46

Jenna sat on the corner of the bed, her hand inside Kai's weak grip. It felt foreign seeing him so vulnerable. So weak.

He gave her a thin smile as he looked up at her. "You can go home, you know? You don't have to stay here the whole time."

"I want to stay," Jenna insisted. She felt like he would disappear again if she let him out of her sight.

'I can't believe Jacob is dead," Kai muttered. "I've never seen anyone die before. It—"

"It was—" Jenna agreed, though neither of them could find the word.

There were no words for the sinking, dark feeling that was creeping up inside her brain. It was always there, lurking in the shadows of her mind, even if she wasn't actively thinking about it.

'It will go away,' she assured herself. 'It can't stay forever.'

The doctor had mentioned counselling, and while Jenna had been happy to accept the help, Kai had refused. He said he didn't need to talk about anything that had happened, or that he would find a friend to talk to about it.

He wouldn't