Souls in Peril (34 page)

“Iz
zy
, they do this surgery all the time. Think about how much better you
’
re going to feel,” Max said, encourag
ing
her.

“Yes. And if anyone finds out
I have a baggie of crap taped to my gut
,
I
’
ll
really
be known as Icky Izzy. Or worse. Probably CSI, Crap S
ack
Izzy.” She pressed back into her pillow.

“No one will find out
,” he assured. “H
ow long did it take you to come up with CSI?”

“Half an hour,” she re
p
lied drily.

“Way to think positive. What happened to keeping to the code?”

“And what does
don
’
t worry
,
be happy
have to do with nicknames?” she teased, totally chang
ing
the code.

“My
,
my
,
sarcastic one. You are stressed over this, aren
’
t you?” Max scooted his chair over closer to the bed and wrapped his hands around hers.

“D
o you think you could stay tonight, please?”  She pulled her hand out from under his and wiped the tears spilling down her cheeks.

“Sure. Let me call my mom and let her know.” She nodded as he picked up the phone. Max handed her a tissue
from the box on the nightstand
.
Mel
wasn
’
t home from work yet
,
so he left a message on the answering machine.

“I
’
ll call
again
later and make sure she got the message.” He pulled the dividing curtain back
.
T
he snoring grandma
had left
. “Did she . . .” He dr
agged
a finger across his neck
dramatically
, mostly in an effort to cheer
Izzy
up.

“That is sick.” Izzy tossed her pillow at him
, trying
not to smile
. “They discharged her, and yes
,
she
was
still breathing
when she left
.
”

“I
’
m going to miss the snoring.” Max
’
s head drooped.

“I
’
m not. Sonic booms are easier to sleep th
r
ough.” Izzy slipped her hands behind her head. “My mom called today.”

Max didn
’
t like the tone in her voice. “And?”

“She wished me luck.”

“Is she coming out here?”

“No. My little sister
’
s
in the school play
,
and my mom would have to miss the opening night if she came. The
y
’
re doing
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
.
S
he
’
s a
n
Oompa L
oo
mpa.” Izzy kept her eyes moving around the room.

“She
’
d rather see her daughter in green make-up
than
c
ome here for your surgery?”
Max couldn
’
t believe
his ears
.
These people are a dysfunctional mess
.

“Orange.”

“What?”

“Oompa L
oo
mpa
’
s are orange.
At least in the old Wonka movie, in the new—”

“Izzy, you know what I mean.”

“
Why
does this surprise you? She left me
behind
to
live with a pervert.
” She pushed he
r
call button. “
I don
’
t want to talk about
t
his anymore.” A nurse with little Korean flags on her uniform came in.

“Hi, Izzy. Did you need something?”

“M
y
brother
’
s going to spend the night if that
’
s
alright.
Could he have a pillow and blanket?”

“
Sure
. I
’
ll be right back.
The doctor ordered a sleeping
p
ill also. He wants you well rested for the surgery tomorrow.
” She returned
a few moments later
with a pill for Izzy and
a
blanket and pillow. She
gave
them to Max
, showing him how the chair
reclined as Izzy took the pill.

“
It
’
s n
ot as comfortable as a bed, but better than sitting
in a hard chair
all night.” She also
gave
him a sheet of paper. “And this is a list of movies we have. Just let me know what you want to watch.” Max thanked her and handed Izzy the paper.

“
No.
T
ell me one of your stories until I fall asleep.”
Izzy
adjusted her bed.

“
Sure.
How about
The Princess Emma
,” he suggested, mostly because he knew the story so well.

Izzy laughed. “Why did I know you
’
d
choose
that one?”

He ignored her and began. “Princess Emma lived in a land far
,
far away, with rolling hills and daffodils. She loved the brave Knight Jayden, but an evil wizard . . .”

Izzy fe
l
l asleep quickly. Max called
Mel
as he made up the chair for him to sleep on.
“Hi, mom. Izzy wants me to stay here with her tonight. Her surgery is tomorrow. Is that alright?”

“
Of course
,
sweetie. I thought you were in bed already,” she chuckled.
“
I was about to leave you a note.
Tim
and I are
on
our
way out
with some friends
.
”
Max looked at his watch. Eleven p.m.
He wondered where they could possibly be going at eleven o
’
clock at night.
“
I guess I
’
ll s
ee you to
morrow. Wish Izzy luck for me.”

“I will.
‘
Night.”

“Love you, sweetie.”

Max settled into the chair, wiggling around trying to get comfortable. After a ten minute struggle with the arm rest, Max finally fell asleep.

“Where
’
s my pen, fat boy?”

No! Max dropped his head
down
. He
’
d forgotten to give Tim the stupid pen.

“I
’
m really sorry, Tim. I promise I
’
ll find it tomorrow,” JD vowed.

“JD,
I found it. You don
’
t need to worry about it anymore. I
’
ll give it to him tomorrow,
” Max
promised.

But the dream continued, as it always did. Max
groaned at
all of
JD
’
s plea
ds
. Tim was determined to teach JD a lesson on responsibility.

Max rubbed his h
e
ad
in sympathy
as the same
twelve inch section of the frame split off and shot into
the bedroom, only this time he didn
’
t wake.

“Get up
,
you fat lump
.
” Tim kicked JD in the but
t
as he lay on his side on the floor.

“I can
’
t. I think I
’
m going to be sick,” JD groaned. His stomach roll
ed
. Tim grabbed him by the belt and dragged him in the bathroom.

“You
’
d better make sure it gets in the toilet, JD.” Tim
’
s voice changed. It held
worry
instead of
disgust.

JD vomited in the toilet, twice, before dropping back on the floor. “I don
’
t feel so good. The room is spinning, and everything keeps fading in and out of focus. I think I
’
m going to die.”

Tim
’
s eyes bugged out, and his face ran pale. He bent down over JD. “No, you
’
re not going to die. You just need to walk it off. Come on. I
’
ll help.” He hooked an arm around JD
’
s waist and helped him off the floor. However
,
they didn
’
t even get to the door. JD twisted around
and fell back in front of the toilet, vomiting.

Tim scrubbed his face, and paced back and forth in the small space as JD vomited yet again.

“I really think I
’
m going to die,” JD said, wiping his mouth on his arm.

“No. We
’
re going to the hospital.”

Max jolted awake, nauseous, glancing around to get his bearings. “JD, it
’
s just a dream. We
’
re here with Izzy. That
’
s why you dreamed about going to the hospital,” he muttered softly so as not to wake Izzy. He got up and walked down the hall to the drinking fountain, taking a long pull of the co
ld
water. Back in Izzy
’
s room, he stood at the window, trying to reassure JD. The moon shone bright, dusting the tops of cars in the parking lot with its pale light. The view was peaceful and calming.

He settled back in the chair, watching Izzy sleep for a few moments. She tossed and twisted around restlessly. Max didn
’
t know if she was in pain, or if her worries about the surgery bother
ed
her. He wrapped his hands around hers and finished telling her the story he
’
d started earlier. By the time he
ended
, she
’
d settled into a peaceful sleep.

Max yawned and stretched out in the reclining chair.
JD, you need to write a story for Izzy. I think she
’
d like that.

JD agreed.

**

“It
’
s going to be fine, Izzy.”
Max
brushed the hair from her forehead.

“Okay,” she nodded. “Thanks for staying with me last night.”

A guy dressed in blue scrubs enter
ed
the room. “Time to go
,
Miss
Thurston.”

“But my dad
’
s not back. He
’
s downstairs getting coffee.”

“He can come into the waiting area and see you before the surgery, don
’
t worry.”

Max held out his left index finger. Izzy wrapped hers tightly around it. Max wondered if she somehow hoped to draw on JD
’
s strength to buoy her up. “Keep to the code. I
’
ll wait for you, Izzy,” Max called out as they wheeled her away.

He
sank
into
the recliner, dozing off and on. He
’
d not slept well
,
and he
felt
it now. An hour after they took her away, her father came back to the room.

“She left for surgery and hour ago,” Max said, standing and stretching.

“Yes, I
’
ve been with her in the surgical waiting area.
Y
ou may as well head to school. She
’
ll be in intensive care until tomorrow, barring any problems
. O
nly family is allowed in there.
And contrary to what you and Isabelle told the nurse, you are not family,” he added sternly. “
Her doctor feels it
’
s best since she
’
s been quite ill lately.
H
e wants to keep an eye on her.
”