[She feels that stiffness work its way through his body, relaxing her grip just a little in case Wirt wants to pull away. But he doesn’t, instead still leaning on Cami, rambling on in fear and it’s easily the most he’s ever said to her at once without stuttering. Throughout it all she listens, because even though she knows her response within the first few words, Wirt needs to get this out. This isn’t going to be a new fear for him; no, Wirt would have carried it throughout his time in Wonderland, with and without Greg. So much of what they’ve been told seems to be conjecture, promises from people who are just as trapped and just as helpless. Why would it seem good enough to rely on now, in the midst of his helplessness?

Even if he believed it, Wirt would still be powerless to change anything, to make things right—and that’s one of the most difficult things for anyone to accept.]

Except it won’t be, I promise. [She waits until she’s sure he’s ready for her to answer, at the same time lifting that hand from his back to gently stroke his hair. It’s something she does without really thinking about it, something she used to do for Sean when they’d been younger and he skinned his knee or had a nightmare. And in so many ways, it feels right to offer that comfort to Wirt now.]

There are a bunch of people from my world here, and out of all of them? I’m the one from furthest in our future. [She doubts it will be enough, but maybe it might still help, just a little.] Which means that if they had ever been gone, I would have known about it. But I don’t—no one knows. So what everyone has said, Wirt, it’s true. Greg isn’t alone. He still has you right there with him. I know it doesn’t feel like it’s possible, but it is.