Asadi stops and Rush grinds to a halt behind her. This will not be practicable in theory why has she stopped?

He attempts to form her name but the word rasps on his tongue. Oh fuck, no, he can't breathe. Fuck. He stares at the wrapping paper spread beneath the hands that are splayed against it for support, at the dissonant, disturbingly bright-faced teddy bears printed on it. They stare back in baleful, innocent mockery.

Again, he exerts every effort to say Asadi's name. The noise exits his throat in the form of a high-pitched, dragging sound, not even vaguely word-shaped, pathetically akin to a sob.