Alone again, Kaito said, “I didn’t think they could take them from us. I didn’t think, coming in last night . . .”

“They’re not going to take them from us,” Izabel said, firmly, like it was a truth that was so clear and obvious that she could wear it on her finger like a ring.

    Chapter Twenty-Eight

When a nurse brought Cami into the room for the sleep study, Izabel was already there.

Cami yelled and ran into her arms.

“Mi amor,” Izabel said.

“I want to go home.”

“They told you we’re going to sleep in here.”

“I don’t like the hospital. I told you. I told you and Opa.”

“I know you did, but this is important. And look how cool it is in here.” She put Cami down at the table next to the bed. On it was a plastic port with a dozen wires. They ran into a drawer. Cami followed them with her fingers where she could.

Izabel started to ask the nurse, “Do you think—”

“You know,” the nurse interrupted, “they’ve already started recording in here, so we better get started.”

Izabel stepped back from her, understanding how careful she would need to be.

“Cami,” the nurse said, “let’s sit you up on the bed, okay?”

Cami let the nurse pick her up and place her on the side of the bed. Izabel sat down beside her.

“We’ll start with this. It goes around your finger like a Band-Aid.”

Cami moved her hand away from the nurse. “My Band-Aids have robots on them,” she said.

“Ah, I like robots.”

“Does it hurt?” Cami said in her little voice.

“No, not at all. And it doesn’t have robots on it, but it does glow.”

“It glows?”

“Yeah, can I put it on and then you’ll see?”

Cami put her fingers under her thighs.

“You have to let her,” Izabel said. “What if we made a deal?”

“Like for lollipops?”

“Yes, for lollipops.”

“Can I have one now or do I have to wait until I wake up?”

Izabel looked at the nurse.

“I can find a lollipop,” the nurse said. “Let’s get this on first. Then I’ll get one.”

“A red one?” Cami asked.

“I’ll see what I can do.” The nurse winked at her as she said it.

Izabel wasn’t sure Cami understood winking, but Cami took out one of her hands, and the nurse put on the oxygen monitor.

“See? It doesn’t hurt.”

“I don’t like it,” Cami said.

“But now I can go get a lollipop,” the nurse said, “if you keep it on.”

“Okay,” Cami said, wriggling her body, as if that would help her with the tug it made.

Izabel stood up to talk to the nurse in a hushed voice. “Did they bring any of my things from our house? I always have a red lollipop in my purse.”