Ripple Effect

Ripple Effect — page 3 — the swimming pool let alone drive to the children’s hospital an hour away to see Janelle Dana’s mother didn’t have a car She was intense about doing her part to save the environment and always took the bus to work As a result Dana and her brother Dale walked everywhere or took their bikes When Dana’s grandfather had come to visit for a week at the end of July he’d taken her up to the hospital in his little rental car He’d helped her find the right room Janelle’s mom and dad and aunt and uncle were there everyone talking in whispers Nelly was pale Her entire left leg was set in a cast and rested in a harness suspended above the bed It looked uncomfortable It also looked like it would be really hard for Janelle to move around but maybe that didn’t matter because she was so very very still Her eyes were closed Dana felt ill Her heart thumped oddly She wiped her sweaty hands on her shorts and took a deep breath She was still trying to get up the courage to walk over to the bed when a nurse had come in and shooed everyone out Too many visitors she said This girl needs to rest 2 Sylvia Taekema

Ripple Effect — page 4 — Dana’s grandfather had spoken with Janelle’s parents in the hallway outside the room for a few minutes while Dana sat on a bench Then he took her out for a milkshake but she didn’t really taste it He told her all kinds of funny stories from his travels but she only half heard them I know you’re disappointed about not being able to visit with your friend her grandpa had said resting a hand on her shoulder Dana didn’t tell him that she had actually felt relieved Over the next few weeks Dana had tried a few times to call Janelle’s room Dana’s mother had gotten the number for her The first time she called the phone just rang and rang and that scared her Why didn’t Janelle answer Had something bad happened It wasn’t like she could go anywhere with her leg the way it was The second time a nurse answered and said Janelle was with a physiotherapist The third time Janelle’s dad answered and said she was down at X-ray He asked if Dana could call back in a half hour or so Sure Dana had said But she didn’t She just didn’t 3 Ripple Effect

Ripple Effect — page 5 — All through the summer Dana’s mother had kept asking her if she was all right I’m fine Why wouldn’t I be I mean with what happened to Janelle and everything Dana was puzzled It didn’t happen to me Mom It did in a sense These things touch people in different ways Dana shrugged She didn’t understand what her mom was getting at I’m okay She knew everything would be fine again once Janelle was home Dana’s dad kept saying things like Next week doesn’t look so bad or I think I can be caught up in a few more days But it rained enough to keep the grass green and growing and the weeds seemed to do double time in the heat Then the truck broke down It stayed in the shop for a whole week while Dana’s dad rescheduled with his customers and worked to catch up on his bookkeeping at the kitchen table But now the truck was fixed And even though he was swamped with jobs again 4 Sylvia Taekema

Ripple Effect — page 6 — Dana’s dad insisted he would take the afternoon off so that Dana could visit Janelle Dana when your friend is in the hospital I hate hospitals Dad Dana cut in They smell funny And I hate all those tubes and machines and beeping noises The whole place makes me feel sick I’m not like Mom I would make a terrible nurse She shuddered and sat down on the bottom stair Her dad sighed No one’s asking you to be a nurse Dana Dad Nelly knows me She knows I think hospitals are creepy Remember when Dale broke his wrist in the basketball game last winter and you and Mom and I brought him to Emergency How you had to call Mrs Murphy and Janelle to come get me because I was starting to look like more of a patient than Dale was Her father laughed I remember And Janelle knows all about our old truck too She won’t care She’ll understand Her father shook his head I hope you’re right He took off his good jacket and hung it back 5 Ripple Effect

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