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"Oh I see" She gave him another close look, then seeloves, she laid two fingers on his neck at the angle of his jaw "Sorry I’m Hannah I’m here to help you Let me check your pulse"

"H-how" His throat clicked when he sed "How b-bad"

"Shh" Her lips moved as she silently counted the seconds on her atch "How’s your breathing?"

"H-hurts Hard to"

"To breathe? Like you can’t pull in enough air?" Her gray gaze studied his face "What about pain?"

"Like nuh-nuh-knives" He gri"

"Harder to breathe?" When he moved his head in an incremental nod, she continued, "Is the pain worse on one side?"

"R-right" He closed his eyes a ers traced the huray eyes clouded "Where else does it hurt?"

"St-stoht choke "B-b-back"

"The back, I’d expected That door’s very heavy Can you move your toes?"

It hadn’t occurred to him to try Had he before he passed out? He focused, sent the command down to his feet After a few anxious seconds, he felt the bunching of wool, but the sensation was very distant, as if the signal were being relayed on a very long and sluggish cable "Yes"

"Okay," she said, although Chris thought her expression didn’tto slide my hand under and press on your stoentle as I can, but I have to check, okay?"

He steeled hian working their way along his right side When she pressed, he winced "That hurts?" she asked, those eyes never leaving his face "How about?" She abruptly pushed in, then let go

"Ugh!" A bolt of nausea streaked up his throat, and he could feel sudden tears oiling down his cheeks "D-dondon’t"

"Okay, okay" She touched a hand to his cheek "Try to relax"

"Jus" He was shuddering, and that only et et me"

"We will," she said He wasn’t sure if it was his panic, but it seeoing to get you soht? Are you thirsty?"

"Y-yes, but d-don’t leavedon’t leave m-me here" He heard how freaked he sounded, and didn’t care The fear and a sudden sensation of doom draped him in a dense, airless mantle "Puhplease"

"Of course not Try not to panic, Chris Just letaway, she rolled, pushed back a corner of the eency blanket, and called, "I need my water bottle, please"

"Which one?" It was the older boy, Jayden

"Left saddlebag"

A pause "Okay," Jayden said, at the same moment that Ellie said, "What? Wait--"

Hannah cut her off "Eli, I think you and Ellie should make sure we’re in the clear"

"In the clear," Ellie began

"Okay," the younger boy, Eli, said "Come on, Ellie"

"No, don’t," Ellie said Her tone was sharp and--through the filter of Chris’s fear--angry, verging on horrified "You know it’s--" Whatever else she was going to say was lost in the crunch of snow as someone, probably Eli, took her aside

Upset Why? He watched as Hannah took a Nalgene bottle that was passed through, tugged out a long drinking tube, and slid the mouthpiece to his lips "Here," she said

Both the water’s scent, warm yet somehoeet and earthy, and the screa his fear and apprehension vanished Yet he was so horribly weak that when he pulled at the ue before dribbling from the corner of his mouth