Family is Forever (Sequel to Running on Insulin)

Chapter 12

Samantha POV

I finally got to go home from the hospital on Tuesday morning. Jenna sat in the back of the car with me, and I clung to her. I was afraid they'd disappear. That they'd be taken away from me. Stanley already tried to take me away from them. And if I held on to them, he wouldn't be able to do that again.

When we got home, Jenna asked me if I wanted to stay downstairs or put my stuff away. I took my bag of stuff and went upstairs. I had to check my room was safe. I checked my closet, and the bathroom and under the bed. There was no sign of anyone who shouldn't be there. And no Mr. Hippo. Which was good. I couldn't have Mr. Hippo anymore. Stanley ruined him for me.

I could hear Jenna and Tyler and the rest laughing downstairs, and I wanted to go down and find out what was so funny, but instead, I sat on my floor with my back against my bed, pulled up my knees and started to cry. I want to be happy again. I want it to be like it was before Stanley kidnapped me. I want to tell them that I love them and I missed them and how scared I was that I would never see them again. But I couldn't. I couldn't get the words out. It was like Stanley took the words from me.

I heard a knock on the door and looked up. Jenna was standing in my doorway. She saw I'd been crying and came straight over and sat down beside me and pulled me into her arms.

"Oh, sweetie," Jenna said. "I know, I know."

But she doesn't.

"I know you're hurting. I know you must be scared. We're here for you, sweetheart. I promise. Whenever you're ready, if you can, you can talk to us. And even if you're not, we are here. Any time. You can just come to us, okay?"

I nodded, because the words still wouldn't come.

"You hungry?" Jenna asked, after we'd been sitting there for a while, and I'd stopped crying.

I nodded.

Jenna put out her hand.

"Do you want," and she put up one finger. "Sandwiches, or..."

She put up two fingers.

"Macaroni and cheese?"

I thought for a second and put up two fingers.

"Okay. With hot dogs or without?" Fingers up again.

I thought again and put up two fingers.

"Good girl," she said to me, and kissed my head. "We'll figure this out, okay? We'll help you through this. Ready to come downstairs and we'll test, and do your insulin?"

I nodded.

Jenna helped me up, and put her arm around me. We walked downstairs.

"Hey there, kiddo!" Brendon said, as we came down the stairs. "Want to play a little Fortnite?"

I shrugged.

"We are going to have some lunch first," Jenna said. "And then Sam can decide what she wants to do. Sam, I have a few things I want to discuss with you while you're having lunch, okay?"

I shrugged again.

Jenna took out my test kit and insulin and put it in front of me on the kitchen island. I just stared at it. I knew what to do. Of course I knew what to do. But I was scared. The whole time I'd been with Stanley, he screamed at me about the cost of test strips and insulin, even though I wasn't really his kid anymore. He told me that Tyler and Jenna were done paying for extra supplies. He told me they didn't really want me. That they were happy I was gone.

But in the hospital, they'd never left my side. They'd never even gone home. Brendon and Sarah or Josh had brought them clean clothes and food and coffee. And they kept saying how much they missed me and how scared they'd been and how worried they were.

Tears filled my eyes while I looked at my test kit. Jenna was filling the pot with water and pulling out hot dogs and macaroni.

"Sweetheart!" she exclaimed looking over at me. "What's the matter?"

She rushed over and wrapped me in a hug. I sobbed, silently. I couldn't even make noise when I cried.

"Trouble testing and dosing again?" she asked. I nodded.

"Okay, okay. Do you want me to help you?" she asked again.

I nodded again.

"Okay," she said, unzipping my test kit and setting it up. She took my left hand, cleaned off the middle finger, set up a test strip and took out the lancing device. She clicked the button and I jumped a little. "You're alright."

She tested my sugar, which was 82, and therefore okay, and then asked me how much insulin I thought I needed. I looked over at the macaroni and the hot dogs and started calculating. I put up the number of fingers I needed. Eight units should cover it. I put up four.

"I don't know, Sam. That seems low. Are you sure it's four? I'm thinking... maybe eight?"

Tears again. Jenna pulled me in close to her again.

"It's okay, sweetheart. It's okay," she said. "Do you want to try to set the dose? Was I right with eight?"

I nodded and Jenna handed me the insulin pen.

I set it to four, and stopped. Jenna watched me.

"Four more, sweetheart. You can do it," she whispered to me. I took a deep breath and put in two more units. "Good, good. Two more."

I was able to put in the two more, because Jenna was standing right there, and I didn't want to make her mad.

"Good job, sweetheart," she said, and gently kissed me on the top of the head and went back to making macaroni.

"Mmm. What's cooking good looking?" Tyler said, coming into the kitchen and giving Jenna a kiss.

"Macaroni and cheese with hot dogs. You guys want any?"

"We were going to order pizza," Tyler said. "Sam, you want pizza?"

I didn't know what to say. Jenna was making macaroni and hot dogs, but Tyler was getting pizza and wanted to know if I wanted any.

"She's just tested and dosed for macaroni and hot dogs. Please don't make this more difficult."

"How is it difficult? I'm sure she's had enough insulin to cover a piece of pizza. Or could take a couple more units to cover it if she wants. What do you say, Sam?"

I looked between the two of them, panicking. I didn't know what to do.

"Sam?" Jenna said, looking at me. "Sam, are you okay?"

She came rushing over and put her arms around me. I was shaking and I couldn't stop.

"It's okay, it's okay baby girl. It's okay. Shh, shh, shh," Jenna said. "Good job, Tyler."

"What? I just asked a question! Sam," he put his hand on my arm, and I jumped. He pulled away like I was made of fire. "Sam, I'm so sorry."

"Tyler, just go in the living room and wait for your pizza," Jenna said, and kept holding on to me.

She spoke soothingly to me until I was able to calm down some.

Sarah came into the kitchen.

"Hey, you guys okay?" she asked, coming up to the two of us. "You alright, sweet girl?"

Sarah rubbed my arm. She was really sympathetic and kind.

"Yeah. We're okay. Just had a bit of, hmm, what would we call that? A misstep?"

I shrugged. Would Tyler be mad that I didn't want pizza? Or that I did, but I couldn't tell him?