the sins of pride and sloth.”
“Jesus, Dad, did you not see what happened? She fell. She’s not faking it,” I protested.
“Alright, I don’t know what’s going on with this family dynamic,” the EMT who’d been in the doorway said, “but you need to put those issues aside while we make sure your daughter isn’t in any immediate danger. And step back to give us some room to work, please.”
I moved back automatically, giving him access to the bed, but my dad held his ground.
“I’m going to need you to step back, sir,” the EMT repeated.
“She’s not in any danger,” my dad spat. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I’m just trying to do my job, sir,” the EMT said. I didn’t know how he managed to stay so calm. “Step back now, or I’ll have to have you removed from the room.”
His face bright red, my dad took one halting step back, then another. The EMT nodded like this was no more than he’d expected, then turned back to Katie’s cot as my dad glared at him.
The EMT checked Katie’s pulse, made her follow a penlight with her eyes, and asked her to confirm her name, address, and what day of the week it was. Then he moved on to checking her limbs, moving his fingers softly and efficiently across her body. Her eyes were round and frightened, but she didn’t object, until he touched her ribs gently and she yelped.
“Alright, so that clearly hurt,” the EMT said. “We’ll need to take a closer look there. Get you some x-rays.”
“She’s faking it,” my dad growled, but no one seemed to be paying him any attention.
Chuck frowned at Katie from the other side of the bed. “I thought you said your ribs weren’t bothering you anymore. That’s what you told me last week.”
“Last week?” Kinley said from the doorway, and I turned to see her hurry into the room. She frowned as she joined Chuck. “What did she tell you this afternoon?”
Katie’s eyes grew even more afraid.
“This afternoon?” Chuck looked confused. “I didn’t see Katie this afternoon.”
“I sent her to you,” Kinley insisted. “During warm-ups.” She turned to Katie. “Didn’t you go see him?”
I didn’t think it was possible to shrink any further back into that cot, but Katie managed it. I’d never noticed just how small she was until now.
“I didn’t go,” she said, her voice barely audible. Her eyes darted from Chuck to my dad and back again, and tears threatened to spill out. “I thought you’d tell me I couldn’t compete.”
“You thought I’d say that?” Chuck frowned. “You know I wouldn’t, unless something were really wrong. How bad is the pain?”
Kinley shook her head and sighed, “Katie, your health is more important than any competition. You know that.”
“She’s fine,” my dad exploded, evidently done with being ignored. “How is it possible that none of you see what this truly is? It’s nothing more than an outburst from a little girl who wants attention.”
“I’d say it’s considerably more than that, sir,” the EMT said, finally stepping away from Katie. He looked down at her. “Like I said, you’ll need x-rays to confirm it, but I think you’ve got at least one, maybe two cracked ribs. You’re also showing significant signs of dehydration, and I suspect your blood sugar’s low, too.” He put his hands on his hips. “When’s the last time you ate something?”
Katie’s voice was even lower when she spoke this time, and none of us heard her answer.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that,” the EMT said, bending over her. “What did you say?”
“You don’t have to answer that, Kathryn,” my dad said, trying to get between the EMT and Katie’s cot. “She doesn’t have to answer that. She’s my daughter, and I know what’s best for her. She’s coming home with me, now.”
“Dad, what the hell are you talking about?” I stepped up to the bed, staring at him in confusion. “She’s hurt. She needs to go to the hospital, and any information we can give them—”
“I told you to stay out of this,” my dad screamed, rounding on me. His face was inches from mine, so close I could see the veins bulging in his forehead. “This has nothing to do with you, nor is your presence welcome here. You’ve been nothing but a negative, ungodly presence in your sister’s life and I won’t tolerate it anymore.”
“I’m trying to make sure she’s safe,” I said, shaking. The same old fear that was always coiled in my