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Dain pulled up to the large snow covered cottage in his Land Rover. He hadn’t been here since he spent a year of his residency at the local hospital dealing with more than enough trauma cases, many, many broken bones during both the winter and summer seasons. He was once those same kids, spending every winter and summer break here with the Sorrengail’s.
The years hadn’t changed a thing.
The memories of his childhood flooded his mind, from running around the house and being told off, him and Violet whispering to each other in the middle of the night so they wouldn’t get in trouble for still being awake to the countless trips and falls down the slopes that only taught him how to be better. This was such an important part of his childhood, and he now got to experience it with Sloane.
Sloane had been snoring in the passenger seat after she had tired herself out while singing along with Visia and Liam, who were sitting in the back, also now asleep while Jesinia sat in the middle reading happily. He couldn’t help but smile as he looked over at his girlfriend who had truly made a bed out of the front seat, electric seat on, pillow against the window while she had a blanket tucked around herself with her knees to her chest. It didn’t matter how many times Dain told her it was unsafe to sit with her legs up or how many times Sloane had seen the ramifications of sitting with her legs up at work, she still did it. Stating that her comfort was more important than the possibility of injuries.
Dain reached over and pulled the blanket up from where it had slipped off her shoulder before he drove up the long driveway where the cottage sat at the end with four other cars already parked in the front. With the addition of smoke bellowing from the chimneys, and the golden light beaming through the thick windows, it was clear they were the last to arrive, their group had come two days after the others due to Sloane and Dain’s work schedules.
Dain put the car into park and reached over to gently cup her face to wake Sloane up, “Lo, Love.” His voice was soft “We’re here.”
Sloane let out a soft “Hmmpf” which caused Dain to smile and look behind him at Jesinia who was waking up Liam and Visia. The five of them were the only ones aware of their relationship, though they had begun to become less and less secretive and just not outwardly making out in front of everyone.
“Come on, let's get you inside.”
“Five minutes.” Sloane groaned and turned in her seat to face him, cuddling into Dain’s hand that had been on her cheek.
“You’ve been out for hours. Plus, the sooner you’re inside the sooner we can get you into bed… or into the hot tub or sauna.”
Sloane opened one eye to look at him, “Hot tub?”
Dain nodded now grinning at his girlfriend. “Yes, now the sooner we go in the sooner you can be in the warm water.” That did it, Sloane stretched before she climbed out of the car, the other three already out and unloading their bags.
They made their way up to the front door that swung open with Violet beaming at them, “You made it!” She waved them inside “Xaden is just plating up dinner, perfect timing.” They followed Violet through as she showed them to their rooms, Dain had his old room, Liam and Jesinia had Mira’s and Sloane and Visia were sharing one of the spare rooms. The house was massive, used for many family events over the years. It had eight bedrooms and with the amount of people who were able to join on the trip, all the rooms were full and a few people had to double up.
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The days of the first of three weeks quickly blurred together where his mornings began with Sloane snuggled up close to him as the fire had died out during the night, the air starting their day’s off with a nice frost to it. Dain wouldn’t complain once, he and Sloane were lucky enough to go on a few holidays together by this point, most of which were a mixture of relaxing and activities, his favourite had been the Maldives for their second anniversary. But selfishly it may or may not have been due to Sloane almost constantly wearing nothing but a bikini or smaller than average clothing items.
Though unlike the Maldives, here they were out of bed by 7am and out the door before 8am to be on the chair lifts when they opened. Dain was skiing and Sloane would swap between skis and snowboarding depending on her mood, both sets of gear lived in the back of Dain's car just in case she changed her mind.
The group split up into mostly skill levels or just which run each of them wanted to do. Jesinia, Maren, Cat and Trager stayed at the cottage. Ridoc, Rhiannon, Tara, Visia, Lynx and Sawyer were doing ski school as it had all been their first or second time. Aaric and Bodhi liked doing the jumps while Xaden and Volet took more breaks than the rest due to her EDS. But where Sloane went, Dain followed. He really didn’t care where they went or what they were doing, as long as they were together, though usually they would join Liam, Imogen and Garrick for the longer, harder runs.
The evenings were full of laughter, fun and games with large group dinners that poured on into the night. Retellings of stories were told, many from their childhoods and the years the group had been friends. Boardgames became overly competitive with real stakes at play, but nothing more serious than having to do the dishes or run naked through the snow. But the karaoke machine was only pulled out once, the rowdy nature of karaoke too much for Violet to handle.
The nights always ended with the sauna steaming up the back deck, laughter echoed through the cold air as people ducked in and out, skin flushed, hair damp and many dares of jumping into the snow for a makeshift cold plunge. The outdoor hot tub became a nightly ritual, the snow fell softly while shoulders bumped and conversations slowed, voices lower, calmer. Sloane had made it her mission to do one or more scandalous things in both the sauna and hot tub. Dain wasn’t proud of it but he was putty in Sloane’s hands, she had made quick work of him while on her knees in the sauna one night. Dain finished less than a minute before Garrick and Xaden entered the sauna. Sloane was still wiping her mouth as she sat on the opposite side of the steamy room, looking all too proud of herself. Dain was just happy his shorts were back on.
Dain watched the group with a fondness he didn’t even try to hide, it was perfect. The only thing that would make it better would be him and Soane being transparent about their relationship. Though they had no reason to be secretive to their friends anymore, their work situation was still more than complicated.
But regardless, every night, without fail, Sloane was in his bed.
Sloane was shameless, only going to her shared room to get dressed into her night clothes after her shower. Sloane would not so subtly slip into his room looking like an angel, soft waves in her hair and her night clothes and slippers making her look adorable.
Dain always had the fire already going before she got there, ensuring the room was up to her ideal temperature for Sloane to slip into bed. She curled into his side beneath heavy blankets, her head tucked under his chin, while his arms fitting around her like they belonged entangled together. They talked about the mountain, about something their friends did, something Sloane had seen throughout the day and sometimes about nothing at all. Other nights they just listened to the crackle of the fire and the wind outside, just enjoying each other's company in silence.
Those were Dain’s favourite moments.
Not the slopes. Not the laughter or the noise. Not during the sneaky moments.
Just Sloane in bed, safe, sleepy and choosing him at the end of every single day.
The second week was less chaotic, not everyone went on the slopes every day. Many chose to have rest days and stay home or to explore the local village.
But Dain was still awake just before dawn most mornings, moving quietly through the house, as the rest of the house slept, no one rushing to get the first chair lifts of the day now. He started the fire in the bedroom for Sloane and the living room to get the house warming up for everyone. Then he began packing his bag for the day, he chose his larger backpack and packed it with the same methodical care as he had his smaller bag every day prior.
Emergency kit with first aid, flare gun, radio and shovel, hand and toe warmers, spare socks, gloves, compass, swiss army knife, voile straps, as well as a thermos of hot water. Then he began to add in the extras for the day; A thermos filled with his home made hot chocolate, Sloane’s favourite, a thick and rich hot chocolate that was basically just melted chocolate and cream. Another with homemade creamy chicken and mushroom soup. Home made dinner rolls wrapped in a paper bag, they were still warm as he baked them first thing in the morning. He made plenty for the entire house but made sure to pack more than enough for the day. Some strawberries, bananas and chocolate with a very small portable stove. His bag was full to the brim by the time it was fully packed with the blanket being the final piece of the puzzle.
Sloane made her way downstairs before anyone else, it seemed like it would only be the two of them going out for the day.
“You’re up early.” She stretched her arms over her head as Dain slid his own arm around her waist to pull her closer to press a kiss to her lips.
“Wanted to get ready for the day, didn’t expect everyone to sleep in.”
Sloane hummed and wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him in for another kiss. The kiss quickly became more intense as Sloane greedily nipped on his bottom lip and Dain’s hands came down to cup the back of her thighs before lifting her up onto the counter. Her legs immediately wrapped around his waist and pulled them closer together.
Dain slipped his hand up into Sloane’s golden waves and gently gripped the hair at the base of her head, using it to anchor her head back and allow him access to her jaw and throat. Sloane let out a whiney moan as she thrust her hips up against his own while his tongue and lips made their way to just below her ear.
“Can you be quiet?” He sucked her earlobe into his mouth while Sloane whimpered again.
“Always.”
It wasn’t until they were in the gondola and Dain had his bag in his lap when Sloane looked at him suspiciously. Dain just raised an eyebrow at her, she looked gorgeous with her hair braided in two long braids under her beanie and helmet with a few loose strands framing her face. Sloane had decided to snowboard instead of skiing but it didn’t change Dain’s plans, he just wanted her with him.
“You’re a little over packed don’t you think?” Her goggles were on the top of her helmet, it allowed Dain to look into the vibrant blue that watched him with such suspicion that Dain couldn’t help but chuckle.
“I like to be prepared. What if we got into an accident?” Sloane never carried anything more than her phone and a mini radio, Dain was not a fan but he carried all of the emergency things anyway.
The look Sloane gave him was more telling than anything she could say. “I think you’ll be off balance and you will cause an accident.”
Dain just smiled and shrugged. “I can keep my balance.”
“So this big and completely full bag is normal? And you’re just going to pretend you’ve been carrying it all week?”
He couldn’t hide the smile on his face, god he loved his woman, his ever perceptive, detail oriented and chaotic woman. “Yes, Lo. I wanted to bring a few extra supplies, you can never be too careful.” Sloane just rolled her eyes at him, clearly not believing a word he said but also she knew better than anyone how prepared Dain liked to be.
“As long as I don’t have to carry it. It looks heavy.”
Dain laughed, “I’ve got it, Love. Don’t worry. I’ve got today planned out.”
Her blue eyes darted to him, narrowing in suspicion… again.
They made their way through the marked runs and to the chair lift to get them higher up the following mountain. He knew where he wanted to take Sloane but it would take a bit of time. Once they exited the chair lift, Dain took the lead, skiing down the initial run before he moved off the path and down the narrow line that wound between trees heavy with snow.
The mountain grew quieter with every turn, the sounds of chair lifts and distant laughter fading until all that remained was the soft hiss of edges on packed powder and the rhythmic pull of breath in cold air.
Dain kept checking back every few seconds, making sure Sloane was close and still following. But Sloane followed him easily, fluid and fearless on her board, weight shifting with instinctive grace. She rode the terrain like she trusted Dain, her shoulders were relaxed, and knees soft as she followed with ease.
And god, she was beyond beautiful doing so.
The sunlight broke through the trees in pale gold ribbons, catching on the snow and throwing sparkles of light into the air. It lit her hair where it escaped her helmet, turning the loose strands an almost golden white. With every cut across his line, snow sprayed up around her boots, laughter trailed from her lips.
At one point she caught him staring and swerved deliberately closer, carving a tight turn that sent snow dusting across his legs.
“Eyes forward.” She grinning over her shoulder.
He huffed a laugh, pushing off harder to keep up with her faster pace. “You’re distracting.”
“That sounds like a you problem.”
They kept moving, Dain leading them to a beautiful clearing that allowed them to look out and over the mountainous view. It was stunning, the sky was clear and the sun was warm.
He had stopped at the alcove of the mountain and Sloane boarded up to him, stopping right next to him as she looked at the view. “Wow.”
Dain smiled, “Come on.” He popped his skis off and walked through the almost too perfect clearing, to the beautiful spot he had planned for the picnic to be at. He leant his skis and poles against the closest tree and began to unpack his bag. Putting the waterproof picnic blanket over the snow and taking a seat. “Are you hungry?”
She crossed the space between them and dropped down beside him, her board and helmet with his. “You planned a whole ass date?”
“I planned lunch.”
Sloane leaned into him, her head on his shoulder in a perfect moment. “I love you,” she murmured, voice warm and unguarded.
His chest felt warm and whole. “I love you too.”
They ate slowly, soaking in the sun and enjoying the moment. Sloane drank the hot chocolate straight from the thermos while she had her legs draped over Dain legs, fresh toe warmers in her boots.
Dain watched her smile, watched her tip her head back to catch the sun on her face, watched the way she existed so completely in every moment. This is what brought him joy, these moments with Sloane. No matter where he was in the world, for the rest of his life this is what he wanted. He wanted to be with the person who brought pure joy into his life.
He knew he was going to spend the rest of his life loving Sloane Mairi.
“Best idea you’ve ever had,” Sloane hummed as Dain had the melted chocolate on the mini stove top while Sloane dipped the strawberries into the now liquid chocolate.
He smiled, eyes never leaving her. “Not even close.” The best idea he ever had was going to be marrying the woman of his dreams.
They lingered longer than Dain had planned for them to, but the mini gas stove acted as a fire and the extra blanket Dain had over their legs and now bootless feet kept them warm with the assurance of the sun that sat comfortably above the peaks. Warm enough that Sloane had unzipped her jacket, her cheeks had the perfect rosy flush to them while Dain’s arm stayed firmly around her waist. She curled closer, feet tucked against his thigh, absently tracing shapes over his hands.
“You realise,” she said lazily, “we’re going to freeze solid if we stay here forever.”
Dain pressed a kiss to the top of her head, breathing her in. “It would be worth it.”
She laughed softly and leaned up to press a slow kiss to his jaw, then his lips, Dain was in heaven.
They wrapped the blanket tighter around themselves and watched the light shift as the sun moved across the sky.
Sloane sighed contentedly. “I don’t want to ever forget this.”
“You won’t.” Dain said, certain.
She tilted her head to look up at him, eyes warm and shining. “You always say things as if they were a promise.”
“They are.” Dain wasn’t afraid of what he wanted. And if had a better plan he would have proposed to her right there and then.
They packed up slowly and reluctantly, hands brushing as they folded the blanket and packed away the thermoses, and all the other things Dain had deemed necessary for their date.
He slugged his bag over his shoulders and double checked to ensure they didn't leave a mess.
Sloane had her helmet loosely on her head. “You ready?”
Dain stepped closer and tied the strap of her helmet, his fingers sliding along her jaw as he pressed a soft kiss to her lips.
They leisurely made their way down the mountain, watching as the sun began to set, casting them in golden light as the sky turned to pinks and purples. They hadn’t talked during the descent, Dain just followed Sloane closely and allowed her to lead the way.
The sun had fully set by the time they arrived back at the cottage. The house was in a state of chaos as it was every night, dinner was being made and voices were loud. Nobody seemed to notice them entering over the chaos, which was possibly a good thing. Cause if someone asked Dain what he had been up to, he’d sure he would have been 100% honest. And he couldn’t do that without confirming if Sloane was also ready for everyone to know.
The following days were quieter, there was low cloud cover which made visibility on the mountains horrible, so they had gone to visit the town and were making a conscious effort to spend time with their friends. They didn’t always get the opportunity to see them all with work and life being busier as they got older. It was hard to find the time, this trip was planned extremely far in advance to ensure as many of them could be here as possible.
It was nice seeing their friends grow up, Xaden and Violet had gotten married a few years earlier, Aaric was on his second PHD, Cat and Trager were only a couple of months away from having their first child, the first of anyone in the group.
Imogen and Garrick had finally started dating shortly after Violet and Xaden’s wedding and were now sitting with Dain in the hot tub and bickering like an old married couple. Which is what they would be if Imogen would allow Garrick to put in legal writing, though she was adamant about not having the government involved.
Dain was content, he loved his life back home, but these moments were everything. The only thing that would have made it better, would have been if Sloane had been here with him. But, Visia and Sloane had gone into town to get a couples massage together and do some shopping. Dain was sure Sloane would return with a number of new candles for both of their apartments.
“You in Aetos?”
Dain frowned and looked to Garrick, “Sorry I missed that. What’s happening?”
“We’re going up the helicopter on Saturday once the storm has passed. You in?”
Dain thought about it for a moment and nodded, “Probably, who’s coming?”
“Us and Liam so far. Probably Mini Mairi since Liam’s going.”
Dain nodded, “Sounds good.” Sloane had been talking about wanting to go up to drop in points but the only way up was via helicopter.
“It’s double black so only a few of us would be able to do it.” Imogen added, almost asking if Dain was capable. Which he was.
Dain was confident in his skills.
When Saturday morning came and Dain, Sloane, Liam, Garrick and Imogen were all sitting in the helicopter, Dain was yawning, and so was Sloane. They had kept each other up all night with an enthusiastic bed marathon that started with Sloane sitting on Dain’s face. Now, neither of them were complaining but Dain knew they were both more tired than normal.
He watched Sloane closely, images of her gripping the sheets as he pounded into her while she did her best to muffle her moans slipped through his mind. He shook his head lightly as though to shake the images away. But when he looked back to Sloane, the smirk on her lips told him she knew exactly what he had been thinking about. Her eyes darted down to his crotch then back to meet his and Dain was even more turned on now. He shouldn’t be but Sloane just did something to him and if they didn’t all have headphones and microphones on he’d be whispering exactly what he was thinking about to her. But he didn’t think it was fair to share his thoughts with all of them.
After a decent amount of eye fucking between the two of them and an a few coughs and eye rolls from Liam, they finally landed at the top.
The run was steep and they had to ensure they took it in turns, Imogen fearlessly went first followed closely by Garrick then Liam. Sloane stood looking over the steep drop in, her breath fogging the air around her head.
“You okay, Love?”
Sloane just nodded, “Yeh, just looks steeper than I was expecting. But I’m okay.”
“I’ll be right behind you. If you want I can hold your hand.” That earned him a sharp glare which Dain just returned with a smile, “You’ve got this.”
Sloane nodded and took a deep breath before looking back at the steep drop. She hopped herself closer before taking another big breath and turning to follow the slope down.
As promised, Dain followed.
Dain kept close to Sloane, allowing her the space she needed to carve her way down the run but still wanting to be near her. By the end of the run Sloane looked confident and loose, all nerves seemed to have swept away as her smile shone bright.
They kept moving through the different runs, they all gained a little more confidence with each run, Garrick getting more cocky with a couple tricks as he entered the different runs.
“Race you to the bottom, Im.” Garrick called, already dropping into the run before Imogen had a chance to strap her boot back in but within seconds she was swearing and following Garrick as fast as possible.
“Okay I’m next!” Sloane called as she shuffled over.
The wind tugged at Sloane’s jacket, her board angled toward the drop, with her knees loose and ready. She looked back at Dain, her smile bright and warm.
“That means you too.” Liam gestured to Dain, he couldn’t help but smile. He and Liam had gotten quite close over the past two and a bit years. They had spent more one on one time together and he had spent enough time in Liam and Sloane’s shared apartment and even had many double dates with him and Jesinia too.
Liam seemed to understand him and Sloane better than he would have thought anyone could. He saw them for who they were and how well they worked together and Dain was eternally grateful for him. Sloane never kept their relationship a secret from Liam, never lying to him about what they were to one another.
Dain followed Sloane, again allowing her the space but also allowing him the best view of all time. Sloane Mairi.
“You coming?” Sloane called.
“Always,” Dain answered, already moving to position himself.
Sloane dropped cleanly into the drop, her board biting into the slope as she carved her first turn with confidence. She moved effortlessly, fast, fluid and fearless, truly beautiful. She cut clean lines through the powder, spraying snow behind her like a wave as she moved.
Dain followed immediately, staying just uphill of her movements, following her line. His eyes between Sloane’s actions and occasionally where he was moving himself. But she was flying, and took up his attention while his body moved like it was second nature.
Sloane glanced back at him, a smile plastered over her face, it was a smile that would have Dain waging war over. She always checked back, making sure Dain was still there, making sure he was also safe.
Sloane turned and continued her show, making perfect turns and masterful decisions that kept her flying.
She turned back again, a bright smile lighting up her face. But then her smile dropped. Just for a moment her face dropped. Then her leg slipped out from under her and Sloane’s balance was gone. She twisted to face forward and then she was down.
“Sloane!” Dain yelled before he was speeding up to catch up to her.
Sloane was flipping and spinning. Head over foot, snow was everywhere as her board caught on the mountain and powder was exploding and so was she. Her arms tried to slow her fall but there was nothing that could slow her down, her feet were now free from her board that was snapped loose.
Dain chased her as fast as he could, his heart pounded so violently it drowned out everything else. He angled his skis straight down and ignored the burn in his thighs, the wind zipped past his face.
He reached out instinctively, arm stretching toward her even though she was still feet ahead, no longer tumbling but now just sliding downhill so quickly. Dain couldn’t stop her, couldn’t slow her down.
She slid on her side, spinning slowly, then slammed into a small ridge and flipped again. Her scream cut through the air, he knew she was scared but it meant she was still conscious. Still breathing.
He was close now, he had closed the distance as he rode parallel against her but he still couldn’t stop her, couldn’t catch her. He was close enough to see her gloves scraping uselessly against the snow to slow her descent.
They came up to a bend in the run but Sloane didn’t turn, she went straight into the trees, coming to a sudden stop after slamming into a large tree sticking out of the snow.
Dain followed and stopped just a few feet away from her and removed his skis running over to her.
“Sloane!”
He heard her cough and cry as he got closer.
“Sloane! I’m here! Don’t move!”
He couldn’t make out her words as she cried, her body lay limp in the snow.
He was sure Liam wouldn’t be far behind him on the radio so Dain dropped to his knees next to where Sloane was curled in the snow.
“Sloane, Love, I need you to listen to me okay. I am right here and I’m going to look after you. But I need you to listen and do as I say.” Dain gently rest his hand over Sloane’s chest, to feel her breathing but also so Sloane knew he was there.
“Keep breathing for me. In from the nose and out through your mouth.” He felt her laboured breathing and tried to listen for any rattles but it was too hard without the right tools.
“Sloane, are you with me?”
A soft whimper of “Yes.”
“Good girl, okay listen to me. I’ve got you, and I know you know all of this but I need you to listen to me, okay. Let me do the work and you do as I say.”
A soft hum of acknowledgment is all he needed. “You’re not going to move okay. But I need your help assessing what’s going on in your body.”
“Hurts.” Sloane cried out and Dain wasn’t surprised, she must be in extreme pain.
“I know, Love. But can you tell me where you are?”
“Hanseloak range.”
“Good. And what day is it?”
“Monday.” She coughed.
“Very good.” He knew just by looking at Sloane that she was injured, her leg was twisted unnaturally and her breathing was uneven. But he couldn’t assume what was wrong, he had to focus and work.
“Talk to me, Lo.” Dain’s voice was soft as his hand still lay gently on her chest. “I need you to focus and without moving, pay attention to your body. Start at your head. Do you feel dizzy? Any ringing in your ears? Blurry vision?”
“No,” she whispered. “Hurts.”
“I know. We’ll get to it one body part at a time.” He brushed snow away from her helmet carefully, ensuring to not move her neck at all.
“Close your eyes and focus. Can you feel your hands?”
A small sniffle came from Sloane before a soft “Yes. They’re cold.”
“That is perfect.” It was cold in the tree shaded area, and even with the adrenaline pumping through both him and Sloane it was getting colder. He quickly pulled out the hand warmers from his bag and gently as possible slipped them into Sloane’s gloves.
“Th-Thank you.” She stuttered out. But it was the least he could do, he didn’t carry pain medications with him and only had his usual first aid kit. She wasn’t bleeding from what Dain could gather and the most he could do would be to stabilise her head and leg.
“Can you tell me what hurts the most?”
She coughed before a small whimper left her lips again. “Leg and chest.”
Before he could respond the snow behind him crunched as he heard Liam’s voice “Sloane!” Dain turned back to see Liam clutching Sloane’s broken board as he looked at her in horror.
“I couldn’t- I don’t-”
Dain cut him off quickly, “Liam, look at me.” Liam’s head snapped to face Dain, he was terrified.
Dain shifted closer to Sloane’s head while Liam moved to where Dain had been next to her, reaching out to hold her hand. “You’re going to call for the ski patrol. Tell them we have had an intense fall, she has a leg injury with possible spinal damage. Request an emergency airlift out.”
Liam nodded, reaching for his own radio, he had never been happier that he made them all carry one. While Liam sent the request out, Dain pulled apart his first aid kit, and grabbed the neck brace.
“Dain.” She let out a soft whisper.
“I am right here, Love. I am not going anywhere okay.” He took his gloves off and gently cupped the back of Sloane’s neck. Gently feeling up the spinal cord to feel for any dislodgements or listening for any gasps from Sloane that could indicate pain.
“You are safe. I’ve got you.” Dain took a steadying breath before he moved slowly and efficiently to place the neckbrace without moving her head or neck.
He heard movement and voices behind him but he didn’t dare to let go of Sloane’s head. He wanted to run his fingers through her hair, hold her properly but keeping her helmet on was the best thing he could do for her.
“Fuck Sloane.” It was Garrick and presumably Imogen.
“Ski patrol are only minutes out.” Liam informed them and Dain wanted to do more, he wanted to splint her leg, lay her on her back properly. But he didn’t move. He just held her head, looking down at her, he couldn’t see her eyes through her polarised goggles but since his goggles were off he knew she could see him. And that was enough for right now.
“Keep breathing for me.”
Sloane let out a staggered breath and whispered, “I’m sorry.”
Dain shook his head, “No, don’t be sorry. Never be sorry.”
By the time ski patrol got to them, Dain hadn’t looked away or let go of Sloane, he kept watch of the way her chest moved, the soft breaths that left her lips and when it was time. Dain gave the patrols the run down “Sloane Mairi, 29 years old, blood AB- and she is allergic to penicillin.” Dain ignored the shocked faces from Garrick and Imogen and continued his assessment. “Suspected injury of the right knee, her breathing is laboured and shallow. Possible spinal injury, though she has feeling in all extremities. She has not lost consciousness and has been responding coherently.” He assisted the patrol in getting Sloane onto the stretcher, but he didn’t help them split her leg, as he did not want to move out of her view.
They wrapped Sloane in the orange rescue bag and maneuvered her out into the clearing, Dain stayed by her head through every moment. The helicopter hovered over head as a the ropes lowered.
“Please step out of the way, you’ll be able to meet her-” One of the patrols began.
“No.” Dain immediately cut him off.
The patroller paused. “Sir-”
“I am not leaving her side.”
“Sir. You need to step aside.”
“He’s a surgeon.” Liam interrupted quickly, “He should be with her.”
“Liam?” Imogen queried but Dain didn’t budge.
“She isn’t going without me. I can assist and will not get in the way. I used to work at HR Memorial Hospital.” Although Dain didn’t look away from Sloane, he heard the patroller sigh.
“Fine. You follow instructions, and won’t interfere.”
Dain nodded once. “Understood.”
Dain did as he was told, he followed instructions and kept out of the way, but he stayed with Sloane, kept talking to her, and made sure she knew he was there at all times.
By the time they got to the hospital, Sloane had been given pain relief and was no longer fully coherent. She was taken away into the familiar emergency rooms and Dain was escorted to the waiting area, and as promised he didn’t get in the way. He knew the attendings who worked here and he trusted them.
The waiting room was bright and noisy. Dain had been on the other side too many times to count, loved ones waiting to hear from him about the status of the person they cared for the most in the world.
But the way he felt, being the person in the waiting room was new, and he hadn’t liked it at all. His knee bounced, eyes closed as all he could see was Sloane falling, he could hear the noise of her scream and cries. He needed to be with her, wanted to be in the room with Sloane, he couldn’t stand to think of her alone.
He scrubbed a hand down his face, and breathed in slowly and measured, but it didn’t help in calming him down. He could catalogue injuries in his sleep, recite protocols backwards, but none of that stopped the cold dread curling in his chest. The sight of Sloane, it was different, it was her.
The doors at the far end of the hall swung open.
Dain stood up instantly.
The woman walking toward him was someone too familiar to him.
“Dr. Hale,” Dain nodded.
Hale’s mouth curved, soft but tired. “I’d like to say it is good to see you, but I’d prefer you come say hi out of want instead of need.”
“Me too.” Dain swallowed. “How is she?”
Hale gestured toward the consult room. “Come on.”
The door shut behind them, muting the world around them. She pulled up the scans on the screen. Dain’s eyes instantly began to examine the scans for any injuries.
“No head injury,” she said first, “No concussion. CT’s clean. The spinal cord is intact. C-spine is clear and has no signs of any concerns.”
Dain exhaled, sharp and unsteady. He hadn’t realised he had been holding his breath.
“Three fractured ribs,” Hale continued. “Painful, but there will be no intervention needed. No pneumothorax. No internal bleeding. Abdomen’s clear.” Dain felt like he could finally breathe again.
Sloane was okay.
“Now for the main issue, right knee MRI shows a partial ACL tear.”
Dain couldn’t help but smile. It meant Sloane didn’t require surgery, She would have a brace and consistent therapy but it wasn’t surgical.
“You already know what that means.” Hale turned to face Dain, “She was very lucky, and with therapy she’ll be just fine. We will keep her overnight for observation but you should be able to take her home tomorrow.”
Sloane was okay, he could take her home.
“Miss Mairi, she is important to you?”
Dain looked from Sloane’s scans to Dr Hale, he didn’t want to lie, but he couldn’t allow their relationship to get back to anyone.
“She’s my friend. We were on the mountain with her brother and some other friends.”
Dr Hale raised her eyebrow, as to say she didn’t believe him, but she just nodded and hadn’t questioned Dain further. Dain was eternally grateful.
“She has been moved into a room for overnight monitoring, it is in the Short Stay Unit, bed 13.”
Dain nodded, “Thank you.”
Dain walked into the dim room, Sloane was laying on the bed looking out the window before her eyes lazily found his. Her smile was dopey and beautiful.
“Dain…” Sloane hummed her hand outstretched to reach for him.
He closed the gap between them quickly, instantly taking her hand in both of his and pressing a kiss to the back of her hand. “How are you feeling?”
“Hmm tired and floaty.”
“Floaty?”
She nodded, eyes gently closing as Dain moved one hand to cup her face.
“You’re okay, I promise.”
“I’m better now.” she nuzzled into his hand and Dain would never be able to express how grateful he was to hold her like this.
“Liam and Visia are on their way too.” He called Liam to update him before entering the room, Liam was going to drive the two of them up in Dain’s car and bring Sloane some clothes to wear once discharged. The hospital had cut through most of her clothing on triage.
“Yay! Liam! Visia!” Sloane opened her eyes looking around the room for them.
“They will be here soon, okay. Get some rest, Love. I will be right here.”
“Promise?”
Dain leant down and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, avoiding the light bruising from her goggles. “Promise.”
Sloane was discharged the following evening and Dain was pedantic about it.
He insisted on the wheelchair. Insisted on the blanket tucked around her to keep her warm. He had even purchased Sloane her own wheelchair that would support her leg until she was well enough to use crutches. He checked her brace twice, then again before he went to lift Sloane from the chair to the car.
When Sloane made a face at him, “I can-”
Dain crouched in front of her, voice calm but unyielding. “You won’t walk without support.”
“Dain-”
“Non. Weight. Bearing,” he reminded, eyes steady. “And your ribs are fractured. If you fall with crutches, you could injure yourself more.”
Sloane stared at him.
“You know he’s right.” Liam had defended every single one of Dain’s decisions. Which seemed to annoy Sloane more than anything else happening in the world.
“Fine.” She huffed.
Dain leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “You can hate me from a seated position.”
The cottage went quiet the moment they opened the door.
Then it erupted.
“SLOANE!” Ridoc’s voice practically shook the rafters as he ran towards them.
“There she is!” Garrick was already rushing forward, his eyes wide and wet. “Oh my god! Oh my god!”
Violet appeared behind him, hand flying to her mouth in shock. Xaden was right there too, expression dark and sharp as he took in the brace, the bruising, the way Sloane’s smile hadn’t quite reached her eyes. Dain had helped her shower at the hospital but he knew she still looked worse for wear.
Jesinia pushed through the crowd gently, eyes bright with concern as she signed “We saved you dinner. And made the perfect spot for you on the recliner.”
Sloane’s eyes softened. “Thank you.” she signed back.
“Alright, move you a lot. You can overwhelm her once she's comfortable.” Dain moved to pick Sloane up and out of the chair but she looked at him horrified.
“What are you doing?”
“Carrying you.”
“No.”
Dain’s eyes narrowed. “Yes.”
“Dain.” Sloane crossed her arms across her chest and winced at the pain.
“See, you’ve made my point.” Dain didn’t wait again before lifting her effortlessly and laying her on the recliner and wrapping the blanket around her. He ignored the odd glances from the others, he really did not care at this point.
“Do you need anything? Another blanket? A movie? Book? Food?”
Sloane just rolled her eyes at him, “Food please and for you to stop mothering.”
Dain looked her straight in the eyes. “No.”
But of course he got her food, and Dain became Sloane’s personal buttler, maid, hair stylist, chef, transport, he was her everything for the rest of the trip. He’d ensure that she took her medication when necessary, that she ate consistently and would do daily vitals checks. He was relentless, the others stopped asking if he wanted to go skiing with them as his answer never changed.
He had even insisted on her sleeping in her shared room with Visia again as he didn’t want to accidentally knock her knee or ribs in bed. Though he may or may not have fallen asleep in a chair next to Sloane or on the floor next to the bed one or two times.
It had been a week of Dain’s hovering and methodical care taking. Sloane was in her usual position of sitting on the couch watching some reality show about religious moms. Cat could often be found sitting comfortably on the sofa when she and Trager were not on their one of many daily walks. Cat and Sloane had gotten closer since they were both more sloth like then they would prefer.
Dain was cleaning up after making up lunch for them, a simply creamy chicken pasta with garlic bread. Trager and Cat had decided on taking their walk down in the town and Jesinia and Liam were in the hot tub while everyone else was out skiing.
“Dain!” Sloane called, which immediately had Dain putting down what he was doing, washing his hands and moving as quickly to Sloane as he could.
“Everything okay?” His eyes surveyed her, checking she had fallen or anything had gone wrong.
“Come sit.” She patted the spot next to her on the couch, she was sprawled out on the chaise and Dain did as requested and sat next to her. “Better.”
Dain frowned and Sloane didn’t say anything more, just just wrapped the blanket over them both and cuddled into his side.
“Sloane?”
“Shh. It’s relaxing time.” She cuddled in closer, her arm wrapping around his middle and her head on his chest.
“Sloane? Baby, I need to clean up.”
“It can wait. Right now, I want you here and I want you to relax. I am not your patient and we are still on vacation. So shush. Watch the show and cuddle your girlfriend.”
Dain couldn’t argue with that, he couldn’t argue that Sloane was wrong, because she wasn’t. They were still on vacation and Dain missed holding her close. So that’s what he did. He wrapped his arms around her and leant down to press a kiss to the top of her head.
“I love you.” Sloane hummed.
“I love you too.” Dain whispered into her hair and held her a little tighter.