The EMTs got them all into the ambulance. Izabel recognized them both, Uzair and An. The family was quiet as the men worked together to get oxygen masks on Izabel and Jana. At the hospital, they took them to the basement, cut them out of their pollen-stained clothes, showered them, and got them into hospital gowns, the same way Izabel and Kaito used to do with survivors coming to the hospital.

Upstairs, they were placed in adjacent beds and nurses took over. They squeezed a serum into Izabel and Jana’s eyes and told them they wouldn’t be able to open them for at least an hour. Next the nurses placed soft gauze over their closed eyes and wrapped it tight to their heads.

The nurses told them about the doses of albuterol they were giving them to open up their airways, that it could make them shake.

Kaito kept saying that he was there with them as he held their hands.

Next Izabel and Jana were given IVs, “to make it easier,” the nurses said, “for any further steps.” The first step was to give them antihistamines. The nurses said it could make them feel drowsy. Izabel fell asleep thinking about how she couldn’t hear Cami in the room.

    Chapter Twenty-Six

Izabel woke up when a nurse was taking the gauze off her eyes. Kaito was there, smiling at her, bleary-eyed.

The nurse led her through a quick eye exam. Izabel held a small piece of black plastic over one eye and then the other.

Then the nurse went over to unwrap the gauze from Jana’s head.

“Where is Cami?” Izabel asked. Her voice was hardly there.

“They took her from me,” Kaito said. He started to cry. “They said it was protocol.”

“What?”

“I think they’re going to take Jana, too. We’re in a special area now, for pollen exposure. But once she can be moved.”

“No,” Izabel said hoarsely. “No.” She tossed her head. “I want Cami.”

“I know,” he said. He knew she was still waking up. He held her hand until she got her bearings.

She wiped her tears away. “Why?” she said.

“They said it’s about child endangerment.”

“The gun?”

“Yeah,” he said. He leaned down and lowered his voice. “Where did the gun come from?”

“I took it from the police station.”

“Why? Why would you do that?”

“It made me feel safe.”

“I wish you’d told me.”

“Me too,” said Izabel. “But I didn’t bring the gun out there. Jana did.”

“How? Did you tell her about it?”

“No. I didn’t know she knew about it.”

They didn’t say anything for a minute. They watched Jana taking her eye exam.

Then Izabel said, “I’m sorry.”

“You stopped him,” Kaito said.

She didn’t understand.

“He didn’t kill anyone tonight. You saved a family, and we’re all okay.” He squeezed her hand.