Five Days in Summer

looked.
    His father grabbed the newspaper and lifted it up so he could read it. Then he calmly laid it back down on the bed. “Come here.” He moved over to make room.
    David stood where he was.
    “Come here .”
    David didn’t move. “You lied to me, Dad. You told me Mom was okay and she’d be back.”
    “She probably is okay and she probably will be back.”
    “Did they call and ask for money?” David asked.
    “Did who call? Sweetie—”
    “The kidnapper. Was that who called you on your cell phone yesterday? Because if he called and asked for money, she might still be alive.”
    His dad couldn’t think of what to say. He sat frozen like Sammie did when he thought there was a monster under his bed. Sam wouldn’t get up to go to the bathroom and ended up wetting his bed, and when Mom found out he cried like a baby. Dad just sat there and took a big breath. But there was no monster under this bed and his father knew it. He was quiet because he thought something bad had happened to Mom.
    “They didn’t ask for money,” David said, “did they?”
    His father shook his head. “David, I’m sorry, but we can’t give up hope.”
    “What is hope, Daddy? Is it like Santa Claus? Because you know I know he isn’t real, but I still take the presents because I want them.”
    “Take the presents, David. Don’t give up because if we all give up we’ll lose her.”
    “But how do you know ?” David had his hands in fists. He wanted to hit something so he hit the bed and the newspaper jumped.
    His father leaned closer to David and looked at him in the way that said he’d better listen. “This is really important and I need your help. I don’t want you running up the road, or going down to the beachalone, even though you’re eleven and you’re the oldest. I need your help with this. Sam will follow your lead. Promise?”
    David nodded.
    “Second, I don’t want Sammie scared, so don’t tell him about this.” He pointed to the newspaper. “You know how his imagination runs wild. Promise me you won’t tell your brother.”
    David thought it over. He’d promise, for now. Like Santa Claus. He’d pretend, he’d take the presents, and then he would decide.
    Sammie flew into the room in his airplane pajamas and landed next to Dad in the bed. “What’s that?”
    “It’s a newspaper, butthead.”
    David jumped Sammie and dragged him off the bed and tried to tickle him into a ball. Sam laughed and tried to tickle David back but he was too fast; quick as a wink he was under the covers next to Dad.
    Sammie stood up and caught his breath. “Maxi’s awake.”
    “I don’t hear her crying,” Dad said.
    “She’s got her eyes open. She’s all red. She looks pretty weird.”
    Dad jumped up and ran out of the room and the door smashed against the wall and he kept running.

Chapter 14
    Maxi’s eyes were wide open, her dilated pupils darting at an invisible spot on the ceiling. An aura of heat appeared to quiver over her bright red skin. Will lay the palm of his hand on her forehead. She was on fire.
    He scooped up her limp body and shouted, “David, get Grandma!”
    Footsteps thundered up the stairs, others ran in his direction.
    “Sammie,” Will ordered, “get dressed now .”
    Maxi felt like a sack of burning coals in his arms. Her head flopped over like a newborn with no neck control and he instinctively raised a crooked elbow to catch it. Wisps of her hair were glued with sweat to her forehead. She breathed in deep, raspy spasms. Will took the stairs two at a time and headed through the mudroom toward the garage. Sarah appeared, groggy but already dressed.
    “Get the boys into the car,” Will said. “We’re taking Maxi to the hospital.”
    “You go,” Sarah said. “I’ll stay here with the boys.”
    There was no time to explain. “Sarah, please get them into the car.”
    He pressed the button to open the garage door and it scrolled up while he unlocked the back doors ofSarah’s car, so the boys could jump right in. Sammie raced in first and buckled himself up. When David ran into the garage, Will stopped him.
    “Go to the fridge and grab Maxi’s medicine.”
    David darted into the house and was back in a split second with the small plastic bottle of amoxicillin.
    Sarah sat in the backseat, between the boys, holding Maxi. Will reversed the car out of the garage and in the rearview mirror saw a moment of three faces suspended in panic: David’s forehead rutted with worry; tears pooled