Willow
I lean against a wall, the sharp pain returning, prompting me to hold on to my chest. My eyes sting with tears and my knees wobble as if they are carrying the entire planet.
I find myself walking slower than a tortoise, the pain getting stronger.
“Are you okay?” A distant voice asks, followed by a hand on my shoulder and another one on my elbow.
“Let me help you,” the stranger says softly. She places my arm around her shoulder and puts a hand on my waist.
We take small steps to my room, the stranger patiently moving as slowly as I go. I hand over the keys to her and she opens the door. She helps me take off my shoes and get into bed.
“I’ll call the campus health services. They will get here in less than five minutes.” She takes out her phone.
I take a sharp breath and
