"So you all came here?" I asked as Cindy guided me toward the Emerald Hotel.
Every step still hurt.
My ribs felt like they had been stomped on repeatedly, which, honestly, they probably had. My head was better than it had been right after the anti-Symbiote blast, but the dull pressure behind my eyes had not completely gone away. I kept my face neutral anyway. The last thing I needed was for Cindy to start worrying more than she already was.
The Emerald Hotel had become the center of the Boardwalk's recovery effort. People moved in and out through the entrance with supplies, boards, water bottles, blankets, and weapons. Even from outside, I could hear tired voices carrying through the lobby.
Cindy kept hold of my arm as we walked.
"Yeah," she said. "I mean, we heard the Screamer. At first, I thought it was some kind of nightmare."
She glanced at me.
"But then it kept going. And you were here too, so… we got worried, you know?"
