iamhismummy | (no subject)

"I think his other foot's fine", Nancy says, taking the boy's injured side and slipping her arm through his and around him with easy practicality. "Can you walk on it, Tommy?"

"...think so." He tests it, hopping a pace or so.

"All right. Karolina, if you could hang on to him, make sure he doesn't fall over...?"

She hasn't even noticed herself taking charge.

Karolina has though. It remindsher a bit like Nico, and makes her smile inwardly.

Then she smiles at Tommy and squeezing his hand fondly.

"We're good."

"Then let's go", Nancy says with a satisfied nod. "Before the wardens come to see what's going on. We know the way."

Karolina nods, and comes along with them, watching Tommy all the time.

"What is that place? Just a shelter?"

"What place? Where we found this one?" She nudges Tommy affectionately, careful not to jar his leg. "Yeah. Just a place to spend the night, but he knows he's not supposed to do that without telling someone where, in case something like this happens."

He gets a stern look, and looks abashed.

"It's hard to remember, right?" Karolian asks.

"Our friend Molly, she vanaished of with a boy we hadn't even met. Didn't understand why we wre so mad when she got back."

Nancy chuckles. "I can't keep track of the kids all the time. But I know my regulars."

"We've only got the six of us," Karolina says. "So we get protective."

"Makes sense. Is it easier, with a little group like that?"

"I guess so?" Karolina guesses. "I mean, I don't know how hard it'd be with lots."

"It's not always easy", Nancy says tiredly, with a smile down at Tommy to make sure he knows she's not angry. "Used to be it was just me and Jamie, but then I found all the others, and I can't just turn my back on them."

"Of course you can't," Karolina agrees. "Jamie's your brother?"

"Yeah", she says with a nod. "He's the littlest out here. Not four and a half yet."

Karolina smiles.

"When did you lose your parents?"

"When Jamie was a baby", she says quietly. "I left. They'd've taken Jamie away if they'd found us, and he's all I've got."

It's the closest she can come to not lying to her new friend.

Karolina, luckily, is very trusting.

"I know," she agrees. "That's why I ran away from my foster home."

"To find your friends", Nancy says, glancing over Tommy's head at the other girl. "You said."

Karolina nods.

"I just meant, I know that you'd have to stay together. When the only thing you have in the world is each other."

"Yeah", Nancy says quietly. "You understand."

She looks up into the night sky.

"Look, Tommy, there's the hospital. Almost there."

Karolina squeezes Tommy's hand and glances over his head at Nancy. "There won't be police at the hospital?"

"Shouldn't be, unless we're really unlucky. The doctor won't call them on us, I know him."

"Good," Karolina says. "That's good."

"It's the others we've got to worry about", Nancy adds, a note of more strain coming into her voice. "But this time of night, before the raids start, they shouldn't be too busy, should be easy enough to get in."

"Nancy, you could always le - "

"No, Tommy." It's sharp, and brooks no argument.

Karolina looks from one to the other, and doesn't ask.

"Can I help anywhere else?"

Nancy smiles ruefully.

"Feel like being a distraction?"