"So I say to him, 'I was talking to Mr.Davison.'
"He asks me if I've got a note and I tell him no, I don't. Mr.Davison didn't give me one and besides I had to stop at the bathroom.
"'Duck walks,' the guy screams at me. "Ten laps around the court duck walking. Move!'
"I should have told him where he could have put those duck walks. If there is anything I hate it's doing those damn duck walks.
"'Move!,' he shouts. 'And make it fast. If I see you out of a squat or slowing down, we'll make it twenty. Get going.' He's such a sweetheart, I can tell you.
"I squatted down and began duck walking like crazy around the edge of the basketball court. The stupid dribbling of the basketballs was giving me a headache. You ever have to do duck walks, Brent?"
"No," Brent answered.
"Well, it's a real pain. Within about two minutes the muscles in your legs hurt like hell. I started getting cramps in my thighs before I was even around the gym once. I started to get up from the crouching position slightly, but the gym teacher shouted me down again.
"By the time I was around the court three times, my legs were hurting really bad. I had to slow down a little to keep my balance, so he shouted at me, 'Speed it up, Hughes. Make it twenty laps.'
"It probably wasn't the brightest thing I've ever done, but I yelled back at him, 'Thank you, sir. I'd love to, sir. Screw you, sir.'
"Well, I looked up and the gym teacher was headed across the floor toward me and he wasn't looking any too pleased.
"I started to brace myself for what I figured was coming, and a flash of pain shot up my left leg to my hip. I mean, it really hurt. I yelled and tumbled over. The gym teacher had gotten to me by then but my leg hurt so bad I couldn't get up. I was pounding my head on the floor it hurt so much.
"So the guy grabbed me and pulled me up. He lifted me right off my feet. He was really ticked off, I can tell you that.
"He said, 'Just what did you say, Mr.Hughes? Repeat what you just said to me.'
"I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out. I mean, I was really hurting. The gym teacher dropped me and my feet landed on the floor and I collapsed again.
"Being a real bright guy, he finally noticed I was rolling around on the floor and I wasn't exactly laughing my head off. He asked me if I was hurt.
"I couldn't answer that question either since my vocal chords seemed all frozen up. He sent a kid to call the ambulance, I guess.
"My mother arrived just before the ambulance did. I had been moved to the office by then. I was surprised they had found her home when they called. I guess they hadn't told her what was wrong, because she came barreling in the door shrieking about what had I done this time.
"I tried not to show her that I was in pain, but I guess I couldn't hide it. She patted and cooed at me all the way to the hospital once she figured I wasn't in trouble again. She was gabbing away about how she was going to sue the school and all.
"I didn't say a word to her all the way there.
"So here I am. And it's been a long three months, I can tell you that."
"That's a shame, Kirk. It must have really hurt," Brent said.
"Oh, it hurt all right. The whole thing was a mess. But that's the story of my life. How about you, Brent? What do you do with yourself when you're not falling through trapdoors?"
"It sounds like I've got an easier time of things than you do, I guess. My parents are nice. I like them. I like to read and I paint a lot."
"Sounds exciting. As long as you don't watch soap operas, we'll get along just fine."
Jewel appeared at the doorway. "You want a Coke, Kirk?" she asked.
"Yeah. Unless you want to make it a gin and tonic."
"No deal, Kirk. You know the rules. No gin and tonics in the youth ward before noon. Brent, when that I.V. comes out, you can have something, too."
"Thanks."
"Right. One Coke coming up."
She turned and left.
"I'll tell you something, Brent. The hospital's no worse that Gable Prep and it's a hell of a lot better than home."
I like him, Brent thought. I feel sorry for him, in a way. It would be a shame to have parents you didn't like. But I like him, and I envy him. He's so honest and casual. He must make friends easily. I envy that. I hope we get along all right.
Brent closed his eyes and tried to shut out the growing pain again. They waited in silence for Jewel to return with the Coke.
Amy had left the sun-room too. She watched Kirk's back as he walked into his room down the hallway. She turned left outside the sun-room door and wandered down the hallway. The pediatrics ward was in that direction.
Amy felt strange as she walked through Pediatrics. She had always liked little kids. They were honest and open. She had enjoyed the baby-sitting jobs she had had. But she hated to see children in the hospital. They missed their parents and cried a lot; and some of them were really sick, and that always depressed her too. She liked to see them anyway, and sometimes she would stop in and talk to any little kid who was lying in bed looking lonely.
Amy went into room 284. She often stopped there to say hello to a little guy, about six she guessed, who seemed really sick and didn't have many people visiting him. She had met him the week before on a stroll through the pediatrics ward.
The room was empty and the bed stripped. All the cards and books and crayons had been removed from the room. All the things which made the room his were gone.
He had left without saying good-bye to her.
Amy continued down the hall toward the pediatrics playroom. It was filled with blocks and dolls and trucks and had bright animal posters on all the walls. There were never too many children there, though, since most of them couldn't leave their beds for roughhouse or play. Usually by the time they were well enough to go to the playroom, they were well enough to go home.
The walk down the hallway had made Amy tired, and when she reached the playroom, she sat down in an easy chair. The room was empty. The sun streamed through the windows and the bright posters made the room look cheerful. It was better than the other sun-room. It shouldn't be so quiet, though. It looked like a place that needed noise.
Amy looked up when she heard the soft slow sound of rubber wheels and saw a small child sitting in a wheelchair in the doorway. The boy looked to be about seven. Amy smiled at him but he didn't smile back.
"Why don't you come on over here by me and talk," Amy offered.
He didn't move from the doorway.
"Come on. I won't bite. I'll play a game with you."
The boy rotated the wheels of the chair and maneuvered the chair until he stopped next to where Amy was sitting.
"That's better," she said. "I'm Amy. What do folks call you?"
"Zero."
"That's an interesting name. Why does everybody call you Zero?"