[15: It was at noon that ....]

Sama followed Meera’s gaze and when she saw Uncle Ram standing behind her chair in the doorway, she tightened visibly.  He stood there, still shifting weight from foot to foot, looking entirely as if he didn’t know what to do with himself.

“Uncle Ram, I can take the bus back home if you want to go. You look tired.” Meera figured she was projecting, but it was worth a try. He looked relieved. 

“I’ll see you at home.”

He turned and left, and a moment later, they heard the buzzer of the door being opened, then a dull slam. A nurse looked inside the visiting room briefly, then went about her rounds.

Sama relaxed a little, and moved to the couch where Meera was sitting, and let herself fall into Meera’s lap.

“I wish they’d let me bring a hairbrush in here. I’d brush your hair.”

Sama tried to smile, and Meera ran her fingers through the long, black hair.

“I hate it here. I’m lonely and tired and it’s all so hard. Uncle Ram is so mean. When I’m tired and school’s hard, he yells and tells me he’ll send me to go to a strict school in Manchester. And.” Sama stopped short.

“And what, dear?”

The tears finally came, though not as many as Meera expected. Sama cried into her lap, and she looked so tired. Meera almost cried, too, and might have if she weren’t so tired.

“What is it?” Sama looked like she was in pain.

“And I miss you. You’re always gone.” 

The tears started again, and this time started to soak into Meera’s pants. She put her arms around her sister tight and started to rock.

“I did bring one thing for you.”

Sama kept rocking, head in her lap. Meera reached behind her, the only place to hide anything in the austere room, and pulled out the stuffed tiger.

The tears doubled again, and Sama kept rocking, and she clutched the tiger tight and kept rocking.

A soft chime came from the Nurse’s station outside the door. The nurse came into the room briskly, and tried to take Sama’s hand. “It’s noon. Time for group.”

Sama didn’t move, barely even responded to the nurse. Meera looked up, feeling entirely helpless. She felt like the nurse was almost callously cheerful, holding on to the schedule rather than tending to the crying thirteen year old in her sister’s lap.