Heather walked to us holding her arm. “Sorry” I apologized. “You did what was needful”, she said, “your wounds need attention”. “Later. Help me with this” I said tugging at the ropes. We finally got it loose and Helen fell into my arms. She coughed at first then she started crying. I lost my control and cried with her. Seeing her like this breaks my heart. “Shhh! It’s fine now”. I said stroking her hair. She sobbed louder. I can't imagine what she went through.
We stayed that way for a while. She removed her head from my shoulder and wiped her tears. “I’m glad you’re okay”, she mustered, “I was terrified that you were next or Bill”. “Can you worry about yourself for once?” I asked trying my best to smile. That’s Helen for you. She wants to be tough for us but really, she’s a big softie.
Aksara