"After Ginger Snaps"
7. Shame
The pain is blinding for a lingering second, for a second lasting more like ten seconds, maybe, and it's taking away all his senses for that stretched-out instant. The wind is knocked out of him and he's struggling for breath – the only thought in his head, beneath the pain, is that for such a thin little girl, she packs quite a punch.
"I'm sorry, I'm... really sorry..." Brigitte says, and he finds her turned towards him, sitting up, hands in the air. Just sort of staring at him, unsure of what to do.
"It's okay..." he breathes, feeling his chest settle, "You okay..?" breathe, just breathe, "That was..." breath, in, out, "...some elbow."
"I'm really, really sorry." She says and hangs her head. Staring at her hands, he thinks.
"No problem, hey. At least now we know you can punch well." He says. There's nothing to be ashamed about, but how to tell her that, he's just not sure.
