24 Hours

That was when she realized she was in trouble. Her head hurt and she felt really tired. She wanted to wipe herself with a leaf, but she was afraid of poison ivy, so she pulled up her panties and started back toward the car, her eyes on Huey as he tossed the flat tire into the trunk. He was grinning and waving. She tried to wave back, but her arm didn’t seem to work.

“What’s the matter?” Huey called.

She fell facedown on the dirt.

The next thing she saw was Huey’s face inches from hers, his eyes bugging behind his heavy black plastic glasses. He looked more scared than she was.

“My sugar’s too high,” she said, looking around. Huey must have carried her to the white car, because she was sitting in the front seat. “I need my shot.”

“The medicine in the ice chest?”

She nodded.

Huey got the small Igloo from the backseat and set it beside her. “Do you know how to do it?”

“I’ve seen Mom and Dad do it lots of times. But I’ve never done it. You suck some medicine up into the shot and then stick the needle in my tummy and push the plunger.”

Huey screwed his face up, as though the idea were unthinkable. “Does it hurt?”

“A little. But I could die without it.”

He shut his eyes and shook his head violently. “We better wait till we see your mama.”

“How long is that?”

“I don’t know.”

Abby rubbed her face where it felt itchy. “Will you give me the shot?”

Huey’s lips worked all around his front teeth. “I can’t. Can’t do that. I hate needles.”

“But I have to have it.”

“I can’t do it, Belle.”

Abby bit her lip and tried not to be scared. “Can you open the ice chest for me?”

Huey pressed the button on the side of the Igloo and opened it. Abby reached in and took out two bottles of insulin. She picked the bottles by the “N” and the “R” after “HUMULIN.”

“One of these works quick,” she told Huey. “And one works later. So you mix them up.”

She took a syringe from the ice chest and pulled off the cap, moving quickly so she wouldn’t have to think about it long. Huey’s face twisted at the sight of the needle, She drew a little clear fluid from each bottle into the syringe, making sure the medicine didn’t get above the “4.”

It was time to pull up her jumper, but she didn’t want to do it. At least twice every day, she sat still while her mother stuck her in the stomach, but the idea of doing it with her own hands made her feel like she had to throw up.

“What’s the matter?” Huey asked. “What next?”

“Can you do one thing for me?”

“What?”

Abby pulled her jumper over her right thigh and pinched up some skin and fat. “Pinch up some skin on my leg for me, like this.”

After some hesitation, Huey put out his hand and pinched up the skin. “Are you scared?” he asked.

She was. But her daddy had told her that while it was okay to be scared, it was better not to let other people see you were. “I’m almost six years old,” she said in the strongest voice she could. “I can do it.”

Huey’s eyes were wet. “You sure are brave.”

Abby wondered how a giant who could pick up a car could think she was brave, but he did. And that gave her the courage to stick the needle in. She pressed down the plunger, and by the time she felt the pain the needle was out again.

“You did it!” Huey cried.

“I did!” She laughed and leaned back in the seat, then reached up and hugged Huey. “Let’s go see my mom.”

He pulled back and looked at her, the awe in his face replaced by sadness.

“What’s the matter?” Abby asked.

“I’m never gonna see you again.” His bottom lip was shaking. “Your mama’s gonna take you away, and I’ll never see you.”

“Sure you will.” She patted his arm.

“No.” He shook his head. “It always happens. Any friend I ever make gets took away. Like my sister.”

Abby felt his sadness seeping into her. She picked up Belle and pushed the doll at his hand, but he wouldn’t take it.

“We’d better get going,” she said. “Mom’s waiting for me.”

“In a minute,” Huey said. “In a minute.”

“Take it!” Will shouted, shoving the Nokia at Cheryl. “Answer the damn phone!”

She crossed herself, then took the phone and hit SEND.

“Hello?… Yeah, I’ve got it…He’s right here… No, not that I saw. No cop cars…We’re on I-10. We turn on I-55 North, right?.. . Oh. Okay.” She cut her eyes at Will. “How come?… Oh God…Okay. Just a second.” She handed the phone to Will.

“Joe?” Will said.

“You just had to play hero, didn’t you?”

“Joe, I’m doing exactly what you told me to do. All I want is-”

“Don’t piss down my boot and tell me it’s raining. You called the FBI.”

“They were waiting for me in the goddamn bank! But I didn’t call them. It’s your own fault!”

“What are you talking about?”

“A heart surgeon named James McDill called them. Does that name sound familiar?”

This time Hickey didn’t reply.

“McDill was worried you were going to do to some other family what you’d done to his last year. He called the FBI last night. That’s what started all this. The helicopters, the alerts for wire transfers, the whole thing.”

“Shit. McDill? His wife was a pill, too.”