Mike tottered backwards with a grunt of disbelief, and his back came up against the side of the truck. He saw Eli pushing Ebo to one side, and as Ebo rolled, Eli simply seemed to disappear from when he was kneeling and suddenly appeared beside Jo, and then he took Nancy in his arms.
Nancy, unable to move any part of her body, looked up with a serene expression on her face and stared at Eli.
"Eli!" she whispered painfully. "You came!"
Eli nodded because he could not speak, and tears filled his eyes as he raised his hand and touched the girl's face.
"Is there a better place?" Nancy asked softly.
"Yes," Eli finally whispered. "A better place. Don't go, Nancy."
She smiled beautifully through her pain.
"I'm not scared anymore because you're here," she said. "You will fix everything.
