Richie winced, trying to keep from crying out but a small whimper escaped from his chest anyway. The movement hurt but he was grateful anyway. He knew that he wasn't a small kid, all awkward angles and too-long limbs, but he felt small then, curled in his new mother's arms, bleeding and a little bit broken.
Their voices helped, soft and soothing and the complete opposite of the hard, harsh words that had come from Higgs. They gave him something to try and focus on, something to ground him and keep him from slipping back to sleep or unconsciousness, whichever came first. He clung to her with as much strength as he could pull together, and nodded, just a little.