“It’s Kristen. She’s having an asthma attack.”
Not bothering to wait for his uncle, he rushed to her bedroom in search of her pump. He found it on the dresser, snatched it and darted back to his room, where his sister lay gasping on his bed.
Don’t die, please don’t die.
He lifted her head, forced her to breathe as he pumped the medicine into her mouth.
Then, fighting tears, he nestled next to her, held her hand and prayed with every inch of his heart.
Chapter Six
The minute Noah called him, Zach’s blood turned to ice water. Kristen suffered from a severe case of asthma. She didn’t get attacks too often, but when she did, they were sudden and brutal.
“Watch Will.” He vaulted off the couch and took the steps two by two, leaving Becca with the baby.
When he got to Noah’s room, he found the kids lying side by side. Kristen rested her head on her brother’s shoulder while he tenderly stroked her hair. She was so still fear sank pointed hooks in his gut. He couldn’t tell whether or not she was breathing. The asthma pump rested on the bed next to Noah, and he realized the boy had acted quickly.
Thank God.
“Kristen?”
Noah released his sister and bulleted out of bed, adopting his usual I-couldn’t-give-a-damn expression.
Kristen opened her eyes, turned her head toward Zach. She looked exhausted, but her skin was rosy and her breathing slow and even. Relief submerged him. He sat beside her, the twin mattress sinking beneath his weight. “How are you feeling, kiddo?”
“Okay.” Her voice was gravelly. “Noah got—” She cleared her throat as mucus rose to clatter in her windpipe. “Noah got my pump.”
He captured his nephew’s gaze, held it briefly. “Nice going. You acted instead of panicking. Probably saved your sister’s life.”
The boy shrugged, staring at the floor. “Didn’t want her croaking in my bed.”
Zach didn’t buy his act for a second. The kid looked terrified. His skin was pale, his hands jittery, his voice thin and winded. He wanted to shake him, hug him, knock some sense into him. There was nothing wrong with being afraid…or caring.
He grabbed the pump and placed it in Kristen’s limp hand. “I want you to have this on you at all times. Understand?”
The girl nodded weakly. “I forgot it.”
Regret swept through him. “So did I.” Was he ever going to get a handle on this parenting thing?
On the edge of the bed Noah’s Game Boy idled, beeping and blinking. Zach shook his head. So much for the boy not playing video games.
Following Zach’s gaze, Noah grabbed the device and turned it off. Color swamped his cheeks. At least he had enough sense to feel bad about trying to deceive him.
“How about you rest a little?” Zach told Kristen. “Would you like me to take you to your room?”
She wagged her head with as much passion as she could muster. “I want to stay with Noah.”
Zach turned an assessing stare toward his nephew. The boy nodded noncommittally. “She can stay, as long as she promises not to be too annoying.”
“I won’t,” she whispered. “Be annoying,” she explained.
Zach bit back a smile, knowing that—despite all his grumblings—his nephew would watch over his sister like a hawk. There was a time when he’d been the same with Lindsay—aloof, condescending, but always the protective older brother, ready to sacrifice life and limb for his younger sibling.
He saw a lot of himself in Noah. That was what scared him.
“I’ll be downstairs if you need me. I left Becca alone with Will.”
“Better hurry,” Noah scoffed. “She might eat him.”
Zach didn’t like the tone in the boy’s voice. “I better not catch you being rude to your aunt or there’ll be hell to pay.”
Thoroughly chastened, Noah retreated to the far corner of his room, where an impressive Lego collection waited.
With a sigh, Zach headed to the door, wondering not whether Becca had eaten the baby, but whether the baby had eaten Becca.
Oh,
Not bothering to wait for his uncle, he rushed to her bedroom in search of her pump. He found it on the dresser, snatched it and darted back to his room, where his sister lay gasping on his bed.
Don’t die, please don’t die.
He lifted her head, forced her to breathe as he pumped the medicine into her mouth.
Then, fighting tears, he nestled next to her, held her hand and prayed with every inch of his heart.
Chapter Six
The minute Noah called him, Zach’s blood turned to ice water. Kristen suffered from a severe case of asthma. She didn’t get attacks too often, but when she did, they were sudden and brutal.
“Watch Will.” He vaulted off the couch and took the steps two by two, leaving Becca with the baby.
When he got to Noah’s room, he found the kids lying side by side. Kristen rested her head on her brother’s shoulder while he tenderly stroked her hair. She was so still fear sank pointed hooks in his gut. He couldn’t tell whether or not she was breathing. The asthma pump rested on the bed next to Noah, and he realized the boy had acted quickly.
Thank God.
“Kristen?”
Noah released his sister and bulleted out of bed, adopting his usual I-couldn’t-give-a-damn expression.
Kristen opened her eyes, turned her head toward Zach. She looked exhausted, but her skin was rosy and her breathing slow and even. Relief submerged him. He sat beside her, the twin mattress sinking beneath his weight. “How are you feeling, kiddo?”
“Okay.” Her voice was gravelly. “Noah got—” She cleared her throat as mucus rose to clatter in her windpipe. “Noah got my pump.”
He captured his nephew’s gaze, held it briefly. “Nice going. You acted instead of panicking. Probably saved your sister’s life.”
The boy shrugged, staring at the floor. “Didn’t want her croaking in my bed.”
Zach didn’t buy his act for a second. The kid looked terrified. His skin was pale, his hands jittery, his voice thin and winded. He wanted to shake him, hug him, knock some sense into him. There was nothing wrong with being afraid…or caring.
He grabbed the pump and placed it in Kristen’s limp hand. “I want you to have this on you at all times. Understand?”
The girl nodded weakly. “I forgot it.”
Regret swept through him. “So did I.” Was he ever going to get a handle on this parenting thing?
On the edge of the bed Noah’s Game Boy idled, beeping and blinking. Zach shook his head. So much for the boy not playing video games.
Following Zach’s gaze, Noah grabbed the device and turned it off. Color swamped his cheeks. At least he had enough sense to feel bad about trying to deceive him.
“How about you rest a little?” Zach told Kristen. “Would you like me to take you to your room?”
She wagged her head with as much passion as she could muster. “I want to stay with Noah.”
Zach turned an assessing stare toward his nephew. The boy nodded noncommittally. “She can stay, as long as she promises not to be too annoying.”
“I won’t,” she whispered. “Be annoying,” she explained.
Zach bit back a smile, knowing that—despite all his grumblings—his nephew would watch over his sister like a hawk. There was a time when he’d been the same with Lindsay—aloof, condescending, but always the protective older brother, ready to sacrifice life and limb for his younger sibling.
He saw a lot of himself in Noah. That was what scared him.
“I’ll be downstairs if you need me. I left Becca alone with Will.”
“Better hurry,” Noah scoffed. “She might eat him.”
Zach didn’t like the tone in the boy’s voice. “I better not catch you being rude to your aunt or there’ll be hell to pay.”
Thoroughly chastened, Noah retreated to the far corner of his room, where an impressive Lego collection waited.
With a sigh, Zach headed to the door, wondering not whether Becca had eaten the baby, but whether the baby had eaten Becca.
Oh,
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