I held Mia’s hand. Her fingers were cold. Her lips were turning blue.
I leaned down close to her ear. “Stay with me, baby girl. Stay right here. Daddy’s got you.”
Her eyes opened just a crack. She looked at me. She tried to say something.
“Daddy, my arms hurt.”
“I know, sweetheart. I know they do. We’re fixing it.”
“Don’t be mad about the stove.”
I had to turn my head so she wouldn’t see me cry.
While Patricia was on the phone, I pulled mine out and made a call of my own. Three rings. A gravel voice picked up.
“Frank. What.”
“Tank. I’m at Riverside General. Mia got burned. They tried to turn us away because we don’t have insurance. I need help.”
There was a one-second pause. Then I heard a chair scrape back.
“How bad.”
“Bad. We need a transport to Mercy. We need lawyers. We need everybody.”
“How many minutes you been there.”
“Maybe nine.”
“You’ll have us in twenty.”
He hung up.
