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and I both have jobs in town that we’ve been neglecting.”

      â€œAnd I have a church to take care of.” Garrett pulled in a deep breath. “I understand that we’re all stretched to the limit. I’ll do the best I can to be in three places at once.”

      â€œWe all will,” Caroline said, easing the tension. “Did you like Rachel? I loved how she dealt with Lena.”

      â€œShe’s great.” He was careful not to sound too enthusiastic. “Having her at the hospital made everything much easier. And I think Lena already understands she can depend on Dr. Vale.”

      â€œI imagine we’ll be depending on Dr. Vale quite a bit ourselves,” Ford said. “We’ll require someone to help us cope with Lena’s condition. None of us is remotely educated.”

      â€œI’m sure Rachel will provide great backup.” Which would, luckily, give him a chance to know her better. “I did pick up some information at the hospital this afternoon when the nurse talked to Lena about insulin. And tonight I’m going to research diabetes more on the internet.”

      Ford shook his head. “You’re not her parent, Garrett. You can’t manage this as if you were.”

      â€œHer dad consigned her to my care. What else can I do?”

      Caroline put a hand on his arm. “We’ll work it out, Garrett. All of us together will support you and Lena through this.”

      He put his palm over her fingers. “Thanks. Between the Marshalls—you included, Caroline—and Rachel Vale, Lena’s got the best family available.”

      But the next morning, Garrett wasn’t sure even the Marshalls and Rachel Vale would be enough. When he and Justino arrived at Lena’s room, Kim Kaiser was there. And Lena was in tears.

      â€œNo, no, no,” she wailed. “I can’t.”

      Justino rushed to the bed. “What’s wrong?”

      She threw herself against his chest. “I can’t give myself shots. It hurts!”

      Kim stood calmly on the other side, with a syringe and other equipment laid out on a cloth. She glanced at Garrett. “This isn’t unusual. It’s a pretty challenging prospect, giving yourself a shot. But—” she moved her gaze to Lena “—it has to be done.”

      â€œEven with the insulin pump?”

      â€œThe pump portal has to be changed, which is similar to an injection.” As the sobs continued, Kim moved her equipment to a nearby table. “I’ll give her a few minutes,” she said and left the room.

      As if Rachel were there to tell him so, Garrett knew he had to respond rationally to help Lena calm down. She was a high-spirited, emotional girl. But she would have to exercise some logic in order to save her own life. Still, there was something to be said for the empathetic approach he’d learned as a minister. Maybe the two could work together...

      He waited until she quieted and reclined again on her pillow, still holding tightly to Justino’s hand. “I can understand how upsetting this is,” Garrett told her. “Why would you deliberately stick yourself with a needle?”

      Lena sniffed. “I hate shots. Since I was little.”

      â€œHere’s the thing, though.” He’d stayed up reading and now had a good grasp on the facts. “Your blood sugar will change during the day depending on what you eat but also on what you’re doing and other factors you can’t even control. Because your body isn’t monitoring that level for you, you have to do it yourself. Sometimes your blood sugar will be low, and you’ll need to eat. Sometimes it will be high and you’ll need insulin.”

      He paused and made sure he had her attention. “The thing is, if you want to stay well—to feel good and do the things you enjoy, including being with Justino and your friends—you must take injections. Now, you can find somebody to do that for you—me, for instance. But that would mean finding me, interrupting whatever I’m doing, pulling up your shirt or pulling down your pants so I can inject you.”

      â€œNo!”

      â€œOr you can take responsibility for your health. Learn to accept that this is something you have to do to take care of yourself, like brushing your teeth.”

      As Lena gazed at him, tears flowed down her cheeks. “I don’t want to.”

      Garrett put a hand over hers. “I know. And I’m sorry. But it’s necessary in order to keep you happy and alive.”

      When Kim returned, Lena was resigned, though far from cheerful. “I guess I have to do this,” she said. “But I hate it.”

      â€œYou’ll get used to it,” the nurse reassured her. “Eventually it’ll be no big deal.” She moved her equipment back to the side of the bed. “Now, here’s what you’ll do.”

      Garrett drew Justino out of the room with him, to give Lena privacy. “It’s a hard thing,” the boy said. “I can’t stand that she has to suffer this way.”

      Another parental moment. Garrett sighed silently. “But if you are going to help Lena manage her health, you can’t feel sorry her. You have to be brave so she can be brave. Does that make sense?”

      The boy heaved a deep breath. “I guess so. I can try.”

      â€œLena’s dad isn’t much help.” Garrett decided to be honest. “So you and I and Dr. Vale are going to be her team. Her cheerleaders. Can you do that? For Lena?”

      Justino nodded decisively. “I can.”

      â€œGood job.” The voice coming from behind him was Rachel’s.

      Garrett pivoted to face her. “I didn’t realize you’d arrived.”

      â€œI didn’t want to interrupt your conversation, but I couldn’t help overhearing.” She smiled at Justino. “Garrett is right. You can be a big help to Lena. I’m sure she’ll appreciate your encouragement with the changes she’ll be making in her life.”

      â€œI’ll do my best.”

      â€œI know you will. For you,” she said to Garrett, “I brought books.” She held out a couple of volumes, one a thin paperback but the other quite a hefty load. “The big one is more of an encyclopedia—don’t try to read it cover to cover. The smaller one is about coping with diabetic teenagers. I unpacked the boxes in my office this morning and there they were.”

      â€œThanks.” In the midst of a serious medical situation, he could still notice how her shirt matched the blue of her eyes, how her khaki slacks showed off a small waist and rounded hips, how her russet hair caught the light. “Did you have a restful night?”

      â€œIt was fine.” She didn’t meet his eyes. “How’s Lena this morning?”

      Garrett related Lena’s response to the prospect of injections and how he’d handled it. “She agreed to cooperate, at least.”

      â€œI’m afraid it’s going to take more toughness on your part and Lena’s to succeed.” Her voice was cool, her expression distant, as if she didn’t want to be talking with him.

      Kim Kaiser came out of the hospital room. “I’m giving Lena a break, a chance to absorb what I’ve showed her. This afternoon we can all go over what she’s learned. Will that work for everyone?”

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