No Exit by Taylor Adams 2

“Yeah. Meds, shots, pens. Whatever your parents called
them.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Okay.” He sighed, pushing his thinning hair back. “Then,
tell me, Jay. How … how long have you gone without them?”
“I keep one in my pocket for emergencies, but I used it.”
She counted on her fingers. “So three … no, four days.”
Ed exhaled, like he’d been gut-punched. “Wow. Alright.”
“I’m sorry—”
“No. It’s not your fault.”
Darby grabbed his elbow. “What’s this about?”
“Apparently … well, she has Addison’s.” Ed lowered his
voice and pointed at Jay’s yellow bracelet. “Addison’s disease.
It’s an adrenal condition with the endocrine glands, where they
don’t produce enough cortisol for your body to operate. One
in, like, forty thousand people has it. Requires a daily
medication, or your blood sugar plunges and you …” He
stopped himself.
Darby touched Jay’s wrist and read the bracelet:
ADDISON’S DISEASE/STEROID DEPENDENT. She turned
it over, expecting more details, like dosage instructions, a
doctor’s phone number, or a recommended emergency
treatment — but that was it. That was all. Four stamped words.
Steroid dependent.
“So, what then?” Darby asked. “Ashley didn’t know how
to medicate her?”
“They’ve been medicating her incorrectly, I think.
Dumbasses probably Googled it, then broke into a drug store
and grabbed the first thing with steroid in the name. Just made
her sicker—”
“I thought you said were a veterinarian.”
“I am.” Ed forced a smile. “Dogs get Addison’s, too.”