Annie rushed to John, who was shivering violently in nothing but boxer shorts and an irretrievably torn shirt, and helped him out of the tunnel while Mark moved to Alfred, whom, Annie saw when she got closer, John had put into the recovery position. Moments later, Georgina rushed down the stairs with two bulging paramedic rucksacks and two thermal foil blankets, one of which she handed straight to Annie, before she disappeared into the tunnel.
“Hot sweet tea is on the way!” Georgina trilled.
“I thought you’d drowned,” Annie whispered, barely holding back sobs. She unwrapped the blanket and draped it around his shoulders; it reached down as far as his ankles. When she had swaddled him as well as any Christmas turkey, she made him sit on the stone stairs, despite his protestations that he had to see if Alfred was okay.
Georgina poked her head around the door. “Sit tight there, John,” said Georgina. “I’ll be with you in a minute.”
“Is Alfred okay?” John asked. His voice was hoarse.
“We’re helping him now,” Georgina replied noncommittally.
Annie pulled the blanket more tightly around him. “Are you okay?” she asked.
John looked at her and tried to smile through chattering teeth. “I’ve probably swallowed more than the recommended daily amount of seawater,” he said, and bent double, coughing hard. Annie sat herself next to him on the cold stone step and rubbed his back.
“You stupid sod!” She half laughed, choking back tears. “Who does that? Who throws themselves into a raging storm like that?”
“Me, apparently,” he replied. “I couldn’t leave him out there to drown.”
“I know,” said Annie quietly. “I know. I can’t decide whether to kiss you or punch you.”
“I think the rocks gave me enough of a beating for one day,” he said.
“I’m coming down with tea!” came Maeve’s voice from above.
She reached them, and Maeve handed a steaming mug to John, who took it with shaking hands.
“Get that down you, boy!” she said.
John did as he was told.
Maeve looked around. “What about Alfred?”
“They’re still treating him,” said Annie.
Maeve was quiet. Annie knew she was worried.
“Right ho,” said Maeve. “I’ll go and fill the troops in. Let me know when you’re done with that one, John, and I’ll make you another.”
Annie turned her attention to John. His legs and arms were a mass of cuts and scrapes, and Annie didn’t doubt that he’d have some royal bruises by morning. She put her arm around him and pulled him close. John leaned into her, his hands wrapped around his mug of tea. His hair smelled of cold winter walks. They sat that way for five minutes or more before they heard coughing and the low grumbling sound of Alfred’s voice. Annie let out a breath she hadn’t known she was holding, and John perked his head up like a dog who’s just heard his master’s voice. Above Alfred’s protestations came the soothing tones of Georgina’s calm voice and Mark’s jolly quips. John went to get up, but Mark appeared round the door.
“Right,” he said, smiling broadly. “Your turn.”
“I’m fine,” said John, his voice still gravelly.
“Would you mind letting me be the judge of that?” asked Mark cheerfully. “Only my bosses get terribly upset if I let accident victims diagnose themselves.”
Annie smiled and John offered the closest approximation he could muster.
“How’s Alfred?” asked Annie, straining her neck to see if she could see around the door.
“He’s doing really well considering,” said Mark. “We’re going to take him to hospital to get him checked over by a doctor.”
“He won’t like that,” said John.
“So I’ve noticed,” Mark replied.
“He struggles with being kept inside,” said Annie, quietly enough that she hoped Alfred wouldn’t hear her. “If you see what I mean.”
“Gotcha,” said Mark. “Thanks for letting me know. We are going to have to take him in, but we’ll let A&E know, and we’ll be as sensitive to his needs as we can be.”
Annie was worried that a spell in hospital would send Alfred into another spiral like the one that led him to this situation in the first place, but when Georgina popped her head around the door and said brightly, “Okay, Mark. Ready when you are!” and there was no sound of Alfred grumbling, Annie surmised that Georgina had worked her charms on her curmudgeonly friend.