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“I forgot,” she said, knowing exactly what had happened. She’d been trying to avoid this by slipping away and eating those sweets. She hadn’t made it.
“Move, fur ball.” Ted tried to nudge Buzz aside, but the dog wasn’t obeying and had pressed himself into Mandy.
“I’m okay, boy.” She placed a hand on his head.
“I’ll call the ambulance,” Luke said.
“No, I don’t need one.” Mandy tried to get off Ted’s lap; he held her in place.
“Marla, do you have those supplies for Mandy?” Aunt Sarah called to her sister, who was approaching.
“They’re in my bag.”
Aunt Sarah got to her feet and hurried away to get them. When she returned, she had Mr. Goldhirsh with her. He carried a blanket.
“I’m not cold,” Mandy said as he dropped down beside her with Aunt Sarah.
“You look like a ghost, so you’ll let us fuss,” he said.
Soon she was handed a sandwich and a bag of dried fruit.
“You know better than that, Mandy,” Aunt Marla said.
“I know, I’m sorry, time just got away from me, and I forgot. I was trying to eat some of the sweets, I just hadn’t got around to it.”
“She needs to see a doctor,” Ted said. “I’ll take her now.”
“No, I don’t.” Mandy twisted to look up at him. “I’m okay now, or will be once I’ve eaten. I’m sorry for scaring you.”
Mandy ate the sandwich slowly and drank the soft drink she was handed. Ted lifted her off his lap and onto the blanket, then crouched in front of her.
She was now subjected to his, Mr. Goldhirsh’s, and her two aunts’ looks. None of them were happy.
“People don’t just faint, Mandy. You need to be checked over,” Ted said.
“No. This happened because I didn’t eat, that’s all.”
“I don’t faint when I skip a meal.”
“Tell him, girl,” Mr. Goldhirsh said. “It should have come out before today anyway.”
“No, I—”
“Mandy is a type 2 diabetic, Ted.” Aunt Marla interrupted her. “She needs to eat and is not usually so reckless.”
She didn’t want to look at him. Didn’t want to see the pity in his face. She’d lived with it for a few years now, it was no big deal, but for some people it was.
“Do you take insulin?” His words were gruff.
“No, not yet.”
“Not yet, but you will have to?”
Mandy nodded. “It’s likely.”
“And you didn’t tell me?”
He was angry, Mandy realized. His eyes were narrowed, and he was glaring at her.
