Page 21 of Scars of Trust
I watched her longer than I should’ve.
The way she steadied the little girl’s trembling hands.
The calm in her voice while the world outside tried to kill us.
The way people automatically looked at her when they were scared.
Dangerous thing to notice.
I dragged my attention away and checked my weapon instead.
“We’re low on ammo,” Clay muttered from beside the door.
“Noted.”
Across the room, Hannah crouched beside Olivia. “What do you need?”
“Water first,” Olivia said, already checking the girl’s pulse. “Then antibiotics if we still have any left.”
She spoke without hesitation.
No panic.
No wasted movement.
Like chaos was something she knew how to survive inside.
Then suddenly—
She stopped.
Barely noticeable.
A hitch in movement.
A stillness that didn’t belong.
I saw it immediately.
Olivia lunged toward another child lying near the wall.
“Russ!” she snapped. “Light. Now.”
I was moving before she finished talking.
The flashlight beam landed where she needed it.
The boy couldn’t have been older than seven.
His skin had gone gray.
Chest barely moving.
“What happened?” I asked.
“He’s crashing.”
Her hands pressed against his chest.
