Amalee Read Online Free PDF Page A

playing through the whole conversation. Was that who I was? A girl who’s mean when she’s losing and, well, keeps her mouth shut when she’s winning? Still, I started to relax as I heard Joyce leaving the room, and saw I had won the game. For a short time, and for the first time all day, I felt only one thing, and that was relief.

I woke to absolute silence. Dad wasn’t up yet. Then I remembered yesterday at the hospital. Was he okay? I stumbled out of bed and into the hall. His door was closed.
    â€œDad?” I called softly through the door. I heard nothing. “Dad?” I called again. Someone tapped me on the shoulder, and I shouted the only word I had in my mind, “DAD!”
    I reeled around to Phyllis as she said, “Shhhh!! What’s wrong?”
    â€œIs he okay in there?” I asked.
    â€œHe’s fine. He just needs to sleep.”
    â€œHow do you know?” I challenged her.
    Phyllis was stretching her arms. I realized she’d slept on the couch. Now she stopped and stared me down.
    â€œI’m sorry,” I apologized.
    â€œIt’s okay,” she said. “I understand. The doctor will be here in fifteen minutes. Otherwise I’d open the door and check. Let’s get some breakfast. You got me all worried now, …” she muttered as she led me to the kitchen. “I bet Dr. Nurstrom likes strong coffee,” she told herself as she measured the grounds.
    â€œUh, hello?” We heard a voice at the door. Dr. Nurstrom found his way to the kitchen. “Good morning.” He looked big in our house. Not big like a bear. More like a giraffe.
    â€œHow do you like your coffee?” Phyllis asked.
    â€œOh, coffee, uh, yes. I’ll have a small cup.”
    Phyllis pretended he’d answered the question.
    â€œAre you going to check him now?” I asked. “We tried to check him but there was no sound.”
    â€œWhy did you do that?” Dr. Nurstrom asked, suddenly frowning in my direction.
    â€œI was worried,” I said, terrified that I’d done something wrong.
    â€œYou shouldn’t bother him,” he said, heading out of the kitchen. Had I harmed my dad by calling out for him? Interrupted his sleep?
    Dr. Nurstrom bumped into Phyllis, who stood in the doorway.
    â€œI think it’s pretty natural for Amalee to worry about her dad, don’t you?” she asked as kindly as she could. “Here’s your coffee.”
    â€œOh, I, uh, yes, thank you. Um, worry, yes. People worry, of course.” He turned back to look at me, then hurried down the hall.
    Before I could thank Phyllis for sticking up for me, we heard someone else.
    â€œKnock, knock,” Joyce sang in her little voice.
    â€œWhat’s Joyce doing here? It’s not her shift,” Phyllis wondered out loud. Aha. So they were going to come in shifts. They all pretended to be relaxed about the situation, but they weren’t planning on leaving me alone with Dad. I felt annoyed, but then I remembered how scared I’d felt when I couldn’t hear any sound coming from his room.
    Joyce burst into the room, weighed down under two grocery bags.
    â€œWell, I got donuts for the doctor, but then I thought he might be into, you know, health food, so I got a few whole-grain bagels, and a mango, and orange juice, and some eggs in case he wants a couple.” She caught herself rambling. “We want him to like it here,” she explained. “This is really for David. David is worth finding out what the doctor likes for breakfast.”
    The three of us tiptoed down the hall and peeked in at Dr. Nurstrom and Dad, who looked a little better than he had yesterday.
    Dr. Nurstrom was showing Dad how to use a bunch of things.
    â€œPress this button to reach me immediately,” he said, demonstrating on a box next to my dad’s bed. “Or press this button to call an ambulance, and this button to call your daughter.”
    My