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Changes me!
That s right. You change. Your voice changes. The way you stand changes, and so do the things you
say.
Don t be ridiculous!
You wanted me to be honest, Selena, and that s what you re getting. All I know is that I like you very
much, even now. But when he s around & Danny shook his head. Not a chance.
Selena s eyes dropped, and she was silent a moment. Then she said, That sounded hard-boiled. But it
really wasn t.
Thanks for the compliment. I guess.
They started walking again.
May I be honest now, too?
Shoot.
I like you very much when you re not afraid. She held the door open.
Well. Maybe that s something, he said.
She smiled. Here s the ward.
They went into a long, bright, pleasant room whose windows were shaded by elms and maples outside
that filtered the light coming into the room to a cool, restful green. Selena explained that there were beds
for fifty children. About half of the cases were confined to bed, some children hooked up to bottled
blood that dripped slowly into their arms through rubber tubes. Most of the patients were very pale and
bruised. The ones who could played carefully in the padded area at the end of the ward. There was also
a sun porch, where some of the children splashed in a wading pool.
These are bleeding cases that have been treated by transfusion and are responding, Selena explained.
Even so, it s just heartbreaking to come in here. When I think of how mean and selfish I was when I
was only a little older than some of these kids. I didn t care about anything. Why, I ve crashed at least
five very expensive cars in my time. And a boat. My father paid plenty of money to hush it up and keep
me out of trouble. One time the girl who was riding with me was badly hurt. Fractured skull. She got
better, but I wouldn t have cared even if she d died. I was a spoiled, horrible thing! Still am, I suppose.
That s why it s good for me to see these poor kids. To remind myself how lucky I really am, and what
my responsibilities are.
Would you mind if I took some pictures?
Not at all. As long as you say I m an unidentified volunteer. She stopped by one of the beds. Hi,
Jinny.
Hi, Miss Crockett.
How are you feeling today?
My tummy still hurts a lot. But I ate a turkey sandwich for lunch.
All of it?
Half.
That s good, sweetie.
Danny unfolded the Recomar. Hold it right there, you two, he said, and made the shot.
Is he a doctor? Jinny asked.
No, love. He s from the newspaper.
Am I going to get my picture in the paper!
Sure you are, Danny said. What s your last name?
Kinsella.
Okay, Jinny Kinsella, you tell your folks to look in the Journal tomorrow afternoon. That s where you ll
be.
Thanks, Jinny, Selena said.
After that, Danny went out to the sun porch and took some shots of the kids playing in the water. Then
he asked Selena about the other wing of the building.
That s research facilities and labs.
Could we see those?
I m afraid not. They re off limits, to me at least.
Who do I have to see to get in?
Selena grinned. Horace.
Horace. You mean Horace, the mug who wants to flatten me?
I m afraid so.
They left the children s ward and came out into the lobby again.
Why do I get the feeling you re wishing I would ask him?
Because maybe a flattening would do you some good, Selena said, walking now with her hands
clasped behind her back.
You know Selena, he said suddenly, You re okay.
She looked at him, and her expression turned serious. There s someone else, though, isn t there, she
said. Someone you keep with you all the time. Someone who makes you feel self-conscious around
me.
Danny began to blush.
Don t feel ashamed. Everybody has things they hold inside. It s what people do when they ve lost
someone. Try and keep them near somehow & like an angel. It isn t such a bad thing to have an angel,
Danny.
It s strange, he said, but when I look at you sometimes & I guess maybe I see her.
What was her name?
Sonja.
That s a beautiful name, she said.
So s yours.
Selena beamed at him. See? Sometimes you do say the right thing. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl ocenkijessi.opx.pl
Changes me!
That s right. You change. Your voice changes. The way you stand changes, and so do the things you
say.
Don t be ridiculous!
You wanted me to be honest, Selena, and that s what you re getting. All I know is that I like you very
much, even now. But when he s around & Danny shook his head. Not a chance.
Selena s eyes dropped, and she was silent a moment. Then she said, That sounded hard-boiled. But it
really wasn t.
Thanks for the compliment. I guess.
They started walking again.
May I be honest now, too?
Shoot.
I like you very much when you re not afraid. She held the door open.
Well. Maybe that s something, he said.
She smiled. Here s the ward.
They went into a long, bright, pleasant room whose windows were shaded by elms and maples outside
that filtered the light coming into the room to a cool, restful green. Selena explained that there were beds
for fifty children. About half of the cases were confined to bed, some children hooked up to bottled
blood that dripped slowly into their arms through rubber tubes. Most of the patients were very pale and
bruised. The ones who could played carefully in the padded area at the end of the ward. There was also
a sun porch, where some of the children splashed in a wading pool.
These are bleeding cases that have been treated by transfusion and are responding, Selena explained.
Even so, it s just heartbreaking to come in here. When I think of how mean and selfish I was when I
was only a little older than some of these kids. I didn t care about anything. Why, I ve crashed at least
five very expensive cars in my time. And a boat. My father paid plenty of money to hush it up and keep
me out of trouble. One time the girl who was riding with me was badly hurt. Fractured skull. She got
better, but I wouldn t have cared even if she d died. I was a spoiled, horrible thing! Still am, I suppose.
That s why it s good for me to see these poor kids. To remind myself how lucky I really am, and what
my responsibilities are.
Would you mind if I took some pictures?
Not at all. As long as you say I m an unidentified volunteer. She stopped by one of the beds. Hi,
Jinny.
Hi, Miss Crockett.
How are you feeling today?
My tummy still hurts a lot. But I ate a turkey sandwich for lunch.
All of it?
Half.
That s good, sweetie.
Danny unfolded the Recomar. Hold it right there, you two, he said, and made the shot.
Is he a doctor? Jinny asked.
No, love. He s from the newspaper.
Am I going to get my picture in the paper!
Sure you are, Danny said. What s your last name?
Kinsella.
Okay, Jinny Kinsella, you tell your folks to look in the Journal tomorrow afternoon. That s where you ll
be.
Thanks, Jinny, Selena said.
After that, Danny went out to the sun porch and took some shots of the kids playing in the water. Then
he asked Selena about the other wing of the building.
That s research facilities and labs.
Could we see those?
I m afraid not. They re off limits, to me at least.
Who do I have to see to get in?
Selena grinned. Horace.
Horace. You mean Horace, the mug who wants to flatten me?
I m afraid so.
They left the children s ward and came out into the lobby again.
Why do I get the feeling you re wishing I would ask him?
Because maybe a flattening would do you some good, Selena said, walking now with her hands
clasped behind her back.
You know Selena, he said suddenly, You re okay.
She looked at him, and her expression turned serious. There s someone else, though, isn t there, she
said. Someone you keep with you all the time. Someone who makes you feel self-conscious around
me.
Danny began to blush.
Don t feel ashamed. Everybody has things they hold inside. It s what people do when they ve lost
someone. Try and keep them near somehow & like an angel. It isn t such a bad thing to have an angel,
Danny.
It s strange, he said, but when I look at you sometimes & I guess maybe I see her.
What was her name?
Sonja.
That s a beautiful name, she said.
So s yours.
Selena beamed at him. See? Sometimes you do say the right thing. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]