Chapter 57
Easton said we wouldn’t have any staff cater to us during the camping trip, but when we return to our room, there are suitcases and individual camping gear all packed and ready to go.
“What’s camping like?” June asks excitedly. She was very little when we used to go camping, so she doesn’t remember.
I join my sister on the bed.
“Camping is fun,” I answer. “You get to set up a tent and sleep under the stars. You cook food over a bonfire, and you can roast marshmallows or s’mores. And if you’re with a group of people, you can play games and-” A knock on the door interrupts me.
“Hold on,” I tell June as I stand to answer the door.
My eyebrows furrow when I see who’s at the other side of the door.
“Doctor Carter?”
63
Doctor Penny Carter smiles sweetly. “I told you to call me Penny.”
She’s in her lab coat, but underneath, she’s wearing smart pants and a lilac shirt, and her hair is neatly slicked back. Unlike her disheveled appearance the night she treated June, her appearance suggests that this is an intentional, predetermined visit.
I return her infectious smile. “Penny, what are you doing here?”
She tilts her head to the side, looking into the room. When she sees June, she beams. “Hi, sweetie.”
June hops off the bed and joins me at the door, smiling. “Hi!”
Penny crouches slightly, her eyes running all over June’s face. “You’re looking well,” she concludes, reaching out to squeeze my sister’s cheeks affectionately.
“It’s all thanks to you,” I say. “I can’t imagine what would have happened that night if you hadn’t—”
Penny waves my words away casually. “Nonsense, I was just doing my job. Which brings me to my reason for being here. Do you know what an insulin pump is?”
I nod. Of course, I know what an insulin pump is. It’s a device that automatically pumps insulin through a tube inserted under the skin. It works for more precise insulin control and constant blood sugar monitoring, greater flexibility between meals and activities, and cancels the trauma of multiple needle pricks throughout the day.
It’s also unbelievably fucking expensive,
Penny nods and then smiles at June, “I’ve been instructed to install one for June.”
I blink. “What?”
She smiles, clearly amused by my shock. She stretches a hand out for June. “Would you like that, sweetie?”
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13:04 Fri, Oct 3
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A20
Chapter 57
June glances at me. I’ve always wished I could get her an insulin pump. It’s great for tracking her blood sugar levels, and I wouldn’t have to worry when I’m not with her whether she’s fine or has gotten the correct insulin dose from whoever I asked to take care of her.
Still stunned, I nod to my sister, and she turns back to Penny and takes the doctor’s outstretched hand.
Penny leads us through the mansion to the clinic where she treated June that night. As we walk, I can’t believe what is happening.
I know we were told to ask for whatever we needed, and I’ve taken advantage of that, even asking Isaac for more insulin when June’s current supply ran out.
I never asked for this, though. It never occurred to me because it’s a luxury, not a need.
When we enter the room June had been in, I see an impressive array of supplies: the insulin pump, an infusion set (with tubing, cannula, and adhesive patches), a reservoir, alcohol wipes, and medical tape.
I know what each item does because I spent hours learning about them, wishing I could afford to get them for June.
My sister tugs on my hand, and when I lean down to her, she whispers shakily in my ear, “Will it hurt?”
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