A/N: So, I though this might be too early. I feel like I need a chapter to finish the walk. I'll add it in if you think its missing. Let me know in the comments. More from me at the end…


Tina and her mother meet with Robin a little over a week after the walk. They meet in a small, dingy café. Ms. Cohen looks dubious as she follows her daughter into the dive. Its about three o'clock in the afternoon, and the restaurant is mostly empty. A few old men sit together discussing farm implements. A pair of tourists dressed in shorts and carrying fanny packs sit together. Tina quickly picks out the dark haired girl in a white sweater sitting alone, stirring a white cup with a spoon absentmindedly as she reads.

Tina leads her mother over to the booth, and made the necessary introductions. She is a little surprised when her mother introduces herself as Liz, but didn't say anything. Robin seems unsure of how to respond to Ms. "Liz" Cohen's offer, and seems to avoid calling the woman by name. She is more comfortable with Tina than she did with her mother.

"So, how long have you been doing this?" Tina's mother asks.

"Which part?" Robin responds, a laugh in her voice. "I've been diabetic since I was ten. My mom used to take me to support groups and meetings about as long. This is my first time doing this on my own, though. What about you?"

A month," Tina mumbles. "One of the worst months of my life."

Liz glances at her daughter. "Really, honey? I thought that was last year, when you and Artie…" Tina flushes pink, and mutters something at her mother.

Robin ignores Liz's indiscretion. "It gets better," she says, a note of exhaustion filling her voice. "You can anything … except drive a semi truck. Because they don't let you drive semi trucks if you're on insulin…" She takes a quick sip of from her mug, then reaches for the honey bear again.

"Really?" Tina asks.

As Liz, ever the mother questions Robin at the same time."Should you be doing that?"

The older girl shrugs. "Yes and yes. I don't do artificial sweeteners. But, my diabetes hasn't stopped me from doing much."

"What do you mean?" Liz asks.

Robin's cheeks tinge pink. "Well, I've biked around northern Michigan, done service work in a developing country, and spent four months in Europe. Those are kind of the highlights." Liz raises her eyebrows at the older girl. "I got lucky!" She exclaimed quickly. "And, my parents are pretty trusting. But, it helps that I have a pump."

"What's a pump?" Tina asks. While she's happy to do research for Artie, she's been to afraid to learn about her own disease. Most of the literature she reads talks about the complications. She doesn't want to think about more things that can wrong in her body.

Robin stands up slightly, and pulls a small object out of her back pocket. "This is a pump," she explains. Tina studies the object. She might have mistaken it for a cheap mp3 player with a single headphone attachment if Robin hadn't explained it. Its clear dark blue, and a bit of the electronic underpinnings show through. The front was slightly scratched, but it featured a large screen the time, an pointed icon with three bars, and something that was clearly the battery. Below the screen were three round buttons, and on the side were arrows.

"It delivers insulin every few minutes according to an hourly rate my doctor and I set," Robin tells Tina. "Its like taking a dose of long acting insulin, but I can tailor . Last year, I used to go low between three and five in the morning. So, I set the hourly dosage to compensate. Then, when I eat, or my blood sugar magically ends up high, I can take a quick shot that brings it down."

Tina studies the little box. "So, you don't have to take shots anymore?"

Robin grins. "I think I've maybe taken four or five shots in the past year, and one of those was my tetanus booster. But, I have to put in an infusion set." Robin lifted her shirt, showing a pale stomach with small scars, a few still red scabs, and a large white band aid. A white circle on the bandage was connected to a long tube on one side.

Tina reached out to touch it, then drew her hand back. "Does it hurt?"

Robin smiles a tired smile. She's probably heard this question before. "Honestly? Not usually. Sometimes, it hurts going in if I hit a scar. And, I've gotten infections and allergic reactions before, which hurt as well. But, its just a thin plastic tube under my skin."

Liz, ever the lawyer, makes notes. "What happens if it breaks?" She asks.

Robin winces. "That's three of the shots I took."

"And the last one?" Liz prompts.

"Ketones," Robin says quietly. "Because I don't have any long acting insulin, if my pump runs out of insulin, or it goes bad in the pump, I get ketones fast." Tina remembers her days in the hospital, and how awful she had felt. She's not sure she's willing to risk that again, even for convenience.

"Are there any other downsides?" Liza asks, preparing for bad news.

Robin shrugs. "Cost," she admits, "But its covered by insurance. And, I still have to test, so I have to carry a bag with a test kit and extra stuff. I get low," She glances at Tina, who laughs. "I occasionally go high. Sometimes buying and wearing clothes can be a challenge, 'cause you have to figure out where to put the pump. But, I wouldn't trade my pump for the world."

Tina, her mother, and Robin move on to other topics. The Cohens-Changs are surprised to find how well they get along with the young graduate student. Before they leave, Robin gives Tina her phone number, in case Tina needs to talk, or anything.

On the way out the door Tina leans over and asks Robin, who has admitted to carrying sugar in her purse everywhere what happened before the walk.

Robin looked shifty eyed. "I, umm, forgot how low drinking makes me." She says in an undertone. Tina doesn't let her mother hear.


A/N: Okay, I'm trying to make Robin real. She is my personification in the story, again based on my own experiences. I have plans for the character… with a few more chapters left. If there are questions you want answered, feel free to ask them in the comments section. Thanks to everyone who's been reading and reviewing! I love it when they come in.