Green Desert - Chapter 5.1.4 - Bhanar

The policewoman leapt to Pí‘oro’s side, knocking Zhíno out of the way. She immediately started chest compressions, stiff-arming all her weight onto his heart, over and over and over again. A rib cracked.

Zhíno lay sprawled on his back. “I told you it’s not going to work. Even if you get his heart going for a second, he’ll just die again a second later. His veins have no blood.”

Séara kept pumping, her face a stiff grimace. Another rib snapped. “Séara, please.”

She looked up at me, still pounding Pí‘oro’s dead body. Her face was contorted with rage and exertion. Sweat ran down her cheeks.
Zhíno grabbed her shoulders. “Séara!” He pulled her backwards and they tumbled over.

“Let go of me!”

“He’s dead, Séara. Let him be.”

“No!” She wrestled free, put a hand to the old man’s neck. It had to be cold. There couldn’t be a pulse.

She collapsed onto the body, her long ponytail falling across Pí‘oro’s immobile face. “I’m sorry,” she sobbed. “I didn’t mean to.” Her whole body convulsed.

I looked at Zhíno. He started towards Séara, hands reaching for her shoulders, but he stopped. He bit his lip in a snarl and threw up his hands in a violent shrug. I didn’t know how to console her either. All I wanted to do was thank her.