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Amrita sighed happily as she and Jamie walked towards Hudsbury’s main square. It was another beautiful spring day, her body was aching in all the best ways possible, and the man responsible for it was holding her hand and grinning at her every time their eyes met, and stopping to kiss her at every road, doorway and other opportunity that he could think of.

It was complete and utter clichéd bliss. The sun seemed warmer – and laced with golden light – birds seemed to sing more happily, and the blossom seemed to smell sweeter, lacing the air with delicate fragrance.

It was lovely to be in love, and she was looking forward to a lazy Sunday.

They heard the thunder just before the scream.

The horse raced past, young rider flailing, her foot caught in the stirrup. The scream came afterwards, as she was catapulted through the air and slammed into the cobblestones.

Amrita skidded to her knees by the girl before she stopped to think. ‘Try not to move. You need to stay still. Can you tell me your name?’

‘Su… Susan.’

‘Hi, Susan. My name’s Amrita. I’m trained in first aid. Can you tell me where it hurts?’

‘My leg and chest. And I banged my head.’ She went to move, to touch her head, and Amrita carefully but firmly stopped her. ‘You need to stay still. Can I check? Don’t nod. Do you remember banging your head when you fell?’

‘I think so.’

‘What do you need?’ Jamie was at her back – supportive.

‘Help. Medics.’ She kept her voice low, trying not to scare Susan.

He squeezed her shoulder. Then she was alone with her new – scared and hurting – patient.

‘Right, Susan, I’m just going to – very gently – check you over. All you have to do is concentrate on staying really still, OK?’

‘’K.’

Crimson wetness on her fingers from beneath Susan’s hair made Amrita grit her teeth. Not what she wanted to see. She scrubbed her fingers on her jeans. ‘Does your neck hurt?’

‘Yeah.’

Amrita checked down the girl’s arms. ‘Can you feel me touching your hands? Can you squeeze my fingers?’ She waited a few moments. ‘Susan? Open your eyes. Look at me!’

Her eyes fluttered and locked on Amrita.

‘Good girl. Can you squeeze my fingers?’ Her hands tightened, but the left felt shakier and weaker. ‘OK. Can you feel my hands touching your knees? Susan? Susan, open your eyes. Crap.’ Amrita checked her breathing – then shrugged off her coat and draped it over the girl. Best she could do now was monitor her respiration and stabilise her head – moving now could damage her spine and be disastrous. ‘It’s OK, Susan. I know this feels weird, but help is on the way.’

She barely flinched when a blur of whitish-blonde feathers whistled through the air and a warm weight hit her shoulder. She had more important things to focus on. She kept her hands steady, making sure Susan didn’t move. There was nothing else she could do. She’d been taught that was the right thing – stillness to protect from any further harm – even though her instincts screamed at her to do something.

She had to help. She was the only option the girl had. There had to be something she could do.

Stay calm. Still. Protect. Steady her. Do not fight this. You know what you are doing. Just stay steady.

The words echoed in her mind. She didn’t know where they came from, but they were sensible and the only advice she had. She repeated the words, a mantra. Focussed fiercely on that. Susan would be fine. She just had to stay focussed. Protecting. Steadying.

Something weird twisted deep inside Amrita – a sensation she couldn’t understand or explain – and heat flooded through her, a gentle, stable stream that she felt deep in her bones. It rushed through her hands, ebbing and flowing as she breathed – calm and steady – and the world around her seemed to slow and fade as her entire focus fixed and locked on her patient. The warmth spread further, sliding under Susan’s skin, turning into heat. It wasn’t as simple as just the heat of skin through clothing: it was deeper, heavier, steadier – like being wrapped in the arms of someone you loved when all you needed was a hug.

Somewhere, part of her mind wondered if she shouldn’t be worrying about what was happening – the strangeness of it all and how her strength was being poured into a girl she’d never met before by some force she didn’t understand – but whatever it was felt as natural, and as unstoppable, as breathing. And the voice that wasn’t a voice was still there. Just stay steady.

The feeling grew, spreading further, and within a few breaths, Susan’s breathing stabilised, matching Amrita’s own.

‘Whatever you’re doing, don’t stop. It’s helping,’ Rayenne reassured her as she arrived and knelt beside her. ‘And more help is coming. Just a little longer.’

Amrita nodded. She couldn’t speak. It would have broken her concentration.

A few seconds – or maybe long minutes – later she was vaguely aware of another conversation around her. The horse had been caught and calmed. It was fine. The speaker with the odd voice that vibrated through Amrita’s mind was going to help.