Chapter 19: The Daughter Who Stayed

"Give him to me," I said.

Fiona held on a moment longer.

Then she put Theo into my arms, and he curled against my neck, burning hot.

I laid him on the bed and pulled off his sleeper.

I checked his ears with the little light on my keys, and his throat with a spoon from the room-service tray.

He cried and swatted at me, which was a good sign.

"His left ear is red," I said. "It's an infection. Do you have children's acetaminophen?"

"In my bag."

"Give me the dose chart on the box."

She dug it out with shaking hands.

I gave Theo the measured dose, and held him upright against my shoulder, and in a while the crying thinned into hiccups.

"Is he all right?" Fiona whispered.

"He's fine. He needs a pediatrician in the morning for antibiotics, and he needs to sleep."

"I thought..."

"I know what you thought."

She sat down on the edge of the other bed and put her face in her hands.

I walked Theo slowly around the room until his head went heavy against my collar.

When he was asleep, I laid him in the middle of the big bed and put a pillow on each side.

"Desmond's in the hall," I said.

"I don't want him."

"He's been there twenty minutes. He hasn't knocked."

Fiona gave a wet, bitter laugh. "That's new."

"I'm not here for him. I'm here because your son had a fever."

"You came for Theo."

"Yes."

"Not me."

"Not you," I said. "You are the one who needs to sit still and listen."

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