If I Should Die Before I Wake Read Online Free PDF Page A

turn.
    “Problems?” Deanne heard Mrs. Sanders ask from behind her.
    “No,” Deanne answered, a little too quickly. “It’s just being stubborn.”
    “Let me see,” Mrs. Sanders said, taking over the bar handle of the cart. With effortless motion the cart slid forward. Deanne only stared in disbelief. “Seems to be working fine, now,” Mrs. Sanders said with a sniff.
    “I guess you have the magic touch,” Deanne mumbled weakly. She glared at the cart as Mrs. Sanders continued crisply down the hall.
    Deanne got it into a room. Sara Miller smiled broadly as Deanne came through the door. “Hi, Miss Deanne!” the little girl grinned from her hospital bed.
    “Good afternoon, Sara. Need a book today?”
    “What ya got?” the child asked.
    “Want a good mystery? Or, how about a horse story?” she handed Sara a greencovered book about horses.
    “Yeah!” Sara smiled. “I love horse stories.” Deanne filled out the patient’s name and the book title on her information chart.
    “You gonna be down at the rec room for arts and crafts?” Sara asked.
    Deanne checked her watch. Oh, my goodness . . . it’s less than an hour from now. I’m not even half finished with my bookmobile rounds, she said to herself. “Of course I am, Sara. Let me get rolling here and I’ll be back for you in an hour.”
    Deanne tugged the cart out the door and back into the hall. The wheel stuck again. “Drat!” she said. Then she gave it one big push in disgust.
    The wheel released, suddenly. The
bookmobile leaped out of her hands. Deanne watched in horror as it swung around crazily, careened toward the wall and hit with a sharp THUMP! Books flew everywhere! Nurses came running. Kids came to the doors of their rooms to see what had happened.
    “Oh, no!” Deanne cried. She scrambled to pick up the books.
    “Now what happened?” Deanne looked up from the floor into Mrs. Sanders’s face.
    “It got stuck,” Deanne said weakly.
    “Miss Vandervoort,” Mrs. Sanders began. “I always seem to be looking at you on your hands and knees.” She tapped her toe as she spoke. “If the bookmobile is giving you a problem, may I suggest you call a custodian. He would gladly oil the wheels for you, and you could be about your business with fewer mishaps.”
    “Yes, Mrs. Sanders,” Deanne nodded. “I’m sorry.”
    Mrs. Sanders only looked down her nose and sighed.

    * * * * *
    Clare Coffman, the Child-Life Program specialist, showed the eager group of children how to fold, cut, and paste a colorful tissue paper flower. Deanne, Susan, and two other VolunTeens, Kathy and Chris, watched closely. They would have to help the kids make the flowers during the two-hour recreation period. Since this was the favorite part of Deanne’s day, she found it easy to pay attention.
    “That’s it, kids,” Clare smiled broadly. “Now, have a go at it.” The kids all began talking and working at once.
    Deanne hurried from child to child, supervising the activity. “Nice job, Kenny. Wait, Alan, I think you’re supposed to fold it like this first. That’s right, Sara, you’ve got it,” she said. The time flew. She couldn’t believe that two hours had gone by when Clare called a halt to the work.
    The VolunTeens wheeled the patients back to their rooms. Then they returned and began to clean up the scraps of paper and sticky paste messes.
    “Thanks a lot, girls,” Clare said to the four helpers.
    “It was fun,” Deanne told her.
    “I wish they all had your attitude, Deanne,” Clare said. “You’re the best help I have.”
    Deanne blushed. Then she said, “Tell Mrs. Sanders. She thinks I’m Klutz of the Year.”
    Clare looked over at her. “Oh, but I have told Mrs. Sanders,” she said.
    Deanne almost dropped her cleaning sponge. “What?” she gasped. The other girls listened intently.
    Clare threw back her head and laughed. “Oh, honestly. . . don’t act so shocked. Whenever I have good help, I let people know. You do a fine job. Plus,