Horseflies (7 page)

“I don’t think so, Jamie,” Stevie replied.

“Not even for just one turn?”

Stevie shook her head. “I think crankshafts take a long time to fix.”

“Then I want to get off!”

“Okay.” Stevie helped Jamie climb off the tall black horse. His legs wobbled a little as he walked to the edge of the platform, but he jumped off and landed squarely on the ground near Carole and Lisa. It was then, as Stevie was waving her thanks to Mr. Carter, that Jamie leaned over and made a retching sound. Just as Lisa turned to ask him what was wrong, every bit of food that he had eaten that day came up and landed in a multicolored puddle at his feet.

“Stevie!” Lisa cried. “Carole! Get me some water and a paper towel!” The two girls scurried off while Lisa picked Jamie up and carried him over to a shady tree. He looked pale and afraid.

“Oooh, my stomach hurts,” he groaned, holding his middle.

“I know. I think you’ve had too many rides and way too much to eat,” said Lisa gently.

Carole dashed up. “Here are some wet napkins,” she said. “I couldn’t find any paper towels.”

“And here’s some water and a soda,” Stevie said, running up with Phil. “My mom always gives me a soda when I throw up.”

Jamie rinsed his mouth out with the water while Lisa wiped the damp napkins over his face. Fortunately, his shirt was still clean. “Gosh, Jamie,” she said after she had sponged his face off and wiped his forehead. “You feel awfully hot.”

“I feel sick,” moaned Jamie.

Carole bent down and felt his cheek. “He does feel hot, Lisa. Way too hot for just a warm day in early summer. I think he’s got a fever.”

“Really?” Stevie reached down and felt Jamie’s other cheek. “Wow. I think Carole’s right. Jamie doesn’t have merry-go-round-itis. He’s really sick!”

“What should we do now?” asked Phil.

“What time is it?” asked Lisa.

Stevie looked at her watch. “Three till three.”

“Thank goodness,” Lisa said with relief. “If we leave right now, my mother should be waiting by the time we get Jamie to the parking lot.”

“Are you sure she’ll be on time?” Phil asked.

“Oh, yes,” replied Lisa. “My mother’s never been late a day in her life.”

T
HEY HURRIED OUT
to the parking lot. Phil carried Jamie piggyback while Stevie brought along the pink space helmet and the teddy bear. Lisa’s mother was waiting for them exactly where she said she’d be.

“Hi,” Mrs. Atwood called as they walked up to the car. “Did everyone have a good time?”

“Everyone but Jamie,” said Lisa.

“What do you mean?” Mrs. Atwood frowned.

“I think he’s sick, Mom,” Lisa replied worriedly. “I mean really sick. He’s hot and he threw up.”

Jamie climbed off Phil’s back and crawled into the car. Mrs. Atwood turned around and felt his forehead with the back of her hand. “He’s definitely coming down with something,”
she said. “He’s hot and his face looks flushed.” She gave Jamie a sympathetic smile. “Honey, does your tummy hurt?”

Jamie nodded and curled himself up in the far corner of the backseat. “They didn’t even have a merry-go-round that worked,” he complained in a wounded voice.

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Mrs. Atwood stroked his hair gently. “Lisa, why don’t you sit in the back with Jamie and keep him company? Carole, you and Stevie can ride up front with me.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Atwood, but Phil and I are going to stay a little longer,” Stevie explained. “Mrs. Marsten’s going to give me a ride home later. My mom said it was okay.” She stashed the teddy bear and the pink space helmet in the backseat beside Lisa. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow,” she said as Carole climbed in beside Mrs. Atwood. “Jamie, I hope you feel better.”

“Yeah, Jamie,” Phil added. “Me too. Take care of yourself.”

Frowning, Jamie turned his head away from them and stared out the window.

“You two have fun,” said Carole as Mrs. Atwood started the car. “See you tomorrow, Stevie.”

Stevie and Phil waved, then headed back to the fair, hand in hand. Carole turned around and looked at Lisa and Jamie. Jamie’s face was deep pink and his eyelids fluttered as if he was about to fall asleep.

“Gosh.” Carole frowned. “Maybe we shouldn’t have given him all that junk food. We fed him everything they were
selling at the fair. Cotton candy, funnel cakes, Sno-Kones, and none of it had any kind of protein or vitamins. No wonder he threw up!”

“I don’t know,” said Lisa, brushing Jamie’s bangs away from his clammy forehead. His eyes were closed, and he moaned sleepily. “I think he felt bad all morning. Remember how he was whining about the merry-go-round all day? That’s just not like him. I don’t think he would have acted like that if he hadn’t been sick to begin with.” She sighed. “I think all that junk food just made him feel a whole lot worse.”

Carole shrugged. “I suppose. But who would have guessed he was sick? I thought he was just upset about the merry-go-round.”

“Wait a minute,” Lisa said suddenly, squinting at a tiny red spot on Jamie’s neck. She pulled down the collar of his shirt, then lifted up the front of it. His stomach was covered in pin-sized red blisters. She looked up at Carole in alarm.

“Unless Jamie’s got some kind of weird blister-shaped sunburn under his shirt, I think he’s got chicken pox!”

“What?” cried Carole.

“Mom!” Lisa tapped her mother on the shoulder. “Can you look at this?”

Mrs. Atwood pulled off to the side of the road and stopped the car. She leaned over the seat and ran one finger gently over Jamie’s blotchy stomach. “Well, that’s exactly what they looked like when you and your brother had them,” she said.
“I believe you’re right, Lisa. I think this child has chicken pox.”

“Oh no,” Carole groaned. “He must have caught it at the stable. Remember when we talked to Max about Jamie riding Nickel? Somehow he must have caught it from Maxi.”

“This is all my fault!” cried Lisa. “I was the one who suggested bringing Jamie to Pine Hollow in the first place. If I had just stayed at his house and baby-sat him there, this never would have happened. Now I have to tell his mother. I feel terrible!”

“I’m sure Jamie’s mother will understand,” Mrs. Atwood said as she pulled back onto the highway. “Illnesses are just part of raising children. Parents have to be prepared for things like this to happen.”

“But if it hadn’t been for me, it might not have happened for a long, long time,” Lisa replied miserably.

Jamie squirmed on the seat, then leaned his head against Lisa’s shoulder. By the time they pulled into the Bacons’ driveway, he was sound asleep. Lisa gathered him up in her arms as Mrs. Atwood reached behind the seat and opened the door.

“Do you want some help, Lisa?” Carole asked.

“Yes. Could you bring in his teddy bear and the space helmet? And then hang around and give me some moral support?” Lisa dreaded telling Mrs. Bacon that she had taken her son out for a wonderful time at the fair and brought him back with an upset stomach and chicken pox.

“Sure.” Carole fished Jamie’s prizes from the back of the car while Lisa carried Jamie against her shoulder.

When Mrs. Bacon came to the door, Lisa told her the story. “Then, when I cleaned him up, he felt awfully hot, and on the way over here, I noticed all these red spots on his stomach.” She swallowed. “Mrs. Bacon, I think Jamie might have chicken pox. The daughter of the owner of Pine Hollow has it, and I think Jamie might have been exposed to it when I took him over there on Monday.”

“Oh no,” said Mrs. Bacon. She took Jamie to the sofa and laid him down. He looked at his mother and again groaned sleepily. She pulled his shirt up and inspected his stomach. Just as Lisa had said, pinpoints of red prickled his stomach and chest. “Look.” Mrs. Bacon pointed to three new spots on Jamie’s cheek. “They’re beginning to pop out on his face, too.” She looked at Lisa. “I think you’re right. I think he does have chicken pox.”

“I’m so sorry,” said Lisa, giving Carole a panic-stricken look. “I would never have taken him to Pine Hollow if I’d thought it would give him chicken pox!”

Though Mrs. Bacon’s eyes were still full of concern, she smiled at Lisa and put an arm around her shoulders. “I know that, Lisa. And I don’t want you to worry about that for a minute. Jamie couldn’t have caught chicken pox at Pine Hollow. It takes a lot longer than two days for a disease like that to develop.” She looked at Carole. “He probably got it from one of his classmates at Fenton Hall before school was
out. Poor little guy. He was so excited about going to the fair with you two and Stevie.”

Though Lisa realized she wasn’t to blame, she still felt awful. “Is there anything we can do to help?” she asked.

Mrs. Bacon thought a moment. “Well, it would be wonderful if you could help me get Jamie settled in his room.”

The girls followed Mrs. Bacon as she carried Jamie down the hall to his bedroom. Lisa pulled the covers down on his bed while Carole arranged the space helmet on the teddy bear’s head and sat it in a rocking chair. Mrs. Bacon untied Jamie’s sneakers, laid him on the bed, and went into the hall to call the doctor’s office.

Just as Mrs. Bacon began telling the nurse his symptons, Jamie opened his eyes.

“Hi.” He blinked at Lisa and Carole, still groggy from his nap. “How come you’re here?”

“Remember getting sick at the fair?” Lisa asked.

Jamie nodded.

“Remember getting into my mom’s car?”

He nodded again.

“Well, you fell asleep after that. We brought you home and put you to bed. Your mom’s just called the doctor.”

Mrs. Bacon hung up the phone and came back into the room. “Well, Jamie, it seems that Lisa was right. You’ve got chicken pox. Dr. McLean says you need to stay in bed and get plenty of rest.”

Jamie yawned.

“Do you think you could go back to sleep now?”

He nodded. Mrs. Bacon tucked the covers over him and kissed him on the cheek. “Then say good-bye to Lisa and Carole.”

“Bye,” Jamie murmured. “Thanks for taking me to the fair.”

Lisa smiled. “Bye, Jamie. I hope you feel better real soon.”

“Let me see these girls to the door, Jamie, and I’ll be right back.” Mrs. Bacon motioned for Lisa and Carole to follow her out of the room.

The girls tiptoed out into the hall. “Thanks so much for all your help,” Mrs. Bacon whispered as she closed Jamie’s door. “I know you tried your best to see that he had a good time today.”

“I just hope he gets better in a hurry,” Lisa said as they walked to the front door.

Mrs. Bacon turned to Lisa. “The doctor says Jamie will have to stay at home until he stops breaking out, so I’ll have to stay home with him. I guess I won’t be needing a baby-sitter for a while.”

“Oh.” Lisa’s heart sank. In all the excitement, it had not occurred to her that Jamie’s bout of chicken pox would mean the end of her baby-sitting job.

Mrs. Bacon opened the door for them. “But I’ll be sure and call you when he’s well.” She gave Carole a smile. “Thanks again to both of you for taking such good care of him.”

“You’re welcome, Mrs. Bacon,” Lisa said. “Tell Jamie we hope he feels better soon.”

Mrs. Bacon closed the door. Carole and Lisa walked slowly down the walkway.

“There goes my baby-sitting job,” Lisa said dejectedly. “Now I don’t know where I’m going to get the money I promised to give my parents for my riding lessons.”

“Oh no,” said Carole. “That’s terrible. Couldn’t you find somebody else to baby-sit?”

“Sure, but it’ll take time to find another job. Most people already have their baby-sitters lined up for the summer. I need the money now!” She looked at Carole. “What if I have to quit taking lessons at Pine Hollow?”

“Maybe your parents could extend you some credit,” Carole suggested.

“I don’t know.” Lisa shook her head. “That wasn’t part of our original agreement.”

“Well, there must be tons of other kids who need baby-sitters. Don’t worry. If another job doesn’t come along, The Saddle Club will help you figure something out.”

Lisa stared at the ground. No job, no money, and maybe no more riding lessons. Her summer was only three days old, and already it was ruined!

“I
T
’
S ABOUT TIME
you guys got here!” Stevie looked up from her cubby as Carole and Lisa walked into the locker room.