Overexertion

“How many times did you have to use it, my friend?” he asks as he settles onto the grass beside her. She opens her eyes and he looks unharmed, hale and healthy. That had been the goal, of course, but she still feels a touch of envy as her body reorients itself to this time and not the alternatives she’d discarded on the field behind her.“Too many,” she croaks, her voice a guttural whisper. Claude’s eyes flick to her face and a concerned frown tugs the corners of his mouth downward.“Teach—”“I had to. I couldn’t stand losing any of you.” It hurts to swallow. “I had to,” she repeats, and he nods at last.