If I Should Die Before I Wake Read Online Free PDF

you really seem to like doing it.”
    “Oh, I do,” Deanne said. “It’s . . . oh, you know. . . Mrs. Sanders sees me falling all over myself so much. How’s she going to believe you?”
    “It’s been my experience, Deanne, that Mrs. Sanders only pushes the ones she thinks are good. Believe me, it would be worse if she just ignored you.”
    “HA!” Deanne scoffed.
    “I mean it,” Clare continued. “We need sensitive, caring volunteers. These kids need people who can make them feel less scared— people who can relate to them. You’re lucky because you can.”
    After Clare left the room, Deanne thought about what she had said. She really did care. She loved her job and she liked the people she worked with.
    “Well, that’s it for me,” Kathy said, pushing her hands against her back. “I’m going downstairs for lunch.”
    “Yeah,” Chris and Susan agreed. “But why don’t we sit for a minute first,” Susan sighed. “My feet are killing me!”
    They all plopped down onto the floor and stretched out. It felt good to relax. “Just think,” Deanne piped up. “We get to do it all over again in two hours.” The other three girls groaned.
    “Haven’t you girls got anything to do?” the voice from the doorway asked. It was Mrs. Sanders. The girls jumped to their feet.
    “Oh, sure!” Kathy said. “Lunch, you know.”
    “Fine,” Mrs. Sanders said. “Then get to it. We’ll be needing some of you to strip and change beds this afternoon.”
    They all nodded and headed toward the door. Each wanted a fast escape to the cafeteria. “Just a minute,” Mrs. Sanders called. “Miss Vandervoort, I’d like to speak with you for a minute.”
    Deanne froze in her steps. Her heart skipped a beat. “Yes, Mrs. Sanders?” she asked, turning toward the stern-faced nurse.
    “I want to give you a special assignment. You too, Miss Pyle.” Susan stopped next to Deanne.
    “Yes, Mrs. Sanders?” she also asked.
    The other girls left the room in a hurry. Deanne and Susan waited for Mrs. Sanders to speak. Finally, she said, “I’ve gotten some good reports about you two girls, about your hard work and initiative.”
    They waited for her to continue. “They’re short-handed upstairs in oncology. The Child-Life Program there needs some volunteers.” She stared at them until they each nodded.
    “As you know, these cancer patients have their own recreation areas. We need VolunTeens to help out and I’m personally sending you two up there. You’ll report to Renee Stewart. She’s the R.N. in charge during the day shift. She’ll tell you what she needs you to do.”
    Deanne and Susan stood there and stared at Mrs. Sanders.
    “Did you hear me?” Mrs. Sanders asked.
    “Yes, Mrs. Sanders!” they chimed in unison.
    “Then get moving, please,” Mrs. Sanders said as she turned to leave.
    The girls dashed for the elevators and pushed the button for the fourth floor. Deanne’s heart was pounding. She didn’t like this one bit. She felt nervous about being around kids with cancer. And she didn’t like Mrs. Sanders “volunteering” her to do it.

    * * * * *
    The oncology floor looked like every other floor of the hospital: a central nurses’ station, rows of rooms, and a large rec room at the end of the hall. The first person Deanne saw when she got off the elevator was a ten-year-old boy. He was very thin, and he was pushing a portable IV stand. Two bags of IV solution hung from either side of the stand. Long clear plastic tubes ran from the bottles to the needle in the back of his hand. Deanne turned her head and walked quickly toward the nurses’ station.
    “Mrs. Stewart?” she asked. A green-eyed woman dressed in crisp white looked up.
    “Yes?” she asked.
    “We’re the VolunTeens Mrs. Sanders sent up,” Deanne continued.
    Renee Stewart smiled. “Good. I’ve been waiting for you.” As she stepped out from behind the desk area, Deanne could see that she was tall and very pretty.
    “I really need you