“Who’s that?” I asked Maggie.

“One of the Allen kids,” she said. “Whichever one is fourteen.”

“Henry,” I said, feeling shaky and nauseated. “Charlie calls him Hennie. What’s wrong with him?”

“Burns,” Maggie said, and didn’t elaborate. But a moment later, the army medics were pulling his stretcher out of the ambulance and carrying him to the helicopter. A third soldier was inspecting my mom, which prompted me to spring to my feet and jog to the ambulance.

A soldier hopped out of one of the Humvees and intercepted me before I reached my mother. “Are you injured?” he asked.

“I’m fine,” I said. “That’s my mom they’re working on.”

“You’re bleeding,” he said.

“What?” I asked. “Where?”

“Your cheek,” he said, and called up to the soldier on top of the vehicle. “Can we get some light?”

I touched my cheek, and my fingers came away wet. A moment later we were in the glow of a spotlight, and I saw how much blood was on my hands.

The soldier touched my face, inspecting the cut, and said I would need some stitches.

“There isn’t room in the helicopter,” a paramedic called out before leaving the ambulance to come look at me. “Lucky for you, chicks dig scars.”

“Chicks don’t dig infections, though,” Maggie said sharply. “Look at it—it’s full of dirt.”

“We’ll clean you up and stitch it,” the medic said to me. “But I’ve got five people who need to be on that helicopter.”

“I think he’s in shock,” Maggie barreled ahead. “He’s seeing things that aren’t there.”

I shot her an annoyed look, and she returned it with steel.

“Any head trauma?” the medic asked.

“I had a concussion several days ago playing football.”

“He said he saw a flaming skeleton running into the woods,” Maggie chimed in.

The medic turned from Maggie to me. “I don’t have room in the chopper. You’re going to have to get help from the EMTs.”

It was then that I realized the ambulance wasn’t there to take anyone anywhere. It didn’t have anywhere to go. It was just a big van full of medical supplies and a couple of paramedics.

“Are you taking my mom in the helicopter?” I asked. I wanted to go with her and Charlie to make sure they were okay.

“Her?” he asked, pointing at her on the stretcher. “Yeah. We think some glass broke off in her wound, so she needs surgery to fish it out. We’re taking her to the evac camp.”

“What about my little brother?” I said.

“Him too.”

“Why?”

“Are you his mom?” the medic asked.

“No, I’m his brother.”

“Well,” he said, “that’s his mom.”

“My house just blew up, and you’re taking my family without me? I’m still a minor, no?”

“Your mom says your dad is at the nuclear plant and can take care of you.”

“He comes home like every five days,” I argued.

Maggie stepped up and took my hand. “He can stay with me and my mom in the meantime,” she said.