"Dr. Ford, how is my mother?"
Evelyn Ford looked at the unconscious woman, her brow furrowed slightly. These people had just settled in. The floor was covered with dirty clothes, and the woman lay comatose on top of them, a tattered quilt draped over her body.
A few damp coal briquettes were drying by the nearby fire pit. A black plastic bucket held half a container of dirty water—the water they used to mix with the coal.
Some pots, pans, and bowls were stacked in a corner.
A myriad of smells assaulted Evelyn Ford's nose.
The woman wouldn't last much longer. Evelyn Ford observed her swollen limbs and body. Chronic starvation and the long trek had completely drained her vitality. The moment she finally found a place to rest, all her underlying health problems erupted at once, and her body simply collapsed.
After a few moments of silence, Evelyn Ford got up and led the girl outside. The others who had fled with them watched Evelyn, their eyes filled with anticipation.
