They still weren’t listening to me.

“I don’t want the boy to die, either, but we can’t risk everyone’s lives for one person,” Kyle said. “People die here; it happens. We can’t get crazy to save one boy.”

I wanted to choke him, to cut off his air in order to stop his calm words. Me, not Melanie. I was the one who wanted to turn his face purple. Melanie felt the same way, but I could tell how much of the violence came directly from me.

“We have to save him,” I said, louder now.

Jeb looked at me. “Hon, we can’t just walk in there and ask.”

Right then, another very simple and obvious truth occurred to me.

“You can’t. But I can.”

The room fell dead silent.

I was caught up in the beauty of the plan forming in my head. The perfection of it. I spoke mostly to myself, and to Melanie. She was impressed. This would work. We could save Jamie.

“They aren’t suspicious. Not at all. Even if I’m a horrible liar, they would never suspect me of anything. They wouldn’t be listening for lies. Of course not. I’m one of them. They would do anything to help me. I’d say I got hurt hiking or something… and then I’d find a way to be alone and I’d take as much as I could hide. Think of it! I could get enough to heal everyone here. To last for years. And Jamie would be fine! Why didn’t I think of this before? Maybe it wouldn’t have been too late even for Walter.”

I looked up then, with shining eyes. It was just so perfect!

So perfect, so absolutely right, so obvious to me, that it took me forever to understand the expressions on their faces. If Kyle’s had not been so explicit, it might have taken me longer.

Hatred. Suspicion. Fear.

Even Jeb’s poker face was not enough. His eyes were tight with mistrust.

Every face said no.

Are they insane? Can’t they see how this would help us all?

They don’t believe me. They think I’ll hurt them, hurt Jamie!

“Please,” I whispered. “It’s the only way to save him.”

“Patient, isn’t it?” Kyle spit. “Bided its time well, don’t you think?”

I fought the desire to choke him again.

“Doc?” I begged.

He didn’t meet my eyes. “Even if there was any way we could let you outside, Wanda… I just couldn’t trust drugs I don’t understand. Jamie’s a tough kid. His system will fight this off.”

“We’ll go out again, Wanda,” Ian murmured. “We’ll find something. We won’t come back until we do.”