Vandervoort.
How humiliating!
she said to herself.
“You shouldn’t have done it, Mother,” she mumbled beneath her breath.
“Why not?” her mother shrugged. “You’ll have a perfectly lovely time, dear. Who knows? Maybe you’ll hit it off and have a perfectly wonderful summer together. I know the Cortlands sail a lot. You’d like to spend some time this summer sailing, wouldn’t you?”
Deanne just stared out the car window.
Terrific!
she thought.
Now Mother has my entire summer laid out for me. Well, I’m not going to do it!
Deanne thought angrily.
I don’t know how yet. But, I’m not going to spend the summer chasing around after Mother’s dreams. I’ll run away from home first!
Two
“D r. Carter . . . please call the nurses’
station, fifth floor,” the soft voice of the paging system sounded through the hospital lobby. Deanne paused inside the front door and looked around the spacious, colorful lobby area.
Since it was a children’s hospital, the walls were very bright and cheerful. Large cartoon characters adorned two walls off to the right where a sitting area was located. Next to the sitting area was the information desk and then long corridors leading to administrative offices, out-patient care, X-ray and the pharmacy.
To the right of the entrance was the gift shop and a small snack bar, complete with vending machines, and small tables and chairs. Deanne noted that since her last visit to the hospital they installed two video games in the snack bar area, too.
“Now, Deanne, I’m almost late for my Guild meeting,” her mother told her hurriedly in the lobby. “I’ve got to get down to the conference room. So be a dear, and try to locate your father. Let’s see . . . ,” she added, glancing at her watch. “It’s fourthirty. He may be up on surgical rounds. Anyway, let him know we’re here and that I’ll be finished in about an hour and a half. Maybe you can persuade him to take us out to supper.”
Deanne nodded, anxious for her to be on her way. She wanted to be alone and out from under her mother’s eyes. Deanne loved the busy atmosphere of the hospital. Everyone was so active and friendly. The nurses seemed so attentive. They always had a smile for her.
Deanne had been too young to have free run of the hospital before, but now that she was fourteen, she could go just about anywhere she pleased. She had spent hours exploring the place . . . from the basement cafeteria to the out-patient clinic to each of the five floors. She knew that the hospital was considered to be one of the best in the country for treating children. It had 250 beds and was filled to capacity much of the year.
It specialized in the treatment of sick kids: kids with heart problems, kidney problems, infectious diseases, diabetes, and even cancer. The Oncology Department was located on the fourth floor, and she had never done more than glance down the halls. It always made her sad to think about all the kids with cancer.
Deanne stepped off the elevator onto the surgical floor. She knew this floor best of all. This was the area where her father spent most of his time. She approached the central nurses’ station and peered over the top of the octagon-shaped desk top.
“Hi,” she smiled at an R.N. who was bent over a flip chart.
“Well, hello, Deanne,” the nurse said with a smile as she looked up from her chart work. “Looking for your dad?”
“Yes, I am,” Deanne said. “Is he still on rounds?”
“I’m not sure,” the nurse said. “But, I think his secretary is still in his office if you want to ask her.”
“Thanks,” Deanne called as she headed down the corridor toward her father’s office. The halls were busy. Deanne knew that the dinner cart would soon be up and that the staff was preparing for the visiting hours. Things would probably be hectic from now until about nine o’clock when everything settled down for the night.
Semi-private rooms lined the corridor. Most of the
How humiliating!
she said to herself.
“You shouldn’t have done it, Mother,” she mumbled beneath her breath.
“Why not?” her mother shrugged. “You’ll have a perfectly lovely time, dear. Who knows? Maybe you’ll hit it off and have a perfectly wonderful summer together. I know the Cortlands sail a lot. You’d like to spend some time this summer sailing, wouldn’t you?”
Deanne just stared out the car window.
Terrific!
she thought.
Now Mother has my entire summer laid out for me. Well, I’m not going to do it!
Deanne thought angrily.
I don’t know how yet. But, I’m not going to spend the summer chasing around after Mother’s dreams. I’ll run away from home first!
Two
“D r. Carter . . . please call the nurses’
station, fifth floor,” the soft voice of the paging system sounded through the hospital lobby. Deanne paused inside the front door and looked around the spacious, colorful lobby area.
Since it was a children’s hospital, the walls were very bright and cheerful. Large cartoon characters adorned two walls off to the right where a sitting area was located. Next to the sitting area was the information desk and then long corridors leading to administrative offices, out-patient care, X-ray and the pharmacy.
To the right of the entrance was the gift shop and a small snack bar, complete with vending machines, and small tables and chairs. Deanne noted that since her last visit to the hospital they installed two video games in the snack bar area, too.
“Now, Deanne, I’m almost late for my Guild meeting,” her mother told her hurriedly in the lobby. “I’ve got to get down to the conference room. So be a dear, and try to locate your father. Let’s see . . . ,” she added, glancing at her watch. “It’s fourthirty. He may be up on surgical rounds. Anyway, let him know we’re here and that I’ll be finished in about an hour and a half. Maybe you can persuade him to take us out to supper.”
Deanne nodded, anxious for her to be on her way. She wanted to be alone and out from under her mother’s eyes. Deanne loved the busy atmosphere of the hospital. Everyone was so active and friendly. The nurses seemed so attentive. They always had a smile for her.
Deanne had been too young to have free run of the hospital before, but now that she was fourteen, she could go just about anywhere she pleased. She had spent hours exploring the place . . . from the basement cafeteria to the out-patient clinic to each of the five floors. She knew that the hospital was considered to be one of the best in the country for treating children. It had 250 beds and was filled to capacity much of the year.
It specialized in the treatment of sick kids: kids with heart problems, kidney problems, infectious diseases, diabetes, and even cancer. The Oncology Department was located on the fourth floor, and she had never done more than glance down the halls. It always made her sad to think about all the kids with cancer.
Deanne stepped off the elevator onto the surgical floor. She knew this floor best of all. This was the area where her father spent most of his time. She approached the central nurses’ station and peered over the top of the octagon-shaped desk top.
“Hi,” she smiled at an R.N. who was bent over a flip chart.
“Well, hello, Deanne,” the nurse said with a smile as she looked up from her chart work. “Looking for your dad?”
“Yes, I am,” Deanne said. “Is he still on rounds?”
“I’m not sure,” the nurse said. “But, I think his secretary is still in his office if you want to ask her.”
“Thanks,” Deanne called as she headed down the corridor toward her father’s office. The halls were busy. Deanne knew that the dinner cart would soon be up and that the staff was preparing for the visiting hours. Things would probably be hectic from now until about nine o’clock when everything settled down for the night.
Semi-private rooms lined the corridor. Most of the
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