Chapter 14
“What happened to your foot?”
Hilda looked up. Gabriel stood before her, kneeling to examine her ankle.
“Can you stand?”
Hilda shook her head repeatedly. The pain was intense now, a sharp contrast to the earlier numbness brought on by the turmoil in her mind. Tears welled in her eyes, rendering her immobile.
Gabriel exhaled and straightened. He instructed Hilda to climb onto his back, promising to carry her to the clinic.
He took one of Hilda’s hands and placed it on his shoulder. Without hesitation, Hilda climbed onto his back, her arms wrapping around his neck like a child’s. A grateful “Thank you” escaped her lips.
In the distance, Fiona’s eyebrows shot up as she witnessed the scene. She shook her head, a silent observer of this tender moment.
Fiona’s gaze lingered on
