Faint voices floated around Sumiko as her ears picked up the murmurs.
"Who's that little girl?" Elena whispered.
"We found her in the prison cell," Jaxon said urgently. "We have to help her, quick."
"She's severely undernourished." Elaine's voice trembled. "What do we do?"
"Check for wounds first," Elena spoke. "Make sure she isn't hurt."
"Her clothes… they're soaked and filthy," Elaine murmured. "We need to clean her… and feed her."
Gently, they rolled her onto her side. Sumiko felt cool, damp cloths brushing against her thin arms and legs as they cleaned small scrapes and bruises. Every touch was careful and deliberate, like they were afraid to wake her.
Sumiko felt something soft brush her lips. A thin, warm liquid touched her mouth, but her mind was fogged with exhaustion.
"Jun… where are you?" she whispered weakly.
"Shh… it's okay," Isabel soothed, brushing her dark hair back from her face. "Just rest."
