Storm Rescue by Laurie Halse Anderson Page B

smile but don’t bother to answer. I’m still watching Lucy. Her eyes are half closed and she seems content now, but there’s no hint of a purr.
    Soon Maggie returns, holding two hot dogs—or, rather, one and a half hot dogs. She’s already eaten half of hers. She pops the rest of it into her mouth and holds mine out to me. I blink at her, trying to figure out how to hold Lucy and eat the hot dog at the same time.
    Maggie chews and swallows. “Here,” she says. “I’ll hold Lucy while you eat.”
    I hesitate. I’m still a little worried about Lucy. I wonder if she could be sick. Whenever an animal’s behavior is different from usual, it could mean she’s not feeling well. That’s one of the first things that Dr. Mac taught us all when we started volunteering. Maybe I should mention this to her.
    My stomach grumbles, and I decide the decision can wait a minute or two. “Okay,” I say at last, handing Lucy over.
    Maggie perches on the bench beside David, settling Lucy on her lap. As I take a bite out of the hot dog, Brenna comes charging toward me leading Mercury, a huge black dog, along behind her. Brenna hardly ever walks at a normal pace. She has lots of energy, which comes in handy when there’s work to do at the clinic. And there’s always plenty of work to do at Dr. Mac’s Place. That’s why Dr. Mac invited the five of us—Maggie, Brenna, Zoe, David, and me—to volunteer here after school and in the summer.
    Lucy sees Mercury and hisses at him, showing all her teeth. Her long, slender dark brown tail twitches, and her ears flatten back against her head.
    â€œIt’s okay, Lucy.” She leaps down from Maggie’s lap and retreats behind my legs. I glance at Maggie and shrug. Lucy’s not too crazy about big dogs. I don’t blame her.
    â€œHave you seen the dog biscuits?” Brenna asks breathlessly. Her long brown hair is escaping from its ponytail, and she looks just as hot as the rest of us. “I just taught Mercury how to sit up and beg, and I want to reward him.”
    â€œGood boy, Mercury!” David says, giving Mercury a quick scratch on the head.
    I stand up and keep a cautious eye on Mercury. He’s awfully big—a rottweiler mix. I like dogs, but I prefer them on the smaller side. Mercury stares at my hot dog with his huge pink tongue hanging out of his mouth. I take a step backward.
    Mercury takes a step toward me. He pulls his tongue into his mouth for a second, making a slurping sound. Then his jaw falls open again. He has an awful lot of teeth. I stare at him, hoping that Brenna has a tight hold on the leash.
    David notices my expression and laughs at me. “Don’t be so worried, scaredy-cat!” he says. “He just wants your hot dog.”
    â€œUm, I know.” I keep my gaze on Mercury. What if he jumps at me and knocks me down?
    â€œBrenna, I think Mrs. Creighton’s terriers ate all the biscuits. Check inside for more,” says Maggie.
    â€œThanks.” Brenna takes off again, with Mercury trotting along behind her. Even with his long legs, the dog has to hurry to keep up.
    I’m relieved to see them go. I sigh and put my hot dog down. I’m not really hungry anymore.
    â€œWhat’s up, Sunita?” Maggie asks, handing Lucy back to me.
    â€œNothing,” I reply, cuddling Lucy.
    Just then I see Dr. Mac heading toward the deck. A slim, well-dressed elderly woman with bluish-white hair is with her. “There you are, Sunita,” Dr. Mac says when she reaches us.
    â€œHow are my girls?” Mrs. Clark says, giving me a friendly smile and her cat a rub under the chin. I love the way Mrs. Clark’s greenish-brown eyes sparkle—it makes her look happy and wise and curious, all at the same time. “How’s everything going? Is Lucy giving you any trouble?”
    â€œNot exactly,” I say, glancing from Dr. Mac to Mrs. Clark and