| OCR Text |
Show <5// "One." "All right. You're O/K/ then. But you have to get up, Kite, we have to get out of here." Any SKHK second I expected the first floor residents to appear, and maybe a few people in off the street. So I got my legs under me to lift her, lifting properly with my legs because I didnt want to get a hernia while I was naked and watched by all those interested eyes, and I tugged her to her feet, keeping mostly successfully behind her, using her as my shield against the world, aware even then of a first-floor face joining silver-hair and woman and child in my audience, and there was silver-hair's wife peeping out the door, all of them looking up to see a naked man struggling to lift a woman to her feet, the woman staggering as if drunk, trying to stand and then crying out in fresh pain and almost falling out of the naked man's arms. But I held on to her, as if fcr life. If Kite would stand and start back up the stairs, I could move along with her, supporting her but also using her as a moving i shield. If I had to sacrifice my modesty to Carrie above or the crowd below, I chose Carrie, jfcshe knew everything anynow. Use her as a snield, jockey into the apartment, slam that marvelous door. But when she tried to take a step kite again cried out in pain and 0k4Jwp£e<iAa^aM«4^»e^^£a4J^rtig away from me so that I was exposed, horribly exposed to the eyes below before I could grab her and straighten her up. "What the hell's wrong?" I hissed into her ear. "My ankle. I broke my ankle!" Maybe I could have had her stand broken-ankled on her one good leg while I helped her out of her coat, to wrap around my own middle and save my modesty. The first floor face was a young married woman, who had gasped and "fcafi turned her face away, only to turn it quickly back. Her husband appearing at her shoulder scowled with anger at me exhibiting myself. Then the two middleaged ladies from the other first floor apartment pushed their way to a view, such nice courtly ladies, probably lovers, who now stared rudely. They all floated |
