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taking it back to the sink. There, I scrubbed it out with hand soap and rinsed it clean. When it was full of warm water, I dropped in a washcloth from the closet and carried it to the Judge.
    “I’ll try to take it easy, son, but this is going to hurt some.” The Judge lifted the washcloth out and began bathing the blood from Nick’s back. In an agony of sympathy, I sat on the floor by the bed and held his hand.
    “Did your daddy do this?” Under the circumstances, it was amazing how calm the Judge sounded.
    Nick didn’t answer.
    “You should be seeing a doctor.”
    “No. You promised. He just got drunk is all.”
    The Judge’s teeth ground together so loudly I could hear them. “From now on, when he starts drinking, you come over here. This is your room now, hear me?”
    “I can’t. He’d come looking for me and cause you problems.”
    “You let me worry about that. I made you a promise, now I want one from you.
    When he starts drinking, you come over here.”
    Nick hesitated, then nodded weakly. “I promise.” Once his back was cleaned and medicine applied, the Judge found one of Mr. Bob’s T-shirts for Nick to wear, then tucked him under the blankets and turned to me. “Alix, you stay here and keep an eye on him until I get back. I’ve got some business to take care of.”
    “What should I do?”
    “Just keep him in bed and give him water if he’s thirsty.”
    “Yes, sir.”
    It wasn’t until years later that I discovered where he went that night. After a quick swing by the sheriff’s house, they confronted Frank Anderson. Not only did they threaten to take Nick away from him, the Judge promised him a healthy jail term if he ever touched Nick again. The sheriff got into the act by informing him that Nick had permission to stay at our house any time he wanted to, and if Frank knew what was good for him he’d accept the situation.
    And while no one ever actually admitted it, I was pretty sure the female contingent of my family also knew what had happened. The barn cats suddenly became the recipients of three square meals a day, all nicely arranged on our good dishes with a fork and a glass of milk included. For once, even Aunt Darla kept her mouth shut.
    I sat with Nick that night, never letting go of his hand, and we talked when he could.
    “You won’t be able to go to school tomorrow.”
    24

    The Sweet Gum Tree
    “I have to.” He shifted restlessly, wincing as the movement hurt his back.
    “No, you don’t. We never do anything the first day. I’ll find out who your teacher is and get the list of school supplies for you.”
    “I don’t care about that.” He watched me from under drooping eyelids. “But I have to be there for Lindsey. She’ll be scared if I don’t go.”
    “I’ll tell her you’re okay. I’ll even play with her so she won’t be worried.”
    “She won’t play.” He hesitated. “She’s not like you, Peewee. She doesn’t talk to anybody except me, and only then when she has to.”
    “Is she retarded?”
    “No. Maybe a little slow, but it’s not her fault. Nobody’s ever cared about her or tried to help her.” His voice was little more than a whisper, and I could see he was barely awake.
    “Go to sleep,” I told him. “I’ll make sure Lindsey is fine tomorrow and I won’t scare her.” I was still sitting on the floor, but I leaned over until my head was on the pillow beside his, our foreheads almost touching.
    “You’re something special, Peewee,” he murmured.
    “So are you,” I answered.
    I must have fallen asleep there, because when I next woke it was morning and I was in my own bed.
    25

    Katherine Allred

Chapter Three
    Nick couldn’t have gone to school the next day no matter how determined he was.
    It was all he could do to lift his head from the bed, and he still ran a fever off and on. I did what I told him I would, getting the list of school supplies from his teacher and keeping watch on Lindsey. Her big owl-eyes brimmed with tears when