to Stoneybrook?"
"Yup. We hung it in front of her house. We could do that again."
"And then we'll be waiting for her in the front yard when her mother drives her home. Only we won't jump out or anything. And we won't invite as many people as we did the last time."
"That sounds good. And maybe we'll just drag over the Pikes' picnic table and serve juice or lemonade."
"Lemonade without sugar in it," added Charlotte.
"Right," said Mary Anne. "Or with artificial sweeteners. Okay, this sounds good. The party will be quiet and small. I think Stacey will really like it. What should the banner say?"
Charlotte frowned. "Mmm . . . how about, 'We're glad you're home, Stacey'?"
"Perfect!"
"Really?" Charlotte looked very pleased.
"Positively. Do you want to help make the banner?"
"Positively!" replied Charlotte, grinning.
"I should call Claudia and everyone and see what they think about this."
"Call them right now," said Charlotte.
"Okay." Mary Anne headed back downstairs.
Charlotte ran after her. "Hey, guess what! My strep throat is gone! And I'm pretty sure I don't have Lyme disease or arthritis, or anything, either."
Mary Anne turned around. She hugged Charlotte. "You don't know how glad I am to hear that," she said.
"Who should we call first?" asked Charlotte, wriggling out of Mary Anne's grasp.
"Claudia, I think," answered Mary Anne. "She's got paint. We'll probably make the banner at her house tomorrow afternoon."
"I'll dial!" exclaimed Char.
So she did. Then she handed the receiver to Mary Anne. Mary Anne spoke to Claud, who loved the idea of welcoming me home. Within fifteen minutes, Dawn, Mal, Jessi, and Kristy knew about the party, too. Mary Anne assigned jobs to everyone. My friends could not wait for Saturday — and neither could I!
Chapter 15.
The highway stretched in front of us. I imagined it was the Yellow Brick Road, and that it led straight to my house.
Saturday had arrived at last. I had been sprung from the hospital. And now that I was out of that bland room with its view of dingy gray, I really did feel like Dorothy in Oz. "Hey, Mom, there are colors out here!" I had exclaimed as a nurse helped me into our car.
Mom laughed.
The nurse smiled. "It was nice knowing you, Stacey," she said, "but I don't ever want to see your face here again!" (She didn't?) "Don't worry," the nurse went on, "I say that to all my patients. Stay well, okay?"
It was my turn to smile. "Okay." I paused. Then I added, "I hope 7 never see your face again, either!"
Grinning, the nurse turned the empty wheel-
chair around and started toward the door of the hospital.
"Why do they always make me leave the hospital in a wheelchair?" I complained. "I can walk. I was walking in the hospital."
Mom shrugged. "Just hospital policy, sweetie." She turned the key in the ignition and at last I began to leave the hospital behind me.
The morning had been a little hectic. Mom arrived early to pack my suitcase, and to put all of my cards and gifts into shopping bags. Then she began to empty a vase of its flowers.
"Mom!" I exclaimed. "Can't we keep my flowers? Can't we take them home?"
"All of them?" replied Mom. The room was overflowing.
"Well, some of them," I said. "Maybe we could give the rest to the nurses or to the other kids here."
"Good idea," Mom had answered.
So we'd left two bouquets of flowers at the nurses' station. We had delivered four more bouquets to the kids I'd gotten to know the best (which wasn't very well), and we took three home with us.
While Mom was running around packing my suitcase and handing out flowers, Dad arrived to say good-bye to me. He knew that Mom would be there, and Mom knew that
Dad was coming, so when they found themselves together in my room, they didn't talk, but they didn't argue, either.
"From now on," said Dad, "be sure to tell your mother or me when you're feeling so awful. You know the signs to look for."
"Yeah," I agreed. "I guess I wasn't very responsible."
Dad shook his head.
"Yup. We hung it in front of her house. We could do that again."
"And then we'll be waiting for her in the front yard when her mother drives her home. Only we won't jump out or anything. And we won't invite as many people as we did the last time."
"That sounds good. And maybe we'll just drag over the Pikes' picnic table and serve juice or lemonade."
"Lemonade without sugar in it," added Charlotte.
"Right," said Mary Anne. "Or with artificial sweeteners. Okay, this sounds good. The party will be quiet and small. I think Stacey will really like it. What should the banner say?"
Charlotte frowned. "Mmm . . . how about, 'We're glad you're home, Stacey'?"
"Perfect!"
"Really?" Charlotte looked very pleased.
"Positively. Do you want to help make the banner?"
"Positively!" replied Charlotte, grinning.
"I should call Claudia and everyone and see what they think about this."
"Call them right now," said Charlotte.
"Okay." Mary Anne headed back downstairs.
Charlotte ran after her. "Hey, guess what! My strep throat is gone! And I'm pretty sure I don't have Lyme disease or arthritis, or anything, either."
Mary Anne turned around. She hugged Charlotte. "You don't know how glad I am to hear that," she said.
"Who should we call first?" asked Charlotte, wriggling out of Mary Anne's grasp.
"Claudia, I think," answered Mary Anne. "She's got paint. We'll probably make the banner at her house tomorrow afternoon."
"I'll dial!" exclaimed Char.
So she did. Then she handed the receiver to Mary Anne. Mary Anne spoke to Claud, who loved the idea of welcoming me home. Within fifteen minutes, Dawn, Mal, Jessi, and Kristy knew about the party, too. Mary Anne assigned jobs to everyone. My friends could not wait for Saturday — and neither could I!
Chapter 15.
The highway stretched in front of us. I imagined it was the Yellow Brick Road, and that it led straight to my house.
Saturday had arrived at last. I had been sprung from the hospital. And now that I was out of that bland room with its view of dingy gray, I really did feel like Dorothy in Oz. "Hey, Mom, there are colors out here!" I had exclaimed as a nurse helped me into our car.
Mom laughed.
The nurse smiled. "It was nice knowing you, Stacey," she said, "but I don't ever want to see your face here again!" (She didn't?) "Don't worry," the nurse went on, "I say that to all my patients. Stay well, okay?"
It was my turn to smile. "Okay." I paused. Then I added, "I hope 7 never see your face again, either!"
Grinning, the nurse turned the empty wheel-
chair around and started toward the door of the hospital.
"Why do they always make me leave the hospital in a wheelchair?" I complained. "I can walk. I was walking in the hospital."
Mom shrugged. "Just hospital policy, sweetie." She turned the key in the ignition and at last I began to leave the hospital behind me.
The morning had been a little hectic. Mom arrived early to pack my suitcase, and to put all of my cards and gifts into shopping bags. Then she began to empty a vase of its flowers.
"Mom!" I exclaimed. "Can't we keep my flowers? Can't we take them home?"
"All of them?" replied Mom. The room was overflowing.
"Well, some of them," I said. "Maybe we could give the rest to the nurses or to the other kids here."
"Good idea," Mom had answered.
So we'd left two bouquets of flowers at the nurses' station. We had delivered four more bouquets to the kids I'd gotten to know the best (which wasn't very well), and we took three home with us.
While Mom was running around packing my suitcase and handing out flowers, Dad arrived to say good-bye to me. He knew that Mom would be there, and Mom knew that
Dad was coming, so when they found themselves together in my room, they didn't talk, but they didn't argue, either.
"From now on," said Dad, "be sure to tell your mother or me when you're feeling so awful. You know the signs to look for."
"Yeah," I agreed. "I guess I wasn't very responsible."
Dad shook his head.
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