Nansich sobbed hard into Jian's shirt, the sleeves of his tattered hoodie damp from tears and snot. After a long moment, he suddenly pulled away, his small hands gripping Jian's arms.
"My grandpa… my grandpa…" he gasped, voice cracking into high-pitched desperation.
Before Jian could speak, Nansich tried to scramble to his feet. But his legs buckled the moment he stood. He stumbled forward awkwardly and collapsed against the floorboards with a thud, groaning in frustration.
"I need to go to him!" he yelled, trying again, crawling now as if the sheer force of his will would move his numbed limbs. "He told me to hide! When that thing came in… he—he made me hide! He knocked me out—I didn't get to say anything—I—"
His words broke down into ragged sobs.
Jian's eyes widened. His throat closed up.
Without thinking, he wrapped his arms tightly around Nansich from behind, pulling the trembling boy back into his chest.
