“Nitro’s right, Eliza,” Jack said. “Most scorpion stings are harmless. You usually only have to go to the hospital if you’re a kid or elderly.”

“In Las Vegas maybe, Jack,” Pita said. “Not in Mexico. The scorpions here—”

“They’re not that different,” he said brusquely, silencing her with a look.

Elizaveta didn’t miss this, and she knew he was trying to reassure her…which made her all the more alarmed.

Was she going to die?

“I can breathe now,” she said. “But what of future? Maybe I will get worse. And there is no help here, no hospital, no anti-venom.”

“Someone should suck it out,” Pita offered.

“What?” Jesus said.

“Someone should suck out the venom. I saw it on TV once. A person was bit by a snake, and this man sucked the venom from the wound with his mouth.”

“That doesn’t work, Pita.”

“You don’t know, Jesus. We should at least try. Nitro—you do it.”

He shook his head. “I’m not sucking out venom with my fucking mouth.”

“I’ll do it,” Jack said.

“Nobody will suck my back!” Elizaveta snapped. “This is serious!”

“Look, Eliza,” Jesus said reasonably. “You said you feel okay. If the scorpion was really poisonous, you would know by now. We’re overreacting.”

“You are just saying that—”

“No, I’m not, cariño,” he said. “I promise, okay? You’ll be fine.”

9

Elizaveta retrieved her damp shirt and pulled it on, shivering as the cold material slid over her bare skin. Jack took the green and beige rug to Pepper’s bedroom, to drape over Pepper, while Jesus and Pita and Nitro stood near the dead scorpion, speaking quietly to each other. Elizaveta began to pace back and forth. She couldn’t relax. She couldn’t stop thinking about the sting in her back. Originally she’d felt a sharp pain, followed by a burning sensation. Now, however, all she felt was a strange tingling. Still, she didn’t believe Jesus when he said she would be fine. She had seen people stung by scorpions in movies. They always ended up foaming at the mouth, having heart attacks, and dying.

Jack returned from Pepper’s bedroom. She went to him.

“How is Pepper?” she asked.

“Sleeping,” he said.

“What can we do?”

“Nothing. He just needs rest. You do too.”

“I’m not tired.”

“Still, you should rest, relax.”

“How can I relax? I have venom inside me. It’s spreading—”

“Right, Eliza,” he said, touching her arm. “And the more worked up you get, the faster your heartbeat, the faster the venom gets absorbed.”

She considered this, nodded.

“Take a deep breath,” he said.

She did.

“Another.”

“I am not in labor, Jack.”

He smiled. She did too.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

“Why don’t you go to Pepper’s room, lie down?”

“What will you do?”

“Keep watch.”