Blood From a Stone (265 page)

H
e
s
t
a
r
ed
at
her
f
or
a
m
o
m
ent
as
a
f
ee
li
ng  of
w
ea
k
ness
w
ashed
o
v
er
h
i
m
.
“I
t
h
i
nk
I
’
m
g
o
i
ng
t
o
ha
v
e
t
o
g
o
l
ay do
w
n
soon,”
he
sa
i
d
qu
i
e
tl
y
.
“
I
t’l
l
g
et
w
o
r
se
as
t
he
day
w
ea
r
s
on.”

S
he
nodded
and
s
t
ood
up,
w
r
app
i
ng her
a
r
m
s
a
r
ound h
i
s
w
a
i
st
and
bu
r
y
i
ng her
head
i
n
h
i
s
ches
t
.
S
he
s
t
r
u
gg
l
ed
t
o ho
l
d
back
her
t
ea
r
s,
but
i
t
w
as
use
l
ess
as
she
b
e
g
a
n
sobb
i
ng
i
n h
i
s
a
r
m
s.

H
e
d
r
a
gg
ed
i
n
a
r
a
gg
ed
b
r
ea
t
h
as
he
wa
s
h
i
t
w
it
h a
w
a
v
e of
pa
i
n shoo
ti
ng
t
h
r
ou
g
h a
l
l
of
h
i
s
ne
r
v
es
and
m
usc
l
es.

“
L
e
t’
s
g
et
y
ou 
t
o 
t
he
bed,”
she
sa
i
d
so
ftl
y
w
i
p
i
ng a
w
ay
her
t
ea
r
s
w
it
h
a
r
ene
w
ed
r
eso
l
v
e
t
o
s
t
ay
s
tr
o
n
g
f
or
h
i
m
i
n
t
h
i
s
ti
m
e
w
hen he needed her
m
os
t
.

H
e nodded and
f
o
ll
o
w
ed her
do
w
n
t
he ha
l
l
t
o
t
he bed
r
oo
m
.

H
e
l
a
i
d
do
w
n
and
s
li
d
back
as
she
co
v
e
r
ed
h
i
m
w
it
h
a hea
v
y
qu
il
t
and
c
li
m
bed
i
n
next
t
o
h
i
m
tr
y
i
ng
t
o
w
a
r
m h
i
s sh
i
v
e
ri
ng bod
y
.
“
L
a
t
er
on,
a
ft
er
da
r
k
,
y
ou
’r
e
g
o
i
ng
t
o
ha
v
e
t
o d
ri
v
e
m
e
t
o
t
he
g
r
a
v
e
y
a
r
d on
L
a
k
e
v
i
e
w
.
T
he
o
l
d chu
r
ch
t
he
r
e….
t
ha
t’
s
w
he
r
e
I
s
it
.
We
ha
v
e
t
o
g
et
m
e
t
he
r
e
be
f
o
r
e
I
l
ose
t
he
s
tr
en
g
t
h
t
o
c
li
m
b
t
o
t
he
r
oo
f
,
because
i
f
I
’
m
on
t
he
g
r
ound
t
hey
m
ay
tr
y
t
o
m
o
v
e
m
e
so
m
e
w
he
r
e
e
l
se.
A
l
l
m
y be
l
on
g
i
n
g
s;
e
v
e
r
y
t
h
i
ng
I
o
w
n
i
s bu
ri
ed
t
he
r
e.”

“
B
u
t
…I
w
ant
t
o
be
next
t
o
y
ou
w
hen
i
t
happens,”
she sa
i
d so
ftl
y
.

H
e
s
m
il
ed.
“I 
k
no
w
.
B
ut
I  don
’
t
see
h
o
w
,
u
n
l
ess
y
ou
’r
e
w
illi
ng
t
o s
i
t
up
t
he
r
e on
t
hat
fr
ee
z
i
ng
co
l
d
r
oo
f
.”

S
he
nodded.
“
I
’l
l
b
ri
ng
a
l
adde
r
…
w
ha
t
e
v
er
I
ha
v
e
t
o do
t
o
g
et
up
t
he
r
e.
A
nd
a
b
l
an
k
e
t
.
I
’
m
not
l
ea
v
i
ng
y
our
s
i
de un
ti
l
it’
s
o
v
e
r
.
A
nd
e
v
en
t
hen….”
her
v
o
i
ce
tr
a
il
ed o
f
f as she
m
o
v
ed c
l
oser
t
o h
i
s
cool
bod
y
.