31

Tata isn’t there when I get home. His tool bag is missing, which means he must be out on a job. I barely have time to feel relieved before I head to Mama’s study.

“I need your help,” I tell her.

She’s frowning at some work she brought home. “Can you ask your dad when he gets back?” she asks, not even looking at me. “I’m in the middle of something.”

“No. It’s important.”

She must hear the sharpness in my voice because her eyes snap up. “What’s wrong?”

“You said you’re making better Amber that’s stronger than the regular kind. I need some of it. Now.”

“Wh-what are you talking about?”

“My friend is in trouble, and it’s the only way to help him. Please, Mama. Can we go to your lab and get some for him?”

Mama rises to her feet. “I’m sorry, Mira, but the new kind of Amber isn’t ready yet. It won’t be for months. Even if it were, I couldn’t simply give you some. Who is this friend? What’s wrong with him?”

“He—he’s sick.”

“Has he been to the doctor?”

“You don’t understand. He can’t. The new Amber is the only way!”

I realize that I’m shouting as Tata appears in the doorway. “What’s the matter?” he asks, unbuttoning his coat.

Before I can answer, Mama says, “Her friend is sick and needs Amber.”

“Why can’t he go to a doctor?”

Of course my parents want an explanation. I warned Daniel that this might happen, so he gave me permission to tell my parents everything if I needed to. I have no other choice. The words rush out of me as I explain everything.

“So this is why you were taking our rations. Stealing them,” Tata says. “First for yourself and then for a boy who’s not even supposed to be here?” The disappointment in his eyes is so sharp that it stings. “Why didn’t you come to us?”

“I didn’t think you’d understand! Now Mikey’s really hurt and he can’t go to the hospital and he needs help!”

“All right, calm down,” Mama says. “We’ll figure out what to do.” She turns to Tata. “Maybe you could go take a look at him, at least.”

But Tata is shaking his head. “We can’t get involved with something like this. It’s too dangerous. Why should we risk our lives for people who haven’t followed the rules?”

“Because he could die!” I cry.

Mama lets out a soft gasp and then covers her mouth with her hand. I can tell she’s thinking of Henryk. There are tears welling up in her eyes, as there are in mine.

“You’re always telling me to blend in, to avoid getting noticed, to stay away from troublemakers,” I go on. “Then you tell me not to lose who I am. How can we be ourselves when we’re always hiding? When we’re too afraid to do anything?”

Tata doesn’t say anything for a long time, and I think I’ve lost. Finally he lets out a long sigh. “I suppose a sick child is a sick child, with or without papers,” he says softly, wiping my tears away with his thumb. “And I suppose I am still a doctor, even if no one here calls me that.” He starts buttoning his coat. “All right. I’ll go see if I can help, but you’re staying here.” Then he hurries off to get his medical bag from the basement.

“No! I have to go!” I say, trailing behind him. “He’s my friend, and I need to make sure he’s all right. Please.”

I expect Tata to tell me to stop arguing, but he nods and says, “Fine. Come on.”