#Chapter 45 He Smells Strange

Ardal The sterile white walls of Dr. Jack Rayburn's office do little to calm my nerves. I sit beside Erbao, clutching his small hand in my own, as the doctor reviews the latest test results. With five six year-olds - four of them boys - we seem to go from one accident or disaster to the next, and Dr. Rayburn knows my quints very well at this point. I’m still touched by Kadeem rescuing poor Milo today. That was one disaster averted, but here we are now. This time, it’s for Erbao, who hasn’t been looking well the last couple of days. I called this afternoon to get him in for a quicker appointment, and Dr. Rayburn squeezed him in immediately. "His kidney function has declined another ten percent." Dr. Rayburn's normally cheerful tone is grim. "If we don't act soon, renal failure is a very real possibility." My stomach twists into knots. I glance at Erbao, taking in his pale complexion and the dark circles under his eyes. "We have two options." The doc