The broken word jolted through her like lightning.
Mira's head snapped toward the sofa. Toby had stirred, his eyes half-open and glazed with fever. His lips trembled as he tried to wet them, catching no moisture.
"Toby!" She dropped her bundle, the cloth-wrapped wooden piece thudding softly against the floorboards, forgotten. She rushed to his side, kneeling beside the sofa so fast her knees protested the impact.
Her hands hovered over him, afraid to touch and somehow make it worse. "I'm here, baby. I'm right here."
"It... hurts..."
Toby's voice cracked, barely audible. His small hand lifted and reached blindly for her.
Mira grabbed it instantly, pressing it between both of hers like she could pour strength into his bones through touch alone. "I know. I know it hurts, sweetheart. But the lord is going to help you. He's getting medicine right now."
"Mother... are we..." Toby's eyes struggled to focus, lashes heavy and sticking together. "...safe?"
