Emma Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice by Coco Simon Page B

was having fun for the moment.
    â€œIs it time?” I asked my parents through my dry, sawdusty mouth.
    â€œHe’s just going to the lab to get the port put in for the IV,” explained my dad.
    â€œYou stay here,” my mom said firmly to me.
    â€œNo! Emmy, come!” cried Jake in a baby voice.
    â€œOh, Jake, I can’t go in there,” I said sadly. “I’m not allowed.”
    But someone hadn’t briefed the nurse. “Sure you are, honey. It’s just fine. There’s no one else in there yet, anyway,” she said, peeking around the corner at the lab.
    My mom and I groaned.
    â€œSee?” said Jake. “Come!”
    â€œOh, Jake . . .”
    â€œDon’t be scared, Emma. I’ll be there to take care of you,” he said. “You can hold my bear.”
    He was so cute, I almost cried. How could I put my own fears before his bravery and generosity? I took a deep breath, nodded at my mom, and said in a fake cheerful voice, “Okay! Let’s go!”
    In the lab, I tried to focus only on Jake’s face. I didn’t want to see any needles on the counter or vials of blood waiting for collection or anything. I didn’t watch as the nurse snapped on her gloves and tied the rubber tube around Jake’s arm. (Okay, I watched a little, but more like you’d watch a snake in the room with you: out of the corner of your eye, to make sure it doesn’t attack.)
    The nurse kept up her chatter the whole time, to distract Jake, but it kind of worked for me too. I kept trying to breathe in through my nose and out through my mouth like Dr. Brown taught me.
    â€œSo, how old are you, honey? What grade areyou in? What’s your favorite TV show?”
    Jake answered politely and stared at everything the nurse did, totally fascinated by all the equipment and not at all freaked out.
    â€œWhat’s your bear’s name, honey?” asked the nurse.
    â€œWell . . . ,” said Jake. He didn’t really call it anything except “the officer bear,” which isn’t really a name, I guess. He looked at the bear for a minute, and then he looked up at the nurse. “Emma,” he said with a grin.
    â€œNo, the bear, honey, not your sister,” said the nurse. She was doing something with a needle and Jake’s hand, but I was studiously avoiding looking at either. My knees felt a little wobbly all of a sudden, but I pinched myself and tried some deep breaths. I can do this, I can do this, I chanted in my head. Deep breaths, desensitize, distract . . .
    â€œNo, the bear’s name is Emma too!” said Jake. “Because I love her!”
    Awwww! “Jake! That’s so nice!” I said. Mia and Katie would have a field day with that one when I told them.
    â€œWell, you obviously have a very nice sister. You’re awfully lucky,” said the nurse, focusing on Jake’s hand.
    â€œI have some brothers, too,” said Jake. “But they’re not as fun.”
    â€œOh, Jake,” I said. I wanted to reach over and hug him right then and there.
    â€œOkay, Jake, it’s going to be a little pinch, then that’s it,” the nurse promised. “You just look at your sister, who is going to make a funny face at you and make you giggle but not wiggle!”
    Jake looked at me, and my stomach did a little flip-flop. This was it! I was terrified. I was standing there in the middle of the hospital, and it was . . . divine! Yes, I thought. It is just divine. And with that I took a big breath and made a crazy face at Jake, who started to giggle. I thought about what Alexis had told me: Putting a needle in, for a shot or a blood test or whatever, takes just a couple of seconds, and before it even starts to hurt, it’s over. I can do anything for three seconds, I thought, especially for Jake. And sure enough, after about three seconds, it was all over. The needle was in