Free Sugar Crash by Elena Aitken

glared at him. "Do you really think that's a good idea? Rubbing it in to her that she can't play when all her friends can?"
    "Hey." He raised his hands, warding off her anger. "I'm just trying to help, Darci. But I have to say, she does have a point. Last week she was feeling a whole lot worse than she is today and she played. So why not-"
    "I don't need your help on this one." Darci stood, needing to put distance between them. "I'm her mother. I think I know what's best for her."
    "All I'm saying is maybe you should ask the doctor."
    "Ask me what?"  
    Darci spun around to see the friendly, smiling face of Doctor Wilson. He had his hand on Taylor's shoulder who stood next to him and was looking down at the floor.  
    The room was too small for all of them along with the thick tension that hung between them. But Darci welcomed Doctor Wilson's presence. He'd be able to put an end to the crazy idea of Taylor playing soccer. She was sick and she needed to rest. And just as soon as the doctor told her that, they could move on.  
    "I ran into this one in the hall," Doctor Wilson said. He squeezed Taylor's shoulder, but she didn't look up.  
    "I'm sorry," Darci said. "She got upset and ran off before we could stop her."
    The doctor smiled warmly. "She tells me that she wants to play in an important soccer game."
    "I know, it's a crazy idea," Darci said quickly. "I told her she needs to get better, and...well, maybe if you told her, she'd listen."
    Taylor looked up then, a smile so wide Darci could see all her teeth, pasted on her face. Darci looked at the doctor who was still smiling and back to her daughter. It took a second for her to figure out what was going on. "No," she said. "It's not a-"
    "Actually," Doctor Wilson interrupted. "I don't see a problem with it. Taylor's feeling better, and she's been responding well to the insulin."
    "He said I could play!"  
    "But you have to come back to the hospital when the game's over."
    Darci shook her head.  
    "That's awesome," Cam said.  
    "Stay out of this," Darci snapped at Cam. His face fell, and she instantly regretted it but she didn't have time to worry about his feelings. She turned back to Doctor Wilson. "You're saying she can play the game and then come back to the hospital? That doesn't make sense. If she's sick enough to be in the hospital, shouldn't she have to stay here?"
    "Mrs. Johnson, this is a good thing."  
    "Mom? Please?"  
    "I promise you, Mrs. Johnson, it's perfectly safe and she should be going home in a day or two anyway."
    Darci crossed her arms. "Then when she comes home, she can play."
    Taylor's lips quivered and tears pooled in her eyes. "But Coach Cam said this game was really important. I have to play, Mom. I have to!"
    Darci glanced back to Cam, who wouldn't meet her gaze, and then back to the doctor who still stood with his hand on Taylor's shoulder. He had said it was perfectly safe, Darci thought, and a doctor wouldn't say that if it wasn't. Tears were streaking Taylor's cheeks and Darci squeezed her own eyes tight giving herself a moment to think.  
    "You promise it's safe?" Darci asked when she opened her eyes.
    Doctor Wilson smiled and nodded. "She'll be fine. Her insulin levels have been stable and I'll have Joelle pack a little kit with juice and sugar pills just in case of an emergency blood sugar low."
    Darci shot him a look.
    "It's just for an emergency," the doctor adding quickly. "Taylor should get used to keeping sugary snacks nearby, especially when she's playing sports. It's always best to be over prepared."
    Taylor looked up, her eyes were so full of hope that Darci couldn't say no. Not without hurting her, and she'd had enough hurt lately.
    "Okay," she said. "You can play."

CHAPTER ELEVEN

    Cam hadn't been exaggerating when he'd said the game was important. The stands were packed. It felt like everyone in Bayfield was there. By the time Darci went home to get Taylor's soccer gear and gone back to get her, they were running a