and put his arm around her. Gratefully, she leaned into him, and immediately, he bolstered her with his body. “I was thinking that I should get you home,” Vince said, sounding casual. “You know what happens to us vampires if the rays of the sun hit us.”
Kara’s knees felt rubbery, and if it hadn’t beenfor Vince’s arms, they would have buckled. Inwardly, she pleaded,
Don’t let Eric see me get sick
. “I wouldn’t want to be responsible for your turning to dust particles,” she managed as cheerfully as she could.
Vince turned to Eric. “So, we’re splitting. See you at school next week.”
Scowling, Eric shoved his hands into the hip pockets of his jeans. “Sure. I’ll see you Monday,” he said directly to Kara.
“We’ve got that scene to read in English,” Vince said. “Do you know your lines?”
“Like my own name.”
Kara wasn’t sure she could stand upright, even with Vince’s help. Deftly he led her around the back of the house, and as soon as they were out of sight of the pine tree, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her.
“I can walk,” she mumbled against his neck.
“You can’t even stand,” he said, his own breath coming hard.
“But you’ll have problems. Your lungs—”
“Hush. Don’t make it any worse. I want to be able to help you. To be strong for you.” He didn’t say “like Eric,” but she knew what he was thinking. Pain racked her, and breathing became more difficult. “It’s not much farther,” he said.
In a daze, she watched the house recede in the distance, watched the moonlight falling like a pale white shroud, and saw in her mind’s eye Eric standing against the fence, his arms crossed, while the dragon on his cheek spit fire.
* * *
Kara lay in her bed, propped up with pillows, her breath coming in short, rapid gasps. A pool of light from her bedside lamp flooded onto the bed, making the patterned sheets jump out in vivid colors. Her mother held her hand and every so often stroked her face. “Dr. McGee should call back any minute now.”
Kara felt tears trickle down her cheeks. “He’s going to put me back in the hospital. Oh, Mom, I don’t want to be sick. I hate CF.” She didn’t want to cry because crying only worsened her breathing problems, but she couldn’t help herself. “I’m so tired of being sick. This was supposed to be such a great year.”
Her mother dabbed Kara’s face with a tissue. “I know, honey. But maybe they can clear up the infection quickly. You could still be back before Thanksgiving if you respond to the antibiotics.”
“I wish Daddy were here.”
“He’s stuck in bad weather out in Chicago, but he’ll get a flight back as soon as possible.”
Kara wadded the bed linens with her fists. “It’s not fair! Why am I being punished like this? What did I do to deserve this disease?”
She heard her mother’s voice catch. “You didn’t do anything, dear. If your dad and I weren’t both carriers, if we only had known before we were married …” She allowed the sentence to trail.
“Are you sorry you had me?”
“Oh, no, baby. Never. Even seeing you suffercould never make me wish you’d never been born. I love you so, Kara.”
Kara twisted away. “Well, I wish I’d never been born.”
“Please don’t say that.”
Kara turned her fevered face toward her mother. “I had such a good time tonight. It was like magic. I painted a bunch of little kids’ faces. They were so cute. And then later, at the party, I danced with Eric, and we talked in the moonlight. Just for a little bit, I felt I was just an ordinary girl, flirting with a really cool guy. Oh, Mom, it was so perfect.”
The phone on her bedside table rang. Her mother snatched up the receiver and after a short conversation hung up. “Dr. McGee wants us at the hospital right away. Can you manage in the car if I take you, or should I call the paramedics?” her mother asked.
Kara gritted her teeth and with pained effort
Kara’s knees felt rubbery, and if it hadn’t beenfor Vince’s arms, they would have buckled. Inwardly, she pleaded,
Don’t let Eric see me get sick
. “I wouldn’t want to be responsible for your turning to dust particles,” she managed as cheerfully as she could.
Vince turned to Eric. “So, we’re splitting. See you at school next week.”
Scowling, Eric shoved his hands into the hip pockets of his jeans. “Sure. I’ll see you Monday,” he said directly to Kara.
“We’ve got that scene to read in English,” Vince said. “Do you know your lines?”
“Like my own name.”
Kara wasn’t sure she could stand upright, even with Vince’s help. Deftly he led her around the back of the house, and as soon as they were out of sight of the pine tree, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her.
“I can walk,” she mumbled against his neck.
“You can’t even stand,” he said, his own breath coming hard.
“But you’ll have problems. Your lungs—”
“Hush. Don’t make it any worse. I want to be able to help you. To be strong for you.” He didn’t say “like Eric,” but she knew what he was thinking. Pain racked her, and breathing became more difficult. “It’s not much farther,” he said.
In a daze, she watched the house recede in the distance, watched the moonlight falling like a pale white shroud, and saw in her mind’s eye Eric standing against the fence, his arms crossed, while the dragon on his cheek spit fire.
* * *
Kara lay in her bed, propped up with pillows, her breath coming in short, rapid gasps. A pool of light from her bedside lamp flooded onto the bed, making the patterned sheets jump out in vivid colors. Her mother held her hand and every so often stroked her face. “Dr. McGee should call back any minute now.”
Kara felt tears trickle down her cheeks. “He’s going to put me back in the hospital. Oh, Mom, I don’t want to be sick. I hate CF.” She didn’t want to cry because crying only worsened her breathing problems, but she couldn’t help herself. “I’m so tired of being sick. This was supposed to be such a great year.”
Her mother dabbed Kara’s face with a tissue. “I know, honey. But maybe they can clear up the infection quickly. You could still be back before Thanksgiving if you respond to the antibiotics.”
“I wish Daddy were here.”
“He’s stuck in bad weather out in Chicago, but he’ll get a flight back as soon as possible.”
Kara wadded the bed linens with her fists. “It’s not fair! Why am I being punished like this? What did I do to deserve this disease?”
She heard her mother’s voice catch. “You didn’t do anything, dear. If your dad and I weren’t both carriers, if we only had known before we were married …” She allowed the sentence to trail.
“Are you sorry you had me?”
“Oh, no, baby. Never. Even seeing you suffercould never make me wish you’d never been born. I love you so, Kara.”
Kara twisted away. “Well, I wish I’d never been born.”
“Please don’t say that.”
Kara turned her fevered face toward her mother. “I had such a good time tonight. It was like magic. I painted a bunch of little kids’ faces. They were so cute. And then later, at the party, I danced with Eric, and we talked in the moonlight. Just for a little bit, I felt I was just an ordinary girl, flirting with a really cool guy. Oh, Mom, it was so perfect.”
The phone on her bedside table rang. Her mother snatched up the receiver and after a short conversation hung up. “Dr. McGee wants us at the hospital right away. Can you manage in the car if I take you, or should I call the paramedics?” her mother asked.
Kara gritted her teeth and with pained effort
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