Hirsh ran as fast as he could to the edge of the wall.

"Go get him!" he yelled to the two guards. They fled down the stairs, opened the gate, and made their way over to the boy. One guard picked him up and he slumped lifelessly in his arms.

"Is he dead?" I asked Hirsh. I had never seen a dead person before.

"I don't know. Go down to the car." I ran down the stairs, ignoring the creaking underneath my feet. I met and Clovis and Madi at the bottom.

"What's going on?" Madi demanded, nearly hysterical.

Clovis pointed to the two guards coming back through the gate. "There's a boy!"

Hirsh joined us and opened the passenger side door. He climbed in and yelled to the guard carrying the boy. "Give him to me," he ordered the man. "Clovis, girls, get in." Hirsh was strangely calm as he held the boy in his arms. Madi and I clambered in the backseat of the car and Clovis took off. "Take me to the infirmary, then take the Madi and Zuza home."

"Yes sir," Clovis said.

I leaned forward to get a good look at the boy. His dark hair was matted with dirt and he was sickly and thin. I reached forward to touch his face but Madi grabbed my wrist.

"Don't touch him," she hissed quietly. "He could have the sickness."

"Doubtful," I mumbled under my breath.

Clovis stopped the car suddenly and got out. He took the boy from Hirsh and the two of them raced inside the infirmary. Madi and I sat in silence as we waited for Clovis to return.

"We shouldn't have brought him in," Madi said finally.

"I turned and glared at her. "Don't say that! He could be dead."

"He could also carry the sickness with him and then we'll all be dead. This is your fault. If you hadn't run off, we wouldn't be in this position."

"I don't care," I said stubbornly. "I probably saved his life."

"-And risked ours."

I didn't want to believe Madi, but maybe she was right. The only thing that made me feel better was knowing that Hirsh was so eager to help him. He wouldn't do something against his better judgement... I don't think.