“Don’t worry, it’s not that kind of disease.” Dr. Stevens closed the chart. “First, we’re going to get you feeling better, then we’ll explain how you can keep yourself that way. I’ll talk with you again in a little while.” He left the cubicle.
A moment later, a nurse parted the curtains. “Lena’s father is here.”
Garrett led the way to the waiting room, where a Hispanic man in work clothes came toward them. “Lena is sick?” he said. “What’s wrong?”
“This is Dr. Vale,” Garrett told him. “She’s the new doctor in Bisons Creek and she can explain—”
“No, you are responsible for Lena,” Mr. Smith interrupted. “You explain.”
“Let’s sit down.” Garrett led the way to three chairs. “Lena has diabetes,” he said when they were seated. “Like your wife.”
Mr. Smith’s expression didn’t change. “She is going to die?”
“No,” Rachel said. “She can get treatment that will keep her alive for a long time. But she will have to take care of herself.”
He didn’t respond to her. “How did this happen?” he demanded, glaring at Garrett. “You are supposed to keep her safe.”
“This is not something anyone could predict or prevent.” Garrett braced his elbows on his knees and gripped his hands together. “But we can work with Lena as she learns to handle her condition.”
Mr. Smith nodded. “You will see that she knows what to do.”
“Yes, but you should also understand—”
The other man stood up. “No. You are responsible. I signed papers. You will make sure she gets well and can do what is necessary when she comes home. That is what must happen.”
Without allowing Garrett to utter another word, Lena’s dad stalked out of the waiting room toward the parking lot.
“He didn’t go in to visit her,” Rachel said in a hollow voice.
“No.” Garrett wiped a hand over his face. “And he treated you with disrespect. I’m sorry about that.”
She shrugged. “He doesn’t seem to value women very highly.”
“I guess not. It’s no wonder Lena was getting into trouble. She was crying out for attention.”
“A kid needs her parents at a time like this,” Rachel said fiercely. “Who’s going to look after this abandoned teenaged girl?”
Garrett swallowed hard. “You heard her father. He made me responsible.”
But the doctor shook her head. “Being a teenager with diabetes is tough—physically, mentally and emotionally. Lena has to have a stable support system to help her understand the healthy life she should try to live. You can’t possibly accomplish that on a ranch in the middle of a summer camp!”
Spine straight, shoulders square, Garrett met her gaze with narrowed eyes. “I think you’re jumping to conclusions. With your help—”
“Even 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.”
“I’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?”
“That’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.”
“He 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.”
“Well, 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.”
“You 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.
“The 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.”
“I’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.”
“Shots?” 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.”
“For how long? How long do I have to do this?”
“For 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, Garrett took a deep breath and stepped over to the bed. “Try not to get upset, Lena.” He grabbed the end rail with both hands. “We’ll figure out how to make it all work for you. Maybe the pump is what you need. Or...or maybe you’ll have to get used to taking shots. But not right this minute. Right this minute all you have to do is relax.”
She glared at him through the tears running down her cheeks. “It isn’t fair!”
He shook his head. “No, it’s not. You shouldn’t have to deal with diabetes. Nobody should.” He shrugged. “But it’s happened. And in the long run you will be happiest and be able to enjoy your life if you learn to take care of yourself.”
Lena had broken into sobs. Justino put his arms around her but looked at Garrett. “I think she wants to be by herself.”
“We’ll