The words fell flat, lacking the conviction she so desperately wanted to hear. They sounded rehearsed, hollow, echoing in her ears long after he spoke. He slowly rose to his feet, but there was no urgency in his movements, no drive.
His posture was stiff, almost reluctant, as if each step he took toward the injured woman was a forced march. Kristen led him down the narrow aisle, her heart thudding in her chest with an intensity that matched the anxiety swirling in her mind.