Read the excerpt from Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. In the darkness there was a low sob and T. J., hardly sounding like T. J., mumbled, "They the ones got me in it. Where's the bed? I gotta sit down."

In the darkness he groped for the bed, his feet dragging as if he could hardly lift them. "I ain't no bed!" I exclaimed as his hands fell on me.

Which words from the excerpt best help the reader determine a tone of distress?

“exclaimed,” “hands,” and “feet”
“sob,” “groped,” and “dragging”
“darkness,” “bed,” and “lift”
“sounding,” “sit,” and “ain’t”