Hi! I'm not very good at telling stories...but I want to tell you a story about my friend. Oh, first, I had better introduce myself. See...my name is James Isaac Neutron, but everyone just calls me Jimmy. I like being called "Jimmy"; "James" sounds so nerdy... Heh, sorry! Guess I'm getting an awfully bit sidetracked. I've got a robot dog named Goddard and the best parents that a boy genius could ever ask for! Yup, I got it all.... I even got a bunch of awesome friends. We all live in Retroville..and that is where my story takes place.

About a month ago, I was walking home from school on a Friday afternoon. I usually walk with my buds, Carl and Sheen, but today Carl had art lessons and Sheen had to go to tutoring (he really needs it…). Well, as I reached my house, I was thinking about all the blueprints I had drawn up during the week when I had some spare time after my homework. I was really excited to actually start working on building my new inventions. Sadly, my plans were interrupted as I stepped through the door of my home. I saw my mom quickly grabbing her purse and frantically checking if she had everything in a large bag. My father, standing right next to her, had a very worried look on his face…and when my father has a worried look on his face…you totally know that something is wrong.

"What's the matter mom?" I asked.

"Oh, Jimmy….." cried my mom. "I'm afraid it's your grandmother…. She's gotten into a car accident…"

"What?!" I screamed. "A car accident?! W-w-why….t-t-that's awful!"

"Grab your coat son. We're on our way to the hospital…you'd better come along." my dad said.

So I grabbed my coat and headed out the door to follow my parents. We all got into the car and drove of to St. John's Medical, where my grandmother was being hospitalized.

When we got there, I followed my parents towards the front desk. As my parents were asking for my grandmother's room, I looked around.

"Gosh" I thought. "The whole place is filled with stretchers, medicine carts, and pulse rating machines… and the smell of medication sure does linger throughout the air."

My mom and dad were able to get my grandmother's room. It was on the fifth floor…Room 108, I believe. As we got on the elevator, I hurried over to the elevator window. I just really like looking outside; I just love heights. Suddenly, through the window, I saw a girl sitting in a wheelchair all alone on the balcony. The balcony was on the same floor as we were.

Soon the elevator doors opened and before you know it……..I was quickly in Room 108. There we found my grandmother, but she was still unconscious. My mom and dad immediately rushed to her side to gently talk to her. I walked over too, but after twenty minutes of looking at my unconscious grandmother…I kind of got bored. So I decided to wander around the fifth floor a bit.

I looked at the new equipment and poked around with the IVs when finally I had found the balcony where that girl in the wheelchair was and quietly tiptoed to the other side of the balcony… But as I was in the process, the girl turned her wheelchair around and our eyes locked.

After a moment of silence, she gave me the sweetest smile that I had ever seen in my whole entire life! At that moment, I knew that I had made a friend.

"Hi! My name is Tohru." she said.

"Tohru, huh? That is one tight name. Oh, sorry. My name is Jimmy" I replied.

We busily chatted away…..like we were old friends or something! In just five minutes, I just realized how much we had in common. She loved science and she also liked to read books. She had a great sense of humor, too. She liked to draw and she also reads Popular Science, just like me!!! I also found out some personal stuff too…like the fact that she can walk, but she sometimes uses the wheelchair. How she secretly dips her fries in ice cream and how she sings when no one is around (I think it's safe to admit that I do that, too..)

"So..uh, are you hungry?" I asked.

"Well, I haven't eaten anything since this morning, but my appetite is starting to come back." Tohru replied.

"Why don't I order us something from the cafeteria?" I asked.

"Sure that sounds, great…….May I come along, too?" she asked.

"Of course you can!" I replied.

With that said, off we went. I got behind the wheelchair, grabbed the handles and started to push her. We chatted more along the way….it was great! When we got to the cafeteria, I ordered a pastrami sandwich and a Purple Flurp and Tohru ordered some fries and a Purple Flurp, as well.

We sat down at the nearest table and started to eat our food.

"Hey, this stuff isn't that bad!" I said.

Tohru smiled at me and asked, "Why would you say that?"

"Oh, I don't know….I just thought that hospital food would be bad……"

Tohru started drinking her Purple Flurp.

"I hope you don't mind me asking……, but why are you here?" I asked.

"Aw, don't worry……. I'm here because I was diagnosed with lung cancer…"

"Lung cancer!!! But that……you're breathing fine!! This has got to be horrible news for your parents!" I screamed.

"Well, the cancer hasn't spread…and it's not that bad, yet. My parents don't know about this because I don't have any……" she answered.

"Y-y-you're an orphan?!"

"Yeah………"

"But who pays your hospital bills?" I asked.

"Well, the orphanage does….." she replied. "The nuns thought that it would be better for me to stay in the hospital…so that I can be treated in an early stage. So here I am."

"Gosh….I-I-I-I'm awfully sorry….." I said.

"Don't worry about it, Jimmy." she said. "I just know things will get better."

We soon finished our food and I was about to start pushing her wheelchair when she got up and said, "I feel like such a burden when you push me around in my wheelchair…..I'll just walk with you."

"Are you sure……..? Will you be okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, Ill be fine!" she assured me. "I don't want you to worry about me."

"You know what…….I'm still afraid that you might fall over." I said. "So just let me hold your hand."

She gave me her hand and I led her out of the cafeteria. Judging by her size…I guess she was one year younger than me. From the corner of my eye, I observed her apparel. She wasn't wearing a hospital robe, but a white shirt, a pair of flair jeans, and some pink sneakers. I looked at my watch and realized that it was already 5:02.

"Whoa, 5:02 already!!??" I said shockingly.

"Huh?" she questioned.

"Oh, my parents are in Room 108." I said. "We are here to see my grandmother. See, she got into a car accident."

"Oh, that is so awful!" she said with a hurt look on her face. "How about we walk to Room 108 together?"

"I love the sound of that." I replied.

So we walked together. I still held her hand though….I really didn't want her to fall.

When we got to Room 108, my grandmother was awake, thank goodness. I also introduced Tohru to my parents and my grandmother. They started to really like Tohru within one minute. We all talked a bit more until it was time to go. As we left my grandmother's room, Tohru walked with me. We stayed within a few feet away from my parents. I had some gas left from the Purple Flurp…so I started to burp the alphabet. Tohru thought that it was funny.

We reached the elevator and my parents and I got inside. Before the doors closed I waved goodbye to Tohru and she waved back at me.

As we walked to the car, I said, "Hey, mom, dad, can I come back here tomorrow to see Tohru again?"

"Of course you can sweetie!" replied my mom.

"Definitely, Jimbo!" my dad said.

We drove out of the hospital, as I looked out of the window……..I could still see Tohru's sweet smile.