Chapter Two

      Spine straight, shoulders square, Garrett met her gaze with narrowed eyes. “I think you’re jumping to conclusions. With your help—”

      â€œEven with my help,” Rachel said before he could finish, “it would be quite a challenge, especially when you have so many kids to deal with. These first few weeks are going to be confusing for Lena, but also very important. She’ll have to absorb a lot of information very quickly.”

      â€œI’m sure there are resources available. We do get the internet out here in the wild, wild West.” His grin invited her to smile with him.

      But she didn’t cooperate. “Lena will need appointments with a team of doctors and nurses who’ll supervise her treatment on a regular basis. That’s a significant time commitment.”

      He shrugged. “There’s no other option. Without a family, who else will take care of her?”

      â€œThat’s for us to figure out.” Rachel got to her feet. “For the moment, let’s see how she’s doing.”

      In the emergency room cubicle, Lena looked better—her eyes had brightened and a rosy color tinted her cheeks. “Where’s my dad?”

      Garrett cleared his throat. “We talked, but he couldn’t stay.”

      â€œHe doesn’t handle it when other people are sick.” The girl shook her head. “He wouldn’t pay attention to my mother, either. And he wasn’t at the hospital when she passed.”

      â€œWell, I’m here,” the minister said after a stunned pause. “Dr. Vale is here. And you’re getting better. That’s good enough for me.”

      Later in the afternoon, Lena was moved to a bed in the acute care ward of the hospital. Dr. Stevens reappeared when she had settled in. “Sorry about all the tests,” he said. “We have to acquire as much information as possible so we can plan your treatment.” He brought forward a woman with short white-blond hair who’d accompanied him into the room. “This is Kim Kaiser. She’s a nurse who specializes in diabetes education. She’ll help you understand how to deal with diabetes.”

      â€œYou should sit in on this,” Rachel told Garrett. “If you’re responsible for her, you have to understand her medications.”

      He made a wry face. “I’m suddenly wishing I’d paid more attention in biology class.”

      Kim’s visit lasted about an hour. She explained the cause of diabetes, much as Dr. Stevens had done, but then proceeded to discuss the treatment, which would involve Lena taking enough insulin through the day to balance her blood sugar. Fortunately, she’d brought printed materials along, and Rachel loaned Garrett a pen so he could make notes on the pages.

      â€œThe doctors are still working out what kind of insulin you’ll need,” Kim told Lena. “So I’ll be back tomorrow and we can go over that. But are there any questions you want to ask now?”

      Lena nodded. “Is that all I have to do, take pills?” She glanced at Justino. “That doesn’t seem so hard.”

      â€œI’m sorry to say that insulin can’t be made into pills,” Kim said. “It’s a liquid that has to be injected under your skin. With a needle.”

      â€œShots?” Lena’s dark eyes went round with horror. “I have to take shots?”

      Justino looked equally distressed. “She hates needles.”

      Kim took the protests in stride. “Then maybe you will want to use an insulin pump, which is similar to the IV you have right now. With a pump, the needle goes in once and stays for several days.”

      â€œFor how long? How long do I have to do this?”

      â€œFor the rest of your life, Lena.” A gentle voice, but a harsh piece of news.

      The girl shook her head. “I can’t. No way.”

      With a glance at Rachel,