Happy Friday, FFFs,
It's cold and rainy here. Quite a contrast from last Friday when it reached the upper 60s. Then we got sleet the next day. Right now it's just above freezing. A good day to stay indoors and read. I really want to read because I just got two books from the library, and . . . I just got 3 months of Kindle Unlimited for $.99! I'm not sure if the deal is still on or not, but you can check it out here. And if you get it, you can read almost all my books on KU. I'm not sure when this deal expires, so check it out soon.
This week hasn't been quite as good for writing. One reason is that I worked nursery on Wednesday night so only got a bit of writing done earlier. The other reason is that my secret project is at a crossroads. I'm not sure if it should go this way, that way, or another way. I'm waiting for my editor to read the last 3k words and see if she has any thoughts. She's hoping to read it this morning, so maybe I can write it again this evening. Things have come up in this story that I was not expecting which is pretty exciting.
I'm also trying to get some other things done and blog posts worked on. Some days I just don't feel like doing anything productive, but I'm trying to get something done. Even if it's just 15 minutes of working on a blog post. It can be pretty amazing how much you can get done in 15 minutes of focused work. Try it and see.
All right, here is the next part of your story. Enjoy!
What T Didn’t Know
Part 4
Tommy lifted his head, but the doctor’s hand on his shoulder kept him from trying to sit up. “Mrs. Hernandez? But she– Sure I’d like to see her fine. But–”
Dr. Hall opened the bedroom door and, followed by a policeman Tommy hardly noticed, escorted a small, bent lady with white hair to the side of the bed.
“Tommy, lad,” Mrs. Hernandez said, sinking into the chair the doctor set beside the bed for her, “I’ve been worried near sick when you didn’t show up last week!” Her wrinkled hand held onto Tommy’s. “And when you didn’t come this mornin’ I up and did something I vowed I’d never do.” She chuckled a little. “Yes, I did. I called the police. Took a long time to get you found though.”
“I was found,” Tommy said, a faint smile lighting his face. “The doctor an’ some policeman found me.”
Mrs. Hernandez patted Tommy’s hand. “Yes, yes, they did that. And one of the policeman–Joe something–he came and drove me way out here and told me he thought the boy I was looking for was at Dr. Hall’s. And sure enough, here you are.” She leaned back in the chair with a sigh. “I’m mighty glad you got found right side up, Tommy lad.”
“Have ya seen Diego?” Tommy’s greatest concern was for his dog.
“Your dog? No, I can’t say as I’ve seen hide nor hair of him. Did he run away? Was that what took you from home?”
Tommy shifted in bed and frowned at the pain. “No. I don’t think so.” He bit his lip and closed his eyes in an effort to hide his tears. After a few moments he was able to answer some questions from Officer Joe about where he lived.
“I’ll head over that way when I take Mrs. Hernandez home,” Officer Joe promised. “If he’s at home, I’ll find him. And if he’s not, I’ll ask around a bit and see if someone hasn’t seen him. What sort of dog is he?”
“Just a reddish–brown dog. He’s got longer ears an’ a feathery tail. He ain’t real big.” He lifted his eyes and looked into the blue eyes of the officer. “You’ll try ta find him?”
“My word on it, sonny. Now, I’m going to take Mrs. Hernandez home and leave you to the care of my friend here.”
Tommy smiled a little at the old widow and then lay watching the doctor and the policeman escort her out of the room.
In a moment Dr. Hall returned. He placed his fingers on Tommy’s pulse and looked at him. “Feeling a bit down about your dog, are you?”
Tommy gave a faint nod.
“I can understand that. Dogs have special places in the hearts of boys who love them. I know. I had a dog when I was a young fellow. Tommy, do you remember anything about what you were doing the day you got hurt?”
“Can I have a drink?”
“A drink? Certainly.” And Dr. Hall gently lifted Tommy’s head as he held a glass of water for him. “Is that better?”
“Yes,” Tommy whispered as his head was lowered to the pillow. He tried to think, but he couldn’t recall anything. “What day was I found?”
“Friday.”
“Friday,” he murmured. “I’m sure I would’ve done my paper route ‘cause that’s early.”
“It was in the early afternoon when you were found.”
There was a long silence. Dr. Hall waited and Tommy thought.
“I dunno,” the boy admitted at last. “I ain’t rememberin’ anything.”
Dr. Hall patted his arm gently. “That’s all right. Don’t try to remember. Do you feel hungry?”
Tommy shook his head. How could he eat when he didn’t know if Diego was hungry?
The following morning Dr. Hall, after changing the bandage on Tommy’s head and checking his injured arm, remarked casually, “Officer Joe found your dog last night. Would you like to see him?”
The words jolted Tommy into almost sitting up in spite of the painful injuries. “Diego? He found Diego? Where’s he? Is he all right? Was he at the house? Can I see him?”
“Easy there, Tommy. Yes, you can see for yourself that Diego is all right. It seems your neighbors were taking turns caring for him. They were both worried about you when you didn’t show up. Now, if you promise me you won’t try to get up, not even sit up, I’ll let your dog in. Will you promise?”
Eagerly Tommy nodded, his eyes already fastened on the door.
When the door was opened, a reddish–brown creature streaked across the floor straight to Tommy’s bedside. Leaping up, he managed to get his front paws on the bed. Tommy laughed and cried as he tried to pet his dog while Diego licked his hand and his arm, whining and wagging his tail so fast it was only a blur.
“Diego! Diego!” was all Tommy could say at first. Then he looked up at Dr. Hall. “Can’t he get up on the bed just this once?”
Dr. Hall started to shake his head.
“Please!”
“I’m afraid he’ll bump your arm. You have a lot of bruises and scrapes, son. Diego isn’t going to be careful of them.
“I don’t care if’n it do hurt. I won’t complain. Please! Jest this once. I can’t hug him from there.”
After a quick glance toward the door, the doctor nodded. “Just this once. My sister would have a fit if she saw.” He lifted the dog onto the bed. “Only for a minute.”
A minute was long enough, Tommy decided, when the doctor set his dog back on the floor. Diego hadn’t cared if he was injured. He had stood on Tommy’s chest, had shoved the broken arm a bit, and his body had pressed on bruises Tommy hadn’t known he had. Now, with his right hand dangling over the edge of the bed where he could feel Diego’s head, Tommy pressed his lips together against the pain.
Dr. Hall opened the bedroom door and, followed by a policeman Tommy hardly noticed, escorted a small, bent lady with white hair to the side of the bed.
“Tommy, lad,” Mrs. Hernandez said, sinking into the chair the doctor set beside the bed for her, “I’ve been worried near sick when you didn’t show up last week!” Her wrinkled hand held onto Tommy’s. “And when you didn’t come this mornin’ I up and did something I vowed I’d never do.” She chuckled a little. “Yes, I did. I called the police. Took a long time to get you found though.”
“I was found,” Tommy said, a faint smile lighting his face. “The doctor an’ some policeman found me.”
Mrs. Hernandez patted Tommy’s hand. “Yes, yes, they did that. And one of the policeman–Joe something–he came and drove me way out here and told me he thought the boy I was looking for was at Dr. Hall’s. And sure enough, here you are.” She leaned back in the chair with a sigh. “I’m mighty glad you got found right side up, Tommy lad.”
“Have ya seen Diego?” Tommy’s greatest concern was for his dog.
“Your dog? No, I can’t say as I’ve seen hide nor hair of him. Did he run away? Was that what took you from home?”
Tommy shifted in bed and frowned at the pain. “No. I don’t think so.” He bit his lip and closed his eyes in an effort to hide his tears. After a few moments he was able to answer some questions from Officer Joe about where he lived.
“I’ll head over that way when I take Mrs. Hernandez home,” Officer Joe promised. “If he’s at home, I’ll find him. And if he’s not, I’ll ask around a bit and see if someone hasn’t seen him. What sort of dog is he?”
“Just a reddish–brown dog. He’s got longer ears an’ a feathery tail. He ain’t real big.” He lifted his eyes and looked into the blue eyes of the officer. “You’ll try ta find him?”
“My word on it, sonny. Now, I’m going to take Mrs. Hernandez home and leave you to the care of my friend here.”
Tommy smiled a little at the old widow and then lay watching the doctor and the policeman escort her out of the room.
In a moment Dr. Hall returned. He placed his fingers on Tommy’s pulse and looked at him. “Feeling a bit down about your dog, are you?”
Tommy gave a faint nod.
“I can understand that. Dogs have special places in the hearts of boys who love them. I know. I had a dog when I was a young fellow. Tommy, do you remember anything about what you were doing the day you got hurt?”
“Can I have a drink?”
“A drink? Certainly.” And Dr. Hall gently lifted Tommy’s head as he held a glass of water for him. “Is that better?”
“Yes,” Tommy whispered as his head was lowered to the pillow. He tried to think, but he couldn’t recall anything. “What day was I found?”
“Friday.”
“Friday,” he murmured. “I’m sure I would’ve done my paper route ‘cause that’s early.”
“It was in the early afternoon when you were found.”
There was a long silence. Dr. Hall waited and Tommy thought.
“I dunno,” the boy admitted at last. “I ain’t rememberin’ anything.”
Dr. Hall patted his arm gently. “That’s all right. Don’t try to remember. Do you feel hungry?”
Tommy shook his head. How could he eat when he didn’t know if Diego was hungry?
*
The following morning Dr. Hall, after changing the bandage on Tommy’s head and checking his injured arm, remarked casually, “Officer Joe found your dog last night. Would you like to see him?”
The words jolted Tommy into almost sitting up in spite of the painful injuries. “Diego? He found Diego? Where’s he? Is he all right? Was he at the house? Can I see him?”
“Easy there, Tommy. Yes, you can see for yourself that Diego is all right. It seems your neighbors were taking turns caring for him. They were both worried about you when you didn’t show up. Now, if you promise me you won’t try to get up, not even sit up, I’ll let your dog in. Will you promise?”
Eagerly Tommy nodded, his eyes already fastened on the door.
When the door was opened, a reddish–brown creature streaked across the floor straight to Tommy’s bedside. Leaping up, he managed to get his front paws on the bed. Tommy laughed and cried as he tried to pet his dog while Diego licked his hand and his arm, whining and wagging his tail so fast it was only a blur.
“Diego! Diego!” was all Tommy could say at first. Then he looked up at Dr. Hall. “Can’t he get up on the bed just this once?”
Dr. Hall started to shake his head.
“Please!”
“I’m afraid he’ll bump your arm. You have a lot of bruises and scrapes, son. Diego isn’t going to be careful of them.
“I don’t care if’n it do hurt. I won’t complain. Please! Jest this once. I can’t hug him from there.”
After a quick glance toward the door, the doctor nodded. “Just this once. My sister would have a fit if she saw.” He lifted the dog onto the bed. “Only for a minute.”
A minute was long enough, Tommy decided, when the doctor set his dog back on the floor. Diego hadn’t cared if he was injured. He had stood on Tommy’s chest, had shoved the broken arm a bit, and his body had pressed on bruises Tommy hadn’t known he had. Now, with his right hand dangling over the edge of the bed where he could feel Diego’s head, Tommy pressed his lips together against the pain.
Would you have wanted your dog on your bed?
Have you tried Kindle Unlimited before?
Do you make yourself be productive even if you don't feel like it?
3 comments:
Oh, I'm glad his doggy is okay! Hopefully Tommy will get better soon:)
I've never had Kindle Unlimited.
I haven't been the least bit productive lately. Maybe soon I can get some things done:)
Awww! I’m so glad he finally found Diego. <3
Yes, I was glad when Diego and Tommy were reunited. :)
Amy, I did a one month $.99 trial of KU once years ago. But since then I've learned of many other books I'd like to read. :)
Thank you both for commenting. I hope you continue to enjoy this story.
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