Reid hates to admit it to himself but he is relieved when the boy with the broken arm - Eric, he reminds himself - finally stops crying. The noise has been getting on his nerves ever since they started out again, the slow, steady climb almost as exhausting as scaling a mountain in the condition they are in.
Part of him wonders when he got so heartless while his practical side whispers about sucking it up and privately telling the boy to quit being such a baby. His need to protect them, trained into him it seems, only goes so far but he refuses to let any of that annoyance show. No way is he giving any of these kids a reason to feel any worse than they already do.
Besides, Reid refuses to give Marcus the satisfaction of knowing they bug the crap out of him.
It's not long before they enco
