precisely, to God, when Heath led the rescue team into the cave where they were.

The fuel of the alcohol stove had been burned out. He didn't know how long he and Dan had been sitting in the dark like this. He could only hear the man's heavy and painful breathing. He had no way to save him. Just when he thought everything was going to die At the same time as three years ago, there was a faint sound of footsteps in the passage outside, mixed with some vague shouts.

He almost crawled up from the ground and ran towards the passage they came in.

The entrance they came in was blocked by broken ice, and the rescue team was just across the ice wall, calling his and Dan's names as they tried to break through the ice.When he saw the figure looming behind the ice, he could hardly believe his eyes.He no longer remembered that he hadn't drank or eaten for a few days, and he seemed to have completely forgotten that there were still a few packs of compressed biscuits in his backpack to satisfy his hunger.Until the ice finally broke and he staggered and almost fell in front of Heath, the first thought in his mind was still: Great, there is still time, Dan can still be saved.

……

Dan was immediately put on an emergency helicopter and flown directly back to the hospital at the Danish headquarters.His own injury was not very serious. After returning to the base for simple treatment, he only rested for 3 days, and he immediately started working like a spinning top.

As a survivor of the accident, as well as the captain of Sirius, he needs to cooperate with the Royal Scientific Research Institute. Not only the meteorological research team, but also the Geographical Society have sent people over.The data obtained from the investigation are also of great significance to Sirius.At the same time, he had to deal with various reports from the headquarters, and to some extent, he had to be ready for investigation by the headquarters at any time for a period of time.The torrent of affairs prevented him from thinking about other things, or it might be subconscious avoidance. After confirming that Dan was out of danger, he only asked Heath to pay attention to Dan's situation, and he packed up and went with the group of professors and researchers. The area of ​​the continental shelf where the accident occurred.

Because it is polar night, considering the complexity of the terrain, in order to avoid further accidents, the progress of various investigations has been slowed down a lot.August just spent nearly a month with them on the ice sheet. During this period, he received a communication from Hiss, and after routinely reporting the situation of the base, his voice was rarely hesitant: "Augus Te, did something happen between you and Dan...?"

He felt a little uncomfortable and cleared his throat: "No."

"I have a report here about Dan..."

"You can handle it at your own discretion." August interrupted him.

Heath was silent for a while, as if he was pondering something. After thinking about it, he didn't say much in the end: "Okay, everything in the base is normal, and you have arranged another team to continue on the remaining patrol routes. Keep in touch."

August responded absently, hung up the communication, and looked up at the fire not far away.In fact, the business that needs their cooperation has come to an end here, and it is far from necessary for him to stay here all the time, but he can't tell what kind of mentality it is. He subconsciously doesn't want to go back so soon, and doesn't want to see that person again so soon.

When the work of the scientific expedition team was all over and he finally returned to the Port Feringe base, it was already mid-February, and the long polar night was over. Although the day was short, it finally gave people some new hope.

He locked himself in a place isolated from the world for more than a month, and he didn't figure out what he was thinking. Later, he simply didn't think about it, and planned to pretend that nothing happened.

On the first night back to the base, he went to the alley next to the port as usual.

The same living room, the same piano, the same audience, the same warm atmosphere, he still played Liszt, and just entered the fifth measure, the old lady interrupted him.

"Augie, has a lot happened recently?" Her voice was gentle.

August sighed slightly: "It is true that many things have happened."

The old woman looked at him for a while, then smiled: "Play Bach, maybe he can help you clear your mind and stop thinking so much."

August chose the "Goldberg Variations", and after playing it dryly, he himself felt out of shape.

The old woman was still knitting a woolen hat in a peaceful manner. Seeing him stop, she glanced at him from above her reading glasses: "Take a break, come, come and chat with me."

August sat on the sofa next to her a little cautiously, and helped her fill up the teacup: "What do you want to talk about?"

The old woman stopped what she was doing, thought for a while, and wound a piece of dark green wool around her little finger again: "Why don't we talk about Arthur."

August's shoulders were stiff and he didn't speak.

The old woman didn't look at him, but seemed to be aware of his mental activity, and said slowly: "All these years, you have come to see me when you have time, but you have never told me about him. It has been so long, Auggie , I almost take you as my second son, but you can't go on like this forever."

August subconsciously denied: "I think this is very good."

The old woman looked at him through the reading glasses with sharp eyes: "Do you really think it's okay? Do you really think that thing can be over?"

August was silent.

The old woman sighed: "I know you feel guilty about Arthur and me, but it's not your fault. You should have your own life. You are still so young, and you plan to spend your life forever. Sealed here, forever in the shadow of the dead?"

August still didn't speak.

The old woman stood up tremblingly, put the knitting needles into the basket on the coffee table, and gently pushed him: "It's getting late, you should go back early, I'm going to rest too."

These words seemed to touch a certain place in his heart. He returned to the base absent-mindedly all the way, and only after entering the dormitory did he realize that something was missing.

Sitting at the desk and hesitating for a few seconds, he raised his hand and called Heath.

It was nearly midnight, and Heath's voice sounded sleepy: "August? What's the matter?"

"It's nothing, I just remembered, Dan should be discharged from the hospital, right? Why didn't I see him?" He tried his best to hide the unease in his voice.

There was a pause on the other end of the phone, and Heath didn't speak for a while.

August looked at the phone screen with some doubts: "Hello? Are you listening?"

Heath took a breath, as if he had made a decision: "Dan is gone."

August didn't realize what he was saying for a while: "Gone? Where are you going?"

"I thought you had completely forgotten about his existence." There was a hint of inexplicable meaning in Heath's voice: "When he was discharged from the hospital half a month ago, you didn't even ask a question, and now you think of finding someone ?”

August's heart suddenly became anxious, and he said in a bit of embarrassment: "I've been busy with other things for a while, coordinating with the scientific research work, you know. I just didn't think about it for a while."

"It's too late for you to remember. He's gone." Heath's voice was merciless.

"Where can he go? I don't remember receiving any applications from him." August's voice involuntarily amplified a little.

"Do you remember that when I contacted you before, I mentioned that there was a Dan's report? You said that I had full authority to handle it, so I took full authority." Heath's voice was calm.

August was stunned for a while, and finally dug out such a conversation from the depths of his memory: "It seems that there is such a thing."

"Dan's report was an application for transfer. The headquarters considered his physical condition, and the hunter got the news somehow, and was rushing to get him back, so I approved the application."

"What? Who the hell allowed you to approve it?!" August uttered a rare swear word.

Heath's voice was unmoved: "If you 'fuck' have to point out something, sorry, it's you."

August couldn't remember how he hung up the phone.

In the dark dormitory, he sat alone for a long time, took out a pack of cigarettes from the bottom drawer on the right hand side, and lit one.

The red light of the cigarette butt flickered on and off in the darkness, like a pair of mocking eyes.

The author says:

I try to update daily, if I don’t update the next day, I will tell you in advance~