nyc
after a couple hours, nobody's moved.
Then, slowly but surely, one of the younger ones you took picks himself up with a cry and pokes his head up a little bit. He makes a pained sound but manages to keep his head up for a few moments without his eyes beginning to sizzle, they do water, his tears slightly tinted lime.
He puts his head back down and gags.
They all shuffle for a bit before one says, 'Leave... we.... languish' they say, clearly not knowing the word for stay, but meaning that anyway.... They only know words related to their pain.
If you stay any longer, you might catch something, in fact, you are beginning to realize the poop dust you've been breathing in is unhealthy, and you should leave soon.
You somehow convinced them to wait for you, that's a big enough achievement for one day. If you want to help them, you need to be patient (and also give them some space)