Page 82 of Midnight
‘You shouldn’t do that, honey. You know the plane rule – put on your oxygen mask before helping somebody else.’
Olivia laughed. ‘This is hardly an oxygen-mask situation. Let me help you.’
‘Well, of course I will. But you shouldn’t make a habit of this, you know. Or before you know it you’ll have spent your whole life helping other people and you won’t have left any time at all for yourself.’
Olivia’s laughter died away. She gave Patty a tight smile instead, then thrust the shovel into the ground. In the meantime, Patty shook out their bivvy sacks.
She found it strangely comforting to dig, listening tothe crunch as the metal slid through the snow. Sweat beaded on her forehead, her muscles aching, and she felt tired – but it wasn’t fear or worry or stress driving it for once. It felt good.
‘That’s about the right depth,’ Liam said, over her shoulder. ‘Just need it a bit longer so you can stretch out.’
‘Thanks. This one is for Patty. Must be annoying having to oversee us amateurs. And manage that.’ She gestured with a tilt of her head over to Cutler, who was barking at Melissa – the one doing most of the work digging out his bed for the night.
‘That’s sort of what I was talking about before. My dream is to land a permanent gig on a small expedition ship. Maybe even a yacht like that one you were talking about – theClarissa II.I can’t believe Melissa traded private charters for a big corporate cruise line; she’s nuts. Some companies offer mountaineering and skiing experiences in Antarctica. I could be climbing Mount Banck right now.’ He gestured towards the mountain rising up behind Brown Base. ‘More bespoke adventure. More money too. Time off to go back home for the summers. Maybe run my own business. That would even give me an opportunity to find someone, start a family, while still doing what I love.’
‘Sounds perfect.’
‘It’s the dream.’ He tilted his head towards the light, absorbing the sun’s golden glow. ‘But more likely I’ll take whatever guiding job’s available, get paid fuck all, and then get suckered into doing stupid things that get me into trouble. Like with that bottle.’
Olivia cringed. ‘No, I wasn’t going to say that. It sounds wonderful. Just totally out of my wheelhouse. I picked acareer with a really set path, exams to pass – we even have a code of conduct we have to abide by.’
From a short distance away, Cutler swore at Melissa. Liam looked over his shoulder and cracked his knuckles. ‘I’d better go make sure everything is OK. I’ve got a code of conduct too. Or else that guy wouldn’t keep running his mouth.’
She watched him retreat, thinking of everything he had to deal with – all the responsibility. Her job was hard work too, but ultimately she shied away from leadership. There were always checks and balances in her role. Always someone else to look over, verify and confirm her work.
Ever since that night on the yacht, when her father had trusted her with the night watch, she’d feared responsibility. He’d trusted her and she’d failed.
The consequence had been the worst thing she could imagine. That night on theClarissahad defined the rest of her life.
Above her head, a skua circled. She thought of the little gentoo penguin chicks that swarmed along the shoreline, hoping they’d all survive the night. The lights of the ship reflected on the still water of the bay, looking so warm and comforting, like a Christmas tree. It didn’t look as if someone dangerous was on board.
A fierce gust of wind hit her back. Her foot slipped on the edge of the hole she’d dug out for Patty. She cried out, tumbling backwards into the snow.
‘Are you OK?’ Patty cried out.
Olivia winced, but she moved her legs gingerly; she wasn’t hurt. She sat up and caught Liam looking out past the mountains. The frown on his face gave her pause.
‘What’s his problem?’ Janine asked, looking up from where she’d been digging next to them.
‘No idea. That wind was strong, though. I hope the weather doesn’t turn on us.’
‘They don’t seem too concerned,’ said Patty.
She was right. Melissa was standing with Maxwell and Lucinda, helping them lay out their bivvy sacks. She didn’t seem that concerned about things in the same way that Liam was. When Melissa caught Olivia’s eye, she glanced over Patty’s sleeping set-up and nodded.
She gave Melissa a thumbs up.
‘You’re good at this,’ said Janine, raising an eyebrow.
‘What qualifies an actuary to be so good at expedition life?’ asked Patty.
Olivia smiled. ‘Absolutely nothing! But I learned some things from my dad. He loved the outdoors. When he wasn’t off sailing, he used to build snow caves in the mountains back home in Scotland.’
‘You must be excited to tell him all about this when you get back,’ said Patty.
‘He passed away when I was young.’
‘Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize, so stupid of me.’ Patty frowned. ‘Look at us, grieving in our own way. I think we were meant to be in this cabin together. We should call ourselves “The Lost Girls”.’