She had an open wound at her right temple, and blood matted in her hair. Her skin was so pale, it frightened him.
"Why won't she wake up?" he asked Percy. "What if—?" He forced the words out. "What if she dies?"
"She won't," Percy said fiercely. "We'll find someone to help."
Matthias began struggling to get back on his feet, but his legs felt useless now, his arms could no longer lift Alia.
"Stop it," Percy said. "You're too tired. You'll drop her, and that will be worse. Get some sleep and we'll walk more later. I'll watch over Alia."
Matthias wanted to protest, to tell Percy, No, let's keep going. But his eyes were already closing, his mind already slipping into a nightmare.
If Alia dies, he thought, with his last burst of consciousness, it will be my fault.
Chapter Four
When Matthias woke up, hours later, Percy was crouched beside him, staring off into space. Matthias would have expected Percy to say, Good morning, or Feeling better? or, best of all, Alia's going to be all right.
Instead, Percy blinked once and said in a flat voice, "Samuel would have stopped and helped those other kids."
Matthias felt as though Percy had stabbed him right through the heart. Of course Samuel would have helped the other kids injured by the falling tree — the kids injured because of Matthias plunging the nail into the tire. Even if it meant getting caught himself, Samuel would have I ended their wounds, stroked their brows, comforted I hem. Even if they were going to die anyway, he would have stayed by their side until the very end.
Oh, dear Lord, Matthias prayed. Did some of those kids die because of me?