“Oh, sweetie,” I say. I grab the garbage pail and pull it over to her. “More?”
She nods. And vomits more in the pail. And more. I see the burgers we had for dinner as well as this evening’s milk and chocolate chip cookies.
I rub her tiny back as she sobs and pukes, sobs and pukes.
I hear the window opening in my counselors’ room. What is he doing? Is he sneaking out? I guess that’s smart?
“What’s going on?” Slugger says, stepping into the hallway. “Oh, gross.”
A second later there’s a knock at the front door to the cabin. “Hello?” Gavin says. “Everything okay in there?”
He is totally dressed and standing at the front door. Aw. Cuteness. He wants to help.
“Hey,” I say, opening the door. “I have a sick kid.”
“Oh no,” he says. “Sam, should I get the doctor?”
“I need to take her to the infirmary,” I say.
“I can stay with the kids,” he says. “Until you get back.”
“Okay,” I say. “Slugger, get back into bed. Gavin will stay on the porch until I get back, okay?”
“Okay,” she says. “Is Fancy going to be okay?”
“She’s going to be fine,” I say as she heaves again into the garbage pail. “Just go to bed, please.”
I take Fancy’s hand and lead her carefully to the infirmary, which luckily is not that far from our bunk.
I ring the doorbell, and Dr. Harris answers in sweatpants, a T-shirt, and glasses. I hear a Law & Order episode in the background.
“What do we have here?” she asks, bending down to Fancy’s level.
“A very sick kid,” I say.
The doctor puts her hand on her forehead. “A fever too. You don’t feel too good, do you?”
Fancy shakes her head.
“You want to bunk with me tonight?” the doctor asks.
Fancy’s head shakes even harder. “Not alone! Can Sam stay with me?”
“I . . .”
“You don’t have to,” Dr. Harris says. “But we do have an extra cot.”
“Tell you what,” I say. “I have to clean up the bunk and then as soon as one of the other counselors gets back, I’ll come stay with you. How’s that?”
She nods. “Thank you.”
“Let’s get you some medicine,” the doctor says, taking her hand.
I get back to the bunk at around midnight. Gavin is sitting on the porch reading my copy of The Interestings.
“I borrowed a book,” he says.
“No problem,” I say, surprised. I didn’t take him for a reader. “I finished it already. You can have it. Did any of the kids wake up?”
“Nope,” he says.
“Did anyone see you here?” I ask.
“No one even walked by,” he says.
“Good,” I say. “Less explaining.”
“We’re allowed to be friends,” he says. “There’s no rule against that.”
“I know,” I say. “And now I have to clean up the vomit.”
“I did it already,” he says.
“You did?” I open the door. The vomit on the floor is gone. “You did! You didn’t have to do that.”
“I was here anyway. I used the paper towels in the bathroom. I wasn’t sure what to do with the door sheet, though. Laundry or toss?”
“Laundry,” I say. “It’s not our bunk’s turn, but I’ll run it over as an emergency. And I’ll wash the garbage out tomorrow too. And I’ll go shower as soon as one of my co’s gets home. I’m sure I smell fantastic.”
“Smell? I don’t smell anything,” he says, smiling.
“Sure,” I say.
“No, it’s true!”
I laugh. “Thank you. And sorry our night was interrupted.”
He shrugs. “It happens. And there’s always tomorrow. I think I have OD. You can come visit me.”
Since no one is around, I lean over and kiss him lightly on the lips. “Perfect.”
I take down the sheet, and throw it and my clothes in my laundry bag. I’ll stop by the laundry and see if they can sneak my stuff in, or if they mind if I do it myself. I’m waiting in my bathrobe when Lis, Talia, and Janelle get back.
“What the heck happened here?” Lis asks.
“It smells like dead fish!” says Janelle.
“Vomit,” I tell them. “A whole lot of vomit.”
Talia shivers. “Gross, gross, gross, gross. We have to sterilize everything.” She takes hand sanitizer out of her purse and squeezes some onto her hand. She hasn’t even touched anything yet.
“Was it one of mine?” Janelle asks.
“One of ours ate three burgers at dinner,” Lis says. “It was for sure her.”
“No,” I say. “It was Fancy. And she was so sad looking. Poor baby.”
“Are you going to tell your BFF?” Talia asks.
“Huh?”
“Her mom!” Talia says. “Your texting buddy.”
“Oh God, no,” I say. “Do I have to?”
“Not yet,” Lis says.
“I’m going to shower,” I say, “but then I promised Fancy I’d sleep in the infirmary with her.”
“That’s the worst!” Lis says. “Why would you do that? Is there air-conditioning in there?”
“No. But she was crying! She asked!”
“You’re too nice,” Talia says.
“Maybe,” I say as I leave them to shower. But I don’t think so.
I spend the next day with the bunk, but visit Fancy during Rest Hour and Free Play. She gets to watch movies, so she’s not too bored. She sleeps most of the time. I decide to text her mom and just accept that I’ll be deluged with replies. The infirmary has Wi-Fi.
I’m not wrong. Her mom sends about seven hundred texts.
Fancy’s Annoying Mom: What color was her vomit?
Fancy’s Annoying Mom: Chunky or clear?
Fancy’s Annoying Mom: Do you think she has a peanut allergy?
Fancy’s Annoying Mom: Can I FaceTime her?
Fancy’s Annoying Mom: Please? Just for five minutes.
Fancy’s Annoying Mom: One minute.
Fancy’s Annoying Mom: Thirty seconds.
Fancy’s Annoying Mom: Please please please I’m losing it.
Clearly. Finally we let her talk to Fancy, which makes her mom, if not Fancy, feel better.
“I’m fine!” Fancy tells her. “Sam and the doctor are taking care of me. Calm down! I’ll see you in two days!”
Saturday is Visiting Day. I am kind of excited to meet Fancy’s mom in person.
I text Eli a few times, but I don’t have a chance to call him. Which is kind of a relief.
I tell him I don’t have Wi-Fi in the infirmary. So now I’m officially a cheater and a liar.
The rest of the bunk makes Fancy a get better soon card in art.
When I’m not with Fancy and the bunk, I’m finding time to secretly make out with Gavin. In his counselors’ room. Behind our bunk. In our bunk when no one’s in it.
“You know I’m gonna get sick and then you’ll get sick too,” I say.