"Clearly," said Erskine, "you do know better, just for saying it. No sadism in my soul, thank you very much."
Solomon Wreath, the possible soul-reader. Barney reached out to grip one of the arms on the wheelchair like it was a lifeline. Strangely enough, the dark-haired man's words were a lot more calming than anything Ghastly or Erskine had said thus far - not that Barney could really blame the two... sorcerers. He did ask for the whole truth. He'd even halfway suspected it. That didn't really lessen the blow any.
Solomon Wreath's words were a lot like an anchor. They reminded Barney there was still more to the world than magic. That there was still sarcasm and still good-natured teasing, even in such a fantastic world of sorcery. There was still blindness, too. Magic couldn't solve every problem.
"Anything you'd like to add?" Barney heard Ghastly ask Solomon from behind him. "Something stabilising and comforting, perhaps? You'd know better than we would."
Barney consciously tuned them out and focused all of his thoughts on Allie.
She should have fallen unconscious by now. Allie's heart had grown so weak that even this minor level of physical excitement should be getting dangerously close to killing her. It wasn't. If anything, it was giving her the strength it should have been giving a healthy nine-year-old girl. Barney hadn't seen her with such rosy cheeks in years. Eating the last of a hot dog, and not a single crinkle of pain on her face.
Hope blossomed deep in his chest. He didn't let it grow, but he didn't try to snuff it out, either. If these people deserved anything, it was the benefit of the doubt.
The hope, dim though it was, renewed the strength in Barney's legs. His grip on the arm of the wheelchair became only a support, and he pushed himself back up onto his feet. His voice was gruff when he turned back towards Solomon, but properly sincere. "I think I'll be okay. Do you want the chair?"
Erskine grinned. "I could give you a free roller coaster ride, Solomon. What do you say?"
Ghastly had an eyebrow raised. "Are you sure, Barney?"
"Yeah." He nodded once more, firmly, the embarrassment at having needed the wheelchair at all finally starting to creep up on him. "If Allie doesn't need it, I certainly don't."
If Allie doesn't need it...
Barney felt a genuine smile on his face for the first time in weeks.
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Solomon Wreath, the possible soul-reader. Barney reached out to grip one of the arms on the wheelchair like it was a lifeline. Strangely enough, the dark-haired man's words were a lot more calming than anything Ghastly or Erskine had said thus far - not that Barney could really blame the two... sorcerers. He did ask for the whole truth. He'd even halfway suspected it. That didn't really lessen the blow any.
Solomon Wreath's words were a lot like an anchor. They reminded Barney there was still more to the world than magic. That there was still sarcasm and still good-natured teasing, even in such a fantastic world of sorcery. There was still blindness, too. Magic couldn't solve every problem.
"Anything you'd like to add?" Barney heard Ghastly ask Solomon from behind him. "Something stabilising and comforting, perhaps? You'd know better than we would."
Barney consciously tuned them out and focused all of his thoughts on Allie.
She should have fallen unconscious by now. Allie's heart had grown so weak that even this minor level of physical excitement should be getting dangerously close to killing her. It wasn't. If anything, it was giving her the strength it should have been giving a healthy nine-year-old girl. Barney hadn't seen her with such rosy cheeks in years. Eating the last of a hot dog, and not a single crinkle of pain on her face.
Hope blossomed deep in his chest. He didn't let it grow, but he didn't try to snuff it out, either. If these people deserved anything, it was the benefit of the doubt.
The hope, dim though it was, renewed the strength in Barney's legs. His grip on the arm of the wheelchair became only a support, and he pushed himself back up onto his feet. His voice was gruff when he turned back towards Solomon, but properly sincere. "I think I'll be okay. Do you want the chair?"
Erskine grinned. "I could give you a free roller coaster ride, Solomon. What do you say?"
Ghastly had an eyebrow raised. "Are you sure, Barney?"
"Yeah." He nodded once more, firmly, the embarrassment at having needed the wheelchair at all finally starting to creep up on him. "If Allie doesn't need it, I certainly don't."
If Allie doesn't need it...
Barney felt a genuine smile on his face for the first time in weeks.