Captain Mack Read Online Free PDF Page B

Danny,” she said wearily. “Um … I guess you want to come in.”
    â€œIf that’s OK.”
    â€œYeah, come on,” she said, holding the door. “You might as well sit by me in my hour of misery.”
    She led the way into the kitchen and dropped into one of the chairs. There was a glass on the table in front of her. Then without apparent reason she stood up again, as if she’d just remembered something important she’d forgotten to do. “You want a drink or anything?” she asked.
    â€œI’ll just have water too,” Danny said.
    â€œThat’s not … OK,” Ellie said, taking a clean glass from the dish-drainer and filling it from the tap.
    â€œAre you all right?” Danny asked when they were both sitting.
    Ellie heaved a breath and sipped from her glass. “It’s been what you could call a hard day.”
    â€œWhy? Not enough other nurses?”
    She smiled weakly. “That problem’s always there. No, other things.”
    â€œLike what?”
    The leg of her chair screeched on the floor as she stood up suddenly again and went to the fridge, sticking her head in it like she was searching for something. She seemed to be looking for a long time. “Like what?” she said at last. “Like people dying, Danny. That kind of hard day.”
    â€œOh.” It was difficult to know what else to say.
    At last Ellie closed the fridge door and sat back down. There was nothing in her hands, and her eyes were perhaps a little red. “That makes for a hard day,” she repeated quietly. “It’s the worst part, even though you know it’s bound to happen. You try not to get attached, but you do, and eventually old people …” She stared into her glass for a while, then raised her head and looked at Danny and attempted a smile. “Anyway, that’s not your problem, is it?”
    â€œI guess it’s not, but …” He still didn’t know what to say.
    â€œDid you come over with a question, or just to say hi?” she asked.
    â€œOh, yeah, I did have a question. Um … Captain Mack said something yesterday that I didn’t quite understand. I guess I didn’t understand it at all.”
    â€œWhat was it?”
    â€œHe told me to look out for some guy called Tierney. He said he needed help or something. Is there someone at the hospital with that name? One of the other old people.”
    Ellie bunched her eyebrows together as she thought. “Tierney?”
    â€œI think that was it.”
    Ellie shook her head. “Doesn’t ring a bell. Maybe Captain Mack was just having one of his fantasies. He does that sometimes.”
    â€œHe said it was really important, and that there was nothing he could do to help, so it was up to me.”
    She shrugged. “I can’t help you with that one, Danny. Sorry.”
    â€œOh.” He paused. “Well, in that case I was wondering if … I mean, would I be able to come and see Captain Mack sometime? Just for a little while? I want to ask him about Tierney.”
    â€œI’m sure he’d love you to visit.”
    â€œReally?”
    â€œYou name the day, Danny, and I’ll arrange for you to see him. Make it a morning shift and I can even bring you home afterwards.”
    â€œHow about tomorrow?” he asked.
    â€œYou’re really serious, aren’t you? Sure, tomorrow sounds fine.”
    Danny smiled. “Great. I guess I’ll see you there.” After school the next day Danny got off at his usual station, but instead of heading straight home as he did every other day, he walked in the opposite direction, towards Lady Smythe. He hadn’t told Caleb about going to visit Captain Mack again. Maybe when he knew more about this Tierney person he’d tell him. Perhaps he’d be able to help.
    He couldn’t find Captain Mack in the garden, so he went through the main entrance and asked one of the