Inhale Courage, Exhale Fear

Kellam's heart tightened at the sight of Ruth's blood-soaked hands, his instincts screaming at him to protect his son. He held the shield firm, sweat trickling down his forehead as he fought to keep it steady amidst the chaos.

**Ruth, I've got you. Just... just do what you need to do,** he managed, his normally confident voice tinged with worry. He didn’t have time to think, only react. For now the voices in his head were kept at bay by the seriousness of the situation. Though he did wonder, just how far would Ruth go to save this one person, when so many needed his attention.

Son, the hardest thing about responsibility is knowing when to walk away. He’s not the only one that needs you, sometimes the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. He wasn’t trying to say don’t try, only that at some point if things still looked bad, a decision would have to be made.