I looked at them. "Does anybody have a pen and paper?"
Yoichi reached into his jacket and pulled out a small notebook and pen. "Yes. I have one."
I looked at him. "Write everything down that my grandmother says."
They all looked at me like I'd lost my mind.
Behind me, Satoshi was still scratching his neck. I could hear the scrape of his nails against inflamed skin.
Jesus. That has to hurt.
I turned on the phone and put it on speaker. "Hey, Grandma."
Her warm, loving voice came through loud and clear. "Allergic to water? Now that ain't right. That ain't nothing but the devil right there."
I saw Satoshi's eyes widen.
Grandma kept going. "Is that baby around?”
“Yes, Grandma. He’s a man—”
“Tell that poor baby to come here and listen close, because we not about to let that baby scratch himself into misery."
Satoshi went completely still. His hand stopped mid-scratch, and he just stared at my phone like it was a lifeline.
"First thing," Grandma said, "get you some plain oats and grind them up fine. I'm talking powder.”
I gestured for Yoichi to write.
He blinked, but began taking the notes.
Grandma went on. “Them oats got those avenanthramides in 'em. I think that’s how you say it. Anyway, that's what calms inflammation and settles that histamine fussing in the skin. That's the base."
Yoichi was writing furiously.
Satoshi leaned forward.
"Now stir in a good spoon of raw honey. Got to be raw. Honey's antimicrobial, keeps the skin from getting angry or infected while it's irritated. It soothes and protects at the same time."
“Okay.” I looked at Yoichi. “Did you get that?”
He nodded.
Satoshi's eyes flicked to Yoichi. Then back to the phone.
"Then add you some pure aloe vera—not that green perfume mess,realaloe. That's going to cool the skin down and reduce that itching. Aloe is like laying a cool cloth over a fevered patch."
I could see Satoshi mouthing the words, trying to remember.
"If the skin is still acting up, put just a small splash of apple cider vinegar in there, but dilute it. That'll help restore the skin'spH and bring it back to balance. Don't you pour it straight, now. We healing, not burning."
“Got it, Grandma.”
Yoichi's pen scratched across the paper.
"Mix all that together into a thick paste and spread it over the itchy places. Tell that baby to sit still with it on for about forty minutes. Let it do its work."
Satoshi was holding his breath.
