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I’d been dozing on and off all day, it took me awhile to get to sleep that night. When I finally did, I was woken up by somethingpatting me in the face. I must have been dreaming, because it scared me, and I slapped out at whatever it was.
    I heard a thud, and then a scream, and then I was wide awake.
    Daniel was lying on the floor below my bunk.
    â€œMom! Mom, get up! Daniel’s hurt!” Mom was right there even before I finished yelling for her.
    There was blood pouring from a gash on Daniel’s head. He was screaming from the pain and fear. David woke up, and he started screaming, too.
    â€œI’ll call an ambulance,” I said, and ran to the phone. I punched in 911, but there was no sound. I had forgotten that our phone had been cut off. Tammy had spent the phone money on special vitamins for the boys.
    â€œGet your coat on, Khyber, and get David’s on, too.”
    â€œBut...”
    â€œNow!” Tammy was throwing her own coat on over her nightgown. She grabbed my blanket to wrap Daniel in. “Put your boots on, too.”
    I scrambled to get ready. David didn’t want to go out. He plopped down on the floor and kept kicking his boots off and screaming. Mom couldn’t help me. She was busy with Daniel.
    â€œGrab him and let’s go!” she said.
    I lifted him up and carried him out the door. He kicked his boots off, but I just let them stay there on the hall floor. I couldn’t have carried them anyway. David was heavy enough when he was cooperating. When he was screaming in my ear and hitting me and kicking me, I could barely keep from dropping him.
    â€œCan’t I stay home with David?” I asked.
    â€œI’m not leaving you alone here at night. It’s too dangerous. Now, come on.”
    Some of the neighbors opened their doors as we walked past. They were mad at having been woken up.
    â€œLady, can’t you shut those kids up?” said one.
    â€œSome people shouldn’t be allowed to have kids,” said another. I was too busy with David to yell back at them.
    â€œThere’s a cab!” I told Tammy, seeing the taxi’s lit sign heading toward us on Gerrard.
    â€œCome on, Khyber, let’s catch this light.”
    â€œAre we taking a streetcar?” The streetcar going west on Gerrard would take us close to the Sick Kids Hospital.
    Tammy didn’t answer me. She kept going past the streetcar stop.
    â€œHurry up!” she ordered, then darted out across Parliament Street between two parked cars, something she had told me never to do.
    â€œI can’t keep going,” I said. David kept hitting me in the head and screaming next to my ear. My jacket hadn’t completely dried out from Sunday, and it was cold and clammy next to my nightgown. To make things even worse, I’d been in such a hurry, I’d put my boots on the wrong feet.
    â€œMom!”
    â€œKhyber, shut up! I’ve got enough to worry about without you complaining. Next time, keep your hands to yourself.”
    That shocked me. “This wasn’t my fault!”
    â€œWell, it certainly wasn’t mine!”
    How could Mom think that I would hurt Daniel on purpose? My disbelief and shame kept me quiet the rest of the way to the hospital.
    The closest hospital to Regent Park is a few blocks north and a few blocks west. As we hurried there, we woke up all the street people sleeping in doorways. We must have been quite a sight.
    The waiting room at the emergency department was full. It always is when we have to take one of the boys in. Usually we go to the Sick Kids Hospital, but that’s a long way to have to walk.
    â€œWhere are David’s boots?” Mom asked, as we waited in line to see the admitting nurse. The boys kept screaming. At least we didn’t have to ring the desk bell to let the nurse know we were there.
    â€œThey fell off in the hall,” I said.
    â€œThey’d better be there when we get