ARIEL POV
The reassuring touch of Alan's hand to my arm steadied me; his eyes never left Sarah's fragile form. "We're almost there, hold on," he whispered-words of a lifeline amongst chaos. The car whizzed through the streets, its sirens off but its urgency palpable. Time was elastic, each second ticking by with agonizing slowness.
The labored cadence in her breathing sent shivers down my spine, the unshakeable sense of dread threatening to overwhelm every thought, as I struggled to come to terms with the severity of her condition.
The more I stared upon Sarah's battered body, the more my anger intensified, and again I was at a wonder at how human beings, cruel enough to do such a thing to another and, for that matter, to a woman whose delicate form seemed so small and helpless.
"How
