Good morning, FFFs!
Guess what? It snowed last night! Not enough to cover the grass, and it didn't stick on the streets, but it did snow instead of sleet. While I would have been delighted if we had gotten several inches, I'm going to be happy that we got snow at all.
This week has gone by quickly. I've spent time working on blog posts, trying out the new editor for WordPress. I am loving it, by the way. I've also been writing. This secret project is really coming along. It's longer than I thought it would be, but it's also more complicated than I had figured. But, as long as everything comes together right I don't mind.
I've done some reading. Beta-read a story yesterday, and found a few more books I want to read while I have Kindle Unlimited. It can be a bit complicated trying to balance reading with everything else I need to do and work on. But I also know that if I don't read my writing won't be as good.
Here's the next part of the story. I hope you enjoy it.
What T Didn’t Know
Part 5
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.
“I don’t think he did any permanent damage, but I know he caused pain.” Dr. Hall’s voice was quiet. He poured something into a spoon and held it to Tommy’s lips. “This will help a bit, but you need to be still and rest now. Can you do that if I leave your dog in here?”
“Yes.” Tommy swallowed the water Dr. Hall offered. “Now that Diego’s here, I can sleep.”
Dr. Hall didn’t look convinced, for at that moment Diego was sniffing all around the room. “Will he stay calm and let you sleep?”
For answer, Tommy snapped his fingers and Diego trotted over. “Lie down, boy,” he ordered. Obediently, the dog lay down on the rug beside the bed and stretched his muzzle over his front paws. “See,” Tommy whispered, “he’s already settled down.”
“All right, then I’ll leave you two for a bit. Nurse Wilson will be along later with your breakfast.”
Tommy closed his eyes but didn’t fall asleep. He heard the doctor say something in low tones, and then he heard Nurse Wilson’s voice.
“Daniel, how could you leave a dog in a sick room? He probably has all sorts of diseases. I want him out.”
Opening his eyes, Tommy cautiously turned his head. The door of his room was open, and in the dim hall he could see the white clad nurse and Dr. Hall. The doctor was shaking his head, but his words were too soft for Tommy to hear. Nurse Wilson turned and disappeared, and Dr. Hall shut the bedroom door.
“Don’t worry, Diego,” Tommy whispered to his friend, “if’n ya get sent away, I’ll go with ya.” He moved a little and groaned softly. Right then he didn’t feel like he would ever be able to toss a newspaper again.
It was evident to Tommy that Nurse Wilson disliked Diego. Even if he hadn’t overheard her words, he saw her distain and disgust when she entered his room. Diego seemed to know she disapproved of him, for he slunk under the bed upon her arrival, but Dr. Hall was met with a wagging tail.
For another long day Tommy lay in the soft bed, ate the nourishing food, enjoyed the luxuries around him, and wondered when he would go home. Dr. Hall told him that he would have his old paper route again, though he didn’t know about his corner. This relieved Tommy’s mind considerably, but something still puzzled him. How had he gotten to the alley where he had been found? And what had happened to him before that?
“Dr. Hall,” Tommy asked late in the afternoon when that man came in for a visit. “What happened ta me the day ya found me?”
“Didn’t I already tell you that?” Dr. Hall sat down in the chair beside the bed and recounted the story again, ending with, “Have you remembered anything?”
Tommy shook his head. “I’ve been tryin’ ta figure out why I was way out thataway, but there ain’t nothing that makes sense. My paper route ain’t near there, an’ I don’t shop on Fifth Avenue. It just don’t make sense that I’d be hurt way out there. There ain’t no reason for it.”
“Well, son, I may not know the reason, but God does. I know if you’d been hurt somewhere else and not been found, you probably would have died.” The doctor’s voice was grave.
Tommy lay silent a moment. “An’ if’n I had died there wouldn’t be nobody to help Mrs. Hernandez, or watch Sassy an’ her brother for Mrs. McGuire.” He dropped his hand over the edge of the bed and fondled Diego’s ears. “I know the Bible says that all things work together for good to those that love God, an’ I reckon I qualify in that area.” A frown puckered his brow and Tommy stared across at the mirror. “It ain’t that I got found an’ helped that’s botherin’ me.”
Dr. Hall tipped his head quizzically. “Then what is?”
“It’s why I were so far from home. I know I must know, but I ain’t sure what I know.”
“Don’t try to force it, Tommy. God knows the reason, and He can bring good even if you can’t remember.”
Stirring restlessly, Tommy gave a slight moan and then said, “It was kind of ya ta take me in, Doctor, but Diego an’ me, we ain’t wanting to be troublesome–”
Dr. Hall placed his hand lightly on Tommy’s leg which was hidden beneath the bedclothes. “You’d be more troublesome if you tried to go home before I’ve released you.” His mustache twitched with his smile. “I don’t have time to drive all the way to your home several times a day to check on you. You aren’t in the way, and you’re giving Nurse Wilson something easy to do while she rests from her last strenuous case.”
“She don’t like Diego.”
“No matter. She’ll either get used to him or at least tolerate his presence. Diego is a very well trained dog. Now,” and Dr. Hall rested both hands on his knees, “I’m going to bring your supper in and see how much of an appetite you have.”
It was late. Tommy wasn’t sure how late it was, but everything was dark and quiet. He didn’t know what had awakened him. Perhaps it was the pain. His arm ached, and when he moved too much, he could feel the bruises on his body. Just as he closed his eyes and was drifting back into sleep, the low growl of his dog roused him.
“I don’t think he did any permanent damage, but I know he caused pain.” Dr. Hall’s voice was quiet. He poured something into a spoon and held it to Tommy’s lips. “This will help a bit, but you need to be still and rest now. Can you do that if I leave your dog in here?”
“Yes.” Tommy swallowed the water Dr. Hall offered. “Now that Diego’s here, I can sleep.”
Dr. Hall didn’t look convinced, for at that moment Diego was sniffing all around the room. “Will he stay calm and let you sleep?”
For answer, Tommy snapped his fingers and Diego trotted over. “Lie down, boy,” he ordered. Obediently, the dog lay down on the rug beside the bed and stretched his muzzle over his front paws. “See,” Tommy whispered, “he’s already settled down.”
“All right, then I’ll leave you two for a bit. Nurse Wilson will be along later with your breakfast.”
Tommy closed his eyes but didn’t fall asleep. He heard the doctor say something in low tones, and then he heard Nurse Wilson’s voice.
“Daniel, how could you leave a dog in a sick room? He probably has all sorts of diseases. I want him out.”
Opening his eyes, Tommy cautiously turned his head. The door of his room was open, and in the dim hall he could see the white clad nurse and Dr. Hall. The doctor was shaking his head, but his words were too soft for Tommy to hear. Nurse Wilson turned and disappeared, and Dr. Hall shut the bedroom door.
“Don’t worry, Diego,” Tommy whispered to his friend, “if’n ya get sent away, I’ll go with ya.” He moved a little and groaned softly. Right then he didn’t feel like he would ever be able to toss a newspaper again.
*
It was evident to Tommy that Nurse Wilson disliked Diego. Even if he hadn’t overheard her words, he saw her distain and disgust when she entered his room. Diego seemed to know she disapproved of him, for he slunk under the bed upon her arrival, but Dr. Hall was met with a wagging tail.
For another long day Tommy lay in the soft bed, ate the nourishing food, enjoyed the luxuries around him, and wondered when he would go home. Dr. Hall told him that he would have his old paper route again, though he didn’t know about his corner. This relieved Tommy’s mind considerably, but something still puzzled him. How had he gotten to the alley where he had been found? And what had happened to him before that?
“Dr. Hall,” Tommy asked late in the afternoon when that man came in for a visit. “What happened ta me the day ya found me?”
“Didn’t I already tell you that?” Dr. Hall sat down in the chair beside the bed and recounted the story again, ending with, “Have you remembered anything?”
Tommy shook his head. “I’ve been tryin’ ta figure out why I was way out thataway, but there ain’t nothing that makes sense. My paper route ain’t near there, an’ I don’t shop on Fifth Avenue. It just don’t make sense that I’d be hurt way out there. There ain’t no reason for it.”
“Well, son, I may not know the reason, but God does. I know if you’d been hurt somewhere else and not been found, you probably would have died.” The doctor’s voice was grave.
Tommy lay silent a moment. “An’ if’n I had died there wouldn’t be nobody to help Mrs. Hernandez, or watch Sassy an’ her brother for Mrs. McGuire.” He dropped his hand over the edge of the bed and fondled Diego’s ears. “I know the Bible says that all things work together for good to those that love God, an’ I reckon I qualify in that area.” A frown puckered his brow and Tommy stared across at the mirror. “It ain’t that I got found an’ helped that’s botherin’ me.”
Dr. Hall tipped his head quizzically. “Then what is?”
“It’s why I were so far from home. I know I must know, but I ain’t sure what I know.”
“Don’t try to force it, Tommy. God knows the reason, and He can bring good even if you can’t remember.”
Stirring restlessly, Tommy gave a slight moan and then said, “It was kind of ya ta take me in, Doctor, but Diego an’ me, we ain’t wanting to be troublesome–”
Dr. Hall placed his hand lightly on Tommy’s leg which was hidden beneath the bedclothes. “You’d be more troublesome if you tried to go home before I’ve released you.” His mustache twitched with his smile. “I don’t have time to drive all the way to your home several times a day to check on you. You aren’t in the way, and you’re giving Nurse Wilson something easy to do while she rests from her last strenuous case.”
“She don’t like Diego.”
“No matter. She’ll either get used to him or at least tolerate his presence. Diego is a very well trained dog. Now,” and Dr. Hall rested both hands on his knees, “I’m going to bring your supper in and see how much of an appetite you have.”
*
It was late. Tommy wasn’t sure how late it was, but everything was dark and quiet. He didn’t know what had awakened him. Perhaps it was the pain. His arm ached, and when he moved too much, he could feel the bruises on his body. Just as he closed his eyes and was drifting back into sleep, the low growl of his dog roused him.
Have you gotten snow this week?
Do you make time to read?
What do you think of this story?
4 comments:
Of course you had to stop there! ;) I’m so curious to see what happened to Tommy!
Of course. ;)
Actually I just broke the story up into around 1k parts. This is where it ended. But it means I know you'll be back next week! :D
Way to leave me hangin'! Wonder what Diego's growling at... Or who...
I certainly need to be reading more. I know it'd help me write better.
Sorry, Amy! (Not too sorry though.) ;)
Come back next Friday and you'll know more. But not everything. :)
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