Page 1 of Zone Protection

PROLOGUE

EMMA—THEN

My little sister,Sunny, had surgery a few days ago. She had something wrong with her heart that I didn’t understand, and they went in to sew it up. After poking at her today with needles, they ran some tests. From what the doctor said yesterday, she should be starting to feel better.

The doctor comes into her room, and he has the kind of look on his face that my dad gets when he gets home from a hard day at work. Tired.

Dr. Norton walks over to the side of Sunny’s bed and places both hands on the bedrail. His mouth is turned down. Doc doesn’t usually have a frown. He’s a smiley kinda doctor who gives out lollipops.

“Mr. and Mrs. Tucker, there is no easy way to say this, especially after a successful surgery, but Sunny has developed a bacterial infection, and it has spread into her lungs. We already have her on antibiotics, but we’re going to have to try something stronger to see if we can knock it out before it worsens and turns septic.”

My parents don’t say anything at first. I’m confused becauseI’ve been sick before and I took antibiotics. It’s the pink drink that Mom keeps in the fridge that tastes like a foot.

Dad’s brows narrow as he moves from the chair he was sitting in and walks over to Mom, who’s sitting next to where Sunny is sleeping. He stands behind her and puts his hands on her shoulders. “I’m sorry. I don’t understand. What do you mean, she has an infection? We went through this surgery after she was born, and there were no complications.”

Mom’s hand moves from her lap, and she takes my sister’s hand in hers—the three of them clinging to each other. I’m not sure what to do, so I just sit in the recliner and don’t make a sound. By the worry in the doctor’s voice and my dad’s, I know to stay quiet and listen.

“Your tone makes this sound rather grave, so I just want to make sure I understand it properly.” My mom clears her throat. “So, at some point in the last few days, she has developed an infection, and you’re giving her different antibiotics to see if you can kill the infection before it spreads?”

“That’s correct. As you know, pulmonary atresia prevents blood from flowing from the heart into the lungs. While this is her second surgery and the correct-sized valve has replaced the one from her first surgery, her lungs and heart are working overtime to function, which also compromises the immune system. However, I believe there is a chance we caught it in time and can start this new round of antibiotics, and she should be progressing in the next few days.” He moves his hands to his waist and glances over at me.

I don’t understand what he’s saying, but my parents’ silence starts to make me feel scared. I place the book I was reading on the footstool next to my chair and stand up to walk over to my dad. I wrap my hands around one of his arms, and I can feel the muscles in his arm tense.

My dad mumbles something I can’t hear, then says, “Doctor, my baby has been lying in this bed, fighting an infection, and no one noticed it until now? You’ve been checking on her regularlyfor the last few days. I don’t understand how this is possible. Are you sure you can treat it in time?”

“We have every reason to believe we caught it early, and she should continue with a normal recovery.”

He removes his stethoscope from his neck, places the earpieces in his ears, and leans down toward my sister. Placing the cold round part that I never like on her heart, he listens.

I hear my mom sniffle—something I’ve heard a lot lately—so I let go of my dad and step to the side of my mom’s chair. She looks up at me and squeezes my hand lightly with her free hand.

“She’ll be okay, sweetie. They just need to give Sunny some more medicine to help her get better faster.”

Not really sure what to say, I nod.

After the doctor leaves the room, we sit quietly until my sister begins to stir. My parents jump and lean over the side of the bed.

My mom takes her hand in hers. “Hi, pumpkin. Did you have a good sleep?”

Sunny gives Mom a soft smile. She’s always happy, always smiling. Even when she’s sick, she’s smiling. “Yes, I had a dream, and Emma was in it with me. We were playing in the sunflowers by Grandma’s house.”

The last time we were there, Sunny grabbed my hand and begged me to take her into the flowers. We walked a little ways in, hand in hand. After finding the perfect spot, we lay down on the ground and looked up at the sunflowers. She said she loved lying in the garden and that it felt like we were in a tent in a magical wonderland. The sun filtered in through the stems, and when I looked over at her, she was looking up. Between the sun’s rays and the big flowers’ shadows, it looked like she was wearing a halo. She asked me if we could stay there forever that day.

A few days later, we found out she needed another surgery.

“You have always loved the sunflowers, even as a baby. Ithink it’s because we named you Sunny. What do you think?” Mom smiles and holds her hand lightly.

Sunny giggles softly. “I do love them. They get so big, and they’re so happy.”

She pulls her hand out of my mom’s and waves me over to her. “Emma Bean, did you know you’re my bestest friend?” Her voice is so low that I have to lean in to hear her.

I rest my forearms on the bedrail. “I do know that because you’re my bestie too.”

Weakly, she lifts her other hand and puts it on my arm. “Emma Bean …”

I look from her hand to her face and see her smile.

“I’ll be waiting for you in the sunflowers.” As she finishes talking, her eyes close again. So sleepy.

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