"Yeah, for a while. First, in the hospital. You know, after. They wanted to make sure I didn't have a death wish, or whatever," Abby says, and swallows, because that's what it had been, exactly. Two inexplicably sad little girls that thought sacrificing themselves to the sea was the only answer. One that succeeded, the other that gave into cowardice and lived. "And then just so I had someone to talk to, I guess."

Instead of Christopher. Instead of herself. She hated it, though, hated being made to feel that every week, every month, she was disappointing them with her lack of progress. After a while, smiling and nodding seemed like the easiest way out. But she wants more than this from Alana, she wants to believe that Darrow is different from where she's come.