"No, no, no, let me sit here for a bit, catch my breath—" I waved my hands repeatedly, sitting down stiffly nearby, my kneecap still aching intensely.
People came up from behind and showed their concern when they saw what happened.
I didn't want to dampen everyone's spirits, so I forced a smile and assured them I was fine, urging them to continue climbing without waiting for me.
After they all left, I winced, sucking in air through my teeth, carefully pulling up my hiking pants—sure enough, my knee was injured.
Even through the fabric, it was a mess of bruises, and the skin in the middle of my kneecap was broken and bleeding.
Cherry saw tears streaming down my face from the pain and felt guilty and remorseful, "Ms. Lily, I'm sorry, it's all my fault."
"It's okay, it was an accident, don't blame yourself." I quickly consoled her.
