Rose nodded. “Okay.” It was good that he stayed. She figured she would find her center again in the bright emergency room, but in the dark, almost abandoned street she felt oddly jumpy. She could only imagine how Katherine felt. Speaking of, she climbed to her feet and slipped an arm tightly around Katherine's own to help her up. “C'mon,” she murmured, “let's get you up and checked out.”
Katherine was half-pulled to shaky feet before she leaned on Rose to steady herself. Then they stepped a few feet to the curb. “Thank you,” said Rose, her attention turning from the street to Cloud. “Just . . . thanks for coming with me.” Rose didn't want to say it or think it even, but she was pretty sure they both knew how things would have gone if he hadn't been there.