Page 48 of Savage Heart

“What’s wrong, Iris?”

“Nothing,” she says too quickly.

She swings down from the fence a second later and almost stumbles. I catch her arm without thinking. She freezes, eyes wide, and for half a second neither of us moves.

“I’m fine,” she says again, softer this time.

“Tell me what’s wrong.”

“I think I need to go home.”

We walk toward the house, and she suddenly bends over, clutching her stomach.

“My stomach hurts really bad,” she says.

“I’m gonna get my mom,” I tell her. “Can you make it to the house?”

Her lips tremble, and she nods.

We make it, walking slowly. Iris leans on me, biting down on her bottom lip. I leave her in the kitchen and yell for Mom. She comes hurrying down the stairs.

“What’s wrong?” she asks, and then she sees Iris. “Oh, honey. What’s going on with you?”

“My stomach,” Iris says, her voice breaking on a sob.

She’s still clutching it, and I hate it, this helpless feeling.

“Maverick, can you run get a cool washcloth and bring the heating pad?” Mom says. “Let’s see if we can figure out what’s going on.”

When I come back, Mom has Iris’s hand, and they’re talking softly.

“Oh, sweetheart. Yes, you’re right. That’s what it is. What you’re feeling is completely normal, but it’s absolutely no fun at all. I have everything you’ll need,” Mom says. “Come with me.”

She ushers Iris away.

“Mom, I have the—” I hold up the things she asked for.

Mom turns back and nods. “Perfect. Thank you. Can you go to the medicine cabinet and look for the bottle that says Midol?”

I sigh. “Yeah, but what’s wrong? Is she okay?”

Iris still looks horrible to me. She’s even paler than she was outside.

“She’ll be okay very soon,” Mom says. “She just needs some rest and water and medicine, and she’ll feel much better.”

When they come back out, Mom sets Iris up in the family room with the heating pad, a big glass of water, a bottle of cold Coke, and a large chocolate bar. I don’t know what Iris has, but I have never had this kind of treatment. My mom is great when I’m sick, but she doesn’t give me chocolate bars. It makes me hopeful that Iris is okay, if she can eat candy.

Iris takes the medicine, and Mom kisses her forehead, pulling a blanket up to her neck.

“Hopefully it’ll be better soon. You can take this bottle home with you. I called your mom while you were in the bathroom, so she knows you’re taking some medicine now. You can take two more tablets in another four hours or so if you’re feeling rough again.”

“Thank you,” Iris says, smiling up at Mom.

She nestles under the blanket. I sit in the chair across from her, trying not to be obvious with my staring . . . but I know the second she falls asleep. I collapse against the chair, relieved.

“She’s all right, honey,” Mom whispers in my ear.

I look up, making sure she’s not leaving anything out, and when she doesn’t add anything, I nod. “Okay,” I whisper.