Kes smiled and got the canteen, taking it over to the boy on the other cot and offering it to him. Their eyes met, and, while Kes could tell that his vision was unimpaired, she could also tell that starvation was making it hard for him to think clearly or move. So she got onto the cot with him, opened the canteen, and put it to his lips. He took a few sips and then a few more and soon took hold of the canteen himself and drank fully. Kes smiled. The boy told her something, she got the district impression it must be ’thank you’.

She smiled even more. –I’m glad I could help– She told him, seeing his eyes widen just a little in surprise at hearing a voice in his mind. –Don’t worry, you’re safe.– She told him softly, glad that her words seemed to make him relax. She got up then and went back to check in with his mother and sister in the other cot.

Kes was pleased to see the little girl drinking more and smiling, though Kes could see now that the girl was sightless, completely.

The girl said something like ’Who’s there?’

–My name’s Kes, I’m here to help you.– She gently sent the thought to the little girl as she knelt down beside the cot again.

The girl said something back to her. It was hard to make out, but Kes thought the girl might have said that her voice was pretty, or something like that. She seemed to tire out then though, handing the water to Kes and snuggling up to her mother like she had been before, saying something else sleepily that Kes couldn’t make out.

–She can’t see?– Kes asked the woman.

The woman didn’t reply at first. Then she said something that Kes took to mean something like ’She is my daughter’, though Kes wasn’t really sure what that meant in this context – the impressions she did get didn’t quite make sense to her. She decided not to ask now though, because it wasn’t really important. Kes sat up a little more and offered the water to the mother again.

–Please drink some yourself, there’s enough.– She told her gently.

The woman looked to her children and then to Kes. Kes could tell she was grateful, but her mood was also withdrawn and still a little weary. She got the impression that the woman wanted to ask her why she would do this for them, but did not because she feared it might cause Kes to reconsider her actions.