"Laurie? Can you hear me?"
Her eyes fluttered open, widened as she recognized me. I felt her stiffen.
"It's all right now. She's dead. Because of you. Because you helped me—"
She wrenched violently away from my supporting arm, cringing back from me. "Don't touch me!"
Her voice was shrill with hysteria.
"There's nothing to be afraid of," I said soothingly. "It's all over now."
I put out my hand and she began to whimper. "No! No, don't! You're—you're one of them!"
The accusation stunned me.
"You're one of them!" Her mouth began to quiver. I saw the bloodless lips, the glazed eyes of shock and fear. "Please," she begged. "Please don't."
"Laurie, it's not true. I'm not one of them. I had to use you, I had to make you shoot her. It was the only way...."